Biography

Join a support group, with a partner or family family, it really helps talking and sharing the symptoms and tips and will give to something to look forward to.

try and join a pulmanory Rehab programme, if this is not possible for you, take part in an exercise regimen, ILFA Ireland have made a tape for people with IPF and PF and can be found on line at ILFA.ie ..also we have just made a yoga tape which we hope will be useful and it’s free to download. You can benifit from excerise sitting in a chair if your having a bad day.. Or try to complete 2,000 steps per daa day increase this if you can, if weather is wet go to a shopping Centre or a mall and walk inside avoiding winds which can bring on coughing episode.

Tips to help, when washing showing or bath, try and lower the temperature of the water it will help with breathlessness, I don’t know how this works but it do work.

carry a small hand fan, for when you do get short of breath, stop what you are doing concentrate on getting your breath take it easy a little fan can help here.

Obviously try and avoid people with colds or flu like symptoms, if flying use a mask, and washing hands regular to keep germs away.

You may have been given a time frame for life expectancy I hear this a lot Well none of us has a best before date or expiry date, if you keep on top of it and fight, I was given 1-3 years. And over 9 years later, my lung function test have gone from 39 per cent to 51 % now. Because I keep myself as fit as possible, there are days you can do plenty and other days you don’t want to get out of bed, but you have to work hard and push yourself.

Dont be afraid of oxygen, use it, and higher the flow if you have to, when sitting lower it. You are the best judge of your needs. Maintain a healthy balanced diet, extra weight makes things more difficult, so try and aim for your correct BMI.. good luck ? and don’t give up.

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