Columns

I Want to Quit the Internet

I want to quit the internet. This is something I think about a lot. The more I share, the more I want nothing to do with it at all. Although I’m not on the YouTubes or the Facebooks, I continue to write on Instagram, in columns, and in print.

Side Effects Leave Me Salvaging Social Shards

Since August, I’ve been irritable, in hermit mode (distressing for an extrovert!), a little depressed and unfulfilled, and having difficulty sleeping. Plus, I’ve been urinating about seven times nightly, which sounds funny but is a special kind of torture. Leading up to 2020, people shared diaries on Reddit tracking…

A Few Words for Those I Let Down in 2019

It’s a new year. For many, that means a fresh start. A chance to clear your mind and move past burdens you wish to leave behind. I have never really been into this concept, for no particular reason. However, 2019 was easily the hardest year of…

My Thoughts on How to Build a Better World

I’ve found that one of the most fulfilling things I can do in this life is to work toward a better world. It’s why I wrote a column a few weeks ago about building a diverse coalition: The more diverse a coalition working for a better world is, the…

My CF Is My Burden Alone

It is natural that we grow attached to the people with whom we develop relationships. That’s just how it is. There’s not much more to it. The early days of friendship are full of tiptoeing around heavy topics or shying away from our truest selves. That’s what makes developing friendships…

Confessions from the 10 Percent: Life Without Trikafta

I am one of the 10 percent. The 10 percent cannot take the new, groundbreaking medication that will hopefully help cystic fibrosis (CF) patients for years to come. Some people cannot benefit from Trikafta (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor) because they recently had a transplant. For others, like me and anomalous genotypes, Trikafta…

We Must Build a Diverse Coalition Within the CF Community

I learned long ago not to expect everyone to agree with me. I also realized that disagreement isn’t inherently wrong. From a young age, I was told that I should become a lawyer because I’ve always loved to engage in discussions. In retrospect, those comments might not have been complimentary,…