Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columnist and Forum Moderator Charlene Marshall reads a column about the drastic differences that this disease can have among patients. Following her own diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), Charlene sought comfort in connecting with other patients to better understand their experience with this chronic lung disease. However, she noted that no two patients seemed to experience IPF the same way, which motivated Charlene to write about her experiences with IPF even more. She’s grateful to those who say her story resonates with them and encourages those struggling to connect with other patients also living with IPF, despite any differences in disease trajectories.

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Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columnist and Forum Moderator Charlene Marshall reads a recent column from a PF caregiver on the recent COVID-19 outbreak. While this pandemic and the rapid spread of this virus is indeed scary, making smart decisions through credible sources of information is important to reduce panic and fear. In this column, Christie writes about the harm that public panic is causing for our most vulnerable communities, including those living with pulmonary fibrosis. With the information surrounding COVID-19 changing ever so rapidly, please follow credible sites such as the Centers for Disease Prevention & Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to guide your actions and decisions about this novel coronavirus.

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Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columnist and Forum Moderator Charlene Marshall reads a column she wrote recently about answering personal questions about her PF journey. It has been Charlene’s experience that others are curious about her idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis, and want to understand the impact this disease has had on her life. Unfortunately, this can include discussing taboo topics like infertility or death and dying. Charlene doesn’t mind addressing these questions though, because she believes answering personal questions about her experience with IPF only helps raise awareness about the impact of this disease on patients.

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Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columnist and Forum Moderator Charlene Marshall reads from an article linking the decline of back muscle mass with poorer clinical outcomes for patients living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). More specifically, the researchers found that a decline in the erector spinae muscles (ESM) which is a group of muscles running along both sides of the spine, can be an independent prognostic factor of various pulmonary diseases, such as COPD and IPF.

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Pulmonary Fibrosis News Senior Director of Multichannel Content, Michael Morale, discusses how a PF Foundation survey found that the vast majority of Americans are unfamiliar with PF symptoms.

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Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columnist and Forum Moderator Charlene Marshall reads a column she wrote about the internal struggles she faces as a patient with IPF. The struggles and negotiations are a lot more frequent right now as Charlene fights hard to recover from an acute exacerbation, which has left her dependent on oxygen and assistance from others. Charlene recalls what has helped her complete difficult tasks in the past, such as negotiating the difficult item with a promise of a more enjoyable activity afterwards.

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Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columnist and Forum Moderator Charlene Marshall reads from a news article summarizing many Rare Disease Day events around the world. This article helps others understand the history of Rare Disease Day along with the reason behind its efforts to bring awareness to approximately 7,000 rare diseases around the world. Did you know that an anticipationg 400-million people are thought to have a rare disease worldwide?

Join this powerful movement by highlighting your own story of living with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) on February 29th, which is the oficial Rare Disease Day for 2020.

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Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columnist and Forum Moderator Charlene Marshall reads a recent news article based on a study from the Respiratory Research Journal examining prescription patterns for the two anti-fibrotic used for IPF. Ofev and Esbriet were both FDA-approved in 2014 as anti-fibrotic medications for the management of IPF, yet nearly half of all patients are prescribed the drug(s). This study examines prescription patterns for Ofev and Esbriet in an effort to better understand what barriers prohibit patients from being prescribed these anti-fibrotics.

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Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columnist and Forum Moderator Charlene Marshall reads an article by co-columnist Christie Patient who is a caregiver for her Mom who received a successful double lung transplant. Christie’s words about the importance of compassionate communication resonate deeply with Charlene as she values her interactions with others, but realizes that sometimes they don’t know what to say in the face of a life-threatening illness like IPF. Sometimes that communication is jeopardized, where intent versus impact can be miscommunicated. Othertimes, communication is avoided all together. Christie’s tips to help communicate with someone struggling are important for everyone to consider.

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Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columnist and Forum Moderator Charlene Marshall reads an article formulated from a study focused on assessing the severity and progression of IPF based on chest scans. A high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan is one of the most well-known diagnostic tools in identifying pulmonary fibrosis, however, this new study published in the European Journal of Radiology believes it may also be helpful in predicting the progression of IPF along with the effectiveness of antifibrotic therapies.

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