Valiant Voice – a Column by Lara Govendo

Poop is a hot topic in my household. For me, having cystic fibrosis (CF) means having pancreatic insufficiency. Therefore, I don’t produce enough digestive enzymes to break down my food. It’s a constant balancing act of ensuring that I take enough enzymes with higher fat foods and not…

As a Christian, I view this time of year as an opportunity to reflect on death and new life. Easter is a reminder of the miracle of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and I always find connections in that story to my transplant journey. The first year after my double-lung…

I’m so tired of some people’s responses to my suffering. I understand that some people might not get what I’m going through if they don’t have personal experience living with chronic illness. But I’d think they wouldn’t voice an opinion on something they know nothing about. Unfortunately, that’s not the…

I have a love-hate relationship with doctors. Being born with cystic fibrosis (CF) has afforded me the opportunity to have experiences with several doctors throughout my life. Having a double-lung transplant seven years ago further opened a plethora of doctors’ doors. Both health circumstances have given me profound…

Several pieces of my life puzzle happen to be rare. First thing’s first: I have cystic fibrosis (CF), a rare disease that affects about 40,000 people in the United States. (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers a disease rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 people.)…

I’m willing to bet that when people perform random acts of kindness, they’re not so random. It comes from the heart’s desire to do something kind for people. I also think it’s a matter of paying it forward. I know that when others do something kind for me, it ignites…

I just celebrated another year on this planet in December. My birthday has become a time of deep reflection as I age with cystic fibrosis (CF), sprinkling in an added layer of life with a double-lung transplant. Now I’ve turned 38; I’m growing older. I don’t have gray hair…

I thought about my immune system in a completely different way before my double-lung transplant seven years ago. Boosting my immune system to fight infections was par for my course, given the cystic fibrosis (CF) in my lungs. Now, it’s dangerous to boost my immunity too much. Finding a…

I learned about the notion of bodily autonomy from a dear friend who, like me, has cystic fibrosis (CF). Before, I’d been oblivious about the subject; it hadn’t occurred to me that it was even a topic for consideration. I’ve now dived deep into this matter, and it’s spurred…

What is cystic fibrosis (CF)? I get asked this question on the regular. My automatic response is: Please don’t search it online. No, really. Just don’t. I equate searching CF online to looking up your symptoms when you’re sick: Both typically result in death. (That’s dark humor.) But truly,…