Biography

I was diagnosed with IPF in December 2017 at the age of 64. I was having difficulty walking up the last 50 metres of a steep hill to my home to the point that I had to stop twice to catch my breath before moving on. I put it down to getting older and not doing much walking. At the same time I decided to get tested for sleep apnoea as I was waking up exhausted. As part of that testing I had to see a pulmonary specialist and do the 6 minute walk test, which led to further testing and my diagnosis. I was also required to attend pulmonary rehab which inspired me to get fitter. I am lucky that I am able to do a lot of walking which I love and feel fitter than I was before the diagnosis. I’m on OFEV.