Everything’s Coming Up 65 Roses — Nicole Kohr

Share: In a previous column, I explained that I was diagnosed with mycobacterium abscessus — one of the deadliest infections for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients — in my junior year of college, and how that was one of the many times…

Share: Get-togethers are relaxing, supposedly. I do not feel this way, and I blame this on my cystic fibrosis (CF) and the extent to which my mother and I had to prepare for social events when I was…

Share: I didn’t tell my boyfriend — now husband — that I had cystic fibrosis when we started dating. We were in college, and I wanted to be known as the girlfriend with blue hair, not the girlfriend who frequently uses nebulizers.

Share: Have you ever heard the phrase “I can’t slow down or I’ll stop?” I’ve always operated that way. I’ve always been accustomed to pushing myself and “sticking it to the man.” This gave me energy. More importantly, I was afraid that…

Share: In honor of the release of “Tick, Tick… Boom!” I wanted to mention one of my favorite composers, Jonathan Larson, and one of my favorite Broadway shows, “Rent,” which he wrote when he was a young, struggling artist…

Share: “Are you ready for your pulmonary function test, Nicole?” the respiratory therapist (RT) would ask. My answer was always no, I was never ready for the test. In fact, I’d panic over it for at least a week, clinging…

Share: In the sequel of the Harry Potter spoof musical “A Very Potter Musical,” which is appropriately titled “A Very Potter Sequel,” we follow characters we’ve come to know and love as they go back in time. I was always attracted to…

Share: If you’ve ever been hospitalized, you likely received a survey upon discharge that asked, “Were you satisfied with your care?” Patient satisfaction is important because it helps hospital staff produce patient data, create new initiatives, and enhance transparency. I’ve been…

Share: I have always loved Halloween, but celebrating it with a chronic illness like cystic fibrosis has always meant having to be creative. Being chronically ill meant having to spend a few Halloweens in the hospital or at home, but my mom…

Share: This week’s thoughts are inspired by one of my childhood best friends. She lived down the street from me for most of my life. We’d drive to school together. We’d have lunch together. She’d visit me at the…

Share: Are you living or surviving? Most cystic fibrosis patients have dabbled with this question. To what extent does your health guide your life, rather than love or ambition? I knew the answer back in 2018, but after my bilateral lung…