Columns

In my previous life (pre-double-lung transplant) I was the bravest I’ve ever been. Before my transplant, the most important piece of my identity was bravery. I was brave in the face of death countless times. Post-transplant, my courage level has shifted into fear, anxiety, and reservation. How do we…

Wear a mask for me. The more I see friends post anti-mask passions as if they were a political statement, the more I wonder if they’ve ever met me. It’s not about me, right? Well, in this case, it is. The inability to wear a mask to protect someone like…

As a health writer, I hesitate to cover topics that don’t fit directly into my “brand” because it’s bad business. I’ve cared about human rights for as long as I’ve been a human, but “sticking to my lane” means medicine, motivation, and myopic magnifications of my own fragile frailty (physically…

Many people think I’m reckless … and I guess I really kind of am. I blame a doctor for that. Years ago, I had a showdown with yet another infection that threatened to end my life, or at the very least — doctors said — threatened to force me into…

Earn your rest. Earn self-care. Earn taking care of yourself. The list is endless for the unrealistic standards forced on us by society. The United States is driven by an obsession with productivity levels. Taking days off is portrayed as weak, a lack of trying, and laziness. Where is the…

I don’t have herpes. I need to clarify this. I don’t have herpes, or Hep C, or cancer, even though many seem to think I do. Although I empathize with the Herps and Hep sufferers of the world, I am going to lose my mind if another person comments on…

If I die from anything, it’s going to be food. I have gone without food for long periods of time. It’s something many people with cystic fibrosis or other chronic illnesses know too well. After my fundoplication surgery in 2015, I couldn’t eat anything denser than pudding while the swelling…

In my last column, I described how nearly dying made me a better person. That might imply that I flipped a brain switch to become a more rad version of Brad overnight, but that’s not how it happened. During my lung transplant journey, I strived to better my character,…

As restrictions from COVID-19 lift ’round these parts, my urge to get back to business as usual has intensified. I’m lucky to live in a state that’s been less affected, so I dared to ask my favorite doctor the burning question: “Is it safe to grocery shop again?” I…

I’m supposed to stay away from my children. They may have accidentally been exposed to the coronavirus, but we won’t know for sure for a couple of weeks. The chance they were exposed is low. They ran into a large group of friends in the neighborhood whom we love, and…