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.
Have you ever tried to explain to someone who has never experienced a rare disease how patients can develop lasting relationships with their care team? I have, and it’s often met with skepticism. Many people see their physicians only…
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Along this journey with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, my care team has had several different tools at their disposal. Some must be used in combination with others, while some are only used to gather information. Pulmonary rehabilitation,…
Welcome to my new column, “Make Every Breath Count.” Before I started writing it, I thought about what readers might want to know about me and why I’m writing this column. What details would make them want to continue…
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