Columns

My head has been spinning with how rapidly the effects from COVID-19 have engulfed the world. It is a great reminder from Mother Nature that humans are not invincible, despite what it may seem at times. I always have had two sides to my world: the businesswoman and the…

The invisible killer is nothing new. Something that can’t be contained? I feel that. Not knowing if or when it will hit you? Every. Single. Day. Cystic fibrosis is a monster. And so is having a transplant. There’s always an underlying fear of the untamable beast. Those of us with…

“My gut is the source of most of my sickness.” I say this a lot. I say it to explain why I’m not what I’m “Supposed to Be” as someone with cystic fibrosis (CF). I say this to help others understand. I have lung disease, light scarring, and varying infections…

A few months ago, I was chatting online with the parents of an infant who was newly diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). They discussed how their lives would change and the precautions they’d have to take with CF in their lives. Most seemed sensible to me — no…

I had an experimental stem cell transplant five years ago and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. In all honesty, I don’t actually know how much my stem cells helped because it happened during a confusing period. In the same six-month stretch, I found out I…

I’m always promising people I’ll write a memoir … at some point. Once, I got 46,853 words deep before realizing that my writing style had evolved enough that, “Mmm, that draft is trash.” Recently, I gave it another jab. I leave my writing raw, still bleeding and unfiltered to depict…

Hey kid, You better brace yourself. Other adults in your life are already telling you this, but you better learn to listen up. Your parents know a bit better than you do, but I’ll give you this: You’re smart, you’re ambitious, you’re idealistic, and you have a sensitive heart. You…

As a new columnist for Cystic Fibrosis News Today, I am honored to join a team of radically talented writers! My name is Lara, and most people call me “LAR-ah.” Many mistakenly call me Laura. The first syllable rhymes with car. Pronouncing my name correctly ranks you highly in…

Last week led me to reflect on how things change with time. Looking back on the obstacles I have overcome and the stepping stones navigated help me to appreciate the present. Last Wednesday I drove home from a checkup at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. My lung function was…

My brain felt broken. I didn’t know what to do, even after three years of dealing with depression and anxiety. Our language around our mental health discourse is woefully insufficient. We don’t treat depression or anxiety the way we treat diabetes or cystic fibrosis or heart disease. We…