When my wife convinced me to undertake a hike up to Angel's Landing, I pictured the physical challenge of it, not the friendship we would develop with another couple on the way up.
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At various points in my life, I have faced ableist comments or reactions to my cystic fibrosis treatments, which have greatly affected me. I hope this blog post makes people more aware of the language they use toward people with chronic illnesses.
When I was in high school, I tried my best to hide my CF from my friends. When this put my health at risk, I knew I had to find friends who would accept me and to become a better advocate for myself.
Growing up with cystic fibrosis was often lonely, but discovering how to make myself and others laugh helped me navigate those years and gave me a purpose in life.
Despite my cystic fibrosis, my relationship with my daughter continues to grow stronger each time we are together. She doesn't care about what I can or can't do physically. She just loves me unconditionally.
I have faced a lot of ignorance about my cystic fibrosis -- even from people whom I thought were my friends. I have learned not to take it personally. I just educate who I can and move on.
I always say that when life gives you lemons … turn around and write some Japanese-style poetry. I hope you enjoy these haikus I have written about life with cystic fibrosis.
For the most part, I have been fortunate with my cystic fibrosis in that I never needed to go into the hospital. But, that all changed in 2008. Fortunately, I was able to start using Kalydeco. My health improved, and I was able to continue my career in radio and TV.
I spent most of my life hiding the fact that I had cystic fibrosis. It was only when I fully accepted that CF was a part of me that I quit my self-destructive ways and began to enjoy life.
It's hard not to feel guilt for all those years my partner spent taking care of me as I got more and more sick from cystic fibrosis. This Valentine's Day, I'm not going to dwell on the past. I'm going to focus on how much we love and care for each other right now.