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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …