Staying Salty YouTube Channel: CFers Explain CF

Staying Salty is a YouTube channel launched last year where various vloggers with cystic fibrosis all talk about a different subject each week. Some of the subjects covered so far include how they were diagnosed, medication compliance, growing up with CF, and dating with CF.

Team members come from different walks of life and are from various states. They all have their own take on cystic fibrosis and explain how it affects their lives differently. In the videos below, some of the participating hosts share a little bit about themselves.

Hannah Buck is 21 years old and wasn’t diagnosed with cystic fibrosis until she was five. Prior to her diagnosis, doctors thought she had asthma so treated her for the wrong condition. Hannah explains that she has been struggling with the emotional stress that comes with having a chronic disease as well as the physical symptoms of CF.

MORE: Find out about Breathe Easy, a new community for CFers

Twenty-four-year-old Sabrina Sandeen from North Carolina records her first vlog from the hospital. She explains that up until going to college she had remained healthy and her CF was under control. However, the change of lifestyle and being away from the guidance of her parents meant that she didn’t look after herself as well as she should have and her health deteriorated.

MORE: Meet four cystic warriors and find out more about their journey with the condition

Twenty-six-year-old software engineer Larry Brian from St. Louis, Missouri talks about how he thought moving to Florida would improve his health, but he and his girlfriend missed their families too much so they moved back. He was diagnosed with CF at 6 months old but went through school not telling anyone about his condition because he didn’t want anyone’s sympathy.

MORE: Four common misconceptions about cystic fibrosis

Twenty-five-year-old Taylor Stroop is a graphic designer and self-confessed adrenaline junkie. Diagnosed with CF at 5 months old, Taylor was very ill as a baby. He was recently diagnosed with cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, which he considers a positive thing since he’s been able to put on weight for the first time in his life.

MORE: Eight tips to manage your cystic fibrosis

Chad Reidy is a 35-year-old father of two from Virginia. Chad was diagnosed with CF at 3 years old after being underweight and unable to digest food. He talks about his battles with anxiety and how he uses meditation to try and fight it. Chad’s lung function became so dangerously low a couple of years ago that he considered having a lung transplant.

MORE: Five myths about lung transplants

Twenty-one-year-old Miranda Porshe is an outgoing, confident young woman who likes to laugh. She was diagnosed with CF at just five days old but also suffers from other medical conditions such as fibromyalgia, diabetes, and arthritis. Despite this, she has an incredibly bubbly personality and a very positive outlook on life.

MORE: Four common misconceptions about cystic fibrosis

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