Living Beyond - a Column by Jennifer Cogliano

I learned last week that my pediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) physician had recently passed away. I say pediatric physician, but I was under his care from birth to age 44. I’m now 53. As I reflect on my experiences with him, I realize the CF patient-doctor relationship is unique…

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a complex disease that affects each of us differently. However, many outside factors impact our lives in ways healthy people often don’t realize. In this column, I want to spread awareness of one of the many challenges and stressors involved in living with CF:…

It’s utterly amazing to be able to breathe easily again, almost four years after having a double-lung transplant due to advanced cystic fibrosis (CF). It isn’t easy to put the enormity of the feelings into words, even now. Besides the vague discomfort from a scar that runs from…

“I’ve never run a race, but I want to,” I said to myself when I saw a registration link for the 27th annual Gift of Life Donor Dash, held last month in Philadelphia. I’m a 52-year-old with cystic fibrosis (CF), insulin-dependent cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, stage 3 chronic…

Living with cystic fibrosis (CF) feels like riding on a never-ending roller coaster. There are highs and lows, unexpected pitfalls, and twists and turns around every corner. Like a roller coaster, the paroxysmal journey of CF leaves us feeling ill much of the time. But life moves forward,…

If I didn’t have cystic fibrosis (CF), I’d be rich. This thought has crossed my mind many times throughout my adult life. While I can’t prove I’m right, I know I’ve certainly spent an absurd amount of money on CF-related expenses. Living with CF has had many physical,…

Last year, we had a big health scare in our family — but for the first time, it wasn’t about me and my cystic fibrosis (CF). My mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was found early and by accident. She had a face and neck CT scan done…

In my last column, I wrote about the psychological aspect of living with cystic fibrosis (CF) that I dislike the most: the focus on shortened life expectancy. This week, I want to offer more of an optimistic outlook, as I try to find balance in all things.

In this column, I want to discuss something that’s been bothering me for a long time, so I’ll just go ahead and say it: I despise the fact that the topics of age and life expectancy are such a prominent feature of the cystic fibrosis (CF) identity. This…

So many things need to be done during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Gift lists need to be made, cookies need to be baked, decorations must be hung, and meals need to be planned, to name a few things. All of this can create added pressure, worry,…