“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…

The pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community is not a stranger to stress. Regardless of your role, whether as a patient, caregiver, or transplant recipient, you’ve likely experienced it. The stress could be white coat syndrome or come from a test, procedure, or the many unknowns associated with living…

I have always been passionate about professional development and am often the first to express interest in training sessions, conferences, or webinars to enhance my learning in the field of psychotherapy. Professional development stretches my thinking and introduces concepts I may not have thought about. I recently attended a virtual…

Letting go of something or someone is hard for all of us. We often face forks in the road where we realize we need to let go of people, expectations, plans, relationships, pain, and a whole lot more. This is especially true for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) patients and…

Happy New Year! I consider it a minor miracle that I made it to 2019. You may feel this way, too. I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) four and a half years ago and given a few months to a year to live. I’m grateful to…

Christmas is a week away, and I’ve been tired from shopping, decorating, and making plans. I’m feeling discouraged because my fatigue has prevented me from accomplishing what I want to. I’ve had to do a lot of adjusting due to my pulmonary fibrosis (PF) troubles. I love decorating, but…

I’m excited to share that my book, “Pulmonary Fibrosis Journey: A Counselor and Fellow Patient Walks with You,” was released a few days ago. It was a labor of love and I’m so glad I wrote it. Why I wrote it I was a mess when I…

I don’t know about you, but I’m continually aware of my limited time on this earth. Using my time wisely is very important to me. I’ve been working on several goals that have been a challenge to finish. I thought I’d share one I recently completed and what…

As PF progresses, it is wise to address how long to keep working. It is common to wonder: How do I know when to stop? When is work harmful to my health? Can I make it financially? How do I obtain disability or early retirement? These are…

A pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis is difficult, to say the least. You need kindness, not just for others, but also for yourself. It helps to be compassionate with yourself during the stressful, scary, and difficult times. Talking to yourself with kindness is a powerful form of self-compassion. Kind truths…