To the last anonymous poster,
It's hard to decide when. But I usually tell them pretty early on if they don't already know. The thing about me is that I live in a pretty small town. I grew up being open about the CF, so pretty much my whole graduating class knew all throughout our school years. Basically those are the people we date, peers our own age. So a lot of the time, I didn't have to tell anyone anything. They already knew.
In cases where I did have to tell people, I just bring it into conversation the first time it's available. I don't want to come off like I'm shoving the information down people's throats, but I want to make sure they know what's going on before they get too invested. I don't remember now, but I can pretty much guarantee I've always told within the first week (assuming they didn't already know).
When I started dating Mike, he already knew of it (vaguely). We had had a town concert with local bands years earlier where the proceeds went to CF. Two of my girlfriends put it together, and used me as a poster child for the fund raising. So Mike learned about the CF then. But he didn't really know much of anything about it. So the night we met up at the high school hang-out (we had known each other previously, but just sort of ran into one another about town), we talked about nearly everything. I talked about my exes, he talked about his current girlfriend (who he broke up with the next day for me -- don't worry she was a cheating wench... lol). We went outside for a walk and he started smoking. So I took that opportunity to tell him, in more detail, about the CF. It was still pretty basic at first, but he had a decent understanding of it.
You're right, though. No one ever really knows unless they live with you. Even then no one knows what it's like to live with it. But either way, no one can ever really know all about the CF and what you go through unless you're with them nearly all the time. Mike learned more and more as time went on. We've been together a year and a half now, and he knows everything I do. In other words, he doesn't know anything about going through a lung transplant, because I have yet to go through that myself. But he knows what I deal with on a daily basis. And everytime something new comes up, he's one of the first to hear about it. He helps make sure I do my Pulmo. I taught him how to clap my back for when I need it. He goes to my clinic appointments with me. He stays in the hospital with me when I stay overnight. He learned how to take care of my home IVs (hooking them up, saline, heparin, etc). Recently (last fall, I think), I even taught him how to access my port. So every month when it comes time to flush it, I have him do the whole thing so he gets practice in. He's done it 3 times now (I think), and even though it creeps him out, he does a wonderful job.
Hopefully anyone you end up with will be something like how Mike is. But it takes time and patience. Mike was never mean about it or anything, but to be as lovely as he is took time (and it's always getting better as new days bring new crap). We also practically live together, which adds to it. When I'm home from school he either sleeps at my house, or sometimes I sleep on his couch. He hears my night and morning coughing and all that.
What it comes down to... Do whatever you're comfortable with. Tell them as much or as little as you want when you want. Just make sure not to let something get too serious before they know what's going on. It's only fair that they know everything if you expect them to stay with you and love you. As time goes on, the guy/girl will get more understanding, more involved and all that. And of course, if someone is going to get scared off because of the CF, do you really want to waste time on them? When you could instead be out finding someone who can handle all of it?
Everyone is different. This is just how I handle it. But if you're looking for a boyfriend, finding someone as understanding, and involved as Mike is would be a good place to start. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">
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