Dean
Biography
| Name | Dean |
| Nickname | Dean |
| Last Name | Mericka |
| Year of Birth | 1960 |
| Gender | Male |
| Location | Asheville, NC |
| Relationship | Patient |
| Short Bio | I am a 63 year old male and former executive in the enterprise software business. I was diagnosed with ILD in Sept 2018. Up until June 2023 I had not experienced much of an impact. From July to now my PF has progressed to the point where I have approx 40% lung function (DCLO). My Pulmonology team is at Duke and the care is exceptional. We believe my PF is the result of an Autoimmune process (likely Lupus) but we have not reached a final root cause diagnosis. Interestingly, my identical twin brother also was diagnosed in the past few months with PF. As Dec 2023, I am on 10mtg of prednisone per day, 3000mg of CellCept (to combat the autoimmune process) and Bactrim to prevent any type of infection now that my immune system has been shut off by CellCept. I will start Ofev in 2 weeks. |
| Type of Diagnosis | PF of known aetiology |
| Treatment / Medical Facility | Duke |
| Current medication regimen | Supplemental O2, Ofev, Cellcept and Prednisone |
| Lung transplantation status | currently in evaluation process |
| Supplemental Oxygen | yes |
| Best advice for PF symptom management | Stay Active and Positive. Manage your own care – dont depend or wait on anyone in the US Healthcare System to manage your care. |
| Are you currently taking an anti-fibrotic medication? | yes |
| If yes, which anti-fibrotic medication are you on? | Ofev |
| How did you find us? | PF News Website |
| How long have you or the person that you are caring for had PF? | 5 years |
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