<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>D1G1L1O</b></i>
Im not suicidal or nothing crazy just wondering if anyone out there thinks about dieing and that kind of stuff. I do all the time and I dont know if its normal. Im 18 and I know the life expectancy is like mid 30s or something, That means im more then halfway done life if i live up to the normal and I already took alot of years off my life doing dumb stuff like drinkig, drugs and not doing my meds and treatments. The other night I was thinking to myself that im not even going to be old enough to have a mid life crisis lol. Anyone feel the same?</end quote></div>
NO ONE can tell you what your life expectancy will be, based on your current state of CF alone. The MEDIAN SURVIVAL AGE is not the same as Life Expectancy. Right now, half the people alive with CF are younger than 37ish (whatever that number is now), and half are older. At 18, you not not necessarily middle-aged. The treatments that are available for lung disease due to CF are great at preventing and putting off lung damage.
Yes CF is progressive, and its complications more often than not, are terminal. And yes, I think about death. I fear the unknown. It's normal for people WITHOUT something like CF to have these fears.
If you are really pre-occupied, please find someone to talk to - someone impartial, preferably. Does your insurance cover counseling sessions? If so, use them! Counselors are paid to listen to you. They can't solve your problems or make your illness go away, but they can help you learn tips to alter how you react to your fears, to prevent getting freaked out, or help you get yourself to a point where you can just live in the present.
As for things you have done to your body that weren't so great - it's not too late to turn that around. Your clinic likely has a nutritionist and social worker who can lead you in the directions of taking ACTION versus feeling helpless. Sometimes, just being proactive can give you back a sense of control - which I am guessing you don't feel you have much of.
You are not alone. Reach out to the resources at your clinic. Don't be embarrassed. You have already chosen to reach out here - that's a very brave thing!
Im not suicidal or nothing crazy just wondering if anyone out there thinks about dieing and that kind of stuff. I do all the time and I dont know if its normal. Im 18 and I know the life expectancy is like mid 30s or something, That means im more then halfway done life if i live up to the normal and I already took alot of years off my life doing dumb stuff like drinkig, drugs and not doing my meds and treatments. The other night I was thinking to myself that im not even going to be old enough to have a mid life crisis lol. Anyone feel the same?</end quote></div>
NO ONE can tell you what your life expectancy will be, based on your current state of CF alone. The MEDIAN SURVIVAL AGE is not the same as Life Expectancy. Right now, half the people alive with CF are younger than 37ish (whatever that number is now), and half are older. At 18, you not not necessarily middle-aged. The treatments that are available for lung disease due to CF are great at preventing and putting off lung damage.
Yes CF is progressive, and its complications more often than not, are terminal. And yes, I think about death. I fear the unknown. It's normal for people WITHOUT something like CF to have these fears.
If you are really pre-occupied, please find someone to talk to - someone impartial, preferably. Does your insurance cover counseling sessions? If so, use them! Counselors are paid to listen to you. They can't solve your problems or make your illness go away, but they can help you learn tips to alter how you react to your fears, to prevent getting freaked out, or help you get yourself to a point where you can just live in the present.
As for things you have done to your body that weren't so great - it's not too late to turn that around. Your clinic likely has a nutritionist and social worker who can lead you in the directions of taking ACTION versus feeling helpless. Sometimes, just being proactive can give you back a sense of control - which I am guessing you don't feel you have much of.
You are not alone. Reach out to the resources at your clinic. Don't be embarrassed. You have already chosen to reach out here - that's a very brave thing!