Navigating young adulthood is already a complex journey. Not to mention adding another layer such as growing up with cystic fibrosis, which can make the path feel even more isolating. Growing up with CF, I [...]

As a cystic fibrosis (CF) warrior, I am someone who over the years has been riddled with fear and anxietystemming from medical trauma. I couldn’t realize it sooner because I was in survival mode. I had learnedfrom an early ag [...]

It started like any other routine clinic visit, with the familiar checklist of questions and reminders. One of them was that I was overdue for my next colonoscopy. I already knew that. I just didn’t want to deal wit [...]

After getting out of a long-term committed relationship (almost 10 years), dating was the last thing on my mind. Instead, I went through intense therapy to find out who I was and to learn how to love myself, th [...]

Growing up, I used to say, “One thing I never want to die without doing is skydiving.” It felt like a far-off dream; the one big adventure I believed would be enough, because growing up in sickness taught me no [...]

Have you ever stepped outside at night and felt the sky come alive? The first time I saw the Aurora Borealis, it felt exactly like that — the sky dancing with color right above me. It was one of the most incredible experience [...]

In January 2025, my friend Claire H. and I decided to take on a big challenge. Claire, who has cystic fibrosis, is 26 years post–double lung transplant and 10 years post–kidney transplant. She is 50 years old. I am 66 years o [...]

Pack your bags, we're going on a trip! We aren’t going to the beach or the mountains—we’re going to the hospital. You’re probably thinking, Oh, no big deal, it’s just a few days away from home. Wrong. It’s a two-week hospital [...]

When I was three years old, I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. For the early part of my childhood, my health mainly consisted of frequent visits to the doctor, airway clearance treatments, and countless medications. I was [...]

It’s back-to-school time again! This season brings excitement—but when you’re living with a chronic illness, it can also bring anxiety. I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at just three weeks old, so throughout my child [...]