Jack’s story: Living well with pulmonary fibrosis

Jack McCready knows a few things about math and science. With a degree in electrical engineering and a doctorate in applied mathematics, he’s comfortable solving complex problems.

But when the problem became his health, Jack knew he needed help from an expert.

In 2020, Jack had one of the earliest cases of COVID-19. Before he got sick, he lived an active life and regularly ran 5 miles with friends. He remembers four frightening days of illness. Although he recovered, he had a persistent cough.

“I developed pneumonia after COVID-19,” Jack says. “But even after I recovered from that, I couldn’t get rid of my cough. I knew something wasn’t right.”

An immediate connection

Jack turned to sharp.com to search for a pulmonologist and found Dr. Anuja Vyas of Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group. As he read her biography, he felt an immediate connection.

“I noticed she did her residency at the University of Connecticut,” Jack says. “I lived in Connecticut for three decades.”

Dr. Vyas referred Jack for a lung biopsy, which confirmed the cause of his symptoms: pulmonary fibrosis (PF).

Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, progressive lung disease caused by scarring and stiffening of lung tissue. The condition impairs the lungs’ ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream, leading to symptoms such as shortness of breath, a dry cough and fatigue. While PF can be linked to environmental exposures, medications or autoimmune diseases, many cases — including Jack’s — are idiopathic, meaning there is no known cause.

“My condition is not curable, and that was a shock to hear,” Jack says. “But I’m lucky to have a doctor who takes the time to explain things and really listens.”

Making adjustments

Living with PF has required Jack to make adjustments, but it hasn’t stopped him from enjoying life.

“Since my diagnosis, I’ve had pulmonary function tests and other exams,” he says. “I can’t run five miles anymore, but I’ve learned how to adapt. I can still do everyday things, and I can still travel.”

Jack credits Dr. Vyas with helping him understand how to safely continue the activities that matter to him.

“In the past, there were very few effective treatment options for pulmonary fibrosis, and that was incredibly hard for patients,” says Dr. Vyas. “Today, advances in research have changed that. We now have therapies that can slow the disease and help people like Jack continue to travel, stay active and enjoy meaningful time with their families.”

Dr. Vyas says that she tells her patients that while she’ll guide them medically, they are taking the lead. They’ll be encouraged to stay engaged in their care, exercise as much as they’re able, and not let life’s challenges limit them.

“She talks with me about what I want to do, how to prepare and what to watch for, like coughing spasms,” he says.

Living well with PF

One moment that symbolized how far Jack had come was a train trip through the Alps with his wife. “Here I was, at 14,000 feet, with pulmonary fibrosis,” he says. “And it was fantastic.”

When asked why he works hard to live well with PF, Jack’s answer is simple: “I’m too young to stop,” he says.

“The data shows some people live 30 years with this condition,” Jack adds. “My goal is to exceed that. My wife and I want to travel. I have grandkids I want to see grow up — and maybe great-grandkids, too.”

Jack approaches his diagnosis with determination, perspective and humor, sharing one of his favorite quotes with a chuckle: “‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil — because I’m the meanest son of a gun in the valley.’”

Sharp HealthCare is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE Walk on Saturday, May 31, at the Carlsbad Flower Fields. Help us create a future with less lung diseases by visiting lungforce.org/sandiego.