Longing for Normalcy

In my career, I am privileged to offer children and families support in some of their most vulnerable moments. These include times when children are experiencing bullying, trauma, or grief. When a child is being bullied because they are different, their parents and caregivers regularly make the comment,…

After contracting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and having an exacerbation of my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, I was homebound. I wasn’t able to walk more than 15 feet and was having some anxiety. The majority of my anxiety issues pertained to coughing episodes. When I stood up from sitting, my…

Quantification of so-called honeycombing areas (patches of cystic spaces) in the lungs seen through high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) may be a predictor of mortality in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a retrospective analysis. The study, “Quantitative CT analysis of honeycombing area predicts mortality in…

The quality of life of people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is strongly associated with clinical changes in lung function, comorbidities, disease duration, and overall clinical course of the disease, a study shows. The study, “The clinical course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and its association to quality…

One of my favorite courses when preparing for a career in trauma, mental health, and children’s counseling was my training in narrative therapy. This type of therapy is less traditional than other well-known methods such as cognitive, behavioral, or psychodynamic therapies. Despite this, I have seen it…

Two federal grants totaling $6.1 million were awarded to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) to investigate the molecular origin of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), as well as of other forms of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The first is a $3.5-million five-year…

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) has opened a new registration cycle for medical centers that wish to join the Foundation’s Care Center Network, with the mission of improving the healthcare quality for people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The PFF started the Care Center Network together with the PF…

Warning: Spoilers for the movie “Five Feet Apart” are contained in this story. Since my 2016 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with movies about chronic illnesses. I love how different films highlight diseases, increasing awareness for patients living with the illness in the…

Note: This is the first article of a three-part series written in collaboration with respiratory therapist Mark W. Mangus Sr., RRT, RPFT, FAARC, and oxygen expert Ryan Diesem.  One of the more hotly debated topics in the treatment of respiratory disease is supplemental oxygen use. Participants in the debate often…

In June 2016, Lifebanc held its Gift of Life Walk and Run alongside the Transplant Games of America in Cleveland, Ohio. I was a few months post-lung transplant and I felt strong enough to give back to the organ donation community. I enjoy planning events and parties, so it only…