Kristin Entler was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 6 months old, and first came out as LGBT+ several years after her diabetes diagnosis at 12 years old. She currently serves as poetry editor for NELLE, as access coordinator for Open Mouth Literary Center, and lives with her service-dog, Azzie, whose name is short for the Greek god of medicine. Entler can be found on most social media platforms @findmycure. She hopes her column “Advocacy and Abnormality” is a space for inclusion and solidarity for anyone living in a body that is often seen or treated as different.
“It’s been over a month and I don’t feel right,” I tell my mom as we’re making dinner. She’s mixing Caesar salad dressing and Parmesan cheese into the fresh lettuce I bought from the…
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In fourth grade science, we were learning about the research process, starting with the brainstorming stage. My class was assigned to pick a topic from our textbook and report on it, complete with a…
I’ve been thinking about the weather and how it affects the body. Despite all the beauty that April brings, the warmer weather that signals to the flowers and trees that it’s time to bud…
“Go, go, go!” my nurse says while coaching me through my pulmonary function test (PFT). I’m pushing air into a mouthpiece that’s connected to a computer with a robotic arm that moves up…
It’s Friday, and after a long morning of stressful clinic calls that included coordinating appointments, negotiating a telehealth option amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and asking for and hoping a prior authorization drops on…
The rain comes down hard. From my bed I can hear the wind stirring up leaves with its warm air and white noise. Even though it’s morning, it’s not bright. The Omnipod on…
Here’s a new fact for you to know about me: New Year’s is my favorite holiday season. To me, it starts on Boxing Day, which is officially recognized on the day after Christmas, and…
In elementary school, the holiday season was always a time of illness. With cold and flu season being driven, in large part, by Thanksgiving travels and family gatherings, it was inevitable that kids…
Imagine this: As an established patient with lifelong illnesses, you walk into any pharmacy, slide an access pass, and walk out with your prescription drug refills in less than five minutes. It didn’t require…
Last week, I went to my first indoor, in-person event since January 2020. Honestly, I’d spent a majority of the time since the COVID-19 pandemic began thinking that my days of attending indoor…
“I want to get a Popsicle from the ice cream truck!” M’s nutmeg eyes lit up when I asked her what she wanted to do. She was my best friend at the time, and…
“Want to go for a ride in the car?” I ask my Australian shepherd and poodle mix, Azzie. It’s been a few months since I last trimmed his fur, so it’s grown out to…
On the most recent episode of CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” President Joe Biden declared the pandemic over. I wish I could be writing with champagne in hand and firecrackers crackling at a…
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