The holidays have arrived, which reminds of those passenger-side mirrors that read, “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” It wasn’t too long ago that the holidays seemed far away, yet here they are. After I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2017, my health…
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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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…
Good grief! When I hear this two-word phrase, I often associate it with the cartoon character Charlie Brown. Otherwise, the words “good” and “grief” seldom seem to belong together. What do you do with grief amid the holiday season? If you’ve been reading my columns for some time,…
Welcome to December. Wait, what? How is it December? Time seemed to move in slow motion during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now it’s already the end of 2024. In 1974, the Rolling Stones released “Time Waits for No One.” One line sums it up: “Time…
Families will gather this week to celebrate Thanksgiving here in the U.S. But how do you safely navigate a large family gathering when colds, the flu, and COVID-19 are all circulating? When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2017, a lot changed in my world.
Do you know what a hack is? It’s a way of doing something more simply, efficiently, or effectively. Throughout my journey living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I’ve found a number of hacks that make my life easier. When I was diagnosed with IPF in January 2017, I…
Watching the U.S. elections last week was an exercise in mental health awareness, as is any activity in which the outcome is greeted with mixed reactions and emotions. The refrain from Carly Simon’s 1971 song “Anticipation” came to mind as I was laying out this column: “Anticipation, anticipation/ Is…
How is it already November? Here in the U.S., today is Election Day, so get out and vote if you haven’t already done so. I wanted to take the opportunity this week to update you on topics I’ve discussed in several recent columns. My bronchoscopy Diagnosed with idiopathic…
If you could go back in time, would you want to do it? I’ve given this choice some thought. I would. How would you use the time? When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I hadn’t heard of it. I immediately began a…
What medications do you take regularly, and what are they for? Do you know the possible side effects? When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I didn’t take many medications. I took a blood pressure medication, an over-the-counter (OTC) allergy pill, and…
When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, there didn’t seem to be as much chaos in the world as there is today. Perhaps the drama seemed more distant, or maybe I was just completely engaged in learning about my disease. Today, every…
I was recently asked when I stopped working and how I knew it was time. First, let me tell you: It wasn’t an easy decision. My idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis came on Jan. 31, 2017. At the time I was the senior vice president for a U.S.
At the end of this week, I will complete another trip around the sun. This seemed like an appropriate time to provide you with updates on several columns I have shared in the past year. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, the…
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