"I want to use this blog to share some of my experiences so that hopefully when you, whoever you are, read this you can see the world as I see it. You can appreciate life as a whole. I want you to laugh and have fun while you read, I do not want you to feel sorry for me, or feel like the world is some cruel unfair place. The truth of the matter is that I was dealt a certain hand of cards, and I am making the best of it."
Recent Podcasts
Breathe In #58 - NYC Marathon, "Breathing on Everest"
Meredith Gaito, 26 with cystic fibrosis, joins the podcast to talk about her experience with running the NYC Marathon with Team Boomer just a few weeks ago! Meredith mentions that uses exercise and physical fitness as a way to actively treat her CF, she talks about her training routine and overcoming an infection in the weeks leading up to the marathon. Meredith is also the director of a cystic fibrosis documentary that is in post production, "Breathing on Everest," which follows Nick Talbot's journey to becoming the first person with cystic fibrosis to summit Mt. Everest. She talks about some of the challenges her production crew had to overcome by virtue of having multiple people with CF work on the same movie and also the physical limitations placed upon her by her health, which prevented her from joining the team in Nepal. Despite all of the adversity, Meredith is super excited for the CF community to see her finished product within the next year. Meredith also weighs in on "Five Feet Apart" from a filmmaker's perspective and the trio discusses disaster relief for CF victims of the ongoing California wildfires.
Breathe In #57 - "Five Feet Apart" Trailer Reaction
The trailer for "Five Feet Apart" dropped last weekend, so the trio shares their initial thoughts about cystic fibrosis on the Silver Screen. Gunnar has been outspoken about some of the issues he has with the film as seen through the lens of the trailer, from portraying people with CF as being consumed by death to pity-seeking victims. Tiffany is a little bit more optimistic for the forthcoming movie and has even reached out to director Justin Baldoni. Lea shares that she suffered from an anxiety attack just hours after watching the trailer. The chat turns to the topic of awareness. Many commenters in the CF community are accepting the film for what it's worth under the guise of "awareness," so the group chats about what it may mean for the community at large. Ultimately the trio does agree that the storyline and marketing campaign around the film has seemed tone-deaf, which has absolutely created a significant divide within the CF community. The podcast finishes with an appeal for the production company to address the issues that this film has seemingly created within the larger patient and family population.
Breathe In #56 - CFRD, Double Lung Retransplantation
Amanda Varnes, 23 with cystic fibrosis, joins the podcast to talk about CFRD, double lung retransplantation and fungal infections. Amanda's battle with CF has been nothing short of inspiring, and is clearly evident in her amazingly bubbly personality. Amanda contracted a pan-resistant fungal infection at an early age, which led to her first double lung transplant in 2015. Rejection led her to a second transplant in 2017. The podcast also dedicates time to CFRD, which Amanda was diagnosed with when she was 16. Amanda talks about the emotional and physical burden that CF put on her in high school and offers some advice to families new to the world of CFRD.
Recent Posts
Breathe In Ep. #58 – NYC Marathon, “Breathing on Everest”
Meredith Gaito, 26 with cystic fibrosis, joins the podcast to talk about her experience with running the NYC Marathon with Team Boomer just a few weeks ago! Meredith mentions that uses exercise and physical fitness as a way to actively treat her CF, she talks about her training routine and overcoming an infection in the
The post Breathe In Ep. #58 – NYC Marathon, “Breathing on Everest” appeared first on Gunnar Esiason Blog.
Demand an End to Accumulator Adjustment Programs and Federal Healthcare Anti-Kickback Laws
Believe it or not, drug manufacturers want us to use their medications. It’s how we get healthy, and it’s how they make money, which keeps them in the business of making medications for us. If that’s not a circular symbiotic relationship, then I don’t know what is. Of course, we don’t actually pay the drug
The post Demand an End to Accumulator Adjustment Programs and Federal Healthcare Anti-Kickback Laws appeared first on Gunnar Esiason Blog.
Breathe In Ep. #57 – “Five Feet Apart” Trailer Reaction
The trailer for “Five Feet Apart” dropped last weekend, so the trio shares their initial thoughts about cystic fibrosis on the Silver Screen. Gunnar has been outspoken about some of the issues he has with the film as seen through the lens of the trailer, from portraying people with CF as being consumed by death
The post Breathe In Ep. #57 – “Five Feet Apart” Trailer Reaction appeared first on Gunnar Esiason Blog.
