Work that Works - a Column by Elly Aylwin-Foster

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Elly Aylwin-Foster (yes, folks, that’s what an Anglican-Celtic name looks like) is a writer and communications strategist with cystic dibrosis and CF-related diabetes. She lives in Cambridge, U.K., with her partner and two cats, Mack and April. She is partial to a good hike, coffee, yoga, and dreams of life out in the open.

I’m Taking a Break from Sharing My Story

I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’ve gone from being an out-and-proud chronic illness advocate to someone craving something akin to a total cystic fibrosis blackout. I believe in the power of our voices and the importance of speaking up so that…

Use Me for Something Good

I’m not sure what I’m here for, but I hope it’s something good. From the ages of 8 to 12, I thought I was designed for warfare. My father served in the military, and don’t we all aspire to do as our parents did?…

How Much CF Do You Choose to Show?

Getting older has its perks.  With each passing year, I find I’m a little more willing to reveal.  I feel more open to showing my true skin. I used to conceal it with foundation, eyeliner — the whole works. Now, I only cover the…

What Does It Mean to Be a Patient?

I have a funny relationship with the P-word. It feels as familiar as my own skin, yet somehow still alien. At clinics when I was growing up, I used to strain my eyes across the table, trying to read my doctors’ notes as they…

From Boom to Bust: Managing Work with CF

Three weeks ago, I gave a guest lecture to the MBA class at the University of Cambridge. The next day, I traveled to Liverpool and appeared onstage with my former cystic fibrosis (CF) consultant at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust Europe Community Afternoon.