In case you missed it, Printer was being sarcastic. Patient yes but like many CFers we necessarily have become experts. CF doctors in my experience start as pulmonary or GI specialists and as such a CF center with treatment inclined toward one specialty such as GI from the viewpoint of Cystic Fibrosis. Pity the patient with GI and pulmonary health issues and one CF generalist.
I can tell you that in CF genetics won't help a thing in the short term. All CFers await a couple dozen mutation specific medications that may stop the symptoms of of 90%+ of CF patients. One is in wide use for one of the 4 most common CF mutations.
As far as genetics telling you more, if you are accurately conveying what your doctor so far has told you, a second opinion is a SUPER idea. I have an extremely rare mutation that even an heterozygous (inherited from just one parent) presentation has shown to be nasty. Some polymorphisms, a repeated thymine (T) as an example, of 5 or more cause CF presentation as heterozygous (5T/5T i.e.) all the way up to the 66% of CFers with the same mutation, heterozygous, homozygous, alone or with one or more additional mutations in every combination with every possible presentation from death at birth to the first CFer to scale Half Dome.
A really well informed CF doctor can determine if or when a magical gene pill is available. CF genes have a behavioral matrix. I have worked for years on it and can say with confidence it is coming. Just don't hold your breath.
LL
