Courage to Care — Christie Patient

For me, the scariest part of the pandemic has been imagining one of my loved ones developing a severe case of COVID-19. Relatable statement, I know. But I don’t have to try too hard to imagine what being sick…

We moved out of our house today. Tomorrow, my husband, Jonny, our two pets, and I will board a plane for a new life in a new place. We are leaving Washington state behind for good. While I am…

Five years ago, every change in my health status or that of a loved one had the potential to become a catastrophe in my mind. Learning that a loved one was unwell used to send me into…

Even in normal times, holidays can be a huge vector for illness. Viruses that thrive during the colder months, such as influenza, can cause serious problems for those with compromised immune systems or poor pulmonary function.

Earlier this month, I wrote a column about mental health and therapy options available during the pandemic. Hopefully, I made a strong case for giving therapy a try if you have been hesitant.

Oct. 10 was World Mental Health Day. I am a bit late to the party, but with a twice-monthly publishing schedule, this is my first opportunity to share a column inspired by Mental Health Day. In previous columns, I…

The medical facility at the military base where my husband is stationed is enormous. Almost every specialty you can imagine is under one roof. The first time I had an appointment there, the…

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where my mom, Holly, received her double-lung transplant, has gone to great lengths to provide information at every turn on the transplant journey. The infamous blue binder contains everything you…

Receiving a pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis is a life-changing event. Accepting this new reality may initially seem impossible. There are so many new things to consider that never were on the radar before they suddenly became important.

I’ve been going through a second (Third? Fourth?) wave of grief for all things pre-pandemic. I am still mourning things that once brought me joy but are currently off-limits — rugby, concerts, being a wedding photographer, and…

Two weeks after my mom, Holly’s, double-lung transplant, she was discharged from the hospital. Although she was weak, she was walking, talking, eating, and, best of all, breathing on her own. After three…

The correct way to talk about lung transplantation in relation to pulmonary fibrosis is to call it a “treatment.” I learned this early in my caregiving journey through a combination of education from my mom’s…