Cystic fibrosis is unpredictable and I've found that some of the complications aren't as progressive as the disease.
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Using social media helps me cope with raising a child with cystic fibrosis, but I have to remember that it's not just my story I'm sharing. Here's how I make sure I share the right parts of my son's CF journey.
Running amidst the beauty of the Kansas countryside helps improve my lung function and mood and has even kindled a passion inside me for the environment.
As an adult with cystic fibrosis, I am used to being the patient and having someone take care of me. However, the roles were reversed when my then-fiancé needed surgery. Striking a balance between taking care of him and myself was difficult but necessary.
Taking a step back and taking a break from social media helped me to realize that it's okay to have a definition of health and wellness that looks completely different from anyone else.
Cystic fibrosis has been a challenge to me, but I've been able to blossom nevertheless.
Finding out that I couldn't swim because of the risk of further infections crushed me. It was hard to find a replacement activity that was fulfilling -- until I discovered the thrill of dirt bike racing.
The reward for trying to look your best -- even when you are sick -- shouldn't be people questioning whether you really have a serious illness. People with cystic fibrosis and other chronic illnesses need support and kindness, not second guessing.
Having cystic fibrosis means that hospitalizations are nothing new to me. But as I get older, I am much more aware of all the events I'm missing out on — birthdays, concerts, and school field trips. So this fall, I decided to take my life back from cystic fibrosis.
I hadn't realized the extent to which having cystic fibrosis helped shape me as a social worker, until I opened up to my coworkers about my disease. Through those conversations, I have come to understand that isolation causes many people with CF to struggle and that connection to others and a support system are key to coping with this disease.