Valiant Voice – a Column by Lara Govendo

This column’s title may seem strange to some, but it’s not for those of us who’ve faced sleep disorders due to anxiety. For years I wondered if I would wake up in the morning because my breathing was so bad due to cystic fibrosis. Going to bed without knowing if…

Prior to my double-lung transplant three years ago, becoming deathly sick allotted me time to slow down. I shifted my perspective to what I could do during this time. I focused my energy on what I could learn because I knew this season of opportunity wouldn’t last forever. The…

“Wow, look at the COVID-19 stats in the U.S.! Our numbers are awesome! With so many people getting vaccinated, we can finally start going back to normal.” — Seemingly everyone but me It feels like I’m the only person in my part of the world that still has to…

My whole life changed after I had a double-lung transplant three years ago. When drastic life changes occur, they can shake us to the core. We can struggle to understand the implications of what we are going through until we’re already facing the aftermath. That’s what happened to me when…

I wonder what it would look like if our mental health struggles were visible to the outside world. Most of the time, they aren’t. In school, we weren’t taught how to manage our mental health. There was no subject about being healthy mentally or emotionally. Western medicine has led those…

I knew life would be different after my double-lung transplant three years ago, but I didn’t expect it to feel like a completely new life. The change has been intense. I feel like I barely have cystic fibrosis anymore. Feeling disconnected from the CF world has been an interesting…

Sometimes stress turns me into someone that I’m not. I’m never proud of knee-jerk reactions and am always looking to improve my coping skills. It’s a constant balancing act I haven’t mastered quite yet. Life with cystic fibrosis is stressful, and a double-lung transplant added another level of stress…

I talk about my life with a double-lung transplant regularly. Sharing the double-edged sword of transplant during National Donate Life Month may help others see how this life can be bittersweet. There are highs and lows and seasons of struggle and victory, each one powerful in its own way.

Our vulnerabilities should be celebrated, but they seldom are in the workplace. Hiding our disabilities may feel like the only solution at times. After losing my previous job, I never thought I’d get another interview, let alone be hired again. It’s been five years since I’ve been active as…

March is a heavy month. Like clockwork, physical and emotional symptoms seem to erupt out of nowhere. Four years ago this month I almost died. On an unconscious level, our bodies remember the trauma we’ve endured. March 2017 was the most difficult month of my life. I’ve never fought…