Having the support of a loved one is a crucial aspect of the journey with chronic illness. Not having that support can make one feel alone and vulnerable. Conversely, the presence of a supportive partner, family member, or friend can help a patient build the emotional strength that is needed…
Penning a ‘Dear Mom’ letter to explain my life with PF
Oxygen is necessary for sustaining human life. Most people find the concentration of oxygen in room air (about 21%) to be adequate. For patients with pulmonary fibrosis, this concentration is often inadequate, making supplemental oxygen a life-sustaining necessity. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis…
Enrollment is complete for a Phase 3 clinical trial testing Tyvaso (treprostinil) inhalation solution for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), United Therapeutics, the therapy’s developer, said. The TETON 2 study (NCT05255991) will evaluate the treatment’s safety and efficacy in 597 adults with IPF, 40 years and older,…
When I was discharged from the hospital following my bilateral lung transplant, it was the beginning of a new segment of my journey. I went into surgery on July 10, 2021, and was discharged on July 20. This was about three and a half years after my diagnosis…
An interdisciplinary group of researchers at the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison have received nearly $11 million to study the biological processes that promote lung scarring in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Funding comes from a four-year grant (HT94252410543) provided by the U.S. Department of Defense. The research will be…
About 28 or 29 hours after the completion of my bilateral lung transplant, I was extubated. I took my first breath on my own with my new lungs. It was the beginning of my road to recovery. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)…
A Phase 2a clinical trial testing the safety of treatment candidate INS018_055 among idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients in the U.S. is still seeking participants, while a parallel trial in China has now completed enrollment. That’s according to an update from Insilico Medicine, which developed the oral therapy with…
On this day three years ago, at 9:03 a.m. ET, my phone rang. Michelle Schreffler, one of the nurses at Inova’s Advanced Lung Disease Program and Lung Transplant Program, said, “We have a lung offer for you.” Schreffler made that call with two of my other nurses,…
“Who is this woman?” I wonder as I look at a recent photo of myself. I hardly recognize the person looking back at me. Her face has changed. I haven’t looked at myself in the mirror lately. I’ve been too self-conscious. What happened to that vibrant and bright young lady…
Three years ago, my life looked very different than it does today. I was at the apex of getting my affairs in order. I was diagnosed in January 2017 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which is a chronic, progressive, and incurable lung disease. I still recall my doctor,…
