In this episode of the CFStrong podcast series, Brad Drybugh explores the financial challenges faced by individuals living with cystic fibrosis (CF).
Through engaging conversations with six guests, the episode addresses the impact of CF on financial planning and explores benefit schemes that have helped along the way.
The guests share candidly about their struggles, successes, and strategies for managing finances, touching on topics such as relying on mobility allowance and grappling with fluctuating incomes to navigating the complexities of purchasing a home and managing expenses related to CF treatments and healthcare.
Tune in to the Podcast to hear first-person stories, gain insights and discover coping strategies.





























Transcript
Voiceover: Welcome to the CF Strong Podcast. CF Strong covers the successes and challenges faced by those living with cystic fibrosis. You'll hear first person stories, conversations with health professionals, friends and partners. Just a heads up, guests may share their personal views about treatments and health management, but please remember, this is not medical advice and you should always follow the advice of your clinic team regarding your health.
Brad: G'day everyone and welcome to this incredibly exciting new season of the CF Strong Podcast. I'm your host and fellow CF patient Bradley Dryburgh. And as a 20-something-year-old living with cystic fibrosis, I know that this decade of our life is not only challenging, but rather it comes with some big questions we ask of ourselves. I've taken the time to sit down with six guests who like me, are all in their twenties living with cystic fibrosis as they share their honest and unique perspectives on 10 big questions across 10 separate episodes. I'll ask one question of all six of our guests in this particular order. You can expect to hear answers from Adam, Blake, Caitlin, Ellie, Sam, and Taylor. In this seventh episode of our series, we'll hear from each of our six guests as they answer. Having CF can cause financial stress. How are you planning financially for your future? And are there any benefit schemes that have helped you along the way?
Adam: Yeah, so I honestly haven't really planned for the future financially. Um, I never really, I just never developed that side of life because I've never really had the money to do it, you know, um, I suppose I'm on mobility allowance at the moment also, which helps a lot, uh, in terms of medication, you know, it just, honestly, it just covers me with my meds. Um, and that's, that's honestly really helpful. Um, but now I'm on Trikafta as well. I have been thinking about the future financially. I haven't really figured that out yet, but it is something I am currently going through.
Blake: Yeah, well, it's, uh, you know, on the finance end, for me, again, I'm very lucky to do what I do. This year has been the, you know, the year that the career in standup has really kicked off. Um, but there were, especially first moving to Melbourne from the country, you know, trying to pay rent, especially during the pandemic and stuff like that. Um, it got very, very rough at times. I remember there, you know, being some nights where, you know, I had less than 10 in the account. Um, so now that I do have a sort of, you know, a, a more, um, stable sort of income, you know, from, you know, doing shows here or there and just touring and stuff like that, it, it has allowed me to, you know, actually make a budget, you know, plan for the future. Obviously, being with my girlfriend, that's another income and we're just gonna save for a house, do all the stuff. I, I think, you know, I'm not really thinking in terms of CF at the moment, which I probably should, but I think at the moment I'm sort of just more focused on how can I do this as, as normally as possible. Um, 'cause you know, cfs a thing where, you know,