Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

December 1, 2020December 1, 2020

Sickness Is Giving Me a Panic Disorder

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

Yes, sickness is giving me a panic disorder. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up: Never knowing exactly what to do or who to call ... Read more

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020

Not Everyone Has Access to Miracles

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

I don’t know if I believe in miracles. I know that what makes a miracle miraculous is its infrequency and lack of scientific reason, but I often wonder: How come ... Read more

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020

My Experience With COVID-19

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

Life would be much easier if every complicated disease or disorder weren’t so complicated. COVID-19, cystic fibrosis, depression — if they all manifested uniformly and could be treated the same ... Read more

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020

I Wish I Never Had to Work Out Again — Until Tomorrow

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

I am never going to be well enough to work out. I realized this the other day and said, “I am never going to feel well enough to do this.” ... Read more

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020

A Life Stranger (and Better) Than Fiction

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

People often declare my life to be stranger than fiction. (It’s true, and it’s both a blessing and a curse.) Usually, that observation is followed by an urging for me ... Read more

November 13, 2020November 13, 2020

Praising the Caregivers Who Helped Me Endure

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

If you told me 10 years ago that I would be reliant on my parents again, I would have laughed in your face. I was always proud about being independent, ... Read more

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020

I Thought I Had COVID-19 but Turns Out It’s Just CF

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

“I don’t feel well.” I used to say this all the time. I said it before my last round of IV antibiotics and sinus surgery at the beginning of the ... Read more

November 9, 2020November 9, 2020

After a Year of Trikafta, Where Do We Go From Here?

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

I used to scoff at the idea of saving money for retirement. It didn’t seem feasible to me to try to plan decades into the future. I accepted long ago ... Read more

November 3, 2020November 3, 2020

How to Be Better at Making Someone Feel Better

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

If I were a doctor, I would say hello and ask a couple questions about the individual first. That way, they would feel like they’re a person, I’m a person, ... Read more

October 30, 2020October 30, 2020

Respiratory Care Teams Are the MVPs of CF Care

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

As a person with cystic fibrosis, I’ve formed close-knit relationships with care providers in multiple disciplines. Before my double-lung transplant three years ago, I was hospitalized frequently. I would be ... Read more

October 27, 2020October 27, 2020

‘It’s Not Me, It’s Me’: Breaking Up With My Body

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

“Is this what I’m going to do forever?” I asked my dad. We were waiting outside a lab that hadn’t received the necessary fax to draw my blood, even though ... Read more

October 26, 2020October 26, 2020

Which Is More Important: Physical or Mental Health?

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

When I was in high school, an informational book about cystic fibrosis made its way to me. As I read through it, I found a section on mental health. It ... Read more

October 20, 2020October 20, 2020

To the Doctors Who Didn’t Listen

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

To the doctors who didn’t listen to me: You were wrong. I remember the time I arrived in the ER six years ago, a place I mostly refuse to go, ... Read more

October 16, 2020October 16, 2020

True Story: I Got Fired for Being Sick

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

I remember what it felt like to get fired for being sick: that pit in the middle of my belly that caused my mouth to go dry, my voice to ... Read more

October 13, 2020October 13, 2020

If You’ve Lost Hope, Read This

Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

I should’ve died years ago, but I’m too damn competitive. A doctor said I’d cross my high school graduation stage in a wheelchair, toting supplemental oxygen. “Challenge accepted,” I thought. ... Read more