I am so glad I didn't let my fears about handling my cystic fibrosis prevent me from attending college. Here is my checklist of questions to ask yourself if you are still deciding whether to pursue higher education.
Site Search
Abandoning precautions to return to “normal” will put the health of people who may be at high risk for serious illness from COVID-19 in danger.
Religiously following a schedule and maintaining a to-do list may not seem like much fun, but they have brought sanity and wellness to a hectic life filled with graduate classes and cystic fibrosis treatments.
College life can be stressful when you need to fit in time for classes, treatments, and a part-time job. Now in my second year of law school, I have developed a system that can help you stay organized and balanced.
Cystic fibrosis forced me to drop out of high school. After earning my GED, I'm in college and more determined -- than ever -- to finish.
When there is more than one person with CF in your school, it is essential that they be kept a minimum of 6 feet (2 meters) apart from each other. Germs can spread as far as 6 feet through droplets released in the air when people cough or sneeze.
Every person has two copies of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. A person must inherit two copies of the CFTR gene that contain mutations — one copy from each parent — to have cystic fibrosis.
In an international research project, scientists are examining cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations to determine which ones cause CF and to provide additional information associated with these mutations. Their findings are available in an online searchable database.
Carrier (or genetic) testing not only plays a key role in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, but testing also allows parents to find out what their chances are of having a child with CF to help inform important family planning decisions.
As a frequent public speaker, I was surprisingly nervous the day before I spoke to my kids' classmates about the realities of cystic fibrosis several years ago. Luckily, my kids knew just what to say to calm my nerves.