In this episode of the CFStrong podcast, co-host Brad Dryburgh explores the world of careers for individuals in their 20s living with cystic fibrosis (CF).
Featuring insights from six guests, the episode addresses the question of whether they are pursuing their ideal careers and if they've faced job rejections due to CF.
The candid responses reveal diverse experiences, From finding fulfillment in music and stand-up comedy to challenges in securing employment due to health-related limitations, the guests reflect on the impact of CF on their professional journeys. Despite encountering obstacles and misconceptions, they remain resilient, determined to follow their passions, and challenge stereotypes about CF in the workplace.
The episode sheds light on the complexities of balancing health needs with career aspirations and emphasises the importance of support and understanding in the professional realm for individuals with CF.
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 Tayla. In this episode of our series, we'll hear from all of our six guests as they answer the question. Are you pursuing your ideal career or have you encountered any jobs that wouldn't hire you because of your CF?
Adam: Uh, no. Um, you know, my ideal career, I, again, I've never really had an ideal career. I've always just been playing music and I'm still doing it. And, it never paid the bills in the beginning, it was just a lot of fun. It was a lot of passion, and everyone around me was freaking out being like, oh, what's Adam gonna do? But he is not, he's not studying, he is not getting a career. Like, you know, my family are really worried about that. And I completely get that. I completely understand why the beauty of time is that, I got somewhere with it and now I can teach drums. Now I can actually make a career out of it. I play in bands and there's money, there's some money there. I still have to work at a part-time job that isn't a career, it's just to pay the bills. But I think the passion over career has been probably the underlying theme of this whole thing. Like, oh, career. It's like, well, for me, I, I always thought I was gonna die young. Like, what? I don't really see a point in a career. I don't see the point in developing a skill in accounting or being, you know, working in finance. Like, I don't see the point in that for me, because that doesn't give me anything, you know, it only gives me material. It's like, it's too materialistic. And as I said, I'm so art peeled, I'm so music peeled that I, I, I would feel so, I, just wouldn't feel happy. I wouldn't feel me. I feel, I would feel like I'm chasing this thing that doesn't actually mean anything. Um,