PF Awareness Month

September is Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, and in honor of that, we’re rounding up what members of the PatientsLikeMe community have shared about pulmonary fibrosis on our blog. First off, for those who don’t know – what is pulmonary fibrosis (PF)? It’s a chronic, progressive scarring or thickening of the lungs, which makes it difficult for… Continue reading PF Awareness Month

Meeting PF patients where they are

Say hello to John (John_R), a father, grandfather and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) survivor. Sound familiar? Last year he shared his story about life after a double lung transplant and the importance of considering a lung transplant early. This year, John started a Facebook group to live-stream pulmonary fibrosis (PF) support group meetings and conferences.… Continue reading Meeting PF patients where they are

PatientsLikeMe Welcomes Next Patient Team of Advisors

  CAMBRIDGE, Mass, November 14, 2016—PatientsLikeMe has named 11 members to its patients-only 2016–2017 Team of Advisors, which this year will focus on elevating the patient voice. Team members will share their stories, participate in community initiatives, and give real world perspectives to our industry and research partners. “Each year, our Team of Advisors has proven… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe Welcomes Next Patient Team of Advisors

The community speaks out for Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month

How much do you know about pulmonary fibrosis? Today kicks off Global PF Awareness Month, and to spread more understanding for this condition which affects over 6,600 PatientsLikeMe members, we asked the community to speak up. In a recent forum thread, members chimed in with the one thing they think people should know about what it’s… Continue reading The community speaks out for Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month

“These lungs are a precious gift” — Member John shares his new “new normal” for National Donate Life Month

April is National Donate Life Month, an annual awareness effort to encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors — and to celebrate those who have donated and saved lives. We recently caught up with IPF member John (John_R), who we interviewed back in 2014. At that time, John described what his “new… Continue reading “These lungs are a precious gift” — Member John shares his new “new normal” for National Donate Life Month

Meet Laura from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

  We’d like to introduce you to Laura, another member of your 2015-2016 Team of Advisors. When Laura was diagnosed in 2013, she’d never heard of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Flash forward three years, and she’s made patient education and advocacy her main focus. Laura has spoken before the FDA, regularly blogs about IPF on various… Continue reading Meet Laura from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

“Don’t go it alone” – IPF member Christine shares about her health journey

Christine_Williams was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2009, and ever since, she’s been managing a “rollercoaster ride that’s terrifying and not fun.” But she’s connected with your community on PatientsLikeMe for inspiration and was even referred to a new medical center to be evaluated for a lung transplant by her “rehabilitation buddies.” Below,… Continue reading “Don’t go it alone” – IPF member Christine shares about her health journey

2014 recap – a year of sharing in the PatientsLikeMe community

Another year has come and gone here at PatientsLikeMe, and as we started to look back at who’s shared their experiences, we were quite simply amazed. More than 30 members living with 9 different conditions opened up for a blog interview in 2014. But that’s just the start. Others have shared about their health journeys… Continue reading 2014 recap – a year of sharing in the PatientsLikeMe community

“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