Judith Parker
Biography
| Name | Judith Parker |
| Nickname | judith-parker |
| Gender | Female |
| Location | Seattle area |
| Relationship | Patient |
| Short Bio | I am a widow, living alone on an island in Puget Sound with my two dogs. I was diagnosed with IPF in September of 2015, confirmed by VATS surgery. I was put on pirfenidone immediately. For those 5 years I have been fairly stable except for one acceleration for which I was not hospitalized. I have lost function, but slowly. At this point I use supplemental O2 at night, when recovering from a coughing episode, and when I take a walk. Walking is difficult because my knees are very arthritic, but I do it when I can. I feel very grateful for the medical care I am receiving, and for the special helpers who make it possible for me to live a fairly normal life, to remain on my large property, and to stay safe during this pandemic.
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| Type of Diagnosis | IPF |
| Lung transplantation status | ineligible |
| Supplemental Oxygen | yes |
| Best advice for PF symptom management | My most difficult symptom is the cough. The most helpful management tool for me has been hydrocodone. When the cough basically took away my quality of life – couldn’t talk, couldn’t laugh, severe muscle spasms which triggered severe headaches, massive fatigue, etc – it seemed worth trying. I have been using it for about a year, pretty much at the same dose. Sometimes the cough changes in character and there is more phlegm and more pain with breathing. My pulmonologist has put me on a short course of prednisone when that happens (and an antibiotic as well the last time), which really helped. |
| Are you currently taking an anti-fibrotic medication? | yes |
| How did you find us? | Other |
| How long have you or the person that you are caring for had PF? | Diagnosed September 2015 |
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