My path to a total colectomy was long and challenging. Now I want to share what I learned about self-advocating for necessary medical care and coping with a surgically created opening on my abdomen called a stoma.
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I have faced numerous health challenges in my life, including a recent diagnosis of osteopenia. Despite this, I am resilient, grateful, and determined to take care of myself while finding strength in the cystic fibrosis community.
Advances in cystic fibrosis care have been life-changing for me, and I’m grateful to breathe easier with a CFTR modulator. However, I began to experience new issues in the past few years, and I am left wondering if it’s a side effect of the CFTR modulator or something else.
It took a lot of self-advocacy — and a lot of medical testing — before I received a diagnosis of CFTR-related disorder. Fortunately, my parents supported me as I went from specialist to specialist and finally got my diagnosis.
Back in 2015, my genetic sequencing revealed one nonsense mutation. But recently, I learned I have another nonsense mutation that may not have been identified when my genes were first sequenced. As more mutation-dependent therapies are developed, it’s crucial that people with CF have accurate information so they can make informed decisions.
For those of us who can’t take modulators, it can sometimes feel like you’ve been left behind. But I have found hope and motivation by participating in clinical trials.
Having an atypical presentation of CF means I stand somewhere between the CF world and the rest of the world — and that makes me feel like I belong in neither.