[Rocket]

I was working as an aircraft Mechanic and still playing ice hockey in 2019 at the age of 62. I also maintain my property mowing 3 plus acres of grass and any repair anything around the house such as carpentry, plumbing, painting, ECT. vehicle and equipment Maintenace and anything that need fixing I fix it. I also am a retired Air force maintenance technician with 24 years devoted to the Air Force maintaining aircraft.

I felt I was slowing down or getting older playing the sport I love to play, but I had to stop playing in 2020 when covid shut down all the ice-skating rinks and haven’t played since.

In Sept. 2019 I ask my POC about this situation and He had me take an X-ray, but I never heard back from him with the result. I found out later he moved out of the practice because the practice was failing. I changed practices after that.

Jan. 2021, I caught pneumonia and my new POC had me take an X-ray and the results detail by the Radiologist stated there was pre-existing interstitial disease in the right upper lung from a Sept. 2019 X-ray with worsening findings 1-7-2021 with IPF in both lungs. My POC referred me to a Pulmonologist for a further evaluation.

I started on Esbriet 150 mg 2 X a day and had a severe skin break out due to my skin condition with (90%) coverage of vitiligo. I was switch to ofeb 2 X a day and had to find a balance to keep the diarrheal at bay, so I found taking a 1/2 of an anti-diarrheal pill (1mg) an iron supplement with the ofeb a works well with me.

My work environment with fibrosis was hard because of the aircraft exhaust constantly blowing in the hanger and the chemical and fuel associated aircraft maintenance. I struggled working but kept going because I had to get my finances in order prior to retiring. That is the most difficult thing to do when diagnosed with fibrosis. I retired in August 2023 and since I retired, I was turned down for a lung transplant and my oxygen function has dropped a lot since the first lung function test.

I have found that when I cough a lot my blood/oxygen level is below 88% and even lower.

I have found if I try to control my cough with too many cough drops my throat starts to bleed and show up in my sputum.

I think work as long as you can and plan on a retirement plan early to exit work and retire.

I worked beyond what I should have because I did not plan when I was first diagnosed.

I think every person is different and IPF will also have a different effect on everyone.

This site is very good for people like me because we can read about others with the same disabilities and learn from their post.

Thank
you, Charlene, for maintaining this source of information.

[Rocket]

I have been on 150 mg of Ofev twice a day and I had cramps and diarrhea.

I take 1mg of anti-diarrheal pill with every ofev pill and I recently taking 1 iron pill in the morning.

The iron pill can bin you up if you take to many, you have to adjust to what works with your body we all have different metabolisms.

This helps a lot, but I also found eating on a regular schedule keeps the flow in the bowels to push the drugs along to the stomach.

In the morning I use to take my vitamins and ofev all at once but since I spread them out between throughout the day, now I hardly have cramps.