Alternative MedicineLiving With CFRespiratory Disease

Long COVID Breathlessness

– By Aoife Rafter I was doing so well, isolating and laying low the past 2 years when COVID cases spiked in my local area. I was the only one out of my family and friend who hadn’t contracted the virus, despite being a close contact 3 times! But then …

READ MORE →
Alternative MedicineLiving With CFResourcesSupport

The Stress of CF in a “Normal” Life

– By Tina Clarke Stress is the number one cause of disease, and although stress obviously doesn’t cause cystic fibrosis, it can make a major appearance in our everyday lives and exacerbate or worsen our symptoms. The vast improvements in average life expectancy in those of us with CF means …

READ MORE →
Alternative MedicineLiving With CFSupportTreatments

The Trauma of Disease Diagnosis

The Trauma of Disease Diagnosis Written by Aoife Rafter – Inspired by the work of Gabor Mate – The term ‘trauma’ is being thrown around so commonly these days, but what exactly is it and how does it affect us? What is Trauma Many of us experience some form of …

READ MORE →
AdvocacyAlternative MedicineLiving With CFResources

Cystic Fibrosis and Menopause

– Written by Aoife P. R. 28 and Menopausal Okay, so you’re probably wondering why I’m writing about this topic at such a young age. You’re probably thinking, “What could this young person possibly have to tell me about this latter in-life hormonal change?!” And that’s fair, I mean I …

READ MORE →
Alternative MedicineLiving With CF

Acupuncture for Cystic Fibrosis

What is Acupuncture? Acupuncture derives from traditional Chinese medicine and has been practiced for over 5000 years. It involves inserting very thin needles through the skin at different key points on the body. These needles are about the thickness of a human hair, so they don’t hurt when inserted, (they …

READ MORE →
Alternative MedicineLiving With CF

Reflexology for Cystic Fibrosis

Where My Interest in Reflexology Stemmed From As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, it was only at the age of 27 through oncology recovery, that I first started experimenting with complementary therapies. Once I tried them I became hooked! Nothing had ever helped me so much with my …

READ MORE →
AdvocacyAlternative MedicineLiving With CF

Surviving Through the Pandemic Isolation in Ireland with CF

Saying Good-Bye to One Emotional Roller-coaster… January 2019. Fatigued, emotional, drained, fragile but eternally grateful, I was ready to take life by the horns as I had just finished 25 sessions of radiotherapy. It had been an extremely tough 10 months, having to leave my new home, job and friends …

READ MORE →
Alternative MedicineLiving With CFTreatments

How Breathwork Can Help Cystic Fibrosis

Deprived of a Beneficial Therapy? Although I’ve been in and out of hospitals since my diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis at 9 years of age, I have never had a CF specialist of any kind teach me the basics on how to breathe correctly or optimally. This sounds a bit bizarre …

READ MORE →
Alternative MedicineLiving With CF

Anxiety in CF: Can CBD oil help?

Most CF patients experience anxiety about their health. Anxiety and depression may be increased by ingestion of many common CF drugs and therapies (1,2). Is it possible that CBD oil could help with anxiety? Cannabidiols (CBD) are reported in the literature(3,4) and on social media to help alleviate anxiety as …

READ MORE →
AdvocacyAlternative MedicineGeneticsLiving With CFSupplementsTreatments

A New Hope for CF! (Planetary Biosciences Review – Jan 2018)

To brighten this post up, I will review the exciting supplements Indrepta and TauriNAC using Star Wars parlance… I’m a 46 year old CFer with my original lungs, living in London, England. Following a virus in November last year, the Phantom Menace of mucous was giving me a hard time …

READ MORE →