This is my first post in cf.com. I have been an on and off follower of this website ever since I was diagnosed with cf in 2006. It is really good to see everyone being so supportive. I would like to take this opportunity to tell the story from my side so you guys can have an idea whats happening on the other side of the globe.
I was born in a beautiful place called Kashmir (Google:Kashmir pictures). I am the last child, and the only one.. My older siblings died (two girls and a boy) when they were young, but the doctors of Kashmir had no clue why. The thought it was either due to pneumonia or asthma and or whatever disease they thought matched the symptoms. As a result my parents were pretty depressed. People in this part of the world have a primitive mindset. Society would go pass comments like "Oh she (my mom) gave the first one a daughter, good she died". My mom is Masters in sociology, and my dad is a PhD, pretty modern and non-primitive according to my standards. They had a tough time with all the dying and the crazy people.
Then I was born in 1989. A guy, (as far as I believe
) and the society was happy! I was pretty healthy for the first five years, all round and chubby. And I was the survivor, so pretty much precious to everyone around me (read pampered!).
And then I became sick. A mild infection was mistreated by a stupid doctor, which lead to pneumonia. And after that I became sick frequently. I lost weight. My mom and dad, affected by the loss of their kids became overly protective of me. I wasnt allowed to go out and play with other kids, and I spent all of the time inside the house. Winters were terrible, there was no electricity and infections used to increase. (Google: Kashmir winter pictures)
We didnt have any cable television or computers. I spent my childhood reading Tintin, The hardy boys, Nancy Drew! Sketching, coloring, craft and fact finding (My dream was to go to NASA and be all nerdy about space..). Thanks to my dad, a PHD in chemistry, I could blurt out the formula for all chemical compounds by age 10. (Nerd)
Doctors said asthma gets better as a person grows up.
I didnt.
My mom and dad tried everything with me, local saints, homeopathy, ghost-removers (that is a interesting story I always tell people).. We even shifted to a new place, just for the hope that maybe there was something wrong in the old house..
Then one day they took me to a good hospital in Chandigarh, India where they did my sweat test, and tadaa!!!!!! Cystic Fibrosis!
Now we knew what was wrong with me, and everything started to make perfect sense.
But we didnt tell many of this blessing.. Just a few cousins. (Word spreads like wildfire in a primitive society). My mom dreaded the consequences if everyone knew.. (Marriage for instance.. A society which believes in principles of survival-of-the-fittest wont allow daughters to marry a sick guy from the same status)
My mom told me to handle this secret carefully. Tell everyone I had asthma. (No one would understand cystic fibrosis anyway)
In 2008, I finished my high school and it was time to go for degree.. I managed to convince my parents to send me away from them, to study in Malaysia.. (Again, parents support kids until they have a job, sometimes even until they get married..).. My parents were worried if I could take care of myself. Me, I wanted to be independent after having spent all my childhood by my overly-protective parents (Which I am thankful of!)
Now, I am almost at the end of my 4 year computer engineering degree. I try hard to make time for the gym. Gym has been very important to me. If I skip gym, my lungs will become a soup bowl in less than 3 days. (Gained around 5 kg)
Funny thing is I am always short of money, but I never ask my parents. I am aware they have done enough for me and I want to help them a bit. Converting Indian money to Malaysian is a quite a loss. I think as long as I can earn some pocket money and making ends meet, I shouldn't be asking them for money (Correct me if I am crazy)
But I dont know anyone who has CF. There are no financial scholarships for CF. I am just alone with this. I am unique
There is a special one in my life. Her story next time.. Sorry for the long post Here is a potato for you
Qazi Mamoon
I was born in a beautiful place called Kashmir (Google:Kashmir pictures). I am the last child, and the only one.. My older siblings died (two girls and a boy) when they were young, but the doctors of Kashmir had no clue why. The thought it was either due to pneumonia or asthma and or whatever disease they thought matched the symptoms. As a result my parents were pretty depressed. People in this part of the world have a primitive mindset. Society would go pass comments like "Oh she (my mom) gave the first one a daughter, good she died". My mom is Masters in sociology, and my dad is a PhD, pretty modern and non-primitive according to my standards. They had a tough time with all the dying and the crazy people.
Then I was born in 1989. A guy, (as far as I believe
) and the society was happy! I was pretty healthy for the first five years, all round and chubby. And I was the survivor, so pretty much precious to everyone around me (read pampered!). And then I became sick. A mild infection was mistreated by a stupid doctor, which lead to pneumonia. And after that I became sick frequently. I lost weight. My mom and dad, affected by the loss of their kids became overly protective of me. I wasnt allowed to go out and play with other kids, and I spent all of the time inside the house. Winters were terrible, there was no electricity and infections used to increase. (Google: Kashmir winter pictures)
We didnt have any cable television or computers. I spent my childhood reading Tintin, The hardy boys, Nancy Drew! Sketching, coloring, craft and fact finding (My dream was to go to NASA and be all nerdy about space..). Thanks to my dad, a PHD in chemistry, I could blurt out the formula for all chemical compounds by age 10. (Nerd)
Doctors said asthma gets better as a person grows up.
I didnt.
My mom and dad tried everything with me, local saints, homeopathy, ghost-removers (that is a interesting story I always tell people).. We even shifted to a new place, just for the hope that maybe there was something wrong in the old house..
Then one day they took me to a good hospital in Chandigarh, India where they did my sweat test, and tadaa!!!!!! Cystic Fibrosis!
Now we knew what was wrong with me, and everything started to make perfect sense.
But we didnt tell many of this blessing.. Just a few cousins. (Word spreads like wildfire in a primitive society). My mom dreaded the consequences if everyone knew.. (Marriage for instance.. A society which believes in principles of survival-of-the-fittest wont allow daughters to marry a sick guy from the same status)
My mom told me to handle this secret carefully. Tell everyone I had asthma. (No one would understand cystic fibrosis anyway)
In 2008, I finished my high school and it was time to go for degree.. I managed to convince my parents to send me away from them, to study in Malaysia.. (Again, parents support kids until they have a job, sometimes even until they get married..).. My parents were worried if I could take care of myself. Me, I wanted to be independent after having spent all my childhood by my overly-protective parents (Which I am thankful of!)
Now, I am almost at the end of my 4 year computer engineering degree. I try hard to make time for the gym. Gym has been very important to me. If I skip gym, my lungs will become a soup bowl in less than 3 days. (Gained around 5 kg)
Funny thing is I am always short of money, but I never ask my parents. I am aware they have done enough for me and I want to help them a bit. Converting Indian money to Malaysian is a quite a loss. I think as long as I can earn some pocket money and making ends meet, I shouldn't be asking them for money (Correct me if I am crazy)
But I dont know anyone who has CF. There are no financial scholarships for CF. I am just alone with this. I am unique
There is a special one in my life. Her story next time.. Sorry for the long post
Here is a potato for you Qazi Mamoon