Ann Reynoso lives in Alvin, Texas, working and volunteering as a patient advocate for those with disabilities and communities that struggle with inequalities in health and social care. She was diagnosed at age 53 on December 2019 with lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis. Her wonderful support team includes her husband and daughter. She writes both to regain a sense of achievement, post-diagnosis, and to make sure no one feels alone in their journey of navigating rare illness.
Living with a rare lung disease such as pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a daily battle that requires strength and perseverance. Many individuals, me included, face this journey with courage, often in the shadows…
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Despite having a support group and talking with others who have the same condition, I haven’t gleaned everything I need to know about pulmonary fibrosis. I’m still walking in the shadows of this…
I always try to find meaning and purpose in the smallest of things, and that practice led me to a realization the other weekend. I was trying to nurse back to health one of…
One of my fears about my pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) is how vulnerable I am to catching any virus that presents itself. I recently had to face this…
Dealing with the financial expenses associated with having a rare or chronic illness like pulmonary fibrosis (PF) can be tough. I’m responsible for making sure that I receive all the PF treatments…
My health journey began with a rare illness called lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP). Coping with the diagnosis was hard, but I knew I could do it. What I didn’t expect was that…
Having a rare disease results in many complex problems, some of which can be debilitating. This has been my experience over the past six months as I’ve struggled with pulmonary fibrosis (PF)…
New Year’s resolutions are an annual tradition for many of us. We make promises to ourselves to do something better in the year. But this year, I’ve decided to do something different: Instead of…
Curveball is a baseball term, but it also can apply to life when something surprising or unexpected happens. It’s been several months since my last column, and in that time, life has thrown…
I have begun a new, educational phase in my life: I’m working to become a patient advocate. Honestly, I’d never thought about patient advocacy until I was diagnosed with pulmonary…
I have a weight problem. But the bigger problem is that no one believes that I don’t choose to be this way. I’m an overweight, middle-aged woman fighting pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and going…
My inspiration for this column came from looking out my window, which was built high up and close to the ceiling. I call it “God’s Window,” because every morning, I can look up to…
Growing up in the Mexican culture, I was introduced to a lot of home remedies to treat everything — coughs, colds, stomachaches, fevers, bug bites, and even “el mal de ojo,” or…
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