Guest guest Posted September 14, 2008 Report Share Posted September 14, 2008 Hello, Beth! Thank you for sending this article. I would also like to know more about Leanne's boss and what he has done to beat the odds. Another thing I have thought of lately is to have our families ask for memorials for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in our obituaries. I want to be alive 10-15 years from now, but that is something I will make sure is mentioned. Elisa age 52 (Sjogren's, Raynaud's, fibrotic NSIP Apr.'08) Mansfield,TX Subject: Interesting articleTo: Breathe-Support Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 12:46 PM Hi everyone! Here is an article from todays Arizona Daily Star about a family raising funds for the Foundation. Leanne is interviewed a bit towards the end of the article. Thought everyone might like to read it. Beth Age 48 Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 07/08 Change everything. Love and Forgive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2008 Report Share Posted September 14, 2008 Hello, Beth! Thank you for sending this article. I would also like to know more about Leanne's boss and what he has done to beat the odds. Another thing I have thought of lately is to have our families ask for memorials for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in our obituaries. I want to be alive 10-15 years from now, but that is something I will make sure is mentioned. Elisa age 52 (Sjogren's, Raynaud's, fibrotic NSIP Apr.'08) Mansfield,TX Subject: Interesting articleTo: Breathe-Support Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 12:46 PM Hi everyone! Here is an article from todays Arizona Daily Star about a family raising funds for the Foundation. Leanne is interviewed a bit towards the end of the article. Thought everyone might like to read it. Beth Age 48 Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 07/08 Change everything. Love and Forgive Published: 09.14.2008 Pulmonary fibrosis death inspires a fundraiser By Patty Machelor ARIZONA DAILY STAR web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Zoë Dirks' father threw great parties in which no small detail was overlooked. Wine was selected with care and flowers graced every table. Even Dirks' shoes had to fit the evening, his daughter said. At Thanksgiving dinner the year before he died, he secretly exchanged loafers for new Dr. Martens after Zoë and a family friend teased him about his slightly tattered shoes. In early October, Dirks will be remembered at a silent auction and dinner emphasizing his love of delicious food and good wine. The event is being sponsored by his daughter as well as his wife of 36-years, Carlinda, to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research. It was this poorly understood disease that killed Dirks in August 2007 at age 62. Dirks' rapid decline shocked his family. They had worried about his heart after Dirks' father died in his 50s of heart disease, Zoë said, but her father's heart was fine. Dirks was an avid runner, and a healthy eater. He didn't smoke. And his family said he was an optimist who laughed and joked a lot, and enjoyed few things more than making other people happy. "You think you've got years and years," said Zoë, 33, of her father's death. Doctors are baffled over why someone like Dirks develops pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Anita Kadikar said that in many cases, there's a pre-existing condition such as lupus or asbestos exposure that leads to pulmonary fibrosis. In other cases, such as with Dirks, the cause is unknown. In these cases, the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. About 40,000 people in the United States die of pulmonary fibrosis each year, according to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation's Web site. When someone has the disease, their lungs become scarred and, gradually, the air sacs are replaced by hardened tissue. As the tissue becomes thicker, it's no longer able to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. Dirks had noticed minor changes in his breathing a couple of years before his death, mostly when he exercised. When some of the symptoms — shortness of breath and a dry, hacking cough — became more pronounced about a year before he died, everyone thought he was suffering from adult-onset asthma and bad allergies. He eventually stopped being able to enjoy spicy foods. Running became a chore, and then impossible. When Dirks and his family visited his 92-year-old mother in New York state at Christmas that year, Zoë said her father felt good for the first time in months. He could drink wine, which normally set off coughing fits, and walked up stairs without becoming breathless. Carlinda said they wanted to believe it was due to severe allergies, and latched onto the idea that the cold, sterile air in New York was what helped. But after they returned, things worsened quickly. "I think pulmonary fibrosis was always at the back of my mind, especially after Christmas when things got so much worse," Carlinda said. Dirks lost about 30 pounds. "We knew then it was something bad. It wasn't allergies," she said. By June 2007, Dirks was using oxygen regularly. In July, six weeks before he died, he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Kadikar, a Phoenix-based pulmonologist who used to live in Tucson, said pulmonary fibrosis patients make up a large part of her practice. Many forms of the disease are not deadly, she said, but when it does not respond to standard treatments, such as steroids, there's little doctors can do. That was the case with Dirks. "Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason as to why people get this disease," she said. Leanne Storch, executive director of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in Chicago, said the disease is often misdiagnosed, although she was diagnosed correctly when she first sought help in 2003. "I was one of the luckier ones," said Storch, 50, of her doctor's initial insights. "I grew up in secondhand smoke, plus I was a smoker. I don't know if it's one of the things that causes it, but it certainly doesn't help the situation." She is grateful that she's been able to manage the disease so far. Storch said her boss, Dr. Rosenzweig, has lived with pulmonary fibrosis for 15 years. "I'm surpassing the odds," she said. "At the moment, it's three to five years." all areas web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. ◠Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 235-0308 or pmachelor@azstarnet .com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2008 Report Share Posted September 14, 2008 Hello, Beth! Thank you for sending this article. I would also like to know more about Leanne's boss and what he has done to beat the odds. Another thing I have thought of lately is to have our families ask for memorials for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in our obituaries. I want to be alive 10-15 years from now, but that is something I will make sure is mentioned. Elisa age 52 (Sjogren's, Raynaud's, fibrotic NSIP Apr.'08) Mansfield,TX Subject: Interesting articleTo: Breathe-Support Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 12:46 PM Hi everyone! Here is an article from todays Arizona Daily Star about a family raising funds for the Foundation. Leanne is interviewed a bit towards the end of the article. Thought everyone might like to read it. Beth Age 48 Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 07/08 Change everything. Love and Forgive Published: 09.14.2008 Pulmonary fibrosis death inspires a fundraiser By Patty Machelor ARIZONA DAILY STAR web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Zoë Dirks' father threw great parties in which no small detail was overlooked. Wine was selected with care and flowers graced every table. Even Dirks' shoes had to fit the evening, his daughter said. At Thanksgiving dinner the year before he died, he secretly exchanged loafers for new Dr. Martens after Zoë and a family friend teased him about his slightly tattered shoes. In early October, Dirks will be remembered at a silent auction and dinner emphasizing his love of delicious food and good wine. The event is being sponsored by his daughter as well as his wife of 36-years, Carlinda, to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research. It was this poorly understood disease that killed Dirks in August 2007 at age 62. Dirks' rapid decline shocked his family. They had worried about his heart after Dirks' father died in his 50s of heart disease, Zoë said, but her father's heart was fine. Dirks was an avid runner, and a healthy eater. He didn't smoke. And his family said he was an optimist who laughed and joked a lot, and enjoyed few things more than making other people happy. "You think you've got years and years," said Zoë, 33, of her father's death. Doctors are baffled over why someone like Dirks develops pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Anita Kadikar said that in many cases, there's a pre-existing condition such as lupus or asbestos exposure that leads to pulmonary fibrosis. In other cases, such as with Dirks, the cause is unknown. In these cases, the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. About 40,000 people in the United States die of pulmonary fibrosis each year, according to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation's Web site. When someone has the disease, their lungs become scarred and, gradually, the air sacs are replaced by hardened tissue. As the tissue becomes thicker, it's no longer able to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. Dirks had noticed minor changes in his breathing a couple of years before his death, mostly when he exercised. When some of the symptoms — shortness of breath and a dry, hacking cough — became more pronounced about a year before he died, everyone thought he was suffering from adult-onset asthma and bad allergies. He eventually stopped being able to enjoy spicy foods. Running became a chore, and then impossible. When Dirks and his family visited his 92-year-old mother in New York state at Christmas that year, Zoë said her father felt good for the first time in months. He could drink wine, which normally set off coughing fits, and walked up stairs without becoming breathless. Carlinda said they wanted to believe it was due to severe allergies, and latched onto the idea that the cold, sterile air in New York was what helped. But after they returned, things worsened quickly. "I think pulmonary fibrosis was always at the back of my mind, especially after Christmas when things got so much worse," Carlinda said. Dirks lost about 30 pounds. "We knew then it was something bad. It wasn't allergies," she said. By June 2007, Dirks was using oxygen regularly. In July, six weeks before he died, he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Kadikar, a Phoenix-based pulmonologist who used to live in Tucson, said pulmonary fibrosis patients make up a large part of her practice. Many forms of the disease are not deadly, she said, but when it does not respond to standard treatments, such as steroids, there's little doctors can do. That was the case with Dirks. "Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason as to why people get this disease," she said. Leanne Storch, executive director of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in Chicago, said the disease is often misdiagnosed, although she was diagnosed correctly when she first sought help in 2003. "I was one of the luckier ones," said Storch, 50, of her doctor's initial insights. "I grew up in secondhand smoke, plus I was a smoker. I don't know if it's one of the things that causes it, but it certainly doesn't help the situation." She is grateful that she's been able to manage the disease so far. Storch said her boss, Dr. Rosenzweig, has lived with pulmonary fibrosis for 15 years. "I'm surpassing the odds," she said. "At the moment, it's three to five years." all areas web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. ◠Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 235-0308 or pmachelor@azstarnet .com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2008 Report Share Posted September 14, 2008 Hello, Beth! Thank you for sending this article. I would also like to know more about Leanne's boss and what he has done to beat the odds. Another thing I have thought of lately is to have our families ask for memorials for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in our obituaries. I want to be alive 10-15 years from now, but that is something I will make sure is mentioned. Elisa age 52 (Sjogren's, Raynaud's, fibrotic NSIP Apr.'08) Mansfield,TX Subject: Interesting articleTo: Breathe-Support Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 12:46 PM Hi everyone! Here is an article from todays Arizona Daily Star about a family raising funds for the Foundation. Leanne is interviewed a bit towards the end of the article. Thought everyone might like to read it. Beth Age 48 Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 07/08 Change everything. Love and Forgive Published: 09.14.2008 Pulmonary fibrosis death inspires a fundraiser By Patty Machelor ARIZONA DAILY STAR web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Zoë Dirks' father threw great parties in which no small detail was overlooked. Wine was selected with care and flowers graced every table. Even Dirks' shoes had to fit the evening, his daughter said. At Thanksgiving dinner the year before he died, he secretly exchanged loafers for new Dr. Martens after Zoë and a family friend teased him about his slightly tattered shoes. In early October, Dirks will be remembered at a silent auction and dinner emphasizing his love of delicious food and good wine. The event is being sponsored by his daughter as well as his wife of 36-years, Carlinda, to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research. It was this poorly understood disease that killed Dirks in August 2007 at age 62. Dirks' rapid decline shocked his family. They had worried about his heart after Dirks' father died in his 50s of heart disease, Zoë said, but her father's heart was fine. Dirks was an avid runner, and a healthy eater. He didn't smoke. And his family said he was an optimist who laughed and joked a lot, and enjoyed few things more than making other people happy. "You think you've got years and years," said Zoë, 33, of her father's death. Doctors are baffled over why someone like Dirks develops pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Anita Kadikar said that in many cases, there's a pre-existing condition such as lupus or asbestos exposure that leads to pulmonary fibrosis. In other cases, such as with Dirks, the cause is unknown. In these cases, the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. About 40,000 people in the United States die of pulmonary fibrosis each year, according to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation's Web site. When someone has the disease, their lungs become scarred and, gradually, the air sacs are replaced by hardened tissue. As the tissue becomes thicker, it's no longer able to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. Dirks had noticed minor changes in his breathing a couple of years before his death, mostly when he exercised. When some of the symptoms — shortness of breath and a dry, hacking cough — became more pronounced about a year before he died, everyone thought he was suffering from adult-onset asthma and bad allergies. He eventually stopped being able to enjoy spicy foods. Running became a chore, and then impossible. When Dirks and his family visited his 92-year-old mother in New York state at Christmas that year, Zoë said her father felt good for the first time in months. He could drink wine, which normally set off coughing fits, and walked up stairs without becoming breathless. Carlinda said they wanted to believe it was due to severe allergies, and latched onto the idea that the cold, sterile air in New York was what helped. But after they returned, things worsened quickly. "I think pulmonary fibrosis was always at the back of my mind, especially after Christmas when things got so much worse," Carlinda said. Dirks lost about 30 pounds. "We knew then it was something bad. It wasn't allergies," she said. By June 2007, Dirks was using oxygen regularly. In July, six weeks before he died, he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Kadikar, a Phoenix-based pulmonologist who used to live in Tucson, said pulmonary fibrosis patients make up a large part of her practice. Many forms of the disease are not deadly, she said, but when it does not respond to standard treatments, such as steroids, there's little doctors can do. That was the case with Dirks. "Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason as to why people get this disease," she said. Leanne Storch, executive director of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in Chicago, said the disease is often misdiagnosed, although she was diagnosed correctly when she first sought help in 2003. "I was one of the luckier ones," said Storch, 50, of her doctor's initial insights. "I grew up in secondhand smoke, plus I was a smoker. I don't know if it's one of the things that causes it, but it certainly doesn't help the situation." She is grateful that she's been able to manage the disease so far. Storch said her boss, Dr. Rosenzweig, has lived with pulmonary fibrosis for 15 years. "I'm surpassing the odds," she said. "At the moment, it's three to five years." all areas web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. ◠Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 235-0308 or pmachelor@azstarnet .com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2008 Report Share Posted September 14, 2008 Sorry for the multiple replies! I'm not sure how that happened.... About sweet Joyce.......I am so distraught at the thought that she is in that hospital and in any kind of pain or anguish. Thanks, Peggy, for the updates. Subject: Interesting articleTo: Breathe-Support Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 12:46 PM Hi everyone! Here is an article from todays Arizona Daily Star about a family raising funds for the Foundation. Leanne is interviewed a bit towards the end of the article. Thought everyone might like to read it. Beth Age 48 Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 07/08 Change everything. Love and Forgive Published: 09.14.2008 Pulmonary fibrosis death inspires a fundraiser By Patty Machelor ARIZONA DAILY STAR web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Zoë Dirks' father threw great parties in which no small detail was overlooked. Wine was selected with care and flowers graced every table. Even Dirks' shoes had to fit the evening, his daughter said. At Thanksgiving dinner the year before he died, he secretly exchanged loafers for new Dr. Martens after Zoë and a family friend teased him about his slightly tattered shoes. In early October, Dirks will be remembered at a silent auction and dinner emphasizing his love of delicious food and good wine. The event is being sponsored by his daughter as well as his wife of 36-years, Carlinda, to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research. It was this poorly understood disease that killed Dirks in August 2007 at age 62. Dirks' rapid decline shocked his family. They had worried about his heart after Dirks' father died in his 50s of heart disease, Zoë said, but her father's heart was fine. Dirks was an avid runner, and a healthy eater. He didn't smoke. And his family said he was an optimist who laughed and joked a lot, and enjoyed few things more than making other people happy. "You think you've got years and years," said Zoë, 33, of her father's death. Doctors are baffled over why someone like Dirks develops pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Anita Kadikar said that in many cases, there's a pre-existing condition such as lupus or asbestos exposure that leads to pulmonary fibrosis. In other cases, such as with Dirks, the cause is unknown. In these cases, the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. About 40,000 people in the United States die of pulmonary fibrosis each year, according to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation's Web site. When someone has the disease, their lungs become scarred and, gradually, the air sacs are replaced by hardened tissue. As the tissue becomes thicker, it's no longer able to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. Dirks had noticed minor changes in his breathing a couple of years before his death, mostly when he exercised. When some of the symptoms — shortness of breath and a dry, hacking cough — became more pronounced about a year before he died, everyone thought he was suffering from adult-onset asthma and bad allergies. He eventually stopped being able to enjoy spicy foods. Running became a chore, and then impossible. When Dirks and his family visited his 92-year-old mother in New York state at Christmas that year, Zoë said her father felt good for the first time in months. He could drink wine, which normally set off coughing fits, and walked up stairs without becoming breathless. Carlinda said they wanted to believe it was due to severe allergies, and latched onto the idea that the cold, sterile air in New York was what helped. But after they returned, things worsened quickly. "I think pulmonary fibrosis was always at the back of my mind, especially after Christmas when things got so much worse," Carlinda said. Dirks lost about 30 pounds. "We knew then it was something bad. It wasn't allergies," she said. By June 2007, Dirks was using oxygen regularly. In July, six weeks before he died, he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Kadikar, a Phoenix-based pulmonologist who used to live in Tucson, said pulmonary fibrosis patients make up a large part of her practice. Many forms of the disease are not deadly, she said, but when it does not respond to standard treatments, such as steroids, there's little doctors can do. That was the case with Dirks. "Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason as to why people get this disease," she said. Leanne Storch, executive director of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in Chicago, said the disease is often misdiagnosed, although she was diagnosed correctly when she first sought help in 2003. "I was one of the luckier ones," said Storch, 50, of her doctor's initial insights. "I grew up in secondhand smoke, plus I was a smoker. I don't know if it's one of the things that causes it, but it certainly doesn't help the situation." She is grateful that she's been able to manage the disease so far. Storch said her boss, Dr. Rosenzweig, has lived with pulmonary fibrosis for 15 years. "I'm surpassing the odds," she said. "At the moment, it's three to five years." all areas web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. ◠Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 235-0308 or pmachelor@azstarnet .com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2008 Report Share Posted September 14, 2008 Elisa, It's good to see you post again. I was thinking about you the other day and hope that you're doing well. It is a good thing to remember and think about, asking for memorial donations to the Foundation for Pulmonary Fibrosis. The work they do on behalf of us is so very important. And they do it on a shoestring, with a very small hardworking staff. I can't say enough good things! You would need to contact Leanne about Dr.Rosenzweig's diagnosis and his very long survival time after diagnosis. But what I can say is that it's people like him that give all of us reason to hope and not give up. When they quote life expectancy for IPF they generally say 2-4 years from diagnosis but many factors can change that. If you're under 50 when you're diagnosed you tend to live longer than that. If you only have minor symptoms when first diagnosed you tend to live longer than that. There are many many forms of pulmonary fibrosis. You and I have NSIP. That's a form that typically has a much longer life expectancy. It doesn't always progress and has been known to remain stable for "decades" in some cases. The more they learn about this, the better off we'll all be. In the meantime take good care of yourself and to quote Churchill "Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never"! Beth Age 48 Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 07/08 Change everything. Love and Forgive Interesting articleTo: Breathe-Support@ yahoogroups. comDate: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 12:46 PM Hi everyone! Here is an article from todays Arizona Daily Star about a family raising funds for the Foundation. Leanne is interviewed a bit towards the end of the article. Thought everyone might like to read it. Beth Age 48 Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 07/08 Change everything. Love and Forgive Published: 09.14.2008 Pulmonary fibrosis death inspires a fundraiser By Patty Machelor ARIZONA DAILY STAR web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Zoë Dirks' father threw great parties in which no small detail was overlooked. Wine was selected with care and flowers graced every table. Even Dirks' shoes had to fit the evening, his daughter said. At Thanksgiving dinner the year before he died, he secretly exchanged loafers for new Dr. Martens after Zoë and a family friend teased him about his slightly tattered shoes. In early October, Dirks will be remembered at a silent auction and dinner emphasizing his love of delicious food and good wine. The event is being sponsored by his daughter as well as his wife of 36-years, Carlinda, to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research. It was this poorly understood disease that killed Dirks in August 2007 at age 62. Dirks' rapid decline shocked his family. They had worried about his heart after Dirks' father died in his 50s of heart disease, Zoë said, but her father's heart was fine. Dirks was an avid runner, and a healthy eater. He didn't smoke. And his family said he was an optimist who laughed and joked a lot, and enjoyed few things more than making other people happy. "You think you've got years and years," said Zoë, 33, of her father's death. Doctors are baffled over why someone like Dirks develops pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Anita Kadikar said that in many cases, there's a pre-existing condition such as lupus or asbestos exposure that leads to pulmonary fibrosis. In other cases, such as with Dirks, the cause is unknown. In these cases, the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. About 40,000 people in the United States die of pulmonary fibrosis each year, according to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation's Web site. When someone has the disease, their lungs become scarred and, gradually, the air sacs are replaced by hardened tissue. As the tissue becomes thicker, it's no longer able to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. Dirks had noticed minor changes in his breathing a couple of years before his death, mostly when he exercised. When some of the symptoms — shortness of breath and a dry, hacking cough — became more pronounced about a year before he died, everyone thought he was suffering from adult-onset asthma and bad allergies. He eventually stopped being able to enjoy spicy foods. Running became a chore, and then impossible. When Dirks and his family visited his 92-year-old mother in New York state at Christmas that year, Zoë said her father felt good for the first time in months. He could drink wine, which normally set off coughing fits, and walked up stairs without becoming breathless. Carlinda said they wanted to believe it was due to severe allergies, and latched onto the idea that the cold, sterile air in New York was what helped. But after they returned, things worsened quickly. "I think pulmonary fibrosis was always at the back of my mind, especially after Christmas when things got so much worse," Carlinda said. Dirks lost about 30 pounds. "We knew then it was something bad. It wasn't allergies," she said. By June 2007, Dirks was using oxygen regularly. In July, six weeks before he died, he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Kadikar, a Phoenix-based pulmonologist who used to live in Tucson, said pulmonary fibrosis patients make up a large part of her practice. Many forms of the disease are not deadly, she said, but when it does not respond to standard treatments, such as steroids, there's little doctors can do. That was the case with Dirks. "Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason as to why people get this disease," she said. Leanne Storch, executive director of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in Chicago, said the disease is often misdiagnosed, although she was diagnosed correctly when she first sought help in 2003. "I was one of the luckier ones," said Storch, 50, of her doctor's initial insights. "I grew up in secondhand smoke, plus I was a smoker. I don't know if it's one of the things that causes it, but it certainly doesn't help the situation." She is grateful that she's been able to manage the disease so far. Storch said her boss, Dr. Rosenzweig, has lived with pulmonary fibrosis for 15 years. "I'm surpassing the odds," she said. "At the moment, it's three to five years." all areas web site Want to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis? Visit www.pulmonaryfibros is.org. To make a donation for pulmonary fibrosis research, and to learn more about Dirks, visit www.dirkscureforpf. com If you go A charity dinner and silent auction to raise money for pulmonary fibrosis research will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. s Drive. Auction items include an eight-day Mexican Riviera cruise, a six-day Transatlantic cruise, restaurant gift certificates, gym memberships, pet psychic readings and a variety of other items. The evening will include a wine-pairing dinner in honor of Dirks. There will also be live jazz piano music, played by Dirks' nephew, Hopper of Boulder, Colo. The cost is $200 per person. Table sponsorship is also available for $2,000 per table, with seating for eight. All proceeds will be used for research through the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. ◠Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 235-0308 or pmachelor@azstarnet .com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I thought this was very interesting. Beth-Moderator Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 06/08 "Take chances, make mistakes and get messy!" Miss Frizzle Agent Used To Treat Brain Infarction Might Be Useful For Lung Injury30 Oct 2008 The average mortality rate of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is estimated to be 50.8 per 1,000,000 people per year. The mortality rate is now higher than recent mortality rates for a number of malignancies. Although IPF should no longer be considered a rare disease, there is no established treatment that definitely improves its outcome. Furthermore, about 10% of IPF causes a very rapid progression called "acute exacerbation". The mortality rate of acute exacerbation of IPF is approximately 80%. Thus new therapies are awaited based on new understanding of the pathogenesis of IPF. Other authors have shown that acetylcysteine, a precursor of the major antioxidant glutathione, preserves lung function in patients with IPF better than traditional therapy. These findings suggest that an oxidant - antioxidant imbalance may contribute to the disease process in IPF. Shunji Tajima (Niigata University, Japan) and colleagues used a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model in mice, which is a common animal lung fibrosis model. The authors examined a unique potent free- radical scavenger, named edaravone, being clinically used to treat acute brain infarction in Japan, in order to investigate its ability to inhibit lung injury and/or fibrosis. Edaravone is already widely used in Japan with few side-effects. This study shows that one administration of 300 mg/kg of edaravone significantly improved the survival rate, reduced lung inflammation, and attenuated reactive oxygen species and lung fibrosis. The results suggest that edaravone might not show a therapeutic effect on chronic fibrotic lung diseases such as IPF, but that it may have a preventive effect in the very accelerated phases of interstitial lung diseases, such as acute exacerbation of IPF. In summary, edaravone could be a promising drug for fatal interstitial lung diseases, such as acute exacerbation of IPF, acute interstitial pneumonia associated with collagen vascular diseases, or chemotherapy-related toxicity. The safest dose, the most effective administration route and the optimum time for edaravone therapy should also be determined. TITLE OF THE ORIGINAL ARTICLEEffects of edaravone, a free radical scavenger, on bleomycin-induced lung injury in mice. The European Respiratory JournalThe European Respiratory Journal is the peer-reviewed scientific publication of the European Respiratory Society (more than 8,000 specialists in lung diseases and respiratory medicine in Europe, the United States and Australia). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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