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…
Living Beyond - a Column by Jennifer Cogliano
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…
Living with cystic fibrosis (CF) means navigating a complex medical journey that can feel isolating, even when the clinical care is excellent. When I faced the life-altering decision to pursue a double-lung transplant, I discovered the power of community support. Through both national resources and local connections, support groups…
Living with cystic fibrosis (CF) is a daily balancing act of medications, fatigue, breathing treatments, and managing my energy levels. Some days feel manageable, and others feel like I’m climbing a mountain with no summit in sight. But for me, a dog (or two) has always been a source…
One month ago, my daughter got married. I woke up early that morning and took a long, slow, deep breath. For someone who has lived with cystic fibrosis (CF), that simple act felt like a miracle. But the real miracle was still ahead — walking my daughter down the…
In my life with cystic fibrosis (CF), the antibiotic tobramycin has saved my life countless times. But 15 years ago, it took something from me that I’ll never get back. Toxicity from the drug permanently destroyed the tiny hair cells in my inner ear, leaving me with vestibular…
Living with cystic fibrosis (CF) and a double-lung transplant often feels like inhabiting two worlds simultaneously. There’s the extraordinary world, filled with medical miracles, precisely managed medications, and a body that has defied more statistics than I care to count. Then there’s the ordinary world, where sometimes all I…
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