Changing Vision in a PF Patient, and What Can Help
I started noticing a change in my vision about a year ago. I’ve had the same prescription for glasses and contact lenses for 20 years. I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis almost…
Just Breathe…Compassionate Help for the PF Journey
— Kim Fredrickson
Kim Fredrickson was an author, blogger, and marriage and family therapist. She lived in Northern California with her husband of 40 years and had two adult children. Kim was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in May 2014 as a rare complication from chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer. Kim is the author of Pulmonary Fibrosis Journey: A Counselor and Fellow Patient Walks with You, The Power of Positive Self-Talk, and Give Your Kids a Break: Parenting with Compassion for You and Your Children. Kim believed that learning to advocate for yourself with kindness and compassion, just as you would for a good friend, makes this difficult journey a little easier. In her patient column on Pulmonary Fibrosis News, she offered practical ideas to help us care for ourselves, fight for what we need, and process our many-layered emotions. Kim passed away in 2019, but her inspirational work advocating for the IPF community continues to inspire and endure.
Read more of Kim’s writing at www.kimfredrickson.com
Featured Post
Beautiful Hopes for Kim Fredrickson’s Transplant Journey
Editor’s note: Brad Dell, the head of columns for Bionews Services, wrote this column. When I walked into Kim Fredrickson’s room in the intensive care unit (ICU), my emotions ripped me this way and that — grief, relief,…
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Getting Used to Being Disabled as a PF Patient
After being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, I resisted seeing myself as disabled. My disease progressed quickly, and within two months I needed to use supplemental oxygen whenever I moved around. I used a portable oxygen concentrator in…
Options for Portable Oxygen Use Away from Home
Last week, I shared my thoughts about different oxygen options to use at home. This week, I’d like to pass on what I’ve learned about different types of portable oxygen possibilities to use away from home.
Options for Supplemental Oxygen at Home
Over the last two-plus years I have become an unwilling expert on the ins and outs of supplemental oxygen. When I started using supplemental oxygen I knew next to nothing and found it very hard to get…
The Day I Found Out I Needed Supplemental Oxygen
I still remember the day I found out I needed to use supplemental oxygen. It was June 2014. I had gone to a follow-up appointment with my pulmonologist after he prescribed a six-week course of prednisone…
Get Help so You Can Achieve What Really Matters to You
I just took a bold step to ask for help I have a big goal that really matters to me. Our son is getting married in a little less than two…
Making Tough Decisions as Pulmonary Fibrosis Progresses
This is a difficult blog to write I’ve been making decisions about how to spend my limited time and energy wisely. I was hoping to bounce back after I experienced a decrease in lung function about…
Electric Bill Shames This PF Patient — But She Gives It Right Back
I sat down to open my mail a few days ago and received what felt like a slap in the face. Shame hurts. My local utility company sent me a…
Sustaining Hope on the PF Journey
I’m not big on hope, even though I have a sign that says “hope” on my porch year-round. Are you thinking “Wait! How can she say that? I want to be encouraged…
Traveling with Oxygen is a Challenge for PF Patients
I have a love/hate relationship with my supplemental oxygen. I use liquid oxygen at a flow of 8 litres per minute, 24/7, as well as an oxygen concentrator. I’m grateful to have it,…
Don’t Let Your Diagnosis Take Away Your Ability to Live NOW
A while ago I was feeling tired and found myself debating whether I wanted to put out the energy to get together with some friends. Going out and lugging my oxygen around is a lot of effort,…
How Do You Tell Others You Have a Terminal Lung Disease?
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I have a good answer to this question, but I’ll share my journey delivering this message. My journey actually began by telling others I had breast cancer three-and-a-half years ago. Only…
