Bridging the Divide Between the Individual and the Community
When I was asked to write this column over two years ago, I was thrilled, but I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to write about. I knew I would have some leniency to…
Mutations & Conversations
— Tré LaRosa
Tré is a 27-year-old living with cystic fibrosis in Pensacola, Florida who works as a research lead for Bionews Insights. He is an extremely passionate advocate for disabled rights and people living with chronic disease, especially cystic fibrosis. His sister, Alyssa, died at 29 due to chronic rejection of her bilateral lung transplant, pushing him further into the fight for a better world for all. “Mutations & Conversations” discusses the science and sociology that binds us all. He also loves his golden retriever, Duncan, very much.
Featured Post
Searching for Motivation as I Struggle With Depression
When I took Advanced Placement psychology in high school, a few subjects stuck out to me as being intuitive. I was weirded out by this because the majority of school lessons were not intuitive.
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Amid Mental Health Struggles, It’s Challenging to Work and Be Productive
I can’t separate my physical malady from my mental diseases. Cystic fibrosis, depression, and anxiety are all linked, and they’re all separate. I think of my blend of comorbidities as a morbid sort…
Surveys Play a Critical Role in Improving the Patient Experience
I used to dislike surveys, polls, and questionnaires. I understood why they existed — customer or patient feedback is important — but I never really saw anything change once I took a survey. I…
How I’ve Learned to Use My Insecurity to My Advantage
I recently saw a meme in which a person is smiling or laughing in the first panel, then looks utterly dismayed in the second. The second panel’s overlay reads: “Tfw [that feeling when] I…
The Long Journey of Learning to Love My Own Body
I used to be ashamed about my insecurities. I believed that as a man, I was supposed to be strong. I was supposed to silently hate myself, my appearance, and my body, while…
Yes, I Will Get the COVID-19 Vaccine
I can’t remember when I first fell in love with science. I loved learning about it and going on field trips, but I didn’t enjoy science fairs because I missed hanging out with my…
A Letter to Those Struggling During the Holiday Season
Two years ago, I found myself drinking a cup of coffee in a quiet coffee shop in downtown Chicago. I still struggled to call myself a writer or understand my writing goals. (Though, by…
My Experience With COVID-19
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 across the afflicted population,…
After a Year of Trikafta, Where Do We Go From Here?
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 that I wouldn’t…
Contemplating Our Identity
A pandemic meets a life-changing medication. It sounds like the beginning of a modern love story. Last year, a film came out about two teenagers with CF who fall in love.
Time Contracts Near Tragedy
My last column, a letter to my younger self, was written before the pandemic. When the world first began to realize the havoc wreaked by COVID-19, I predicted I would be reading…
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