Seven months after my husband Bill’s lung transplant, I still have questions every day.

Some are big, like How do we keep him as healthy as possible? What should we know about his medications and nutrition? What new developments in post-transplant care should we be paying attention to?

And then there are the questions whose answers are more difficult to find.

What have other caregivers learned that they wish someone had told them? What are the little things that make everyday life easier?

Those are some of the reasons I am looking forward to attending the virtual PFF Education Symposium on November 12 and 13.

Bill was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2020. Just last year, transplant was not part of our plan. In fact, when I attended the PFF Summit in November, I did not attend a single transplant session. At the time, I was preparing myself for what I believed was ahead. I was thinking about losing my husband and wondering what my life would look like without him.

Today, Bill is seven months post-transplant. It is remarkable how much can change in a year.

We have been incredibly fortunate. As I like to say, so far, we have gotten a lot of checkmarks. But life after transplant has opened up an entirely new world of questions.

At the Education Symposium, I want to learn from experts and gather information that I can take back to Bill’s care team and questions I may not have even thought to ask yet.

But I am just as interested in learning from people who have lived it.

We are seven months into this journey. I want to talk to someone who is five years out and ask, How did you get there? What did you learn along the way? What do you wish you had known when you were where we are now?

Those are the kinds of conversations you cannot always get from a brochure or online guide.

There is tremendous value in hearing from experts, but there is also something different about talking with another patient, spouse, or caregiver who understands because they have been there. They understand the need for answers to the small questions. They know the worries that come up at home. They, too, are figuring things out one day at a time.

One thing I have learned throughout Bill’s journey is how important it is to connect with people who understand. When I attended the PFF Summit last year, I learned a tremendous amount, but the absolute best part was feeling less alone. There was a camaraderie among people who understood what our family was going through. More than anything, it gave me hope at a time when I desperately needed it.

That is what I hope others find at the PFF Education Symposium. If you are considering attending but are not sure whether it is for you, my advice is simple: take the first step and attend a session you might not normally choose. Ask the question that has been sitting in the back of your mind. Talk to someone new. Share what you are going through. You never know what you will learn or who you will meet.

I certainly did not know a year ago that transplant would become part of our story. Now, the very topics I skipped are some of the things I most want to learn about. Our journey changed. My questions changed. And they will keep changing.

That is why I am looking forward to the PFF Education Symposium. Wherever you are in this journey, there is always something more to learn and someone else who understands.

Register here to join me and the PFF on November 12 and 13. I hope to see you there!