Path Unknown — Wendy Caroline

Fatigue is a challenging condition to describe. It entails being tired, but it’s so much more than that. Fatigue is the side effect of chronic illness that haunts me the most. It can hit at any time like a ton of bricks. The worst…

I often hear, “CF does not define me.” However, while cystic fibrosis (CF) does not define me, it is a part of me. It has helped shape who I am as a person. So, it does define me. It defines me in the same way that being a…

It’s a new year. For many, that means a fresh start. A chance to clear your mind and move past burdens you wish to leave behind. I have never really been into this concept, for no particular reason. However, 2019 was easily the hardest year of…

I entered through the hospital doors and walked about 30 feet before becoming completely out of breath. I had a split second of panic before I remembered the heavy backpack I was wearing. I called my mom, who was ahead of me. She turned back and took my backpack from…

I recently wrote a post on social media about my health struggles. Having disappeared from the online world without explanation, I had come to terms with my feelings and felt ready to share. Part of my motivation for sharing what I had been…

I want to start this off with the disclaimer that I have never been a morning person. I am a night owl with a coffee addiction and a second-shift job. However, there is much more to the story. Several months ago, I noticed myself starting to frequently use the phrase…

I have been in a huge rut for quite a while due to my health. I think people often have the perception that I’m always positive and happy. It’s probably because I often take a step back or hide when I’m not feeling so happy.

I was shocked recently when my social worker brought up for the first time the subject of social security disability insurance. I am currently working three jobs. As she spoke, I had many thoughts flying through my mind with nowhere to land. We…

Growing up with a terminal disease, it was not a secret that one day I would become disabled. What I didn’t expect was how messy the process would be. There’s no handbook or guide about how to become disabled. It’s not as though one day you wake up…

You’ve somehow found someone to walk through the life that is a cystic fibrosis life without scaring them off. Great! Now, how the heck do you go about planning a wedding that is fun, special, and undamaging to your health? This is a dilemma that I dealt with…

Guilt. It’s a feeling I’ve had to process a lot lately. It’s something we all deal with from time to time. Maybe it’s due to a forgotten meeting, the dirty dishes piled up in the sink, or stumbling to bed without a kiss goodnight. Things happen, we are…

Cystic fibrosis has slowly, but surely, been creeping and nosing into parts of my life previously untouched. Just the other day I was watching a morning routine video on YouTube. All I could think was, “Wow. That looks like such a nice and productive morning. I should…