Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

September 22, 2020September 22, 2020

I Am Not Your Sick Savior, and Here’s Why

If I die, will it make you better? This is the storyline that appears in almost every movie ever made about sickness. We know and love the tragic trope well, ... Read more

September 15, 2020September 15, 2020

I’m Having Surgery (and Other Clickbait Headlines)

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

One of the hardest things to deal with in life are the “unknown knowns.” This is what happens when you’ve had one too many surgeries, or just enough hospital tuneups, ... Read more

September 15, 2020September 15, 2020

Have Our Backs and Push Against Ableism With Us

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

In 2013, miles above the Pacific, flight attendants and passengers stared silently as a man yelled — literally yelled — at me for coughing too much. In meltdown mode, he ... Read more

September 11, 2020September 11, 2020

How to Keep Your Growth Game Strong

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

September is Self-improvement Month. It’s a timely reminder to stay woke on my growth game. Stagnation is not an option for me. It often leads to complacency, which then leads ... Read more

September 8, 2020September 8, 2020

Listening to Both Sides of the Mask Debate

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

“I want to take my mask off.” I said these words to my daughters two days ago in a Barnes & Noble bookstore, even though I have pontificated novels to ... Read more

September 1, 2020September 1, 2020

Advance Directives, Legacy, and Worrying Myself Sick

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

“Do you have an advance directive?” This is something most of us with CF have been asked before. For someone with a chronic illness, this question becomes as familiar as ... Read more

September 1, 2020September 1, 2020

Interventional Treatment for My Social Sickness

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

Life is hard, ain’t it? Sometimes all you need is a long cry session over hibachi in Toronto. And so that’s exactly what I had with fellow Cystic Fibrosis News ... Read more

August 28, 2020August 28, 2020

Transplant Anniversaries Acknowledge Trauma and Triumph

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

Transplant anniversaries are hard for me. And they’re wonderful. They’re sad, then great again. Up, down, and all around seems to be the cycle of my emotions. These anniversaries affect ... Read more

August 25, 2020August 26, 2020

A New Way to Hurt: Are You ‘Healthist’?

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

“I’m worried about your health.” I have heard this more times than I can count. It’s normally a guise for criticism of how I’m eating, how I approached my pregnancies, ... Read more

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020

The Painful Truth About Being a Sick Parent

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

Being a parent sucks sometimes. We talk about how we “don’t talk about this enough,” but then we sort of do through rose-colored glasses and funny and frustrated columns such ... Read more

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020

How to Gain Weight: 7 Less Traditional Methods

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

“I wish I had that problem!” If you’re pancreatic insufficient, you know what that dreaded joke is in response to. Gaining weight ain’t easy when your pancreas doesn’t function properly, ... Read more

August 14, 2020August 15, 2020

A Giant Win After a Big Loss

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

After a monstrous letdown, we need a win. Those of us with chronic illness need reminders to keep on keeping on. The glimmer of hope for better days is necessary ... Read more

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020

Does Everyone With CF Have Body Dysmorphia?

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

I have gained weight. I’ve been trying to gain weight for years, kindly encouraged by my CF clinic. Many might find it odd that aiming for a mid- to upper-range ... Read more

August 4, 2020August 5, 2020

Putting Body Image Issues Behind Me: A #ScarPositive Story

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

This is my back. (Courtesy of Bailey Anne Vincent) My back is old. I’m not old … but my back is. Or at least that’s what my radiologist said after ... Read more

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020

An Open Letter to the Chronically Ill Professional

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

Dear Chronically Ill Professional, You are enough. It’s easy to look around and compare yourself to your peers. Maybe you didn’t get that promotion because you were sitting in doctors’ ... Read more