Sick of Being Serious: Kirsten Michelle Cills & the Dark Comedy of CF

Can cystic fibrosis be funny? Kirsten Michelle Cills thinks so.

In this episode, Ahmet Uluer, DO, MPH, Lauren Harvey, and Andrea Gavin Becker welcome Philly-based stand-up comedian, writer, and actor Kirsten Michelle Cills, who lives with cystic fibrosis, to talk about finding humor in the hard stuff. From growing up with CF to turning hospital stays into comedy material, Kirsten shares how dark humor has shaped her life, her career, and the way she connects with the people around her.

The conversation explores what it means to make an audience comfortable laughing about something they may not fully understand, how humor can impact the dynamic between patients and their healthcare providers, and the pressure to make other people comfortable with CF. Kirsten also reflects on the emotional side of chronic illness and the, sometimes complicated, line between finding something funny and allowing yourself to feel it.

Plus, we get real about wearing oxygen on stage, being a professional roaster, the aftermath of unauthorized PICC line removals, hot doctors and nurses, hecklers, and the Philadelphia Eagles.