Hi,
My name is Jennifer, and I'm 24 nearly 25 with CF. I wish you the best of luck with your pregnancy or potential pregnancy. Pregnancy is a hot topic here.
I think it's great that you are meeting with a genetic couselor and may undergo a CVS. I admire you for trying to be informed. I think it's great that you are on this site to speak with CF'ers about their experiences. Allow me to introduce myself.
I have mild CF. I take around 40 pills a day (mostly enzymes), 2 hours worth of breathing treatments a day, and eat 5 times a day to maintain my heatlh status. Also, I run 2 miles a day which isn't very common in a person with CF. My FEV1, which is the most important number, is 71%. I'm borderline diabetic.
On a better note, I am married, own a home, and am trying to conceive. Well, I was but now I am deciding to fost/adopt. If I conceive down the road, that would be great. Nothing would make me more happy. But I don't want to wait years for something that may never happen. I tried for a year.
My family had no idea that I had CF until I was 3 months old. There was no family history. I started having loose stools and weight loss. Also, I picked up a chest infection. A sweat test confirmed the diagnosis. I also have a sister with CF that is 22.
CF has affected my family in different ways. My father is resentful that my sister and I were born with CF. He stopped going to church right after she was born. He blames God. I remember watching him work two full-time jobs just so that my mom could stay home to take care of us and provide good medical coverage. There were many times where money was tight. A few times my parents were on the brink of divorce. CF causes a lot of martial stress and just stress in general. My father does not regret my birth. He just feels so bad for giving me this life. I don't know how he feels about my sister, though. I don't ask. With her birth, they knew there was a 25% chance of her having CF. They rolled the dice and lost.
My mother blames herself the worst. She was married once before my father for 5 years. She and her ex-husband struggled with infertility for 3 years until they went to a specialist and confirmed it was him that couldn't have children. He started drinking and cheating. She divorced him and met my dad. She got pregnant with me 3 months later and had a child with CF. Then, she had a second with CF. What odds, right???? She blames herself so bad. When I'm sick, she cries and cries. She feels that she wanted kids soooo bad. Then when she finally was able to have them, they were born sick. She always did all my treatments and made sure I took all my meds. I have the best parents in the world. Also one other point to mention, she smoked when she conceived me. The minute she found out she quit. Thank gosh she did or I may not be here today.
As for my sister, she has a lot of resentment for even being born. She blames my parents. She says, "They knew the risks of having a second child. Were they stupid????". She doesn't want to take her meds or due breathing treatments.
As for me, I am glad to be alive. CF has not made me just give up and quit. It has actually made me stronger and fight harder. Maybe that's why I have a close to normal life. But I have to admit, I wonder frequently what it must be like to be "normal". Also, if I were in my sister's shoes, I don't think I'd be quite as positive, though. If I were in their shoe's, I wouldn't have had a second child. And actually, if I had a sibling that didn't have CF I'm not sure I would be so compliant either. That would piss me off the most. That's like having CF thrown in your face constantly. You get to watch your sister or brother have a healthy long life, marriage, and kids and you may not have any. It's makes me jealous enough just watching my friends.
As far as me trying to conceive, my husband did genetic testing. He came up negative. And I'm, of course, a carrier. Our baby would have been a carrier. I was willing to take those odds. But I would NEVER try if I knew my child had a chance of having CF. I wouldn't wish this disease on my worst enemy.
I know everyone is different, and I try and respect that. I personally just wouldn't do it. My 1st cousin carries the CF gene. He and his wife just had two kids. She never got tested. I won't even say what I think about that.
Again, I think it's great that you are educating yourself. I admire you for that. And thank you for taking the time and concern. That means a lot to me. Nothing angers me more than ignorance. CF is not a joke. If you want to ask me any other questions, feel free. I answer everything and anything. I am always willing to help anyone.
Jennifer 24 w/CF