Art has been my therapy throughout my life, but it took on new meaning when I had a daughter with cystic fibrosis. Now creating artwork helps carry me through the stress of CF life.
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Although I don’t consider having a chronic illness like cystic fibrosis a good thing, I accept it and I think others should, too.
I grew up thinking I would never be able to have children because of my CF. While advancements in treatments have made motherhood a possibility for many, I ultimately made the painful decision to not have children.
My brother, Josh, who has cystic fibrosis has been through more struggles than anyone I know, but he has always kept a positive attitude -- even while awaiting a lung transplant. This outlook on life inspires me and helps me see the best case in any outcome.
As I continue to realize the benefits of Trikafta® and my daughter grows up and needs me less, I feel as though I’m losing key parts of my identity — being a person with cystic fibrosis and a mother. However, I’m also finding I have room to let myself grow and explore different sides of myself.
When I was in college, I wanted to do it all and my health wasn’t as much of a priority anymore. I learned to accept that things will not always go according to plan and to integrate routine in my life to ensure my health comes first.
Learning that my daughter has cystic fibrosis has been a struggle for me and my family, especially as I deal with postpartum depression.
I underwent liver and kidney transplants in 2021 after a successful lung transplant in 2012. For a number of reasons, the recovery from second transplant was much more difficult.
As someone who does not qualify for Trikafta®, I took particular interest in the first plenary of the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference, which discussed potential treatments for people with nonsense and rare mutations. I learned that researchers are exploring a variety of options, and some early research has shown promising results.
If you receive financial assistance from Vertex GPS™ for a modulator therapy (e.g., Trikafta®, Symdeko®, Orkambi®, or Kalydeco®), you may be impacted by changes Vertex has made to its copay assistance program. The following tips can help you understand how you may be impacted and what next steps may be available to you.