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Nicholas Bell
We’re excited to present Nicholas as our MCM! Here are 4 things important to @breathe__with__me story with CF:
🌙 I spent the majority of my life hiding from CF. I was selective about who I told. This led to me being selective about who I’d do treatments around and when I would do them. I was healthy enough growing up that I was able to get away with skipping treatments and neglecting the fact that I have a chronic illness. I played sports. I love football. I went to the University of Nebraska. Go Huskers! I continued my education at Queens University where I got an MFA in Poetry. Staying physically fit helped me stay healthy, but I wish I would’ve stayed more compliant with treatments. Now at 35 years old, I do extra treatment(s) daily to make up for all the times I didn’t do them before.
🐺There’s a lot of people in the CF community who are dedicated to fitness and speak out on the benefits of staying physically active, but I think it’s equally important to stay mentally fit. As humans (especially men), we are conditioned to not talk about our mental health. It’s seen as a weakness, but I find there’s great strength in vulnerability. I wish everyone went to therapy. It wasn’t until I started going that I really learned how to deal with my disease head on. A friend of mine who’s Buddhist told me to “run towards your obstacles.” Those words saved my life.
🌙 I live in Omaha with my wife Kristin, our three dogs, and a mean ole’ kitty. They are my support system. As a young man with a chronic illness I never envisioned myself getting married. I thought that this illness would always be mine to carry alone, but ever since I’ve opened up about my experience with CF, my life has become rich with opportunity.
🐺I run a program that sends poets into prisons to teach creative writing. This has been a lifelong dream of mine. One of the best ways for me to stay mentally fit is through writing. I hope to pass on my love for writing to as many people as possible. Navigating life as an adult with CF isn’t easy, so I write to express my emotions. I may have CF but it does not define who I am, only I can do that. For more information you can check out the IG link! https://www.instagram.com/p/BtwhB9PnrGd/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
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