Living with Cystic Fibrosis

Someone sent this to me... I thought it summed up CF pretty good. I'm thankful that because of my transplant, at least some of these don't apply to me anymore... whoo hoo! I want to thank all of my friends who have stood by me through thick and thin. Some of you have witnessed way too much, and yet you are still here.. I love you!!

You know you have CF when:

You know more medical terms by the age of ten than most people know their whole lives

You have your pharmacist, family doctor, CF doctor, respiratory therapist, your transplant doctor, your pulmonologist, your immunologist, the emergency room that you always use and your medical insurance company as numbers 1- 10 on your cell phone's speed dial


You have multiple scars from PICC lines, IV's and other 'experimentations' as the doctors like to call them. These are not counting the major surgeries you've had.

You are so used to getting blood drawn that you are the proverbial 'test dummy' for all the new nurse fresh out of college—you don't mind do ya?!

You flip out when someone has an open cut, puts peroxide on it and then blows on the peroxide because it stings--- HELLO—germs are in your mouth too!!

You get equally annoyed when someone lays a towel on that open cut and states- but it's a clean towel—did you disinfect it? NO!

You have antibacterial gel in your purse, in your car, on the kitchen counter, in the bathroom, in your friend's dorm, their car—everywhere!

You can smell smoke hundreds of feet away and go searching for the source so you can thump them upside their retarded heads!

You quite adamantly think that smokers are some of the dumbest people you know—I always love it when they walk up a flight of stairs huffing and then say they NEED a cigarette! WHAT?!

You laugh at those who complain for days about  a common cold or worse yet stay home because of it!

You are truly sad for those cute little lab mice who must suffer from experimentations so we can have medicines to help us live—for about 1 milli-second than you jump for glee because they came up with something to help you breathe!

You can instruct the nurses how to work the IV machine at the hospital

Some of the most memorable times with your friends is hanging out and wasting time at the hospital

You have also learned who your real friends are because most people can't take the pressure of being around a person who has CF

You make people wince on a daily basis because of the sound of your cough

The checkout lady at Wal-Mart has confidently told you that she just got over what ever I have and Theraflu worked for her, which you calmly and sarcastically say—I will make sure to tell my doctors.


You can sleep through anything—you perfected the skill by being shaken by your vest all of these years

You are a multi-tasker by need. While doing you're vest you MUST eat breakfast, do your nebulizers, homework, make-up, straighten your hair and have a conversation with your mother about your most current ache in your chest all at once or it would never get done.


You learn by the age of 15 that life is a gift and most people don't see it's pretty paper!


Many adults have commented to you that you are very wise for your age—yippee!

You really did have a midlife crisis at the age of 18—what do I do now?  I wasn't suppose to make it this far!

If Albuterol and Xopenex were living things you would marry them because according to you they were sent from heaven by God to us CFers for a little help in the breathing department—I heart Albuterol!

You laugh at your friends and their newest drama—hah! Don't we all wish it was THAT easy!

You get angry at people who don't put yes as organ donors on their driver's license—what the heck are you going to do with them when you're dead, huh?!

You make peace with God at an early age.


You feel as if there is ALWAYS someone worse off than you somewhere.

You are constantly on the go, realizing that time stands still for no one.


You grew up thinking that everyone in your class does machines, nebulizers, inhalers, sprays and pills for an hour or two each morning before they came to school and an hour or two after.


You are more scared of losing your loved ones, family and friends then you are of dying your self.


You truly feel that God gave you this for a reason and you're going to make Him proud!

You realize at an extremely young age that you can buy everything but time and as a CFer that is the one thing you would love to have!

Some of you will understand it all but most won't-- this is mostly for all the CFer's out there living and working each day to breathe -- my prayers are with all of you