Karen Rachal

I had parrots for 30 years.  In 2011 after a car accident, I had a chest X-ray.  No problem.  In 2016, I had another chest X-ray in the emergency room.  No one told me about the fibrosis.  Not the er doctor or my pcp.  It was Christmas Eve and I should have read the discharge paperwork.  At my follow up with my pcp, he didn’t mention it.  I was d…[Read more]

My pulmonologist tells me my progression is minimal so I try to keep up my routine.  Unfortunately my routine is now walking 1 1/2 miles a day followed my a pulmonary rehab video, followed by a two hour nap.  Two other days it is a workout at the gym on resistance machines, followed by the rehab video, followed by a two hour nap.  I still cook di…[Read more]

I don’t talk about my appointments unless I’m asked.  I don’t usually tell anyone but my husband thatI have an appointment.  I quit because if I said I had a good appointment, everyone thought that I was getting better.  I’ve told everyone that I won’t be getting better, I’m just trying not to get worse.  I am not a candidate for transplant.

I turned over the vacuuming to my husband when I kept getting tangled in my tubing. I finally remembered the backpack I got for my OxygoNext. I had to sideline it when I broke 5 ribs. I drug it out today and managed to vacuum 3 rooms. So nice not to get tangled in the tubing.

I was diagnosed in Oct. 2018.  I had a pulmonologist who told me that I was not a candidate for a transplant.  I asked him about clinical trials but never got an answer.  He did help me get on Esbriet.  After two years, I found a clinical trial at Shands in Gainesville, Florida.  I changed pulmonologists and he sent me for evaluation with a tran…[Read more]

I have a 7 day pill box.  I just count out 9 per day.  That solved the problem for me.

Nothing has worked for me, so I keep a supply of alcohol wipes on hand.