lightNlife
New member
<h2>Compliance: Because We've Got Enough to Deal With</h2>
<div class="blogpost">
<div style=" clear: both;"></div>
<a onblur=
"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=
"http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6730/506/1600/biohaz_stickerS.jpg">
<img style=
" margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10px; cursor: pointer; height: 214px; width: 205px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0pt; float: right;"
border="0" src=
"http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6730/506/320/biohaz_stickerS.jpg"
alt=""></a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div style=" text-align: center;">Cleanliness becomes more
important when godliness is unlikely.<br>
<br>
--P.J. O'Rourke<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div style=" text-align: left;"><br>
<br>
A few years back I was part of a team that did some research to
determine whether there was a connection between the frequency and
severity of asthma attack and activity level. Part of my job was to
assess the study subjects' personal environments (i.e. where they
slept, played, lived, etc. ) I was shocked, dismayed and angered by
the living conditions of some of the subjects we studied. All
socioeconomic variables aside, I observed that one area in
particular was dramatically responsible in determining the quality
of life for those asthmatics. In a word: compliance.<br>
<br>
I'm the first to admit that I am far from an image of perfection
when it comes to compliance with my treatment regimen. This was
especially true when I was younger. Now that I'm older, I see the
extremely vital importance of taking my medications, doing my
treatments, and obeying the doctors' orders. I'd like to spend some
time pointing out the areas in which I'm sure many of us CFers
struggle most, and why compliance is so important.<br>
<br>
A commonly overlooked aspect of keeping our health under control
involves CLEANING OUR NEBULIZER CUPS. The first place that bacteria
likes to linger is in warm, moist places. After your treatment,
thoroughly rinse and dry your setup. You don't need to try to cram
a paper towel or piece of gauze into that tiny cup to dry it after
rinsing. I've found that a hair-dryer on a very low setting, held
approximately 8-12 inches from the cup will dry it quite well.<br>
<br>
Along those same lines, don't forget to change your nebulizer's
FILTER as needed. You're not doing yourself any favors to be
sucking in air that has passed through a filthy filter. As an air
quality scientist I can tell you that the particles in the air that
do the most damage to our lungs are the tiniest ones.<br>
<br>
Another big problem is that many of us give up on medications that
we don't think are benefiting us. TAKE ALL MEDICATION on time, as
prescribed. If a medication truly isn't helping you, then talk
about it with your doctor. Don't make an arbitrary decision about
it on your own. This is one of the things I struggle with the most.
My education as a scientist and my personal interest in all things
chemistry or biology related helps me in a lot of ways when
it comes to dealing with CF; On the other hand, there are times
when I don't take a doctor's advice as seriously as I should.<br>
<br>
The biggest problem that occurs when we don't comply with doctor's
order with regard to medication is that we run the risk of creating
a bigger problem that cannot be undone easily. This is especially
true for those who have to take digestive enzymes. When we don't
take them faithfully and frequently, we are robbing our bodies of
the nutrients they need to function well. What may seem like an
insignificant weightloss may really be malnourishment, which leads
to a decreased ability to fight infection, which allows the
infectious "bugs" to be stronger and as a result, it
takes a much longer treatment period to wipe out the infection.
Tell yourself that the 2 minutes it takes to assess your meal and
figure out the appropriate number of enzymes to take with it is a
good trade compared to 14-28 days of antibiotics to treat a nasty
infection.<br>
<br>
I know that despite our best efforts to ward off possible
infection, sometimes our bodies have plans of their own. However,
I'm a firm believer that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure, especially when it comes to keeping my living environment
free from potential health hazards. In all honesty, I think that
the effort exerted in order to comply is well worth it, especially
when it saves me the trouble of dealing with an infection.<br>
<br>
<span style=" color: #ff0000;">disclaimer: this post is for
informational purposes as it is a subject pertinent to CF patients.
It's purely anecdotal in nature and not intended to "point a
finger" or call someone out for what they are or are not doing
in terms of self-care.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="blogpost">
<div style=" clear: both;"></div>
<a onblur=
"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=
"http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6730/506/1600/biohaz_stickerS.jpg">
<img style=
" margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10px; cursor: pointer; height: 214px; width: 205px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0pt; float: right;"
border="0" src=
"http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6730/506/320/biohaz_stickerS.jpg"
alt=""></a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div style=" text-align: center;">Cleanliness becomes more
important when godliness is unlikely.<br>
<br>
--P.J. O'Rourke<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div style=" text-align: left;"><br>
<br>
A few years back I was part of a team that did some research to
determine whether there was a connection between the frequency and
severity of asthma attack and activity level. Part of my job was to
assess the study subjects' personal environments (i.e. where they
slept, played, lived, etc. ) I was shocked, dismayed and angered by
the living conditions of some of the subjects we studied. All
socioeconomic variables aside, I observed that one area in
particular was dramatically responsible in determining the quality
of life for those asthmatics. In a word: compliance.<br>
<br>
I'm the first to admit that I am far from an image of perfection
when it comes to compliance with my treatment regimen. This was
especially true when I was younger. Now that I'm older, I see the
extremely vital importance of taking my medications, doing my
treatments, and obeying the doctors' orders. I'd like to spend some
time pointing out the areas in which I'm sure many of us CFers
struggle most, and why compliance is so important.<br>
<br>
A commonly overlooked aspect of keeping our health under control
involves CLEANING OUR NEBULIZER CUPS. The first place that bacteria
likes to linger is in warm, moist places. After your treatment,
thoroughly rinse and dry your setup. You don't need to try to cram
a paper towel or piece of gauze into that tiny cup to dry it after
rinsing. I've found that a hair-dryer on a very low setting, held
approximately 8-12 inches from the cup will dry it quite well.<br>
<br>
Along those same lines, don't forget to change your nebulizer's
FILTER as needed. You're not doing yourself any favors to be
sucking in air that has passed through a filthy filter. As an air
quality scientist I can tell you that the particles in the air that
do the most damage to our lungs are the tiniest ones.<br>
<br>
Another big problem is that many of us give up on medications that
we don't think are benefiting us. TAKE ALL MEDICATION on time, as
prescribed. If a medication truly isn't helping you, then talk
about it with your doctor. Don't make an arbitrary decision about
it on your own. This is one of the things I struggle with the most.
My education as a scientist and my personal interest in all things
chemistry or biology related helps me in a lot of ways when
it comes to dealing with CF; On the other hand, there are times
when I don't take a doctor's advice as seriously as I should.<br>
<br>
The biggest problem that occurs when we don't comply with doctor's
order with regard to medication is that we run the risk of creating
a bigger problem that cannot be undone easily. This is especially
true for those who have to take digestive enzymes. When we don't
take them faithfully and frequently, we are robbing our bodies of
the nutrients they need to function well. What may seem like an
insignificant weightloss may really be malnourishment, which leads
to a decreased ability to fight infection, which allows the
infectious "bugs" to be stronger and as a result, it
takes a much longer treatment period to wipe out the infection.
Tell yourself that the 2 minutes it takes to assess your meal and
figure out the appropriate number of enzymes to take with it is a
good trade compared to 14-28 days of antibiotics to treat a nasty
infection.<br>
<br>
I know that despite our best efforts to ward off possible
infection, sometimes our bodies have plans of their own. However,
I'm a firm believer that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure, especially when it comes to keeping my living environment
free from potential health hazards. In all honesty, I think that
the effort exerted in order to comply is well worth it, especially
when it saves me the trouble of dealing with an infection.<br>
<br>
<span style=" color: #ff0000;">disclaimer: this post is for
informational purposes as it is a subject pertinent to CF patients.
It's purely anecdotal in nature and not intended to "point a
finger" or call someone out for what they are or are not doing
in terms of self-care.</div>
</div>
</div>