Columns

For days after having an anatomy scan, I spent most of the time lying on the couch, crying. My eyes were so swollen I had to ice them to keep them open. We were living every parent’s worst nightmare: Our unborn baby had ultrasound abnormalities. The fear of the…

“I’ve never run a race, but I want to,” I said to myself when I saw a registration link for the 27th annual Gift of Life Donor Dash, held last month in Philadelphia. I’m a 52-year-old with cystic fibrosis (CF), insulin-dependent cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, stage 3 chronic…

As we approach the end of Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, I want to share some wisdom I wish my younger self would’ve known at the start of my journey with this rare disease. Perhaps you’re in a similar situation and can relate to this advice. Dear younger me:…

Living with cystic fibrosis (CF) feels like riding on a never-ending roller coaster. There are highs and lows, unexpected pitfalls, and twists and turns around every corner. Like a roller coaster, the paroxysmal journey of CF leaves us feeling ill much of the time. But life moves forward,…

I can still remember my husband’s face when he walked through the doorway on that fateful summer day. We were awaiting his genetic carrier results during my second pregnancy. As a first responder, he never comes home early from a shift, but on that day, he was home five…

Since I was born with cystic fibrosis (CF), gaining weight has always been a challenge for me. CF doesn’t only affect the lungs; it can also cause a number of gastrointestinal (GI) issues. Because my body lacks the salt content to move fluids effectively through my system, my GI…

I nearly fell asleep in the bath the other night. It was after a particularly hard day with my daughter, Claire, who has cystic fibrosis (CF), and I was exhausted. The night had ended in screaming and tears once again. In the last few weeks, it feels like there’s…

I am a strong advocate for organ donation because I was on the receiving end of a double-lung transplant in 2017. Not only did it save my life, but it also radically transformed my health in many ways. Since then, I believe it’s imperative to clear up some…

At 31, I still love basketball, and I’ve been a New York Knicks fan for 25 years. For the first 21 years of my fandom, the franchise was a model of instability and getting in its own way. I try to approach my health in the exact opposite manner, which…

I’ve had so many surgeries that I’ve lost track. You’d think I’d be used to the routine by now, but I’m not. With each surgery comes more anxiety as my trauma stacks up. I was convinced it’d get easier as I underwent more procedures, but I’ve learned that each…