Because of the medications I must take as a result of my lung transplant, I thought it might be too difficult to conceive a baby through in vitro fertilization. I was wrong. I'm expecting a son in November.
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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.
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.
The expression, “It takes a village,” sometimes seems to apply to my clinic visits. I like having my family accompany me. They support me emotionally and help me keep track of important health information.
As the mother of a child with cystic fibrosis, here's what I wish everyone in our hospital understood about my daughter and her CF care.
One year. My doctor gave me one year to try to get pregnant before treating me for my infections. Trying to get pregnant while still treating my CF the right way is one of the hardest battles we have had to fight.
I didn't know whether to cry on my surgeon's shoulder or punch him. In the end, I did neither. I looked back at him, dug deep, and said over and over again, “No. I won't sign.”
As an individual with cystic fibrosis, I can give you all kinds of examples of how providers shouldn't treat their patients. However, it was my experience as a fictional patient that taught me how to be a better CF patient.
Does Trikafta® increase the chance of pregnancy for women with cystic fibrosis? Can men regain their fertility on modulators? I recently had a candid chat with the chair of the Women's Health Research Working Group to find out the answers to these and other questions about reproductive health.
Effective communication is the best way to establish a partnership in care. Here are five things I hope to share with my cystic fibrosis care team to help them better understand where I'm coming from and what I need to stay healthy.