“I continue to be inspired by those who share this fight with me” – PatientsLikeMe member Doug shares his journey with HP
Meet Doug. He’s part of the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community on PatientsLikeMe and is living with a condition specifically known as chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). It’s similar to other types of PF, but also has its differences. We caught up with Doug for an interview to help spread the knowledge about these two conditions, but learned so much more. He shared what it’s like to live with HP, how he uses PatientsLikeMe to learn more about his own health and how the community has helped him to stay inspired in his fight. Can you share a bit about your chronic HP? Can you explain to our blog followers how it’s different than IPF? I believe the major difference is that with hypersensitivity pneumonitis there is a cause. If I’m correct there are three forms: acute, subacute and chronic. All are caused by exposure to an antigen that may or may not be identified. In my case, I have chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). My specialists have determined that it’s not necessary to identify the antigen since my condition is chronic and cannot be reversed.1 What was your diagnosis process like, and how was it different than what you’ve heard about getting …