Most of my friends and family members would say I am an open book about my chronic illness. After the initial shock wore off from being diagnosed with a life-threatening lung disease at 28, I decided to share my story through writing. Serena Lawrence, the late senior managing columns…
How I Selectively Share Updates About My PF Experience
Loss of NEDD4-2 — a protein involved in the regulation of airway hydration and mucus clearance — leads to the onset and development of typical manifestations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in adult mice, a study has found. These findings, along with the establishment of a new animal…
Severe fatigue is common among people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and pulmonary sarcoidosis, and is associated with worse shortness of breath, depression, catastrophizing, and quality of life, a new study suggests. The study, “Severe Fatigue is Highly Prevalent in Patients with IPF or…
Mechanical ventilation is associated with higher mortality rates in hospitalized patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and acute respiratory failure who previously received high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, study says. Future studies are needed to establish strategies for patients to safely transition from oxygen therapy to…
This past week, I felt things. Like, I really, finally felt things. They were real feelings, not forced, and came without judgment. It’s been longer than I want to admit since I have experienced any emotion without it being tainted by anxious judgment. I have written many columns…
Avalyn Pharma announced that it has raised $35.5 million in Series B funding to expand its pipeline and support clinical trials into AP01, its investigational inhalation treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). The company also reported recently completing enrollment for a clinical…
Self-isolation has become a form of survival for those with pulmonary fibrosis during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am a single-lung transplant recipient and have a compromised immune system. COVID-19 can devastate a perfectly healthy person, and someone with my current state of health is at even greater risk. The self-isolation…
As the number of Americans infected with COVID-19 surpasses one million, it’s no surprise that people with rare diseases — whose immune systems were generally compromised even before the outbreak — are particularly terrified of this pandemic. That fear is evident in an online survey conducted by the…
I can’t recall how many weeks we’ve been enduring physical distancing unless I actually sit down to think about it. The days seem to blur together, and the time at home seems similar today to what it was yesterday, and to the days before that. However, if this is…
A cell therapy based on human and rat lung progenitor cells — called lung spheroid cells — reduced scarring (fibrosis) when infused in two rat models of pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study has found. The safety and efficacy of human LSCs is expected to be tested in a Phase…
