31 Days of CF: Sarah’s Story

Written by Luisa Palazola |

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Day 2 of 31 Days of CF ⁣⁣ Topic: High School and CF⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ????Hey there! My name is Sarah, I am 18 and I am a senior in high school and cannot believe it’s almost (22 days left) over!! It hasn’t been all that easy but it IS definitely an experience I won’t ever forget and it shaped who I am today. ⁣⁣ ⁣ —⁣ ⁣⁣ Having CF while attending any sort of schooling is different for everyone. We all have administrators who handle this disease in their own individual way. For me, I’ve been lucky. Since being diagnosed in the second grade, my school district accommodated all of my needs. They have been very understanding and have tried to learn about what it is I’m going through. You see, I’m on a 504 plan, a plan that helps kids who miss a lot of school due to a medical issues, succeed and don’t get behind in the classroom. It has helped TREMENDOUSLY! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ —⁣ ⁣ Since freshman year, I have been on the high school swim team and made an amazing friend group! They all know I have CF but choose to act like it’s not there (best feeling ever). I finally felt like a normal teenager! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ —⁣ ⁣ But like most CFers, some days are better then others and my classmates caught onto that. I usually keep to myself in the school setting and because of this, a lot of people don’t know that I have CF. I get a lot more stares rather than conversations when it comes to my coughing ALL year long. I tried to not let this bother me but it did. I began to feel isolated when I wasn’t with the people I knew. But as I got older, I learned that it’s okay be different and to ignore the stares and once I did that, all of it seemed to stop. I realized to embrace what I have even if people don’t know. ⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣—⁣ ⁣ I’ve had ups and downs in my lung function, but managed to stay out of the hospital for 9 years, ending my streak last summer!! All in all, I have had an amazing high school career, and will begin cosmetology classes this coming August! I’m so excited to see what my future life has for me!!⁣????⁣

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About the Author

Luisa Palazola Luisa Palazola is a 25-year-old with CF living in Memphis, Tennessee. She injects her perspective as a Hispanic woman and her love for life and stories in all her interactions. In her downtime, she's learning Portuguese and is an avid coffee lover.

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