Blog

At times, my pediatric CF care team told me about the possible negative outcomes of my cystic fibrosis. Their gentle support helped prepare me for unexpected good health, and is one reason why I was able to qualify for the Boston Marathon. 

My son, Keith, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after an initial focus on CF as the cause of his health issues. With people with CF living longer, we need more awareness of pancreatic cancer in CF individuals due to the potential increased risk.

Since my daughter, Kinley’s, cystic fibrosis diagnosis, I have come to rely on her care team. We have become a true team in Kinley’s care.

My daughter, Lauren, didn’t know that having a lung transplant would greatly increase her risk for cancer until it was too late. Her death has taught me how important it is to know the health risks faced after transplant and our need to advocate for ourselves.

I didn’t realize how important my cystic fibrosis care team was — or how they had my back — until I stayed in a hospital where the staff had little knowledge of the needs of people with cystic fibrosis.

Although the initial diagnosis for cystic fibrosis seemed to elude our doctors, we knew in our hearts that our son had cystic fibrosis. When we advocated for and got a CF doctor, we began a relationship that became a partnership of mutual trust and respect.

As Evan's mom, I have to constantly decide where to invest my time, especially when it comes to providing feedback. So, when offered the chance to turn my survey fatigue into something that would actually make a difference and be less of a hassle to do, I jumped at it.

After careful thought, I decided to add medically prescribed cannabis to my care regimen. After using it for six months, I've noticed an improvement in both my mental and physical health.

As a military spouse who makes frequent moves, I have had to transition to new cystic fibrosis care centers 11 times in 21 years. Here are three things I have learned to make each changeover work.

Patrick Flume, MD, is a pulmonologist and the director of the adult cystic fibrosis center at the Medical University of South Carolina and part of my care team. For National Doctor's Day, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Flume and ask him some questions about CF, his approach to CF care, and how it's changed during his career.

Trikafta® has done wonders for my health but not my waistline. I was relieved to find out, however, that I wasn't alone in my concern about my sudden weight gain and that bringing the topic up to my care team didn't mean that I wasn't grateful for all Trikafta has done for me.

The Patient and Family Experience of Care Survey helps cystic fibrosis care teams start formal quality improvement projects, but it also has helped my team become more sensitive to the voices of our patients.