Friend w/cf--need some answers

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anonymous

New member
I don't personally have CF but my best friend and her younger sister have it. My best friend isn't as open as her sister is about it and i know that she has a worse case of it. What makes one case worse then the other? My friend has been hospitalized numerous times and she's 22 her sister is 19 and hasn't been hospitalized yet. My friend also gets some type of therapy every night i guess to help her to breath. I keep hearing different life expactancys(sp?) and it worries me. How long do you people with CF live?? are there different types of CF? I know it is genetic? how do they get it? and how come her parents don't have it? <img src="i/expressions/musicnote.gif" border="0">
 
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AbsintheSorrow

New member
The different genes and just different cases make one worse than the other. Also if one smokes and the other doesn't, that could be why. The expectancy (that is, the country's average), is 32. But basically that means half the people die before 32 and half live longer. There aren't different types of CF. CF is CF. But some people have different cases. Some people have only lung, or only digestive involvement, and some people have the other. Some have both. I have both. With CF, both parents have to carry the gene. And even then it's only a 1/4 chance that the offspring will have CF. Her parents don't have it because they only carry it. You have to have two CF genes to have CF. Each of her parents has one. That's why they don't have it. And that's why she the sisters have it, though. They got both genes, one from each parent.
 
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anonymous

New member
Sure their are tests that can be run... if you are willing to pay for it. If you are planning to have a baby AND you have a family history of CF, THEN insurance companies will pay for it. But if you don't have any history of CF, most insurance companies won't pay for the test (and I heard it is kind of expensive). When I was pregnant, I checked with my insurance company but they would not pay for the test because I had no family history. Sure enough, my husband and I were both carriers (learned that AFTER my son was diagnosed at 3 yrs old). The fact is, most people who are carriers have no clue and no family history. It is not until their child becomes mysteriously ill or shows these symptoms that CF is discovered.Oh well - I got a perfect little boy out of the whole deal!
 
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anonymous

New member
I have CF, but I dont have to take Enzymes for it, Because it doesnt effect my digestive process.....The enzymes help people brake down their food, therfore helping their bodies digest it the way that it should....The reason some people have to take enzymes, is because their pancreas doesnt produce any, or enough enzymes to brake the food down, and to digest it properly to get all of the nutrients you can out of the food that you are eating.<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">P.S. If anyone wants to know anything about CF, you can ask me, I'll be on this site frequently....I may not know all of the answers, but I'll do what I can!
 
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MerryBerryFairy

New member
<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i>I have CF, but I dont have to take Enzymes for it, Because it doesnt effect my digestive process.....The enzymes help people brake down their food, therfore helping their bodies digest it the way that it should....The reason some people have to take enzymes, is because their pancreas doesnt produce any, or enough enzymes to brake the food down, and to digest it properly to get all of the nutrients you can out of the food that you are eating.<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">P.S. If anyone wants to know anything about CF, you can ask me, I'll be on this site frequently....I may not know all of the answers, but I'll do what I can!<hr></blockquote>This is me by the way!
 
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NoDayButToday

New member
Not to nitpick, and I'm not even sure if I'm correct, but I think CFer's pancreases (sp?) produce enzymes, but some people's are blocked by the thick mucus. I've always been told this-- but I'm not positive so don't quote me <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">Also, just like Merritt said, I'm more than happy to answer your questions- I think it's great of you to go out and research CF on your own because of your friend
 
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