Lazy or unfit?

[shamrock]

Im just wandering, in gym I can't physically run a round of the running track along with a few of the slightly unfit people in my class due to me getting really breathless. My teacher said that its because we're unfit and we need to get in shape. .
My question is, is this true?. Can I, by doing loads of exercise, improve my "unfittness" ( that I'll be able to run a round of the track)<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[Emily65Roses]

You can improve yourself with exercise. But only to a degree. Does your gym teacher know you have CF? Because if not, they should know. And if he / she knows and is still saying this, I suggest you make a comment (if possible, in a polite manner). If they know and are still saying this stuff, then they obviously don't understand it very well. It's not your fault the CF interferes. You are not being lazy or unfit like some of the other kids in the class. Perhaps you simply cannot keep up.

 

[shamrock]

Yeah my school and teacher knows, but to be honest I think she thinks I'm faking it for some weird reason. I feel She's always had this weird grudge against me <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">
My mom has spoken to her before, politely. Thanks for your reply, its good to know that maybe I can do something!<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Shamrock,

I have been exercising most of my life, I ride an exercise bike 5-6 days a week and last summer I tried jogging and had a very very tough time with it, and I think 90% of people with CF would say the same that running or jogging is very difficult.

Dave 30 w/cf

 

[princesss]

Hello Shammerock!
I can run really fast, I played allot of sports, swam allot and was even in competitive plat form diving. It didn't stop the coughing fits, they came along with it no matter how many activities I was doing on a regular basis. I'm sure it helps allot as it builds muscle which is very important and keeps us fit, but now that I'm older I find doing sports isn't so much fun, it leaves me in a coughing fit, terrible aches and massive headaches...swimming especially is very hard now. I went skiing in Banff last year and LOVED it but I tell ya I coughed the whole way up the chair lift (if you been to Banff it's at least a 20min-30min ride) I didn't do much chatting either just skiied down and coughed the whole way up. I was able to keep up with everyone but let me tell ya the aches in my shoulders and lungs were almost unbareable, but I kept a smile on may face all day. I haet when people assume I'm lazy or that I'm an unactive person, especially in the cold when I refuse to walk anywhere.

 

[anonymous]

Your PE teacher is NOT qualified to make any decision about your fittness. You can improve your strength and endurance and this will help your breathing, BUT your PE program at school is not designed to fit YOUR specific needs. Most PE programs aim at just keeping kids active to help keep their weight down, as well as work on coordinance.

If you are getting shot of breath frequently, it is not good for your heart, and your teacher will have to accept that. Does your school offer a variety of gym class options that focus on different things? My school had a weight lifiting class, and a rock climbing class and many other options.

I'm in a pulmonary rehab program and I LOVE it! I do weight lifting that builds my upper body to improve my breathing and I do walking and biking to improve y indurance. The working out is done at a VERY slow pace so that my muscles don't become fatigued. WHen that happens, they need more O2, and when you can't get alot in b/c of lung problems, your saturation drops, and your heart works over time.

Working out has improved my appetite and I have more energy. If you start your own workout routiene, GO SLOW!!
Debbie
23 w/ CF

 

[anonymous]

Shamrock,

What is your current FEV1and FVC? If your values are normal, you are normal. My FEV1 is low 70's and I still run 5K races.
Keep in mind CF is a disease but not a ready made excuse not to be fit ot not to try.

Luke 29/cf

 

[Emily65Roses]

No one said she was looking for an excuse. You can have decent fitness. You can exercise, help your breathing and coughing, get a little bit better. But if you're not in perfect condition, you're still not going to be able to keep up with all the healthy "normal" kids. <img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Hey! Man...I wonder if your gym teacher really knows what CF is. In school gym was my favorite subject.You've just got to start slow and then increase once you're comfortable with what you're already doing. I now can go 2 miles straight running on the treadmill but I started with walking some then running some. I have tune ups 2-3 a year but I try to keep excercising a pretty big part of my life. It may benefit your lung function too!!

Good luck, tell your teacher to talk to my mom...she's a gym teacher (i had her twice hehe)
Emily 22 pwcf
www.letsrockcf.com

 

[anonymous]

Emily,
I don't want to be argumentitive here, but....I was faster than than many the "normal" kids and could run just as far in highschool. I know all of our diseases run different paths; I am simply stating that if our functions allow there isn't any reason we can't do the same things as others.

By the way, whether you meant to or not, you just used CF as an excuse for this kid not be "normal".

Sometimes you have a choice, get busy living or get busy dying(I stole that). I think the living is a bit more interesting.


Luke Bailey, MBA RRT

 

[anonymous]

Luke-
I have to disagree with you. I have a son who "functions" say he should be able to do a lot more than he can. He can't go to the grocery store without getting short of breath. Now does that stop him from attempting..........NO. He will go out there and do what he can and attempt to keep up. He attempt to ride walk the treadmill or ride a bike. Yes, there are some that have been able to live very "normal" lives. You are lucky. But there are also many of us that have had "normal lives" interrupted by CF. We aren't looking for an excuse, it simply are the cards that we were dealt.

 

[shamrock]

My lung functions are 40% at the moment, which is very good for me. I really like sports and when I was younger I was very active. Its not that I'm looking to say to my teacher " leave me alone, I have cf!" or anything like that or using it as an easy way out. I was just annoyed that she called me unfit! and was wandering could this be helped. I believe that I am able to do more then my functions show, as they have dropped down to 28% without me needing oxygen or anything.
I live my life to the full and have tried to live it as "normally" as possible. If doing more exercise will help me to become more fit (and get this teacher off my back) then more exercise I shall try!<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Shamrock, can you get a letter from your pulmo explaining in plain terms what your lung function is and how it relates to your ability to exercise? Not so much for an excuse to stop from running but a reason why you'll never be fast or able to run really well? Personally, I think any person with half a brain could logically figure out if your lung capacity is 40% of average, you're not going to be as able to keep up physically. I'm sorry she's giving you such a rough time. Also, FWIW, if you have an asthmatic component, too, that can affect your ability to run. I do not have cf but have asthma and have near normal lung function but moderately severe exercise intolerance. Even when I was extremely fit as a child, I could NEVER keep up with the running, always got extremely winded and red faced. If you have an EIA component, it may help to use albuterol or proventil 20 min before running. I will say though, even doing that, my ds (14) still can't keep up with all the kids although he tries really hard. His FEV1 is 79% but smaller airways are at 64%. HTH.

 

[Emily65Roses]

Yeah. It's not an excuse. A lot of us aren't as healthy as you were / are. Everyone's case is different. Not everyone is as lucky as you to be able to run like any other person. <img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

My sons school has an award called the presidential fitness award. There are several things that each child has to do to get this award, and one of the things it to run a mile under 5 minutes. This is a really big thing for the kids every year, and one that I dread. He is very athletic and plays many sports. He is usually one of the better kids on his teams, but running a continuous mile isnt something he can do well. Every year he completes everything but that stupid mile run. He just brought home his certificate saying "participant", where most of the other kids in his class achieved the actual award. I can tell this really frustrates him and certainly cuts down his confidence. Part of me feels I should say something to his gym teacher, who knows he has CF, to see if they can make an exception for him. He always completes it but usually takes him closer to 10 minutes. But then I feel that these are obsticales that he will have to face throughout his life. We have never babied or sheltered him, so it is hard to know when it is better to speak up or keep our mouths shut.

Caren

 

[anonymous]

Caren, You're right, it's not fair. I know (in the future) that something like that will break my heart for my son. I ask myself, what would (will) I do. I think it may just be another lesson that our kids have to learn - it's an award they may just not qualify for (fair or not). I would, however, make a HUGE deal out of my son getting the "participant" certificate and how well he did in ALL 5 of the events. Try to teach him to be happy with his accomplishments. Maybe take him out for a special dinner and make sure he hears you bragging about how well he did in the fitness competition to friends and family. Maybe someone in charge of the "presidential fitness program" can send him a special letter of recognition, or maybe you can contact your local CF office and they might send him a special letter telling him how proud they are (That way he gets praise/recognition from outside the home too).

Good luck!
Jena

 

[Emily65Roses]

We never had to complete it in under 5 minutes, that seems ridiculous, CF or not. Ours was always closer to 9 or 10 minutes. I aways finished the mile, but it usually took me over 10 minutes, sometimes as much as 15. In the 8th grade, though, I finished the mile in 8:52 (this was before I had cultured MRSA or psseudomonas). And even in just under 9 minutes, I was still on the ground gasping for air for a good 10 minutes after I was done. I almost threw up. But regardless, I ran inside and called my mom on the payphone to tell her. Haha. There are some things that we just can't qualify for, and that happens. We as CFers have to accept that. But I hate how they make the fitness such a big damn deal. CFers can be fit and still not be able to run a mile, especially in under 5 minutes (which still seems ridiculous to me!!).

 

[EmilysMom]

I remember when Emily had to do those President's Physical Fitness tests too. I was against them, but she participated anyway. One year, she actually finished the mile in just under the time limit. The following year, when her PFTs began to slip, she was going to be way over the time limit (and if I am remembering this correctly) some of her friends who had already finished the run, asked permission from the PE teacher and went back around the track and walked with her and encouraged her to finish. There are good PE teachers out there, but there are loads of AWFUL ones too. You should ask your school about a 504 plan for your child. It is a special accomodation plan for children with special needs. They would then set the PE class to meet (but not exceed) your child's limitations.

 

[Emily65Roses]

I finished the mile in 8th grade. The time you're thinking of where I didn't finish in time was my sophomore year in high school. But you remember correctly. Actually, it wasn't any friends of mine. Just nice girls from the gym class. They came around on my last lap and walked with me until I finished. Then one of the girls sat with me when I thought I was going to throw up for a few minutes before walking with me inside to change back into our clothes.

 

[anonymous]

That is so sweet that you called your mom from the payphone when you finished. I have tears in my eyes just thinking about that. I'm sure she was just as excited about it as you were. About 2-3 years ago my son just got out of the hospital, and was on home IV's the week of the run. I'm not sure if your school did this, but they actually practice alittle each week running to work up to the mile. Well, he was in the hospital so he didnt have the "work up" to the run. That year I wrote him a note saying he was not up to the run, that I felt it could be detromental to him still being alittle weak from being so dormant in the hospital. My son never gave the note to his teacher, and ran the mile anyway. He didnt make it in the time needed, but he did finish. I dont know if I was more mad or proud when he came home that day.

Caren