I’ve learned over the years to speak up and ask questions when it comes to my cystic fibrosis care.
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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.
After careful thought, I decided to add medically prescribed cannabis to my care regimen. After using it for six months, I've noticed an improvement in both my mental and physical health.
Not only am I a member of the CF community, but I’m also a member of the clinical community — an oncology nurse — and I have had to endure hard lessons to learn to advocate for myself and get the medical care I need.
I asked the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Dr. Whitney Brown about how cystic fibrosis care might change as the CF population grows, lives longer.
At 34, I had no obvious symptoms or family history of colon cancer. My body was telling me something was wrong and compelled me to push for more tests to reach a diagnosis. Now every day I get up and learn to be comfortable living in the uncomfortable. With more screenings happening earlier, you may never have to.
I was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. After one year, I’m still fighting a tiring battle with it and cystic fibrosis, but I won’t quit.
When I started coughing up blood, letting my care team know helped me handle it the next time.
In the summer months, some things require special attention for people with cystic fibrosis.