My grandmother died of pulmonary fibrosis in 2006 at the age of 76. She was diagnosed a year and half before she died. She used to be very healthy for a woman at that age, so it took us and her a long while to accept the diagnosis, and even longer to came to realize that it was a progressive and debilitating disease with no cure. Every day she got sicker and sicker, struggling with shortness of breath, dry cough, and occasional chest pain. The doctor said the cause for her condition was unknown, which made it harder to process the reality of her disease. She had been a healthy woman; her diet and lifestyle was textbook healthy. She had been responsible for her body and all of a sudden, she was handed over a death sentence. My grandmother was a very stubborn woman who took pride in her health, so at the beginning she tried to refuse oxygen as much as she could, until she was heaving and fighting for air as if she was drowning. She took corticosteroids, but that gave no relief whatsoever. In the last few days of her life, she begged us to pull off the oxygen and let her die. It was so unbearable; lung cancer could have been easier for her, I guess. I wish there could be a cure soon, or at least some explanation as to the exact cause of the disease. No human being should ever be brought to go through or even witness such pains and helplessness.

My 22 year old daughter has been diagnosed with interstitial lung disease and emphysema. This girl is in the military and had breathing problems but was told to "run it off." She was in the hospital for two weeks, had several ct scans, bronchoscopy tests, and finally an open lung biopsy to get the final diagnosis. We think this developed after her experience with the gas chamber during basic training. What kind of life can she expect to have?

With interstitial lung disease, I had shortness of breath doing small tasks such as taking garbage out!

My mother-in-law died of ILD when she was 70. Her younger brother died of the same as well as a younger sister. Although my mother-in-law got it first, her brother died before she did. Her younger sister died when she was roughly 75. This week, we will bury her brother's son who got it in his early 40's. He tried the transplant route but it failed. He is the fourth family member we have lost in approximately 10 years to ILD. It is very rare to see it in more than one family member. A positive attitude really helps with this disease. My mother-in-law did not slow down too much until the very end.

My dad, age 39, died 10 years ago from interstitial fibrosis of the lungs (I was 15). When he was originally diagnosed they gave him 5 years to live....he lived 10 years. The disease progressively gets worse. He did not tell us he was dying and kept it from us. Looking back, we had a dad who was able to play with us outside at the beginning but slowly deteriorated. The last couple years he was not able to walk far without taking a break. He was on oxygen full time and sleeping a lot. He died in the home the day before Father's day and it looked like he just fell asleep and didn't wake up. I remember him saying sometimes it felt like being under water without getting air. People with this disease are strong, brave people. They endure so much more than other people could imagine. I pray for a cure everyday and frequently have dreams of my dad swimming and running without oxygen as I know he is in heaven.

Long story short - If you are diagnosed with interstitial pneumonitis and are taking a statin (especially Pravastatin) please consult with your doctor. But first go online and find the web site from the Medical Journal of Australia that references a specific, but very rare connection between this cause and effect. It fit my case very precisely and after hospitalization, lung biopsy, etc, I am doing very well OFF the statin and on steroids!!!! Basically, no one knows about this connection, but there are a few documented cases. It was by chance that we made the connection and although the specialists say there isn't a way to prove this is my cause, it ties in perfectly. The fact that I am totally surprising everyone with my recovery says a lot.