The path to lung transplant is different for everyone, depending on their disease and how it progresses. My mom got very sick very fast. I found out that she would try to get listed, and 10 stressful weeks later, she had new lungs. What may be an extended…
Rumination on the Inseparable Dualities of Chronic Progressive Illness
As many as one in four people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) may have the illness as a result of inhaling vapors, gas, dust, or fumes at work, according to an official statement by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Such occupational…
As a patient living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I can’t count the number of times that close friends and family members have asked me to describe what this disease feels like. While I do my best to share my experience with IPF, I’ve been unsatisfied with the explanations I’ve…
There is no direct pathway when it comes to nutrition intervention for pulmonary fibrosis (PF), but a recent study found that nearly one-third of idiopathic PF (IPF) patients were malnourished, which indicates the intrinsic value of ensuring a proper…
This week, the world lost a champion. On June 3, 2019, Kim Fredrickson, a stoic and heroic inspiration to so many people living with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), died after nearly four months in the intensive care unit at UCSF Medical Center, where she was awaiting a life-saving…
After being diagnosed with a devastating disease like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), life tends to come to a momentary halt. I was OK mentally after the initial diagnosis, but I then contracted respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in January 2015. This secondary illness, caused by my IPF diagnosis,…
Plans for a Phase 2 clinical trial of brilaroxazine, the lead candidate by Reviva Pharmaceuticals to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), were the focus of a recent and successful meeting between company officials and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Reviva announced. During this pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) Application meeting, the regulatory…
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundations (PFF)’ Patient Registry is providing valuable data to support pulmonary fibrosis research, as evidenced by multiple presentations at the 2019 American Thoracic Society (ATS) conference, held May 17–22 in Dallas, Texas. The PFF Patient registry, launched in 2016, is a comprehensive collection of patient…
Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) produce a large amount of abnormal airway immune cells lacking an iron receptor that plays an important role in defending the lungs against pollutants and microbes, a study shows. The missing iron receptor is strongly correlated with poor clinical outcomes for patients, and…
Waiting for my mom, Holly, to receive a life-saving lung transplant has allowed me endless opportunity to explore the dynamics of fear and courage — something you will likely have picked up on if you’ve read any of my previous columns. These feelings have been the driving forces…
