Blog

I grew up learning my dad’s cystic fibrosis treatment routines and helping my mom as another caregiver. My dad may not need as much help anymore post-transplant, but our family’s close bond is stronger than ever.

Accepting my son’s cystic fibrosis diagnosis has been a year-long journey for our family. I learned there is more to motherhood with a chronically ill child than meets the eye.

I was determined to make my dream of becoming a mother a reality despite the potential risks that pregnancy can cause for people living with CF. It certainly wasn’t easy, but the challenges of pregnancy and CF were rewarding in the end because I now have two wonderful girls who call me mom.

Now that I’m in my 40s and post-lung transplant, I’m beginning to embrace the realities of aging with cystic fibrosis. Despite the gray hairs and deepening wrinkles, I know that I am lucky to be looking forward to mammograms and menopause.

On the brink of being listed for lung transplant, I started Trikafta^®, which has helped stabilize my health and helped me avoid it for now, but a transplant could be in my future.

When I was in college, I wanted to do it all and my health wasn’t as much of a priority anymore. I learned to accept that things will not always go according to plan and to integrate routine in my life to ensure my health comes first.