“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… Continue reading “I continue to be inspired by those who share this fight with me” – PatientsLikeMe member Doug shares his journey with HP

“We are many” – PatientsLikeMe member Laura reports back on her experiences as a panelist at the FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development Public Meeting on IPF

Just yesterday, you saw our very own Sally Okun RN, Vice President of Advocacy, Policy and Patient Safety, reported back about her experiences at the FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development Public Meeting on IPF. And today, we wanted to share the patient experience. For each public meeting, the FDA invites patients and caregivers to apply to… Continue reading “We are many” – PatientsLikeMe member Laura reports back on her experiences as a panelist at the FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development Public Meeting on IPF

Sally Okun reports back from the FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development Public Meeting on IPF

On September 26th I was at the FDA for the Patient-Focused Drug Development Public Meeting on IPF. This is one of 20 meetings that the FDA is holding to learn directly from patients and their caregivers about daily life with the specific condition’s symptoms and treatments. (You can learn more about these meetings here.) I have attended… Continue reading Sally Okun reports back from the FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development Public Meeting on IPF

“No oxygen.” PatientsLikeMe member Lori shares about life after surviving idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

It’s crazy to think how fast things can happen. The last time we talked with Lori, she was telling us about life on the lung transplant list and playing what she called “the waiting waltz.” And now – everything has changed. Just two weeks after we posted her third interview on the PatientsLikeMe blog in… Continue reading “No oxygen.” PatientsLikeMe member Lori shares about life after surviving idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

“Gee, doc, ya think?” – Barbara speaks about her diagnosis and life with IPF

PatientsLikeMe member Barbara (CatLady51) recently shared about her journey with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in an interview with us, and she spoke about everything from the importance of taking ownership of managing her condition to how she hopes to “turn on the light bulb” by donating her personal health data. Read her full interview about… Continue reading “Gee, doc, ya think?” – Barbara speaks about her diagnosis and life with IPF

“Life is good” – PatientsLikeMe community member John_R speaks about his new life after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis

Several people in the PatientsLikeMe community use the phrase “new normal” after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and PF member John_R doesn’t’ think his new normal is all bad. This month, he chatted with us about getting diagnosed with PF, bringing oxygen to the workplace, and how living with his Sweetie keeps him focused… Continue reading “Life is good” – PatientsLikeMe community member John_R speaks about his new life after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis

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

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

PatientsLikeMe creates largest open registry of IPF patients in the world

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… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe creates largest open registry of IPF patients in the world

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

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

Keith & Sarah’s personal journey with rare lung disease. Part III, “Bonus round”

Over the last few months, Keith and Sarah have been sharing their journey with us. In this final interview of our three-part series, they talk about how he got on a transplant list and their “phones at the dinner table” policy. If you missed our first two interviews with Keith and Sarah, you can find… Continue reading Keith & Sarah’s personal journey with rare lung disease. Part III, “Bonus round”