I was diagnosed with a rare lung disease that almost exclusively affects women at the Cleveland Clinic a few years ago and about an hour or so after the crash course on lymphangioleomypmatosis (LAM), the specialist told me about a closed support group on Facebook. I could hardly process the epidemiology of this disease; connecting... Continue Reading →
6. Why I started running despite my rare lung disease
One of the symptoms of LAM, my rare lung disease, is shortness of breath. I discovered just how short of breath I can get when I started walking with my neighbor in the morning. Turns out I could handle the walking just fine but add a conversation to it afnd I sounded like a freight... Continue Reading →
4. Why it’s not about how you stack up against others
A few years ago, I ran a 5k race down in Florida while vacationing over Labor Day weekend. Although I finished the race, I was very discouraged at my finish time, which served as a painful reminder of my physical limitations due to my lung disease, LAM. Of course in retrospect, I should have celebrated... Continue Reading →
3. Here’s what NOT coping looks like
My left lung collapsed twice a couple of years ago over a course of a month. One Friday morning, I was at a hot yoga class holding pose #2, and I felt a stabbing sensation on my upper left back region, followed by an increased shortness of breath. I’ve had previous lung collapses on the... Continue Reading →
1. The day I was diagnosed with a rare lung disease
Here's my story about what happened when I was diagnosed with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM, a very rare lung disease).