My adventure continues. At this point, regular readers might be thinking, “What now?” Some may even pause to make some popcorn before reading further. I was surprised when I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2017, because I had led a relatively healthy life. Deciding to be positive on…
A bronchoscopy procedure leads to new ‘adventures’ on my journey
As of April 11, almost 105,000 people are awaiting an organ transplant in the U.S., according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Of those, 993 are waiting for a lung transplant. In the past year, 879 lung transplants were performed. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic…
I recently underwent a bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage. While I was confident that I was under the care of competent professionals and trusted that the procedure would be conducted efficiently, I experienced a brief moment of apprehension and unease just before it. A bronchoscopy allows doctors to view your airways…
The abnormal accumulation of immune plasma cells in the lungs — and their subsequent generation of damaging antibodies — may be a key driver of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to new research by scientists from Rutgers Health. The researchers found that antibody-producing plasma cells first accumulated in the…
Have you discovered the Pulmonary Fibrosis News Forums yet? Think of them as a virtual café where you can stop in and read a couple of items from the discussion areas, comment on questions from others, or pose a question to the group. Each time a new member joins,…
Blocking Piezo2, a protein receptor that senses mechanical forces in tissues — ones such as stress, strain, and stiffness — may be a new way to slow the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a study by U.S. researchers. The scientists, who noted that this was the…
One of the lessons idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has taught me is that not everything will go as planned. For that reason, this past weekend we celebrated Halloween and One-Half (which we call HH). Flexibility is important to everyone on this journey. Let me explain. Before my IPF…
Basal stem cells taken from the upper part of a patient’s respiratory tract can be expanded in the lab and then transplanted back into their lungs to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a recent study. “Our clinical observations herein show that [basal cells] infusion is able to…
Living with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is not for the faint of heart. That applies equally to patients, caregivers, and loved ones. While each of us is on a unique journey, there are times when support is necessary. I have shared before that when I was diagnosed with idiopathic…
Weight loss is a recurring topic during my medical appointments, and I frequently discuss it with my transplant team. I wrote about this a couple years ago in a column titled “Using Ozempic in hopes of qualifying for a lung transplant.” At appointments, my body mass index is…
