Columns

A pod of pelicans flies over my head, then out over the ocean waves, where they skim the surface of the water. One in the middle of the mass pumps its wings, and the formation follows suit like a ripple effect in both directions. I’m struck by the gracefulness it…

Many of the thoughts that cross my mind daily are specific to cystic fibrosis (CF). Recently, I’ve recognized that they’re not things that most people, including my family and healthy peers, have to think about. I’m not upset that the following topics are frequently on my mind. It’s just…

Over the years, I’ve had many experiences with disability accommodations, for better or for worse. I was born with cystic fibrosis (CF) and have had health challenges my entire life. After my double-lung transplant seven years ago, my health improved in some areas and declined in others. But one…

After a particularly stressful six months, I hit a breaking point a few weeks ago. I was finding myself constantly overwhelmed by life. I still feel that way to an extent. School activities, schedule changes, and behavioral issues with my kids send me into a tailspin. Work deadlines haunt me…

I had a virtual call recently with my cystic fibrosis (CF) physician, who’s also a lung transplant expert. More recently, he obtained credentials in palliative care as well. Since my double-lung transplant in 2020, I see him every few months under his palliative care hat. On this virtual…

I might look like I have it all together, but right now, my belly aches, my brain is foggy, and I can’t seem to focus long enough to write this column. From the outside, I look incredible. I’m not bragging, I get this comment a lot. On the surface,…

Sometimes I don’t know where cystic fibrosis (CF) begins and I end. I’ve lived with the ups and downs CF has brought since I was diagnosed just three months after I was born. I recently celebrated my 32nd birthday. I used to hate my birthday. I don’t…

Here in Pennsylvania, September is my favorite month. The summer humidity is gone, the sun is still warm, but there’s a slight chill in the air that’s new. If you’re observant, you can notice the leaves on the trees are not as vibrant. They start to look more frail as…

Something specific to the cystic fibrosis (CF) world is how we talk and the words we say. After living with CF my whole life, I’ve gained insight into our speech compared with that of the able-bodied world. That awareness dramatically grew after my double-lung transplant seven years…

It feels surreal that I had a double-lung transplant seven years ago. The season of life leading up to my transplant is still present in my mind as I reflect on what I went through physically and emotionally. Going through the transplant process was traumatic. Today, I continue to…