“You have a condition called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. There is no treatment or cure. You likely have three to five years to live. You should get your affairs in order.” What do you do with this information? How do you share it with others? This is essentially…
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.
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Raising awareness can take many forms, including education. September’s Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month (PFAM) is an opportunity to educate not only the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) communities, but also the general public about the condition. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis…
In August 2022, I was diagnosed with stage 3b chronic kidney disease (CKD), indicating moderate to severe kidney function impairment. I had anticipated this diagnosis for years prior to my bilateral lung transplant in July 2021. After being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I…
The alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. It is not a welcome awakening, but a stark reminder of the day ahead. The purpose of the alarm isn’t to ensure that my wife, Susan, and I are up to catch a flight that will whisk us away on vacation. It is…
What do blue lobsters, green eyes, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have in common? At first glance, they may seem unrelated, but each represents something rare and extraordinary. Imagine a game board with the overarching theme of rarity, featuring categories such as unusual sea creatures, unique physical traits, and…
What do we want? A therapy and a cure! When do we want it? Now! Call-and-response is a tactic often used in protests. Raising many voices together to deliver the same message is a powerful force. Together as a community, we can deliver that message. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation‘s (PFF)…
How was Stonehenge constructed some 5,500 years ago? How were the stones moved, and who moved them? Why were the monolithic statues erected on Easter Island? Do questions like these weigh on you? I enjoy a good mystery, and my journey with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has all the…
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with Protonix (pantoprazole), Prograf (tacrolimus), Rapamune (sirolimus), and Forteo (teriparatide injection). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Pulmonary fibrosis patients, no matter where they are in their journey, require…
I’ve been writing recently about the four pillars of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s (PFF) new five-year strategic plan introduced last year, called “The PFF Is ME.” In December, I explained the first pillar, Accelerate Research. The second pillar, Expand Access to Expert Care, is a concern for…
Artificial intelligence (AI) touches many aspects of both our professional and personal lives. One of the earliest recognitions of AI dates back more than 75 years to when Alan Turing, an English mathematician and computer scientist, pondered the question, “Can machines think?” Today, the answer seems closer to…
If you’re a regular reader of my column, you’ve likely heard me say before that transplant patients commit to a lifetime of medical surveillance. I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) on the last day of January in 2017. Until then, I didn’t see my primary care…
When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the early days of 2017, it seemed like my world moved in slow motion. Just a few months earlier, as my diagnostic journey began in the fall of 2016, my doctors sensed something was wrong, but no one could…
I had the opportunity to get away for a couple of days recently and went to the shore. As I looked out at the vastness of the ocean in the late afternoon sunlight, it occurred to me that this is what pulmonary fibrosis (PF) researchers face every day —…
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