On my way to marathon training yesterday, I heard a story on NPR about Pulmonary Fibrosis. It was a much better piece than the one on the Today Show, but featured the same man (Bob O'Rourke). This segment was very clear that there is no known cause, cure or treatment for this disease, and that it is a death sentence.
I was somewhat excited to hear that researchers have found a genetic mutation they think may cause rapid aging of lung tissue, which causes the scars indicative of PF. They said that the early stages of scarring is evident in people over 100 years old, so PF may just be a premature aging of lung tissue.
While narrowing a cause is promising, it just makes me wonder if this is something I could get. If it is genetic, how big is my risk? Ever since mom got sick, every time I cough or get short of breath I get anxious. I feel the same way about breast cancer- what if I am at a heightened risk for both?
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