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 2021, thanks to an unknown donor who gave me a gift for which the value cannot…
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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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)…
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 intense heartburn. At that time, I had no idea about the dietary restrictions imposed on lung-transplant…
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. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, it caught…
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 this example. This conversation starter also works at a transplant clinic. I was diagnosed with…
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 Post, just dropped, warning that “D.C. area begins fifth heat wave amid one of its…
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, making supplemental oxygen a life-sustaining necessity. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis…
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 discharged on July 20. This was about three and a half years after my diagnosis…
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 of my road to recovery. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)…
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 have a lung offer for you.” Schreffler made that call with two of my other nurses,…
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 fibrosis (IPF), which is a chronic, progressive, and incurable lung disease. I still recall my doctor,…
“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 diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, there were things I hadn’t…
I spent last week childproofing my home. No, my wife, Susan, and I aren’t expecting. Our granddaughters, Abigail and Charlotte, are coming with my son Christopher for a visit to our home. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, there were no grandchildren…
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