Note Taken - a Column by Hannah Buck

Hannah Buck is a 22-year-old with cystic fibrosis. She studies
creative writing and digital media at the University of Michigan,
where she also drums on trash cans and triggers her smoke detector
biweekly when burning leftover veggie burgers. To continue laughing
with (or at) Hannah while she figures out how to be an adult with CF,
visit her blog, AHealthyHan.com, or her YouTube channel, youtube.com/AHealthyHan.

We Need to Allow Ourselves to Heal

We all need to stop picking our scabs. There’s something so simple and satisfying about it: carefully removing that which is crusty and dead, seeing what fleshy colors lie beneath. It’s carnal and human, albeit totally gross. But, if we’re bravely honest with ourselves, what other reasons might…

Pretend You’re a Yogi

This morning, I managed to forget my yoga mat. Twice. It was 8:43 a.m. by the time I had walked the dog, readied myself, gathered my belongings, and finally locked the front door. Three steps later: Oh, crap. Where’s my mat?…

7 Things Your Partner with CF Probably Isn’t Telling You

Being in a committed, loving, long-term relationship is a distinctly intimate experience. It is the most intimate experience of humanhood many would argue. To see a person walking by and say to them, “Hey, you’re fairly OK-looking. Would you like to hold hands for forever and accrue…

On Headaches and Not Being Fixable

I’ve had headaches since I was 10. Debilitating, eye-crushing, every-bone-in-my-face-feels-like-it’s-been-smashed-with-a-baseball-bat headaches. Depending on what doctor you ask, they either can or cannot be classified as migraines. (Well, depending on what doctor you ask, there’s really no difference between headaches and migraines in the first…

Learning to Live ‘Off-book’

I feel the freest when being told what to do. Take 1 tablet by mouth three times daily for 14 days. Flush each lumen of intravenous catheter with 5 mL as directed. Do not exhale into the mouthpiece…

Don’t Let Good Health Make You Sick

No matter how many times my parents, my friends, or my therapist insist that having cystic fibrosis is a full-time job, I can never seem to internalize the concept. When I’m healthy, walking to class is easy, I sleep through the night, and my bones…

Making Money with Cystic Fibrosis

I’ve decided that I don’t want to live in poverty. Okay, so I’ve known that forever. I’m not trying to say it hit me this week while scraping peanut butter on my toast that, “Hey, maybe money is a nice…

To Health, Wealth, and Loving Yourself

Happy New Year, friends! I’ve always loved this holiday. The fresh chances, the deeply felt hope, winter snow, fruity champagne (real or not), and kisses all around. Yes, I’ve always loved this holiday … For the first 24 hours. You…

The Art of Slowing Down

In the three years that I’ve spent away at college, I’ve learned oodles of life-changing lessons that can only be taught by good ole Professor Experience. Freshman year, I learned that duct tape won’t keep twinkly lights on your walls, but will allow…

‘I’m Not Crazy’

You’re about to read something I wrote two years ago. I had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression not long before then. Both left me utterly crippled, and would continue to do so for several months, but what I struggled most with…