Courage to Care – Christie Patient

This weekend, we will celebrate my mom’s re-birthday. It is hard to believe that an entire year has passed since my mom, Holly, had a double-lung transplant. The important moments of that day remain vivid in my memory. The phone rang at about 8 a.m. My…

The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is slowly working its way around the world. Along with the spread of this new strain of coronavirus, fear and misinformation have been making the rounds. Since the COVID-19 virus has made its way to the States, the uncertainty and unknowns about the…

Feb. 29 is Rare Disease Day. Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the more than 6,000 known rare diseases. While PF may not have much in common with other diseases, those with PF share a connection with the one in 20 people worldwide who will live with a rare disease…

Much of my young adult life was molded by my fears. I have talked about the effects in past columns, and how my mom’s hospitalization helped me find my courage. After surviving months in the ICU, a double-lung transplant, and a rocky start to her recovery, my mom is…

When my mom, Holly, had an acute exacerbation of her idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, she was transported to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center. She spent the first three weeks in the intensive care unit recovering enough to get on the lung transplant list. When at last…

As an English major with an interest in psychology, I am constantly analyzing the effect that words can have on people. Words are magical units of meaning that we can combine in infinite ways to convey ideas and thoughts. Some combinations can be healing, while others can have the…

Last week, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of my mom, Holly, getting on the lung transplant list. If you’ve been a reader of mine for a while, you know that getting on the list was not a smooth process for us. She was pretty…

I was recently brainstorming ideas with other rare disease columnists about how to support someone admitted for a long hospital stay. I started thinking about the ways that caregivers need support, too. It’s easier to be the person who can walk out of the hospital, but caregivers still deal…

I’ve never been hospitalized for more than a day, but I have spent a fair amount of time visiting others. Even though it’s sometimes hard to show up, I always make an effort. The last thing I want is for my people to feel abandoned when they are coping with…

While preparing for my family to visit at Christmastime, I was reminded of when my mom, Holly, was discharged from the hospital after her double-lung transplant. We had to make adaptations to make our rented apartment a safe environment for her.   She had been in…

As I move through the seasons of this year, I can’t help but feel the imprint of the events and emotions of last year. I keep comparing moments from now to this time one year ago. There are many unofficial anniversaries that my internal clocks have kept. As we…

I try to practice gratitude every day. The word “practice” is appropriate. Viewing daily trials through a lens of gratitude did not come to me by instinct or inheritance. I started doing it several years ago to try and force myself out of a funk. Writing down something that I…