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“I’m freaking out — have you ever had a burst blood vessel in your eyeball?” This is a recent text message I sent to a dear friend. We’re not only friends; we both live with cystic fibrosis (CF) and have had a double-lung transplant. She gets me on…

Eight years ago, I walked down the corridor that connected the hospital to the clinical research wing. I arrived at what felt a bit like a movie set, but was actually the floor where clinical trial participants would receive intravenous infusions of either a placebo or the investigational drug. It…

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…

People always say kids are resilient. I used to nod politely, not really knowing what they meant. But then I had Jasmine, my daughter with cystic fibrosis, and life rewrote the definition right in front of me. At 4, she already knew her routines better than most adults.

I’m no stranger to frigid temperatures and dark days, as it often feels like the tundra here in Vermont. As we approach the winter solstice, I’m reflecting on the symbolism of letting the light in after dark times. I was born in the wee hours of Dec. 22,…

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 watched a film that depicted a harrowing scene between the protagonist, a prodigious graduate student, and his physician. In the scene, they sit in a sterile, halogen-lit corridor as the physician shares the devastating news that the student has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Much like cystic…

After my late daughter, Jasmine, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at the age of 2, the days started to run together while we figured out a shaky rhythm. I learned the quirks of a nebulizer’s hum, the best tricks for coaxing Jasmine to take her pills — mixing crushed…

I feel my breath catch in my throat. Short, shallow waves alert my survival brain that something is wrong. My heartbeat quickens, and my hands begin to sweat, with surges of energy coursing through my veins, almost like a cold chill. Every part of my body tenses, and a pit…