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After starting Trikafta, I decided to try running again, and I grew to love it. Because of COVID, I had to conduct my own races in 2020, but now I have joined a running group and am preparing to run my first marathon at the end of September.

Although I had been told that my coughing would stop, I wish I had known more about the transformative change that Trikafta^® would have on my life. It has almost made me wistful for the time when I was sick, back when I was more in tune with what my body was experiencing.

After decades of identifying myself as Monique, “the girl with cystic fibrosis,” I didn’t know who I was anymore after Trikafta changed my health for the better.

Now that I am feeling healthy on Trikafta^®, I no longer feel special for thriving despite the challenges of cystic fibrosis. I don’t feel like I belong in the CF community anymore, and I miss that sense of camaraderie that comes from a shared struggle.

It might seem strange but for someone with cystic fibrosis, something as simple as a mammogram can spark joy. It means that I have lived long enough to have reach this preventive care milestone, and that is something to celebrate.

I am anxiously awaiting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of Trikafta for children with cystic fibrosis ages 6 to 11. To prepare, I'm doing everything I can to ensure my 11-year-old son can take advantage of the medication as soon as it is approved.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Trikafta® (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor) for children ages 6 through 11 who have at least one copy of the F508del mutation or certain mutations in the CFTR gene that are responsive based on lab data.

Because of the shortened life expectancy projected for those with cystic fibrosis, I was always cautious about the idea of having children. Those fears melted away after I started Trikafta® and received the greatest surprise of my life.

Dance has always been my passion, and it led me to audition for my dream reality show, “So You Think You Can Dance.” Although I never thought anything could top my experience on the show, Trikafta® has exceeded my expectations, and I am feeling better than ever.