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,…
Remembering my donor on my 3rd lung transplant anniversary
“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,…
Imaging with a tracer that homes in on scar-forming fibroblasts may help predict the progression of pulmonary fibrosis in people with interstitial lung disease (ILD), offering doctors a way to gauge who should be monitored more closely or begin preventive treatment. That tracer, a radiolabeled form of the fibroblast…
“They’re here!” Much like the scenes in movies where grandparents see their grandchildren arriving, I shouted those words on Father’s Day to let my wife, Susan, know it was game time. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, there were things I hadn’t…
AGMB-447, an inhaled treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) now being tested in a Phase 1 clinical trial, has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA gives this designation to therapies that may improve care for people with rare diseases,…
I love to travel, and I’m grateful I can still do it. Despite the limitations caused by my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), travel sets my soul on fire and provides me with many reminders about the beauty of being alive. Back in January, I wrote about relating more…
I spent last week childproofing my home. No, my wife, Susan, and I aren’t expecting. Our granddaughters, Abigail and Charlotte, are coming with my son Christopher for a visit to our home. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, there were no grandchildren…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted its orphan drug designation to Alentis Therapeutics’ antibody-based therapy lixudebart (ALE.F02) for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Orphan drug designation is given to support the accelerated development of investigational treatments for rare diseases, defined as those affecting fewer than 200,000…
I recently read a social media post from a patient who uses supplemental oxygen. They said they were unable to alert a family member in a neighboring room when the power went out, causing their oxygen to stop. Someone commented that if the patient had been on only 3 liters…
