Louise
Message 1 of 1
My mother was diagnosed with IPF in April of 1998 during Open Heart Surgery. At that point they gave her aproximately 2 years or so. Since then her heart is fine but she has been on 40 mg Prednisone and Colchizine since her lung biopsy in March 1999, which confirmed the IPF. In June 2000, she went on Oxygen just during exertion, she is now on 4.5 litres full time. In September 2001, she now has diabetes due to the prednisone and takes 4 shots a day for maintenance. She had cataract surgery in Sept. 2001 (thanks to the prednisone), in which she contacted an infection in the hospital within 24 hour after leaving from the surgery. She had a 7 day stay in the hospital undergoing steroid bursts and IV antibiotics to fight the infection. She is still on antibiotics today. Everytime she finishes a series, within 24 hours her fever goes up and her sugars go crazy. She has now had to move in with me and her breathing is labored and goes into bronchial spasms with any movement. I can't be there all the time so I prepare her food in advance and all she has to do is get her insulin and turn on the microwave. I contact the pulmonist and PCP almost every week. My heart is breaking as I watch her slowly suffocate daily with minimal excercise. She is not a candidate for a transplant because of other co-morbidities. Any one else have any words of encourage as they watch their loved one slowly diminish in front of their eyes.