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.
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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.
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.
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.
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 I'm glad that my two children with cystic fibrosis will soon have the opportunity to try Trikafta, I am also a little worried about whether they will have side effects and how well they will do on the drug long-term.
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.
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.
When Brady was diagnosed with CF, I felt like I'd been thrown into a river without a paddle. But then I realized my “paddle” was CF advocacy, and it could help steer our boat in the right direction.
There have never been as many new CF drugs in development as there are today. In the second plenary at NACFC, Dr. George Retsch-Bogart outlined the progress we've made, the road ahead and the changes needed to make it all possible. Read on for my key takeaways.