On my first international trip, I found myself in an interrogation room explaining my port to security officers.
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As someone with cystic fibrosis, Lynch Syndrome, and CF-related diabetes, preparing for a colonoscopy can be a challenge. Fortunately, I've become very well-versed in how colonoscopies work and how to prepare for them over the past 10 years.
Although your teenage years can be difficult, they ultimately help mold you into the person you are meant to be -- especially when you have a chronic disease, like cystic fibrosis.
After my last hospitalization, I faced new challenges and issues related to my cystic fibrosis -- including panic attacks and supplemental oxygen. Although it's been difficult adjusting to my “new normal,” I am slowly learning how to cope with the uncertainties of my disease.
Being able to work a full-time career has always been my badge of honor, a way to show that cystic fibrosis does not control -- or limit -- my destiny. Yet, after 37 years of accomplishments, I still feel guilty when I need to miss work for health reasons. Is it possible to have it all when you have CF?
When my daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a newborn, I was shattered. But then, I decided I would raise her to know that CF was something she had, not who she was.
After my lung transplant, I discovered I couldn't keep eating the typical high-calorie CF diet. By learning to practice mindful eating, I have found a new way to enjoy my food.
Our dream for our daughter, Eden, is the same one that parents have for their kids who don't have cystic fibrosis. We want her to be happy and realize her true potential.
I've learned that what I tell myself about how cystic fibrosis affects me, affects my belief in what I can achieve, and how I feel about myself as a person.
If you have CF, maybe you couldn't get out of bed today, or maybe you are traveling the world. No matter your health status, you have learned to be strong in the face of the fear and pain that comes with CF. So, take the strength you have and pass it on to others. Because true healing comes when you show people love.