I have a 16 son with CF. He has been lucky (not that he thinks so) until now with very few hospital admissions and reasonable health. He is now working as an apprentice motor mechanic which he loves. He is going through a rotten time of not taking enzymes, not eating, not doing any exercise or physio activity..he is now very under weight and is constantly sick..and just doesnt give a damn about himself..any tips on what what I can do (without being a nagging pain in the butt) to get him to take his enzymes, eat more and to realise if he doesnt start to take care of himself soon it could be too late?
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Advice from teenagers needed
- Thread starter sandyg
- Start date
i used to do the same stuff when i was his age. It wasn't until i started dating that I realized there was something I wanted to live for. The big thing that turned me around was my dr. She told me I only had so many years left at the rate i was going--I was only 17 and already having to talk about transplant. It felt like death was staring straight at me, that changed my tune. Maybe have the dr. give him the death talk.
Unfortunately, I think this is a stage that alot of CFers go through. Emily went through this same thing for a little while and then realized that there were things worth "hanging around for". For Emily, it was American Sign Language Interpreting and now her boyfriend, Mike. She started doing her meds and therapy and taking better care of herself. Now she never skips her Pulmozyme and she takes herself to the gym almost every day while at college. I think your son will hit the same thing as soon as he finds something that makes him realize there is something worth "hanging around for". He just hasn't found his "Sign Language" or his "Mike" yet. Hang in there!
Emily65Roses
New member
Not only do I want to hang around for Mike, but he found a way to never let me skip my meds that works pretty well. He guilts me! Hahaha. Hey, whatever gets it done, right? <img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">
Robynnemarie
New member
I have a 14 almost 15 yr old daughter w/cf.
I have a terrible time getting her to take meds, exercise, or eat right. She just doesn't care about herself at this time in her life. Our psychologist says she is going through the normal teen rebellion stage, and is denying her condition.
I used to be pretty tough on her, but it got me nowhere. She is about 10 days late starting her tobi for this month, and I haven't said a word about it..... She will take her enzymes when she feels stomach pain, but doesn't take it regularly. She has this idea if she doesn't eat she doesn't have to take her enzymes....
I don't have any advise to give to you.. just take it one day at a time.
Kate did take her tobi out of the fridge earlier ( she doesn't like it cold)so, maybe she will use it tonight.
Take care,
I have a terrible time getting her to take meds, exercise, or eat right. She just doesn't care about herself at this time in her life. Our psychologist says she is going through the normal teen rebellion stage, and is denying her condition.
I used to be pretty tough on her, but it got me nowhere. She is about 10 days late starting her tobi for this month, and I haven't said a word about it..... She will take her enzymes when she feels stomach pain, but doesn't take it regularly. She has this idea if she doesn't eat she doesn't have to take her enzymes....
I don't have any advise to give to you.. just take it one day at a time.
Kate did take her tobi out of the fridge earlier ( she doesn't like it cold)so, maybe she will use it tonight.
Take care,
I was terrible, too. I was in serious denial for years. I was mean to my mom, dad, doctor - basically everyone that knew about my CF. I went to college, and really slacked off on my treatments. Then after I moved out of the house, I slacked even more. I think I might have gone a couple of years on very few treatments. Looking back, I am embarassed about my behavior. I did stupid things. I went outside in the freezing cold with my hair wet. I drank, smoked a few times - you name it, I did it. Now, I'm 25, and even though I don't take perfect care of myself, I do try really hard. I'm healthier than I've ever been, and have more energy than I did a couple of years ago. I really hate what I did to myself, but I don't sit around and hate myself for it, because I know that it can't be changed, and I was young and stupid. I thought if I denied it, and didnt' take my meds, and didn't talk about it, that it would go away. It was like if I didn't take my meds, it didnt' exist. I could push it away. Now I know better.
Dido on that note. Although I was a bit concerned about the not eating if it is completely related to her CF. I knew someone who went through an anorexic stage at the exact same time. She told me it was her way of being able to control something, since her life was so out of control--just a thought.