Columns

The Importance of Celebrating National Donor Day

I didn’t know how impactful organ donation was until it personally affected my life. I first learned the details of it through my evaluation for a double lung transplant. Since that surgery four years ago, I’ve frequently witnessed the impact the process has on both the recipient and the donors’…

Sometimes It’s Best Just to Listen

I guess I would say I am a problem solver by nature. When it comes to my loved ones, I am more so. I am protective, perhaps overly so! When I hear loved ones complain about a problem in their lives, a little voice inside my head says, “You need…

Person-first Language Doesn’t Always Matter

“Do people with cystic fibrosis really call themselves ‘CFers’?” a friend once asked.  “Some do, some don’t.” I told her about the shorthand terms I’ve seen used in the community, such as “cysters” and “fibros.”  Personally, I’ve always appreciated those monikers for their playfulness, which among many…

Thanks to My Transplant, I Can Dream About the Future

I never really dreamed about my future until after my double-lung transplant in 2017. My friends who are also transplant recipients inspire me to dream bigger as we navigate this new world together. Although it’s been over four years, dreaming can still feel risky. But the more time that passes,…

A Spoonful of Sugar: My Diabetes Diagnosis, Part 2

Second in a series. Read part one.  In my previous column, I described the lead-up to my diabetes diagnosis. Let’s resume where we left off: in an isolated room at CarolinaEast Medical Center’s emergency department (ED) in New Bern, North Carolina. Upon my admission for an extremely high blood…

The Pros and Cons of Sharing Medical News Online

Growing up, my older sister and I were tasked with calling relatives when our younger sister was hospitalized due to a cystic fibrosis exacerbation. We relayed the news while my mother hurried around, packing bags and getting ready for the inpatient stay. I assume it was helpful — one less…

A Spoonful of Sugar: My Diabetes Diagnosis, Part 1

First in a two-part series. Turns out a spoonful of sugar did not help the medicine go down. Instead, it aggravated my steroid-induced diabetes. Allow me to provide a little background. Based on issues I had throughout childhood, such as food sensitivities and digestive issues, my pediatric team suspected…