With Gunnar away on business this week the Salty Cysters aka Lea & Tiff take over the Breathe in Podcast. They chat about the struggles of being a female with cystic fibrosis. CF poses challenges for any individual fighting the illness, however being a female with CF brings its own set of unique challenges. Whether it's that bottomless pit of a purse, that sexy CF belly, needing to eat a TON of food especially on a first date & the not so glamorous need to use the bathroom, or not being so lady like & spitting up a big glob of mucus in public, the Salty Cysters tackle it all. Lea & Tiff touch on all these issues, how they deal with them, & so much more on this weeks episode!

Erinn Hoyt, 27 with cystic fibrosis and 2.5 years post double lung transplant, comes on the podcast to talk about her path to the 2017 Transplant Games. Erinn says that Swimming was a huge part of her life, and kept her out of the hospital until she was 17 years, which oddly enough is when she was first introduced to Vest Therapy. Erinn's health began rapid decline during her senior year of college when she landed in the ICU due to a nasty infection. She was transplanted several years later and credits her athleticism to her quick recovery and turn around after the massive operation. Most recently, Erinn was named the Team Boomer Athlete of the Year and competed in the 2017 Transplant Games in 7 swimming events. Gunnar, Lea and Tiffany announce a giveaway at the end of the episode.

Doug Simmons, 33 with cystic fibrosis, joins Gunnar and Lea on the podcast to talk about the IVF process. Since 98% of men with cystic fibrosis are infertile, CF men need to go through IVF to father children. Doug takes us through the entire process, from his wife Whitney's genetic testing, sperm aspiration, to egg retrieval and embryo transfers. Doug notes that while there is limited information available about the IVF process, he learned a lot from other patients and through doing his own research. Finally he does say that it the IVF process is both costly and stressful, as he and his wife continue to hope for a healthy pregnancy.

Somer Love joins the trio to round out cystic fibrosis awareness month. Somer is a tremendous advocate for people with cystic fibrosis as she shares her journey very transparently through social media and her brand - LoveToBreathe. Somer talks about how staying positive and having a good sense of humor are the best ways to live with CF and get through the day to day challenges. She talks what it's like to have CF and be a vegetarian, as well as considering joining in on Gunnar's challenge for Lea and Tiff where he made the two go ice skating. The podcast finishes up with Somer chatting about her Love to Breathe Tokens!

The trio answers some questions from their listeners. How to approach farting in front of a new boyfriend or girlfriend? Do you ever feel guilty from being sick and having to miss out on a commitment or promise? What's it like for Lea to work as a nurse? What were a few things that your parents did to make you feel confident? Do you have an horrible hospital memories and/or flashbacks that trigger an emotional response? The trio launches a new clothing item in the Salty Cysters Etsy Store!

Breathe In hosted a LIVE recording of Episode 33, but don't worry if you missed it because here it is! The trio talks about hospital stays - the good the bad and the ugly. Gunnar gets "Iced" by his college roommates during an admission from his college years, Tiffany accidentally gets "high" from an incorrect medication dose and Lea has a bit of an.... awkward moment. The trio then takes a few questions from the live audience before wrapping up the show.

Podcast is dropping a day early this week as Gunnar heads off on vacation! Tiffany talks about her upcoming date with Taylor Swift this weekend, before the trio jumps into a debate about CRISPR and genetic ethics. They respond to the 60 Minutes CRISPR story from 4/29 and talk about the future of genetic precision medicine as it may relate to cystic fibrosis. The conversation switches to genetic ethics and CF as a genetic illness. Should families continue to have children after already having a child with CF? Is it ethical to terminate a pregnancy based on a CF diagnosis? Gunnar points out that he thinks it's time for patients to start really talking about genetics as genetic-editing is quickly becoming a reality.

The trio responds to a number of comments on their social media platforms about "Right to Try." What is Right to Try? How is it from Compassionate use? The trio debate the ethics surrounding a person's right to try unapproved medications. Is it worth it? Does it undercut the FDA and is that a good thing for the medical community at large? What is stopping people from utilizing Right to Try?

Have we lost sight of the adult patients in the cystic fibrosis community? The trio responds to Gunnar's blog about what seems to be the prioritization of pediatric patients over the adults who have fought through CF for decades. Do adults feel forgotten? Tiffany talks about some of the frustrations she feels in having just missed out on the drug development boom by virtue of being post transplant, Lea shares her frustrations with falling just below the FEV1 cut off for different trials, and Gunnar pleads for more to be done for adults in the here and now.

Nick Di Brizzi joins the podcast for a special Organ Donation Awareness Month show. Nick, 37 with CF, is about 2 and a half years post double lung transplant. Nick talks about his journey through transplant, including an emotionally tolling "dry-run." He also talks about his Fight Like a Boss documentary and Breathe Like a Boss Foundation. Nick's incredible upbeat spirit is infectious, and as he says, he doesn't see the glass half full or half empty, his glass has free refills. Listen to Nick's incredible story in this episode of Breathe In!