I'm 20 years old w/ a man that has loved me for 3 1/2 years now. I have no children but would like to in the next year or two. I cannot do much b/c I have a lot of trouble breathing most of the time. I can't exercise b/c I have to much trouble breathing and I don't know what to do? The doctors say to exercise and the more I do this it will make me stronger and my breathing will be better. I'm not sure if there is anything else I can do to make my CF better or to make me feel better so that I can have a better life. Sometimes I cannot even walk from my Apt. to my car which is about 15 feet.
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How to deal w/ CF
- Thread starter jaipow
- Start date
I'm assuming you are doing nebulized albuterol, Xopenex or something to make it easier to breath?
Or Maybe an inhaler?? That always makes me feel better when I'm short of breath, to do a breathing treatment. I, too have heard that excercise can improve lung function and I need to get into it, but it is hard for me to get started!
On the child issue.....if I were in your place, getting winded so easily, then I would not even consider having kids for a couple of reasons. First, when your pregnant, as the baby gets larger, it starts to push up on your diaphram, making it even harder to breath. Second, babies are so cute, then you have that stage where they are crawling/walking & putting everything in their mouths & you have to constantly be on the move, making sure they don't swallow anything dangerous, etc. I just don't know if I would have the energy to deal w/ all of that and CF too! Not to mention the teenage years!!
I'm not suggesting everyone w/ CF not have kids, just sharing my opinion (which you really didn't ask for) on what I would do were I in your position.
I hope others can share what they do to make breathing a little easier.<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Or Maybe an inhaler?? That always makes me feel better when I'm short of breath, to do a breathing treatment. I, too have heard that excercise can improve lung function and I need to get into it, but it is hard for me to get started!
On the child issue.....if I were in your place, getting winded so easily, then I would not even consider having kids for a couple of reasons. First, when your pregnant, as the baby gets larger, it starts to push up on your diaphram, making it even harder to breath. Second, babies are so cute, then you have that stage where they are crawling/walking & putting everything in their mouths & you have to constantly be on the move, making sure they don't swallow anything dangerous, etc. I just don't know if I would have the energy to deal w/ all of that and CF too! Not to mention the teenage years!!
I'm not suggesting everyone w/ CF not have kids, just sharing my opinion (which you really didn't ask for) on what I would do were I in your position.
I hope others can share what they do to make breathing a little easier.<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
You know i am in pretty decent health at the moment. i have CF and work a full time job but i don't know if my body could go through the stress of a pregnancy. I have good days and bad days. my friend is pregnant at the moment and she does not have CF and i see how tired she is etc.... I just think that you really need to sit down with your CF specialist and discuss all of this. I mean if you feel like you are out of breath just going to the car then you really need to reevaluate your choices on whether or not you should pursue this.Another thing too is women with CF tend to have thick cervical mucus and this could prohibit you from getting pregnant.
I wish you all the best as i too would love to have children and i am not getting any younger but i would also have to talk all of this over with my OBGYN and my CF doctor.
I wish you all the best as i too would love to have children and i am not getting any younger but i would also have to talk all of this over with my OBGYN and my CF doctor.
have you ever spoken to your doctor about using oxygen during your exercising. I know it is difficult to get used to the idea of using oxygen but it could allow you to exercise better which may improve your lungs. you should be checking your saturation levels during your exercise to see if oxygen could help you.
I too have a lot of trouble walking, I get very out of breath. I have been on O2 for almost 2 years now and it helps me catch my breath faster. My transplant team has recommended that I start exercising. I have always hated exercising - one because I never have any energy and two because I am out of breath all the time! So since last fall I have been exercising about 3 times a week and it really does help alot. I was so surprised what a difference it made. I ride an airdyne bike for 15 min. stopping halfway to catch my breath and then I walk, on a flat surface and not fast, for 15 min. My doctor was able to get me a pulse oximeter so I can monitor my O2 sats - they tend to drop below 88%, so I can slow down or stop when this happens. I crank my O2 up to 3L and start going! Since last fall my PFT's have gone up, I have felt better, I have gained weight and I have not had to have IV's as frequently! I credit this to the exercise. So, if you have problems breathing or having no energy, go slow and stop often! As long as you're moving and getting your heart rate up it's all good! Have your doctor monitor your pulse ox while you exercise to be sure you don't need O2. I know it's hard, but it's worth it. Good luck!
Martha 29, CF
Martha 29, CF