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Working and IPF
Welcome @Samu Kirton, who is a co-moderator of the PF forums. I am a little biased, but this forum community is a special one; always willing to help each other by sharing advice and offering encouragement and support. We’re glad you could join us in this new role!
Samuel is also a columnist for PF news and I’d like to highlight a post he wrote last month: The big shift: My decision to stop working. This is something many of us can relate to! From a physical limitations perspective, stopping work for me would be ideal; however, living with a lung disease like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is expensive and can have added costs associated with it. I still struggle with the decision about when to stop working and I felt validated in reading Sam’s column as he too shared it was a difficult decision for him.
For those of you living with IPF, how did you decide it was time to stop working? I’d love to hear from you!
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1 Reply
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I was diagnosed with IPF in 11/2015 and retired in 5/2020 at the age of 71. I had a sedentary job as a psychotherapist, so physical exertion was not a factor, and my IPF impacted my job minimally. Although I loved my work, I would have probably retired at that time anyway, as I wanted some years to travel & just have fun, but I also did not enjoy doing therapy over telehealth (due to the pandemic). In my case, I only have shortness of breath with a moderate degree of exertion, and my disease has not progressed to date. I am not on any medication, and Medicare & my supplemental insurance have been great & have covered all tests & MD appointments after I meet the deductible. Retiring would have been a difficult decision if the IPF impacted my work or I had to depend upon employment for health insurance.
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