everyone has a story, here is mine:

I have Cystic Fibrosis, diagnosed at birth by Meconium Ileus (an intestinal blockage requiring surgery). Although considered healthy most of my life (with no lung involvement), I've always dealt with fatigue, digestion complications and sinus issues.

As a child it was thought I was miraculously spared the devasting effects of CF - it was believed I had a mild case of CF, and wouldn't develop the typical complications of a person with Cystic Fibrosis. Respectively, my health was taken for granted, and I wasn't taught the importance of lung maintenance.

So, when I woke up sick one January morning in 2002,
I simply thought I had the flu, and didn't feel the necessity to go the doctor. Two weeks later after no improvement, I found myself in the hospital, on I.V. antibiotics and oxygen for no less than 14 days.

Not until just recently have I come to understand that what I experienced was my first CF exacerbation, which, sadly, caused irreversible lung damage by waiting for treatment.
So much for being "healthy".

Although I tried to return to work, it proved to be too stressful, too demanding, and too exhausting.
So, that October I retired and started my "life with CF".
And here we are today....

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Living Dangerously With Cystic Fibrosis

Some With Cystic Fibrosis Risk It All for Human Connection:

For Kayla Small and Maggie Marcus, being roommates is truly living dangerously

The two college-age friends have a rare disease that means sitting side by side in a car or sharing a glass could put their lives at risk.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=4484870&page=1


*Article published 3/20/08. My post date edited to fit sequence of posts

Posted by Sally at 1:54 PM 0 comments

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Saturday, January 12, 2008

Source of Material

Cystic Fibrosis, A Guide for Patient and Family second edition, by David M. Orenstein

pft/spirometry:
http://www.priory.com/med/spiromet.htm


http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/pulmonary/pft/pft.htm

Posted by Sally at 10:16 AM 0 comments

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