Living With IPF — Charlene Marshall

As we grow up and go through life, we adopt many different roles or identities that help shape who we are as a person, and in relation to others. Some of these identities are by choice and make us proud, while other identities happen involuntarily. Often, it can…

For animal lovers out there, it won’t come as a surprise that having a dog has been a blessing since being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in early 2016. I often reflect on the timeline of when my dog “accidentally” became part of my life, shortly before…

By definition, a rhetorical question refers to one that seeks to make a point as opposed to seeking an answer. Lately, I have been asking myself rhetorical questions, and I am not expecting answers. But I am finding myself frustrated there are no answers. Most of these are…

As I sit down to write this column, I am wiping away tears of frustration. I hope that getting all of my thoughts down on paper will help. I’ll be candid: I am angry at my chronic illness. I don’t have time for it, and neither do the…

Everyone diagnosed with a life-threatening disease or chronic illness can have a different experience as a patient. Many factors might cause this, including how involved patients are or want to be in their medical care, the expertise of their physicians, and how rapidly or invasive their disease becomes.

For those of you who know me personally, you likely are aware that I am excited about an upcoming trip to celebrate my 30th birthday. More than the fact that it’s my birthday, I am looking forward to this trip because it not only is a vacation from…

It likely wouldn’t surprise anyone to hear that after being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, there are many things about which a patient might feel differently. There also are changes both internally and externally that a patient will endure. These can be grander things, such as the way…

Since the beautiful season of fall has embraced us in southwestern Ontario, so has cold and flu season. Between the seasons changing and the kids going to school, there is an entirely new environment to breed germs, and I am hearing of more and more people catching a…

As the seasons slowly change here in Southwestern Ontario and we welcome the beauty of fall, I can’t help but reflect on this past summer. It was filled with some happy memories, but also hard times as my disease progressed and my lungs struggled with the heat and…

I am sure there is some underlying rule that a patient will have some type of pain when diagnosed with a chronic illness. Either that pain will come from the disease itself, or it will be a secondary symptom of it, such as inflammation, sore muscles, etc. Until…

Those of you with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) likely have had to use supplemental oxygen. If so, you likely are aware of how labor-intensive it is to obtain and maintain oxygen equipment, and of the importance of using it safely in a variety of situations. These are things…

Since being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I have crossed paths with many different people with varying responses to my disease. Because I am only 29, I am regularly reminded that being diagnosed with this disease so young is rare and, as a result, people are often…