Luisa Palazola,  —

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The cystic fibrosis (CF) community was in an uproar during the lead-up to the release of the film “Five Feet Apart.” Viewers had many reactions, such as the following: “It glamorizes our disease.” “There should’ve been more involvement from the CF community.” “But it creates awareness.” In this column,…

Growing up with a chronic illness like cystic fibrosis has always bordered on terrifying, which is something I hadn’t quite come to terms with until recently. How does a kid respond to concepts of mortality and suffering, anyway? Parents of kids with CF often…

Life has a way of changing plans and allowing others to help you embrace a new path. Before I sat down to write this column, I went to my favorite coffee shop to get an iced vanilla latte. I enjoy the small moments with my…

Hi, I’m Luisa Palazola, the Cystic Fibrosis News community manager. This week for Family Friday we spoke to sisters Polina and Nellie Bykova. Polina is 20 years old and has cystic fibrosis (CF). Nellie is 19 years old and doesn’t have CF. Our conversation covered immigrant experiences, hospitalizations, family…

The cystic fibrosis (CF) journey necessitates numerous partnerships, and while a medical partnership is one of the most constructive, family support systems hold immeasurable power. This post launches the series Family Friday, which spotlights support persons. We start with a conversation between Cystic Fibrosis News Today community manager Luisa…

For the first part of this series, I interviewed two women from two different countries in Latin America. Regina Rodríguez is 18 and from Mexico City, Mexico. Miriam Figueira, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a 30-year-old doing post-doctoral CF research at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

August kicked off with World Breastfeeding Week, a celebration recognized by more than 79 countries that promotes breastfeeding for the first six months of life. The celebration made me wonder about pregnancy and motherhood for women with CF. The topic of pregnancy and motherhood seems foreign and undiscussed in the…

Traveling is stressful in itself, and CF makes the task extra complicated. Deciding how much medicine to bring and successfully making it through airport security can be a huge headache, so I’ve compiled a list of tips to help smooth out your traveling plans. 1. Bring all CF-related documentation, medication…