Okay, a few things. For one, I think it's normal. A lot of us go through periods like that. I did. I still have my moments, but overall I'm okay. And I imagine your son will be too at somepoint. For two, be sure to tell him pseudomonas is not the end of the world. Literally. It used to be more of a death sentence, years ago (the 80s and earlier). As for the present, almost ALL CFers get pseudomonas at some point or another. Many many of us live with it for *years*. There are far worse bugs out there than pseudomonas. For instance, I have MRSA. That's supposed to be a bad one (cepacia being the worst, in popular opinion), but I got it 5 years ago. I got it 5 years ago, and 2-3 different pseudomonas. That's right, I've got a few of them. And sure, I've lost lung function, but that happens with time no matter what. Either way, I'm still up and about. I go to school, I'm not on oxygen, or a transplant list yet. I'm still doing pretty damn well if I do say so myself. 70% lung function most of the time. And that's with MRSA, staph, and 2-3 pseudomonases. Pass that along to your son if you like.
As for being infertile. If he can ever afford IVF, he can still have a biological child with his future wife. CF men have sperm, it just can't get out. So basically as long as he can afford the medical procedure to go in and get the sperm, his wife can still get pregnant and bear his biological child. Even if you can't afford IVF, most people aren't going to blow him off because of that. There are options out there for all sorts of couples who can't have kids of their own. We all worry about "I have CF, I'm dying, who's going to want me?" But you'd be surprised how easily it comes for most of us. As easy as anyone else, in most cases. You can't control who you fall for. So if someone starts to fall in love with your son and then finds out he's sick, there are very few people who would stop there and say "SEE YA!" and run away. Most just accept it and stay.
Talking to a therapist might help a lot. But don't send him to just any therapist because then he's liable to get the "oh well don't worry about the future, anyone can get hit by a bus blah blah" crap. Which is true, but not helpful in a case like CF. We are entitled to worry about that type of stuff. If you're looking for a therapist for him, I'd say start with a social worker at your CF center. They know enough, given that they work specifically with ill kids, to not brush off your son's concerns like many therapists would.
Also, believe it or not, something as simple as talking to another CFer can be a big help. It's made a lot of difference for a lot of us. Me included. It helps sooo much to be able to just talk and relate to someone who really <u>understands</u> firsthand what you're going through. If he's not too stubborn or against it, I suggest you have your son come on this website. If he's not up for that, he can contact me alone. Email: Emily65Roses@yahoo.com My AIM: Emily65Roses. I really would love to talk to him. I can relate to all of the stuff he's going through. Even the infertile thing. I don't have the sperm problem, being that I'm a girl. Hah. But I had a hysterectomy (for a medical problem unrelated to the CF) when I was 18, so I am also stuck completely unable to naturally have kids. I would absolutely love to talk to him. If he's up for it, send him my way.
