More often than not, I act healthy when I’m actually sick. Many people with chronic illness will pretend like everything is fine, even when it’s not, due to societal pressure to present an appearance of perfect health. I struggle to be honest about how I’m feeling because the answer…
Valiant Voice — Lara Govendo
Lara Govendo resides in Vermont as a wild, adventurous lady who also happens to be a licensed clinical professional counselor. She dives deep into controversial topics by talking about her own struggles to help others feel less alone, educate about all aspects of health, and encourage others that there’s always hope. Thanks to her double-lung transplant in 2017 due to cystic fibrosis, you can now find Lara ministering about Jesus, exploring the glorious outdoors with her husband, and belly laughing with people around the planet. She can be reached on her website at www.hungry4hopeconsulting.com.
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Counseling is as routine for me as eating. Being born with cystic fibrosis and receiving a double-lung transplant led to recurring mental health struggles, including anxiety and depression, which require continual management. Therapy is one of the tools I use to respond. I began my college years as a young,…
I never thought I’d say this, but it’s my reality: I’m a diabetic. It’s hard to admit this is a part of my life now. Like most aspects of my health, my diabetes is atypical. It didn’t stem from a bad diet or excessive sugar intake, as most people tend…
My lung health has been on my mind my whole life. I’m constantly assessing potential environmental risks, my breathing, and what I can do to improve my lungs. Living with cystic fibrosis (CF) taught me to think about every breath. Five years of life after my double-lung transplant…
Knowing my life expectancy due to cystic fibrosis (CF) used to play tricks on my mind. Who am I kidding? It still does sometimes. For the first several years of my life, CF was known as a childhood disease because many people didn’t live into adulthood. With…
The pain scale has never made sense to me. It’s probably because I can’t remember a time when I haven’t been in pain. For all the different types I’ve experienced, none are evident in my appearance or demeanor. This adds to the complexities of my life with chronic pain. Throughout…
Grief doesn’t respect timing or social etiquette. It typically hits me at the worst times, when it’s inconvenient to have sweat trickling from my eyes. As I reflect on the complex changes that happened during my serious sick days before my double-lung transplant, and now five years later,…
As I prepare to celebrate five years with my new lungs, I’m experiencing a wide range of emotions. My double-lung transplant has allowed me to do so many things I never dreamed I’d be able to do, which brings excitement, gratitude, and hope for the future. My five-year…
When I started evaluation for my double-lung transplant in spring 2015, I didn’t have any friends in the cystic fibrosis community. As I took the brave step to join Facebook groups to make connections and learn more about transplant, my eyes were opened to a whole new world. There…
I spent the majority of my life trying to hide my disability, so celebrating Disability Pride Month is a bit ironic for me. Who knew that my journey with cystic fibrosis (CF) and my four years since my double-lung transplant would be something I’d want to revel in,…
I used to think my medical trauma was normal. Doesn’t everyone with chronic illness go through traumatic experiences and not talk about them? When therapists helped me understand that I don’t need to have fought in a war to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), my perspective changed. It turns out…
Living with chronic illness is often a lonely road. Born with cystic fibrosis (CF), I’ve often struggled with isolation, feeling alone, and living a different lifestyle from most people. Before joining my disease community, I thought I was the only one. Thankfully, I’ve developed skills for coping with…
Mental health struggles often co-occur with chronic illnesses. This was true for me while living with cystic fibrosis, and still is, four years after my double-lung transplant. I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression my whole life, and in recent years, I’ve dealt with post-traumatic stress. Awareness is helpful,…
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