e With summer in full swing, I’ve decided to enjoy the special things about the season. I’m trying to be intentional about relishing the good things, instead of going into automatic mode — just surviving every day. Summer food Boysenberry Cobbler (Photo by Kim Fredrickson) My…
The Arizona Biomedical Research Commission awarded a $750,000 grant to researchers at University of Arizona (UA) College of Medicine for their innovative, plant-based model system — a “lung” growing on a leaf — to study pulmonary diseases that range from fibrosis to inflammation and infection. The three-year grant was given to Kenneth…
This is a difficult column to write because I have always enjoyed doing things for other people. However, since my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in April 2016, I have had to learn the hard way that sometimes I need to put myself first. Lately, I am…
A new, wireless home monitoring program designed to collect data on lung function from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in real time showed good results and was approved by patients in a Dutch pilot study. Findings showed that spirometry measurements, which assess the amount and/or speed of air inhaled…
The patientMpower digital healthcare app now offers a “share” tool that allows patients with pulmonary fibrosis and like conditions to easily keep caregivers, friends, and family members aware of their progress, according to a blog on the company’s website. The interactive mobile platform — the basis of the…
There are many different memes, quotes, and metaphors out there about how different personalities make us all unique. I am sure you can think of people you love who are entirely different in their personalities, and how each of them is skilled or excels at different tasks. They…
Serotonin — a chemical produced by nerve cells — aggravated pulmonary fibrosis by promoting inflammation, oxidative stress (an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defenses), and activating fibrosis-associated genes in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis, a new study shows. The study, “Serotonin Exhibits Accelerated…
A scary moment I recently had a scare while in my backyard. I was cutting some ivy, an easy task I can do without bending over or digging in the dirt. I had a full tank of oxygen with me, and I was trimming on my back…
People close to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients and those they interact with — from family members and acquaintances to healthcare professionals — influence their acceptance of their disease and quality of life, a small U.K. study reports. It found that a solid understanding of IPF’s nature and disease…
I’ve experienced increased sensitivity to comments, gestures, or unusual behavior from others since my IPF diagnosis. Sometimes this is attributed to the medications I take for the management of my disease, such as high doses of steroids. At other times, I feel increasingly sensitive because I am aware…
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