Valiant Voice
— Lara Govendo

Hiking has become one of my favorite activities since my double-lung transplant four years ago. Before the transplant, hiking would have never been in my vocabulary. Having cystic fibrosis meant breathing was a struggle, and I would get a bellyache of anxiety when people would ask me to go hiking…

I had a routine checkup with my vascular surgeon last week. As I was pulling into the parking garage, it struck me that it had been a while since I’d been to the hospital. The realization brought me to tears. A life of planned routine medical…

Paying attention to emotional wellness doesn’t come easy for some of us. It is often easy to sweep our emotions under the rug and function on autopilot until we burn out. Then we rinse and repeat this toxic cycle. But pretending that everything is OK when it’s not is…

I’ve witnessed the greatest acts of love at my sickest. Whenever I reflect on how love has shone through on my darkest days, my misty eyes reveal how much someone has touched my life forever. Sept. 30 is National Love People Day. It’s a timely reminder to love others;…

If I were to describe all of the health conditions I have, I’d need more column space. Each aspect of my health entails a unique story that requires explanation to understand the complexities. It’s challenging to balance all of the coexisting health conditions while maintaining my sanity. At an appointment with the pulmonologist last week,…

I sat with this heavy feeling for years without knowing its name. Throughout my turbulent health journey, a deep sadness would often wash over me. I didn’t understand why, as there wasn’t a precipitating event. But I knew I had to dive into it in order to understand what was…

I feel numb. Not excited or depressed, just numb. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why our culture fosters numbness. Companies peddle products to improve our lives and market to our hungry eyes. And we may be desperate to feel anything except what our current circumstances…

This column’s title may seem strange to some, but it’s not for those of us who’ve faced sleep disorders due to anxiety. For years I wondered if I would wake up in the morning because my breathing was so bad due to cystic fibrosis. Going to bed without knowing if…

Prior to my double-lung transplant three years ago, becoming deathly sick allotted me time to slow down. I shifted my perspective to what I could do during this time. I focused my energy on what I could learn because I knew this season of opportunity wouldn’t last forever. The…

“Wow, look at the COVID-19 stats in the U.S.! Our numbers are awesome! With so many people getting vaccinated, we can finally start going back to normal.” — Seemingly everyone but me It feels like I’m the only person in my part of the world that still has to…

My whole life changed after I had a double-lung transplant three years ago. When drastic life changes occur, they can shake us to the core. We can struggle to understand the implications of what we are going through until we’re already facing the aftermath. That’s what happened to me when…

I wonder what it would look like if our mental health struggles were visible to the outside world. Most of the time, they aren’t. In school, we weren’t taught how to manage our mental health. There was no subject about being healthy mentally or emotionally. Western medicine has led those…