Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation summit
The summit is happening Nov. 9 – 11 in Orlando
Updated: 10:29 AM EST Nov 8, 2023
SATURDAY, THE PULMONARY FIBROSIS FOUNDATION IS IN ORLANDO FOR THEIR 2023 SUMMIT. DR. FRANK RAJI, THE CEO AND CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF THE PULMONARY FIBROSIS FOUNDATION AND TOM FRY, A SURVIVOR OF PULMONARY FIBROSIS. THEY’RE BOTH JOINING US NOW THIS MORNING. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. WE DO APPRECIATE IT. GOOD MORNING. OKAY. SO, DOCTOR, LET’S START WITH YOU. FIRST OFF, JUST EXPLAIN TO ALL OF OUR VIEWERS HERE PULMONARY FIBROSIS. EXACTLY WHAT IS IT? IT’S A CONDITION THAT AFFECTS AT LEAST 250,000 AMERICANS. IT BASICALLY IT RESULTS IN THE FIBROSIS AND THE SCARRING OF THE LUNG. NOW, MANY CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN THIS FIBROSIS, INCLUDING EXPOSURE, WHICH WHAT HAPPENED TO TOM COLLAGEN VASCULAR DISEASES SUCH AS LUPUS AND SCLERODERMA AND SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS OUT OF THE BLUE OR RUNS IN FAMILIES, BUT AT THE END IT RESULTS IN SCARRING OF THE LUNGS AND DISABILITY FOR THE PATIENTS AND AND DOCTOR, JUST BEFORE THIS BREAK, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LUNG CANCER WITH OUR GUEST AND THE RISK OF PULMONARY FIBROSIS CAN BE TIED TO THAT. WE EXPLAIN THAT FOR US. YEAH, THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO, ESPECIALLY THROUGH SMOKING. BUT THE DISEASE ITSELF, UNFORTUNATELY RESULTS IN GREAT DISABILITY AND MORTALITY ON ITS OWN. AND UNFORTUNATELY WE STILL DON’T HAVE A CURE. BUT RESEARCH OWNERS AND THE ORGANIZATION PULMONARY FIBROSIS FOUNDATION, WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TOWARDS REMEDYING THE SITUATION. AND TOM, LET’S CHAT WITH YOU NOW. A 9/11 SURVIVOR. TAKE US THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY IN DEALING WITH THIS. OKAY. IN 2016 AND COMING DOWN WITH A BLOOD CANCER, UM, STARTED CHEMOTHERAPY. UM, OVER AT THE MOFFITT CENTER AND, AND AFTER THE NINTH ROUND OF CHEMOTHERAPY, I BEGAN A SHORTNESS OF BREATH. AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS ONE OF THE CANCER DRUGS BLEOMYCIN AND STARTED ME ON PULMONARY FIBROSIS. BLEOMYCIN LUNG TOXICITY AND THAT BEGAN MY JOURNEY WITH PULMONARY FIBROSIS. AND IN THE BEGINNING, I COULDN’T EVEN WALK TEN FEET WITHOUT BASICALLY ALMOST COLLAPSING. SO THAT THAT WAS THE START OF IT. AND I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE SUPPORT GROUP IN MELBOURNE, FLORIDA WAS ABLE TO GET HELP TO SEND ME ON THE RIGHT PATH. PULMONARY REHABILITATION, GREAT DOCTORS AND RIGHT NOW I’M IN A LUNG TRANSPLANT PROGRAM IN ADVENT HEALTH HERE IN ORLANDO. WOW. OKAY. WELL, TOM YEAH, WE APPRECIATE YOU SHARING YOUR STORY. AND SO LET’S TALK ABOUT EVERYONE COMING TOGETHER HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA FOR THIS SUMMIT. TELL US ABOUT THE GOAL OF IT. YEAH, SO THIS IS OUR SEVENTH BIENNIAL MEETING, AND IT’S A GATHERING OF ALMOST 800 PATIENTS RECEIVE RESEARCHERS, INDUSTRY AND ALL THOSE INTERESTED IN THE HEALTH AND RESEARCH IN PULMONARY FIBROSIS AND WE HAVE MEETINGS EDUCATING THE LOCAL PHYSICIANS AND RECORDED FOR INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION. WE HAVE MEETINGS FOR PATIENTS AND AND TO EDUCATE EACH OTHER ABOUT THE LATEST IN RESEARCH. WOW. DOC WELL, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. TOM, WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST ON YOUR JOURNEY. AND WE KNOW YOUR LOCAL. SO WE’RE DEFINITELY GOING TO FOLLOW UP AND JUST SEE HOW
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation summit
The summit is happening Nov. 9 – 11 in Orlando
Updated: 10:29 AM EST Nov 8, 2023
You can find more information about the event and register here.
You can find more information about the event and register here.
