A new twist in my journey: Familial idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. That line is adapted from a 1785 poem by Robert Burns titled “To a Mouse.” I had an entire month of columns…
Make Every Breath Count
— Samuel Kirton
Sam Kirton started his column in November 2021 and writes from his home at Lake Anna, Virginia, where he lives with his wife Susan. His diagnosis at age 59 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in January 2017 began a journey of awareness and advocacy. Sam was listed for a lung transplant on March 19, 2021 and received a bilateral lung transplant on July 10, 2021. This was quite the change from his career as a special agent for the Office of Special Investigations and as a corporate security executive. Sam plans to share his journey so you, too, can make every breath count. You can follow Sam’s thoughts on LinkedIn.
Featured Post
In post-transplant life, sometimes it’s just one of those days
Do you ever have one of those days? You know the kind: Nothing seems to go your way and the day ends with a huge sigh. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary…
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Tales of 2 women, both named Melissa, on their IPF journeys
My name is Sam. I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, and I hate this disease. My life was extended by a bilateral lung transplant in July…
‘You can’t have that’: The diet restrictions since my transplant
Before I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I had only one dietary restriction: cucumbers, which were my nemesis. I wasn’t allergic, but they gave me immediate and…
How a caregiver support group can benefit from a patient’s perspective
Last week, I participated in one of the most unique speaking opportunities I’ve had on my journey with pulmonary fibrosis. I was asked to provide a patient’s perspective to a caregiver support group.
In the PF community, our shared experiences go beyond our health
Looking at the person sitting nearby, I’ll often say, “So what are you in for?” While to me the question is slightly reminiscent of a conversation between two inmates, that’s not the case in…
Facing up to the dangers of rising temperatures with IPF
A Newsweek article from a few weeks ago was headlined, “Washington, D.C., Endures Most Blistering Heat Wave in Nearly 100 Years.” As I write this, another article, this one from The Washington…
How the SOAR Act could benefit supplemental oxygen users
Oxygen is necessary for sustaining human life. Most people find the concentration of oxygen in room air (about 21%) to be adequate. For patients with pulmonary fibrosis, this concentration is often inadequate,…
Life after a lung transplant requires ongoing care and surveillance
When I was discharged from the hospital following my bilateral lung transplant, it was the beginning of a new segment of my journey. I went into surgery on July 10, 2021, and was…
Remembering my first 10 days of transplant recovery
About 28 or 29 hours after the completion of my bilateral lung transplant, I was extubated. I took my first breath on my own with my new lungs. It was the beginning…
Remembering my donor on my 3rd lung transplant anniversary
On this day three years ago, at 9:03 a.m. ET, my phone rang. Michelle Schreffler, one of the nurses at Inova’s Advanced Lung Disease Program and Lung Transplant Program, said, “We…
Getting my affairs in order was crucial following my IPF diagnosis
Three years ago, my life looked very different than it does today. I was at the apex of getting my affairs in order. I was diagnosed in January 2017 with idiopathic pulmonary…
My granddaughters remind me why I pursued a lung transplant
“They’re here!” Much like the scenes in movies where grandparents see their grandchildren arriving, I shouted those words on Father’s Day to let my wife, Susan, know it was game time. When I was…
