Breathe In: A Cystic Fibrosis Podcast

Carly Klassen, 22 with cystic fibrosis from Boise, Idaho, joins the podcast to talk about her digital art platform More Than Sick. Carly's Insagram account @MoreThanSick has been charging through the cystic fibrosis virtual community and features digital sketches of different women fight back against CF! Carly talks about her motivation to start More Than Sick, and her ongoing project, #thestrengthofcysterhood. Carly mentions that she has used More Than Sick as her way of opening up about her CF, and sharing artwork featuring the people who have inspired her! Carly's journey throughout the entire creative process is an amazing story, one you certainly will not want to miss!

Cat Kurban, 22, joins Tiff on this episode of Breathe In. Cat was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 18 years old. Cat explains to Tiff how she was diagnosed after a shoulder surgery that had been an issue for quite some time. The two talk about Cat's life changing and how her routine changed tremendously. Cat shares about making her way into the CF community and coming to terms with having cystic fibrosis so late in the game. She definitely shows how positivity and a great mindset will guide you through life changing news.

Breathe In takes a different angle this week and responds to a current event - San Francisco's proposed ban of e-cigarettes and the popular Juul device. Gunnar notes that he has some complex feelings when he comes across a smoker or someone who uses an e-cigarette - on one hand he recognizes addiction as an illness unto itself, but the economic burden of lifestyle illness on the healthcare system is significant and difficult to look past. Tiffany relates stories of protecting herself at concerts and the time she confronted a smoker while she was on the transplant list.

Somer Love joins Tiff on this week where the two talk about "reinventing" themselves after they both hit significant birthdays in the past month of May. Somer and Tiff talk about how they have this sense of wanting to take a new journey and start over in a way. Somer talks about going to her favorite place, San Diego, and having the ocean steer her in the right direction. Tiff wants to take this new lease and get a job, move out, and *hopefully* get married in the near future. Somer and Tiff go on about support systems and how important having good friends is to boost you to your full potential.

After a long stretch of featuring guests on the podcast, Gunnar and Tiffany return to the show's roots and have a chat with each other. Tiffany, who just returned from Hawaii with her boyfriend, Jeff, talks about being able to enjoy an active vacation after years on the transplant list. Now that she's post transplant, though, she needs to take sun sensitivity very seriously, and talks through some of the precautionary steps she takes to prevent prolonged sun exposure. Gunnar tells Tiffany that he has been trying out different exercise classes and plans to report on the ones he thinks are best for people with CF in the coming weeks. Gunnar also mentions that the Boomer Esiason Foundation is at the tail end of peak fundraising season, and shares one of his favorite BEF memories. Gunnar and Tiffany wrap up the show with a new segment - recommends - where they each talk about something their listeners should try!

Chelsea Spruance rejoins the podcast along with Katie Malik, executive director of CF Yogi, to talk about their organization's free virtual yoga classes for the CF community! Katie talks about the origins of CF Yogi, and where it's headed thanks to a grant from the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Gunnar shares that he went to his first every yoga class, and how he was wildly under prepared! Chelsea and Katie discuss the benefits of practicing yoga for people with cystic fibrosis and how they can join CF Yogi!

As May comes to a close, Breathe In wraps up CF Awareness Month with two final sprint interviews. Lise-Courtney D'Amico rejoins the podcast to chat with Gunnar about how their college experiences differed despite going to the same university - Boston College. They also talk about their next chapters in life as both of them are about to embark on a two year MBA journey, Gunnar to Tuck at Dartmouth and Lise-Courtney to Booth at University of Chicago. Tiffany is joined by Hailee Higley, 23, a mother living with cystic fibrosis. Their conversation begins with learning how Hailee's grandma was diagnosed with CF in her 50's when Hailee was diagnosed. The two then chat about Hailee's amazing pregnancy that she says her baby "healed" her CF. Hailee's story is amazing and she surprises the podcast with a new update on her family!

Gunnar and Tiffany continue May with another week of spring interviews! Tiffany talks with Tyler Smith, 23, who is living with cystic fibrosis and almost a year out from his double lung transplant, Tyler talks about his life growing up with CF and how sport was something that kept him healthy. He played golf and baseball year round and even received awards and titles. The two talk about his decline in health and how marriage was a huge priority in his life. His love story is sure to give you the chills and make you smile. Gunnar talks with Chase Nichols, 28 with cystic fibrosis living in Denver Colorado about coping with cysitc fibrosis. Chase describes his path with CF and different methods he uses to cope with CF, including medicinal marijuana, which is legalized in Colorado. He also talks about losing his sister to CF and how that shapes his personality today. Ultimately Chase prefers to approach his CF through a positive lens!

Breathe In features two more interviews this week as we continue charging through CF Awareness Month. Danielle Mandella, 32 with CF, joins Gunnar to talk about her very unique path through transplant. As one of the very few people with cystic fibrosis to have ever received a living donor lobe transplant, in lieu of a double lung transplant, some 16 years ago, Danielle talks about some of the major differences she experienced with her journey... including an amazing story about who her living donors were! Clark Huddleston, 29, living with CF joins Tiffany to discuss working on the road with cystic fibrosis. Clark chats about his jobs with the music festival industry and how he managed cystic fibrosis. Tiffany and Clark talk about disclosing cystic fibrosis to the employer and how Clark managed that with his on the road job, Both chat about how they grew up knowing each other at only a few months old.

In keeping with the theme for May, Breathe In features two interviews this week! Gunnar chats with Will Marler, 24 with cystic fibrosis from the UK. Will is the producer of 'Straight From the Lungs' podcast, which features Gunnar and 22 other people with cystic fibrosis! Will talks about the project, which began in 2016, as well as his involvement in the UK CF community, which includes his participation in the UK national CF conference. Gunnar notes that in the United States, patients are not widely included in NACFC, and points to the UK's conference as a way CFF can learn and adapt. Tiffany talks with Jackie Price, a 27 year old woman living with cystic fibrosis and a double lung transplant. They discuss Jackie’s sudden need for a double lung transplant after a routine sinus surgery! You think that is intense, wait until you hear the rest!