As a community we often don’t talk about the language we use in approaching cystic fibrosis, and perhaps it’s only a miniscule detail in the midst of more demanding things. However, I do know that our use of language reflects our values and helps shape the way we think, and vice versa. With this is mind, perhaps this facet of our lives merits a little more attention and thought. In particular, I’ve found myself a torn between the pronouns I and we. For example, is it we have clinic this Tuesday or is it Luisa has clinic this tuesday? 

Two years ago I wrote a blog about Aging with CF, that was the year I turned seventy (70) years; a milestone birthday for anyone. Who would have guessed I would still be here two years later at 72 years and enjoying an active lifestyle. As I write this blog we are having record breaking heat in California even on the coast.

During my college days I worked as a banquet server at one of the big hotel and conference centers in Burlington, Vermont. Our banquet team had so much fun working all those weddings and special events together, which is how I met and became friends with Brian Callanan. Brian was in graduate school at St. Michael’s College at the time and I was finishing school at the University of Vermont. We definitely kicked off a great friendship from those days. Our paths continued to cross when we both worked in social services helping families living in poverty.

Cystic Fibrosis is a relentless disease. Every day with Cystic Fibrosis is a fight. Every day you enter the ring with your opponent, it’s the exact same opponent that knocked you out the day before. You know your opponent very well, you’ve been facing each other for years. You go toe to toe, sometimes for several rounds. Once in a while you think you may have the upper hand but your opponent is sneaky and tends to get you out of nowhere. You start to slip up, the punches are coming at all angles, blow after blow. You know you’re in trouble. You go down. The whistle blows.