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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.

When I scroll through my social media accounts, it’s hard not to compare myself to other people and feel like I could have accomplished so much more had it not been for my cystic fibrosis. Instead of getting depressed, I now rely on therapy, positive affirmations, and being kind to myself to preserve my mental health

Even though Trikafta saved my life, I am still dealing with the emotional trauma of being so close to death and missing the person I was before I got so sick.

After gaining weight on IV steroids to treat my cystic fibrosis, my self-image became distorted, and I developed anorexia. I realize that I am not my illnesses, but they are a part of my life that I can’t hide anymore.

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.

I felt so alone as a kid being gay and having CF — there weren’t any role models in the 80s and 90s that I could look up to. Eventually, I found people who understood what I was going through and that helped me feel good about who I was, and who I am today.

Understanding that I suffered trauma from medical encounters during my childhood helped make me a more effective self-advocate as an adult.