Valiant Voice – a Column by Lara Govendo

Each time I meet someone new, CF pours from my mouth. It has become impossible to negate that intricate piece of who I am. Cystic fibrosis isn’t my whole life, but it has evolved me into the person I am today. May marks Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. In…

Despite battling chronic illness, I managed to stumble through six years of college. Obtaining my master’s degree in mental health and school counseling was a herculean feat. But I didn’t power through it on my own: I believe in my own product and have had therapy on and off…

In spring 2015 I began journeying toward a challenge I hadn’t known would come to fruition so quickly: lung transplantation. Concerned for my life, my care team had labeled my cystic fibrosis “unmanageable.” Blinded by my inability to admit when I was sick, I couldn’t realize that truth. Wanting…

The invisible killer is nothing new. Something that can’t be contained? I feel that. Not knowing if or when it will hit you? Every. Single. Day. Cystic fibrosis is a monster. And so is having a transplant. There’s always an underlying fear of the untamable beast. Those of us with…

As a new columnist for Cystic Fibrosis News Today, I am honored to join a team of radically talented writers! My name is Lara, and most people call me “LAR-ah.” Many mistakenly call me Laura. The first syllable rhymes with car. Pronouncing my name correctly ranks you highly in…