Living Beyond - a Column by Jennifer Cogliano

Five and a half years ago, I woke up from a double-lung transplant breathing as I hadn’t been able to in decades. Not just the volume or ease of it, but the absence of the fight that I’d become used to with cystic fibrosis (CF). The lungs just worked.

Five and a half years ago, I received the gift of a lifetime: a double-lung transplant that gave me back my breath and, in many ways, my life. After decades of fighting cystic fibrosis (CF), I finally felt free. And then reality set in. Nobody tells you that a…

February has always been a complicated month for me. The holidays are over, spring feels impossibly far away, and here in the Northeast, the gray skies and frigid temperatures seem to stretch on endlessly. And with cold and flu season raging, this time of year presents its own unique challenges…

I never thought I’d make it to menopause. When I was growing up with cystic fibrosis (CF), living beyond young adulthood felt ambitious. Living to my mid-50s? That was science fiction. Yet here I am, facing hot flashes, brain fog, and sleepless nights — symptoms my CF care team…

As I write this, a large snowstorm is rolling over several states, and the forecast here is for accumulating snow in that relentless way that shuts down everything and has people rushing to the grocery stores to stock up. I am reminded of another storm, 30 years ago — the…

Because of my cystic fibrosis (CF) and double-lung transplant, I receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). When I got my statement last month, my stomach dropped. With the cost-of-living adjustment, my monthly benefit had increased slightly. Sounds like good news, right? However, that increase pushed me just over…

Every January, society seems to insist that we reinvent ourselves. The new year calls for a new you, new goals, fresh starts, and clean slates. The message is always the same: You’re not enough as you are, and your goals aren’t ambitious enough. While sitting on my meditation cushion this…

Universal Health Coverage Day on Dec. 12 is a timely reminder of the critical importance of access to healthcare for everyone across the globe. The theme is “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!” This awareness day encourages world leaders to invest financially in protecting people’s health. The goal…

December’s Worldwide Food Service Safety Month resonates deeply with me as a double-lung transplant recipient living with cystic fibrosis (CF). Once-simple dining decisions now involve careful calculations regarding risk, cleanliness, and the invisible world of food-borne pathogens. Life post-transplant means being immunocompromised. The anti-rejection medications that keep…

I recently attended a webinar hosted by the Gift of Life Donor Program focused on post-traumatic growth. It provided terminology for experiences I’ve been navigating but couldn’t quite articulate. The emotional landscape of receiving an organ transplant, as I have, is complex, and I now realize that growth often…