Lee Ann Robertson
Forum Replies Created
-
In 2011 my endocrinologist suspected I had pneumonia and sent me to a pulmonologist who, after chest X-rays and breathing tests, determined I indeed had pneumonia and also diagnosed interstitial lung disease which I understood to be scar tissue probably from pneumonia. I was supposed to follow up in a year, but our insurance changed and this doctor was no longer in network. I felt fine. My breathing was good. I cruised through five years feeling normal. I’ve always been high energy. Then about four years ago I started coughing. I have awful allergies from May through December, but I was coughing all year long. One PA suggested I had just gotten into the habit of coughing! My primary care doctor (with the knowledge of my ILD) said my lungs sounded good, couldn’t hear any crackling, and diagnosed me with with allergy onset asthma. I still felt horrible. Then I started getting worse to the point that I didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything because of my coughing – it was embarrassing and exhausting! I made appointments with an allergist and with the pulmonologist. That was in September and November of last year, 2019 and it was a high def CT scan that told the story. I do have allergies nine months out of the year, but was diagnosed with IPF by Thanksgiving. I started OFEV in mid January. Praying it does its job! So, if I had gone back to my pulmonologist sooner, I feel sure it wouldn’t have taken four years. Hindsight!
-
My doctor prescribed OFEV the day of my diagnosis. It took a few weeks for me to actually get started on it.
-
I just started last Saturday, January 18th. So far, I’m handling it well!