Lung, Scrappy, and Hungry — Nicole Kohr

I don’t find routine to be rewarding. At most, it’s a threat. It’s something predictable that my brain and housemates expect me to do, and if I don’t, we’re all disappointed. Routine wants me to be structured and consistent, but my brain has different plans. For the most…

One of Disney’s latest creations is “Disenchanted,” the sequel to the 2007 musical film “Enchanted.” Without revealing any spoilers, one of the characters makes a wish to return their living conditions to a place of familiarity and comfort. One song, “Fairytale Life (The Wish),” reminded me of the…

Last in a series. Read parts one and two.  In my first column of this series, I described my relationship with antibiotics. In the second, I broke down the characters in the musical “Titanic” and mentioned those I thought were most likely to be affected by a crisis…

Second in a series. Read part one. In my previous column, I described my complicated relationship with antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As a cystic fibrosis (CF) patient whose pre-transplant lungs were greatly impacted by the lack of available antibiotics, I’m one of many advocates fighting for a new…

First in a three-part series. As a cystic fibrosis (CF) patient, our community’s fight for a pipeline of new antibiotics and the research related to antimicrobial resistance remind me of the musical “Titanic.” Based on the sinking of the real ship on April 15, 1912,…

I want a tattoo, and my desire began with a scar. I touched on this subject in my column “Learning to Embrace My Poor Unfortunate Holes.” I wrote about my scars, the story behind each of them, and how I’ve grown to love them. However, I want to dive…

I’m always nervous about diving back into work after being out of commission. In this case, I’m referring to the monthlong hiatus I took from writing this column. I was hesitant to pause my writing for Cystic Fibrosis News Today. What if I disappoint my editors or my audience? Even…

I wanted to discuss my relationship with “my expiration date” and its social implications, particularly with healthy people my own age. As of 1997, when I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF), I was labeled a terminally ill patient. Sharing that information with acquaintances set the tone for our…

The musical “Bonnie & Clyde” follows the infamous early 20th century crime duo through a series of murders and robberies, beginning with an innocent dream on Bonnie’s part. The two embarked on a romantic road trip that pitted them against society and those they loved. Clyde’s murder spree…

My journey with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been somewhat traumatic. My diagnosis was drawn out, leading to lung scarring at an early age. My two nonsense mutations limited my pipeline of treatments, and my quick decline in lung function left me with many Sophie’s choices. Most traumatic, my…

In the musical “Little Women,” each of the four March sisters has an artistic talent. Jo March’s song “Astonishing,” a feminist lament about her ever-changing path toward writing, is particularly moving. It reminds me of my struggles as a woman with cystic fibrosis (CF). “I’ll shout…