Still leading a full life – An interview with IPF member David

David’s (darbygreenboy) username comes from the village in the English countryside where he lives and is still an active member of the community. We caught up with this grandfather of 10 – a former business owner, mayor and leader of the town council to talk about living with IPF. Here’s what we learned …

David surrounded by his family one Father’s Day.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What are some of your hobbies and passions?

I am 70 years young and live in England in a village called Darby Green in the Parish of Yateley. It is in the countryside, but only 30 miles from London. I live there with my wife of 48 years, Rose, whom I met 51 years ago at Youth Club and we have been together ever since. We have 3 children: Abbie, Emma and Stephen, and 10 grandchildren aged from 3 months to 13 years old and they all live nearby.

I had my own business for 30 years, but I am now retired. I am a Yateley town councillor and have been for the last 12 years. I was also mayor of my town some 8-9 years ago and leader of the council for 7 years.

I love travelling and before being diagnosed with IPF, we traveled many times to the USA, including touring the Deep South, California, Alaska, New York and many other wonderful places. Now, unfortunately, we can no longer obtain reasonable priced medical insurance to travel to the U.S.

I love to watch football (soccer) and was a keen tennis player until the IPF.

You say in your PatientsLikeMe profile that you were diagnosed with IPF after getting out of breath climbing stairs. What were your thoughts and feelings when you received this diagnosis?

My first thoughts after being diagnosed with IPF was one of stunned realization of my own mortality. I had read on the Internet that the median life expectation was 2-3 years, that was 3 years ago. The first year after being diagnosed I caught a cold that went to my chest. This developed into a type of pneumonia and I was very ill and it took me nearly 3 months to feel near normal again.

What are some changes that happened in your life after being diagnosed? What in your life helps you to better manage your condition?

This made me realize I had to make changes and try to avoid infections. I no longer went to watch winter soccer matches.When the grandchildren have colds they do not visit. If I am at a council meeting and a councillor has a cold they tell me and we avoid contact.

I know it sound severe but it has kept me free from colds for 18 months now. I carry in my travel case a 2-week supply of antibiotics as well as prednisone prescribed by my doctor in case I get a chest infection whilst on holiday.

All that said, I lead a fairly full life. I help with picking up the grandchildren from school and they visit every week. I am okay at walking reasonable distances on the flat, but can no longer run about with the children or play tennis.

Can you describe your experience on PatientsLikeMe? What keeps you coming back to the site?

I find PatientsLikeMe essential and in many ways reassuring. If I am feeling down after getting bad side effects from either drugs or IPF itself, I will go on line to see what others have experienced. And this I find, in a strange way, comforting to know I am not alone. 🙂

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