Sharing the Joy of Being Able to Say ‘Thank You’
After a week filled with others doing things to help me, including spending more than six hours on a weeknight helping me move to a new home, I was thrilled to…
Living With IPF — Charlene Marshall
Charlene Marshall is a fiercely independent 30-something-year-old who can’t sit still. She loves coffee, wine tasting, playing with her dog, and spending time on the beach with her family. She’s a lover of all things travel, and never passes up an opportunity for a dip in the ocean! A proud Canadian, Charlene was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2016 after 13 months of investigation into sudden shortness of breath, a chronic cough, and unusual fatigue. IPF has forced her to slow down, but she’s slowly learning the value of quality versus quantity in everything she does.
Featured Post
My New Year’s wishes for the IPF community
Each new year brings an influx of marketing about resolutions, hopes, and wishes. If you’re like me, your social media feed is flooded with related ad campaigns this month. A new year often sparks…
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Why I Am Reluctant to Share IPF Struggles
Do you ever feel that sharing difficult news about yourself is a burden on your friends? I have been struggling a little with this recently and, as a result, I am…
We Have a Responsibility to Raise Awareness About Rare Diseases
With Rare Disease Day 2017 coming up tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 28), I have been thinking a lot about responsibility. As someone living with a rare disease (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF), I…
Asking for Help is Hard, But Worth It!
I always have been fairly independent. When I was little I played outside alone in a small town where the “scary stories” of a big city just didn’t happen. I was…
Much for Which to be Thankful, But I Still Miss the Old Me
I have tried countless times to describe the feeling of breathlessness to the people in my life who love me and want to understand what I am going through. It doesn’t seem…
Strategies for Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients’ ‘Hardest Days’
When living with an invisible and chronic illness, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I suppose it’s inevitable that you will have some really hard days (no matter how much you…
Sparkling Moments Shine a Bright Light on Invisible Illnesses
A very interesting situation unfolded the other day as I was purchasing something from our local music store. Typically speaking, when most people either see me with my oxygen, or learn that…
Will I Miss Out on Significant Life Events?
Please accept my apologies if this post is a little bit of a downer. One of the things I promised myself when I started writing this column was that I would be…
The Hardest Part of Engaging in Social Support for IPF
There is tons of literature that endorses the idea of connecting with others for support when you’re faced with a chronic illness, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). I know that…
The Exhaustion from IPF is More Than Physical
When you think of someone who has a lung disease, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), it is easy to understand that physical exhaustion is likely a primary side effect. What…
Pulmonary Fibrosis Diagnosis: Was I Just Unlucky? Hardly
Many of you who have been following my column know that I was lucky enough to return to Australia this past fall for three weeks. “Lucky”… it is such a funny word,…
Struggling to Find the Empathy I Once Had
This is difficult for me to write. Since being diagnosed with IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis), I sometimes struggle to find empathy when others are sick with common ailments such as a…
