Living With IPF — Charlene Marshall

It’s no secret that when you are diagnosed with a chronic illness, your life will inevitably change in numerous ways. Lung diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), are bound to impact your physical, mental, and emotional health because breathing…

Given the stage of life I am in, many people are curious to know what type of work I do for a living. This curiosity often comes naturally to people when interacting with young adults — especially when they…

I have experienced a whirlwind of emotions, good and bad, since being diagnosed with IPF. Sometimes I feel these emotions randomly, and other times they are attributed to how my day has gone overall. For example, if I have…

Since I received my IPF diagnosis about 16 months ago, there have been many times when things in my life have felt out of my control. For example, I neither can control how rapidly my disease is progressing, nor…

Sometimes when people ask me, “What do you need” or “What can I do to help,” I feel like a broken record since my response is usually, “I don’t know.” I wish I did know what I need when I am…

I have always enjoyed traveling and have been privileged enough as a young adult to enjoy vacations that span the globe. While some were related with business, such as being flown to Calgary, Saskatchewan, Halifax, New York City, Dubai, Colorado, California…

This past weekend, I was able to get away from all of my medical treatments, therapies, and appointments and spend time at my cottage with two dear friends. We had been planning this for a long time, and I…

After walking from a lunchroom table back to my desk, I remember thinking to myself, “Gosh, I am feeling tired this week.” I reviewed what I might have done differently last week from other weeks, and thought about what might be…

By definition, I always understood naivety to mean inexperience, lack of understanding or wisdom about  a particular topic. Such things could include naivety about the topic of a difficult discussion, or an unrealistic expectation of a timeline for something…

As a patient living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I am extremely grateful to the researchers, doctors, health advocates, and other professionals dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for those of us enduring this horrible disease. I am…

In previous columns, I have alluded to the world of lung diseases and organ transplantation as one that is unique and very different from the life that most people experience. This is especially true for young adults, who naturally…

I am still reflecting on an experience I had last week at the grocery store — one that, unfortunately, is common for other patients, too. Several months after being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I began having to…