It's been a whirlwind year since my son was born and diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Despite the surgeries, hospital stays, and challenges of living with the disease every day, I'm thankful for the people who helped pave the way.
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Because my daughter's bowel perforated when she was a newborn, she needed to have surgery to temporarily reroute her stool so that it was collected through her abdomen into an ostomy bag. Those grueling days of ostomy care -- sometimes as often as every hour day and night -- were some of the darkest days of our cystic fibrosis journey.
Watch three women talk about growing up with CF in the '80s and how they defied their doctors' expectations.
Finding out I had a terminal illness my junior year of high school was a life change I was not prepared for. And as my life and relationships change, I'm learning that the journey to acceptance never ends.
Living in Pakistan, I didn't know I had CF until I was 18 years old. After absorbing a big emotional blow, I started to fight back.
I struggled when I learned that in addition to cystic fibrosis, my daughter also had adrenal insufficiency. I felt anger, sadness, and anxiety. But thankfully, with the support of my husband, family, friends, and care team, we learned how to manage her condition and deal with emergencies.
After years of being in a deep depression, one little revelation from my therapist made all the difference in how I faced the traumas in my life.
After years of health problems and a move to the U.S., I finally was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 27. Once I knew about this disease, it was important to me that my family and friends -- and even my old doctor -- in the Azores know about it too.
When I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 40, I was in denial at first. Then, I compartmentalized my CF, relegating it to a small part of my life. Now I have embraced my diagnosis, and I have become a CF advocate, fundraiser, and blogger.
The recent birth of my son brought me news that I never expected -- a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.