[Alfred Arnold]

Hi Charlene,

Thanks for providing information and enabling information from IPF individuals to be shared.

I was diagnosed with IPF in December 2017 after CT/PET scan was performed after 6 months of chemo treatment for recurrent prostate cancer. While the scans showed that the cancer was under control, it showed several other problems: CAD, nodules on the thyroid and fibrosis of the lung. IPF was confirmed by my Pulmonolgist with a follow-up high resolution CAT scan.

I will be starting Esbriet when it arrives. My initial concern is digestive tolerance and tolerance to sunlight. I have a good friend who was diagnosed with IPF a few years ago who was put on Esbriet about 6 months ago. He has not experienced any side effects.

One additional note – after a comprehensive evaluation by my cardiologist, he recommended that I read “The End of Heart Disease,” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. After reading this book I have adopted his Nutritarian diet which calls for obtaining most of your nutrients from plants rather than animal sources. I wonder if anyone with IPF is following a primarily vegetarian/vegan diet. The diet reduces inflammation associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). I wonder if it has benefits for IPF patients.