IPF

“We can and will do better” – An interview on pulmonary fibrosis with Dr. Jeff Swigris

3 Comments / Patient Experiences, Pulmonary fibrosis / By

Just this past month, a few members of the PatientsLikeMe Team (Arianne, Dave and Rishi) traveled to La Jolla, CA for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Summit. It was quite the mixed crowd (with patients, clinicians and researchers), and it gave them (and everyone at PatientsLikeMe) a chance to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis (PF) from different points of view. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our exhibit booth and for sharing your experiences. While they were there, the team had the chance to interview Dr. Jeff Swigris. He’s an Associate Professor of Medicine at National Jewish Health in Denver and has been working with PF patients for almost two decades. He’s published over 65 articles on interstitial lung disease (ILD), most on IPF, and he has a special interest in Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) and patients’ Quality of Life (QOL). Dr. Swigris is also the Director of the Participation Program for Pulmonary Fibrosis (P3F), an online resource for patients, caregivers or anyone interested in learning more about PF. On the P3F website, patients and caregivers can also find out about studies they can currently enroll in. Right now, the P3F is currently enrolling for a study that aims to …

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As 2013 winds down… Part I

Patient Experiences / By

We wanted to take a quick look back and share how the PatientsLikeMe community has continued to change healthcare for good over the last year. Thousands of members added their voices to real-time research, all while providing support to one another and sharing about their personal health experiences. It really is a group effort, so a big shout out and thank you to everyone in the community. Here are some highlights from 365 days of donating data, sharing experiences and learning more, together… What were some of the hottest topics in the forums? ALS/MND – Burning eyes Multiple sclerosis – How multiple sclerosis impacts your emotions Pulmonary fibrosis – The famous cough Psoriasis – Sun! Help or not?  Parkinson’s – PD and constipation Fibromyalgia – You look perfectly healthy Mental Health and Behavior – Identity crisis Who shared their story on the PatientsLikeMe blog? Alkaptonuria – Carolyn Multiple sclerosis – Marcia, Ted, Geof, Monica, Alys and Tricia Psoriasis – Maria, David and Erica Pulmonary fibrosis – Lori, Keith & Sarah, Jeff and Kim More than 8,000 members donated their data to a PatientsLikeMe survey, including… The 5-part Uncovering Psoriasis survey Diabetes and Stress Epilepsy “Rescue Medications” “Are You Sleeping?” insomnia …

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“Sleep has become a process.” Checking in with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient and PatientsLikeMe member Lori

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Patient Experiences / By

Some of you probably remember seeing her on the PatientsLikeMe blog before. Lori is living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and when we first chatted with her last July, she shared her experiences with blogging, the difficulty in finding the right diagnosis and how connecting with others has positively impacted her life. For our “Are You Sleeping?” initiative, the PatientsLikeMe community is taking a closer look at how sleep impacts our health, but also how our health affects sleep. Check out what Lori has to say about it in our follow-up interview with her. Don’t forget to check out Lori’s blog too, called Reality Gasps. She balances stories of her daily struggles with dashes of humor that can make anyone laugh. How have you been doing since the last time we talked? It looks like you said on your blog that you broke an ankle?!   I did break my ankle and had to have surgery to put in a plate and 8 screws! I had refilled the bubbler on my concentrator and didn’t realize I hadn’t screwed it back on just right. As a result, I wasn’t getting enough oxygen and when I stood up, my sats dropped quickly.  I collapsed …

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PatientsLikeMe creates largest open registry of IPF patients in the world

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Pulmonary fibrosis / By

Community One of Website’s Fastest Growing; Reveals Real-World Picture Of Daily Life With the Rare Lung Disease CAMBRIDGE, Mass.— August 22, 2013—In a few short months, PatientsLikeMe has created the largest open registry of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients online, and some of the most current patient-reported data on the disease. The information the community has shared is providing new clues about the condition and giving a rare look into what it is like to live daily with a disease that has no known cause or cure. According to the National Institutes of Health, pulmonary fibrosis causes scarring in deep lung tissue over time, making it harder for the lungs to move oxygen into the bloodstream. Cases where the cause of the disease is unknown are called IPF and usually affect middle-aged and older adults, more typically men, and an estimated 100,000 people in the United States. The company’s focus on IPF accelerated earlier this year when it announced a collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim to enhance its IPF patient community. Now more than 900 IPF patients use PatientsLikeMe to monitor their health and share information about their experiences with the condition. They can also connect with others like them and …

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“Retooling my attitude.” An interview with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient & PatientsLikeMe member Lori

6 Comments / Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Patient Experiences, Pulmonary fibrosis / By

As part of our “Spotlighted Blogger” series, we’re talking with people who are sharing their personal health experiences to help raise awareness of disease and change healthcare for good. For our latest interview, we’re talking with Lori, an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patient who started blogging about her journey back in October 2011. Her blog is called Reality Gasps and she balances stories of her daily struggles with dashes of humor that can make anyone smile. If Lori sounds familiar to some of you, it’s because she’s also part of the PatientsLikeMe community.  She recently took some time to talk with us about why she started blogging, the difficulty in finding a diagnosis and how connecting with others has positively impacted her life. What made you decide to start blogging about your experience? What’s been the community response? When I was first diagnosed with IPF, I started researching online (like everyone else). The medical sites gave me an idea of what was happening to my body, but they said nothing about how to live with this disease – and when I really thought about it, that’s what I needed. So, I turned to blogs written by other patients and caregivers. They were …

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Keith & Sarah’s personal journey with rare lung disease. Part II, “Lungies”

2 Comments / Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Patient Experiences, Pulmonary fibrosis, Rare Diseases / By

In this second interview of our three-part series, Keith and Sarah talk about how their daily lives changed and the importance of connecting with others. If you missed our first interview with Keith and Sarah, you can find it here. What were the most noticeable changes you had to make in your daily life? [Keith] My ability to enjoy time with family was impaired because I could no longer be active with my children or my wife. I could not work because when I tried to do the simplest task, I became out of breath. I could no longer carry a toolbox, go up a set of stairs, or do everyday tasks at home without becoming winded and requiring rest. I wanted to rest all the time and was never comfortable. As a caregiver, what things could you do to help Keith the most? [Sarah] Keith eventually got to the point where he needed me for many personal tasks as well as taking care of all of the home tasks. I showered him, and took over our business, and we hired a cleaning service every two weeks to try to keep the house in order. Keith really needed to know that I was there for …

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“Stiff Lungs” -Ian’s Personal Journey from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Diagnosis to Lung Transplant

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“Short of Breath? See your Doctor,” said the poster in the pharmacy. I’d been short of breath for some time, but put it down to an unhealthy lifestyle, being 58 and being overweight. The poster encouraged me to visit my doctor, which I did. He sent me for a chest X-ray and I could tell by the reaction of the technician that he’d seen something. He discussed the X-ray with a doctor who then arranged for me to see my own doctor that afternoon. My doctor explained the X–ray had shown I had ‘stiff’ lungs and that I should see a specialist a few days later. At this point I wasn’t too concerned. I was still convinced I would be told to just exercise more and take some pills. After seeing the specialist and having more tests, he told me that I had Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and explained what it was. He also told me that left untreated I could expect to live about another 18 months! You can imagine going home and telling this to my wife and kids. I’d never heard of it before so the first stop was the Internet. Most of the sites you visit frighten you to …

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Living with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Organ Transplants, Rare Diseases / By

What is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)? How many people does it affect? Do we know what the cause is? Can it be treated? If you don’t know the answers, you’re not alone. IPF is considered a rare disease by the National Institutes of Health and much of the research surrounding it is not definitive. So what do we know? IPF is a degenerative condition with no known cause that gradually scars a person’s lung tissue. As more and more tissue scars, the lungs slowly lose their ability to transfer oxygen to vital organs. This can lead to shortness of breath and dry coughing. As the condition progresses, everyday activities become exhausting – just climbing a flight of stairs can be a challenge. It usually affects people between the ages of 50 and 70 years old. More than 100,000 people in the US are diagnosed every year and nearly 40,000 will pass away. The only known cure is a lung transplant. If you’re living with IPF, find others just like you in our growing community of more than 900 IPF patients. Learn what they’re doing to manage their condition with symptom and treatment reports, and share your own experience with a personal …

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PATIENTSLIKEME AND BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM ESTABLISH HEALTH INFORMATION COLLABORATION FOR PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS

Patient Experiences / By

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — February 28, 2013—On Rare Disease Day®, PatientsLikeMe announces a new collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim to enhance its online patient community for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a rare lung condition with no known cause, treatment or cure. Through a customized experience on PatientsLikeMe, IPF patients can now monitor their health and progress over time and connect with others to learn more about the condition. “We are excited to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading pharmaceutical company, to support this patient initiative,” says PatientsLikeMe Co-founder and President Ben Heywood. “Rare diseases are sometimes called ‘orphan diseases’ because they affect so few people, and don’t attract significant research attention or funding. Our website is where patients count. They’re contributing their real-world experience to help others living with IPF and advance research.” According to the National Institutes of Health, pulmonary fibrosis is a disease in which deep lung tissue becomes scarred over time, making it harder for the lungs to move oxygen into the bloodstream. Cases where the cause of the disease is unknown are called IPF and usually affect middle-aged and older adults, in all an estimated 100,000 people in the United States. “I’d been short of breath …

PATIENTSLIKEME AND BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM ESTABLISH HEALTH INFORMATION COLLABORATION FOR PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS Read More »

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