Columns

“It’s a great time to be born with cystic fibrosis.” I remember hearing this sentence from the head nurse during the first clinic of our daughter, Claire. At the time, it felt like they were just words meant to comfort a new cystic fibrosis (CF) mom. Maybe I was…

Perhaps the most pertinent word to describe National Donate Life Month in April is “hope.” People waiting on the transplant list, their loved ones, medical professionals, and donor families all experience it to different degrees. Each brings a unique voice to the word as it relates to organ donation.

There are certain albums that have withstood the test of time and become legendary as they’re passed down from one generation to the next. That list includes, but isn’t limited to, The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours,” and Nirvana’s “Nevermind.”…

Doctor appointments at a cystic fibrosis (CF) clinic are a normal part of my medical routine, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t anxiety-inducing. After being weighed and getting my oxygen saturation, temperature, and heart rate read like the back of a baseball card, I begin to psych myself up…

At the opening of Judeo-Christian Scriptures, the Creator lovingly forms humankind, then crafts and blesses the Sabbath, a sacred day set aside for rest. Rest filled humankind’s first full day. Before people were doing, they were being, and for this alone they were beloved. It’s the portrait of a…

When my daughter, Claire, was in the neonatal intensive care unit, I was lead counsel on a case that had made its way to federal court. I prepared for the case at Claire’s bedside between breaks of the nurses cycling in and PICC lines beeping around me. Somehow I…

“One Last Time” from the musical “Hamilton” is sung by the actor who portrays George Washington and sets Washington’s farewell address to music. It’s the perfect song for this breaking news: This is my final column. With that said, I can’t think of a stronger way to depart…

I’ve talked a lot about dreaming about the future, but not really about planning for it. Being born with cystic fibrosis (CF) made it challenging to depend on my health, so planning for the future never felt like a viable option. But now, more than five years after…

I’m a Make-A-Wish kid. Rather, I was one. I’m now 30, but I had my wish granted 12 years ago because of my cystic fibrosis (CF). For those unaware, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants children with terminal illnesses and their families a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do whatever they like,…

“Go, go, go!” my nurse says while coaching me through my pulmonary function test (PFT). I’m pushing air into a mouthpiece that’s connected to a computer with a robotic arm that moves up and down to adjust for the height of the patient using it. My right hand grasps…