7/6/13 - Diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease

After being diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease by my pulmonologist in March of 2013, a lung biopsy was done at the end of May and pathology reports both locally and from the Mayo Clinic confirmed the diagnosis of DIP (Desquamative Interstitial Pneumonitis) and/or NSIP (Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonitis) with both cellular and mild fibrosis indicated. This blog is about my initial experience and reaction to the rather discouraging prognosis for these types of Interstitial Lung Disease, and my decision (in spite of initial depression) to take a proactive approach to battling this disease with some fairly positive and remarkable results. After just a couple of months of dieting and exercise, I am so happy with the results and the way that I am feeling now, with almost no negative symptoms remaining at this point in time, that I want to share what has made a difference to me with others facing this disease. I initially felt like I had walking pneumonia back in October/November 2012. I then began to have shortness of breath sometimes after very little exertion or walking across the room. I was not able to cough anything up anymore as December came around and this is what led me to go in and see my doctor. An x-ray revealed that something unusual was going on in my lungs and I was sent to a pulmonary specialist for further evaluation. There they ordered a CT scan and a bronchoscopy. This is when the pulmonologist first told me it looked like some kind of Interstitial Lung Disease. I had never heard of ILD! I had already been trying to loose weight by walking more on a treadmill at a local gym, so I asked my pulmonologist if walking would be alright. He said yes, it would help to strengthen my lungs, and boy was he right! With the encouragement of my doctor I decided to tackle walking with a lot of enthusiasm, and although it was slow going at first because I would get winded, walking on a level treadmill was easier than walking up a hill, so I had very little difficulty starting out with a couple of miles 3 days a week. (I am now walking about 3.5 miles, at 4 mph, 5 - 6 times a week, with three 20-second spurts at 5 mph! Thanks to Michael Mosley's PBS program on exercise!) In addition, I found out about the 5:2 Fast Diet on another Michael Mosley PBS program on dieting to live longer! It was just serendipity that I saw these programs when I really needed them! My wife and I watched the programs online and decided to try them! The diet is the easiest one we've ever followed, and it has worked amazingly well for both of us. I have lost 25 lbs. since January, when I was 200 lbs. I am now about 175 and want to lose about another 10 to 15 lbs. even though I have been diagnosed with a chronic, life threatening disease. Now that I have lost so much weight in the last two months, I feel better than I have in 15 years or more, and the amazing thing is I have been able to do this with this diet and exercise even though I am currently on 60 mg/day of prednisone! I feel like the diet and exercise have helped to change my metabolism to enable me to do this! (As always, check with your doctor first, before trying this.) But I have had great results, so far.