Navigating the healthcare system on a regular basis can be draining. This is especially true considering that many hospitals, acute care clinics, and family physicians are struggling to deal with a backlog of patients in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
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.
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Exercise is important for people with chronic illness. But as someone living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a disease characterized by progressive scarring of the lungs and difficulty breathing, I know working out is easier said than done. I’ve also found some strategies that make it easier for me.
I have always been passionate about professional development and am often the first to express interest in training sessions, conferences, or webinars to enhance my learning in the field of psychotherapy. Professional development stretches my thinking and introduces concepts I may not have thought about. I recently attended a virtual…
The benefits of mindfulness are becoming more prevalent in literature. A quick search on social media or Google will reveal not only the importance of practicing mindfulness regularly, but also an abundance of self-led practice videos and articles about the topic. However, I wish the benefits of mindfulness for those…
Learning to live with a chronic illness is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my young adult life. It’s stressful mentally, financially, socially, and emotionally. That’s in addition to the difficult physical challenges. Sometimes that stress manifests in ways I’m not proud of. Since my diagnosis of idiopathic…
As a child in elementary school, I once earned the top grade on a project about inspirational people in Canada. I was fascinated by what made them inspirational to others, whether it was a marathon for cancer research by the late Terry Fox or a wheelchair race for disability…
I wore a mask to protect myself from germs and viruses before it was required by the COVID-19 pandemic. After my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a debilitating and life-threatening respiratory disease, in April 2016, I now do everything I can to protect my lungs. Unfortunately, I…
I’ve been writing this column for almost six years. Throughout that time, I’ve had the privilege of interacting with other patients living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and life-threatening lung disease. While IPF is considered a rare disease, it doesn’t always feel that way given how many…
By definition, a progressive illness is one that worsens over time. When I was diagnosed in 2016 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a life-threatening and progressive lung disease, I was told by a pulmonologist that simple tasks would become difficult as the fibrosis in my lungs worsened. Before IPF,…
One of the most common symptoms of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the chronic cough. While patients may have other characteristics of a cough, such as bringing up phlegm, most of the ones I know living with this cruel and life-threatening lung disease have a cough that is…
Pulmonary fibrosis has stolen a lot from me over the years. Like most people, I’d never heard of this cruel and life-threatening disease before my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2016. I also had no idea how many other body systems are affected by chronic…
A strong relationship with a medical specialist can make a world of difference. As a young adult living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a debilitating and life-threatening lung disease, I have various specialists, but the one I value most is my pulmonologist. Before my diagnosis in 2016, I bounced…
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a cruel and greedy chronic illness. I’ve had to accept this, albeit begrudgingly, since being diagnosed with this life-threatening and debilitating lung disease in 2016. Just how cruel and greedy IPF is has become more apparent in the last couple of years as…
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