Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, is a fatal disease that causes irreversible scarring of lung tissue that may otherwise be completely healthy. This scarred tissue restricts airflow into the lungs and cuts patients off from the oxygen they need to function normally in their daily life. IPF is a disease that affects patients in many aspects of their lives, and there is no cure.

Ann was diagnosed with IPF over three years ago, and during those years life has been somewhat of a rollercoaster. Her initial diagnosis was communicated to her through a phone call from her doctor on a Friday afternoon around 5pm. She spent most of the following weekend with her family, trying to find answers. Learning about what IPF is, and how it would affect the coming years of her life and the lives of those near to her.

In some ways that weekend was a taster for the years that would follow. Ann isn’t one to retreat into a chair. She looks forward, embraces life, makes plans with her loved ones, and does what she can to find answers.

In these chapters we tell the IPF story of Ann. How she was diagnosed with IPF, the ways that the diagnosis affected her life, and about her close involvement in managing her disease, together with the medical professionals who support and care for her. We hope that in these chapters you will find inspiration and understanding for the many people who are affected by IPF.

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