looking toward the future

[slugo21]

Im 26 and a respiratory therapist with cf. I was just wondering how is it bein older with cf. Does it effect your work and adult life stlye?

 

[imported_Momto2]

Yes. I had to leave my doctoral program because of health issues. Then I had to stop riding and competing horses and sell my lovely stallion since I could no longer breathe well enough to work with him (we did make it to Nationals before I had to quit though). Then I had to stop running (well, OK, jogging) and running around outside with my kids. Now I am just hoping I can play a few games of golf this summer, maybe go on some short flat hikes, do some snorkeling, light gardening. *psi* 3 years ago I was RUNNING up the adirondaks, doing extreme ropes courses, and racing my kids flat out. Just cant do it now, for walks over half a mile I need oxygen or a lot of rest breaks. It can be intensely frustrating and depressing, but I DO have wonderful memories of doing all that stuff and I will turn my energies to different activities and concentrate on what I CAN do. But yes, it changes. And it can change for the worse quickly. So if you have good health, savor it, use it, and for heavens sake, do all you can to protect it.

 

[welshwitch]

Thanks for your input, Momto2 and I'm sorry about your health issues Can I ask how old you are?

 

[believingjesus]

Hi Slugo! How do you manage with your job to stay away from other people with cystic fibrosis so you yourself do not pick anything up? Does your work know and do they help to give you only patients that do not have CF?

CF does affect my son in his life every day as he has treatments and has to be sure those get taken with him when he travels and how to manage all that. My son is not in the medical field but his job is based on his health so he always has a back-up plan. He got bachelors degrees and is considering doing additional classes in the future in a field that will help him so his work is not based on how well he is doing physically. CF does affect him because he is not open about it and wants it to be private which helps him cope with the disease. Everyone is different and that is how he can deal with it. My son is very positive and really lives and enjoys every day or tries to enjoy every day. He has always treasured life and he takes chances most people do not and is very daring. But I know he gets to do these things because he is healthy. I know not everyone is that fortunate and that changes things and changes how a person is able to cope and how they are able to enjoy.

 

[nmw0615]

I'm actually younger than you, Slugo, but CF has already impacted my life. Growing up, I played soccer and volleyball. During the summer, I was always hiking in the mountains. I loved to swim and play with my family (all the cousins on my dad's side are younger). Now, I can't do any of that stuff like I used to. However, my mentality is that I refuse to let this disease take those things from me. I've had to adapt how I do everything, but if I want to do it, I work hard to find a way possible. I currently swim for 20 minutes or so 3 days a week. I need oxygen to walk or hike, so last summer I hiked a little over 4 miles carrying oxygen because I was determined to hike. I play volleyball with my family, and I hope to enter an adult league once I get MRSA controlled. I definitely think this disease can take a toll on the body, but I also think there are ways to adapt to the new normal. My next goal is to hike a 14er. I've already started training for a hike late this summer. If it doesn't happen, I'll be disappointed, but I am going to do everything I can to make it happen.

 

[slugo21]

As a rt with cf. I'm not legally obligated to tell my job. If i know there is pt with cf. I just find away around it. I wanted to know how adult life was cause I thought if i stayed active than I wouldn't get sick. So far its worked. I haven't had a tune up in bout 5 years. I didn't know if it gets easier when you get older.

 

[imported_Momto2]

slugo, I'm 43 now. (FART2) It was a good athletic run while it lasted. Now I'm turning more toward the arts and getting back to academic science.
Less exertion! (I used to do marine bio, animal behavior and ecology stuff in the field) The one constant in life is change. Right now I have all I can handle to take care of myself and my two daughters.

 

[believingjesus]

I don't say this to be mean but at some point your CF is going to show, just like it will for my son. He is keeping his private also. You are directly working in a field that requires you to expose yourself to a variety of bacteria from others plus you could unwillingly give some you may get in the future to others who have CF too. My son wants his job private but he is not in a field where he works with anyone that has CF. I admire that you have achieved your dream and are doing what you want but it may be wise to look into taking classes to further expand what you can do in the future when your CF is noticed. It may really affect your job being in that field. My son is considering taking classes just so his job is not dependent on how physically healthy he is. I do not say this to hurt you in any way. You are close to my sons age and I know how hard just dealing with CF is. I know you do what you can to stay away from a patient with CF but at some point you may not be able to. I did see a doctor on the news once that had CF and was doing well. He is a doctor though and can most likely say who he wants to see and who he can't. Unless it is an option for you to see who you want or not, I would consider classes to expand your career so you are not directly in the line of fire.

Also I am learning from a dear friend how to live in the "now" as that is all we all really have anyways. It is good to prepare for the future though but live in the now. These are words of wisdom from a very good friend who knows more than I do. I wish you the very best.

 

[nmw0615]

Sligo, I do believe staying active can help. I don't think it can 100% prevent problems, but I definitely think it helps. Most of my problems started when I had to stop competitively playing volleyball because of my feeding tube. I could no longer throw myself on the floor to save balls, and since I'm too short to be a hitter and my fingers are too short to be a setter, I didn't really have the options I needed. A year after my activity level declined, my health started to go down.

 

[imported_Momto2]

Slugo, staying active works, and works well, but I dont think it works forever. My body is simply wearing out now that I am in my 40's. Its not lung infections that are getting me, its severe asthma and diabetes.

 

[slugo21]

so how do you stay healthy for so long? How do u put on more weight? Because I know the heavier you are the stronger your body will be.

 

[benthyr123]

I'm 50 and really starting to feel every day of it. I'm not sure why you chose to be an RT, but you have put yourself in a very risky job. The hospital is the LAST place I want to be. I recently picked up a resistant bacteria....(and who knows where)....now I'm not doing as well. Be aware, you are putting yourself at risk simply by what you do for work.

 

[windex125]

Wow a lot of activity going on here. I am loving reading all that you strong women do. I tuned 60 in Dec. I was never athelic as a younger person or now. never learned to swim which sounds weird even admitting it. I was the girl to lay on the blanket at the beach and give myself severe burns in my teens and 20's I wanted a tan. but being half Irish/Italian very fair skin it never did happen. I was always busy doing something, I am the person who gets up to put laundry in during a break of watching show, so even now that means going up and down the steps 6-8x within a hr. or 2 as the washer is in the basement. I loved going dancing and it was usually the weekend and maybe one day during the week. My favorite was latin salsa dancing. I had to give that up many yrs ago for lack of air. I only hv one functioning lung, and use o2 at night. But I hv great memories of fun, having a career, and hvg my son which I was told I wld never hv children then 11yrs into the marriage I'm thinking of leaving as I know my husband wanted children, and the dam stick turned pink I was 36. Gave up the career which was very hard and became a stay at home Mom. I never shared the fact I had CF at the workplace. I was always positive attitude. Always said it was asthma I guess in denial somewhat. It worked for me. I hv not been on IV meds for 4yrs so my port gets flushed once a month. Last year I had my first pancreatic attack, after being PS all my life, I am now on enzymes had 2nd attack in Jan. CF the disease that keeps on giving. I dealt with it, really what else can we do. we get the meds, we do the treatments try to say well but we still get sick. I hv few regrets on missing out on anything. I say to myself in the morning ok woke up today lets get the day started. Oh I do one active thing I try to walk my dog 2 miles a day, when my husband retired I said lets go to Italy as we were not travelers just the islands occasionally he said lets get a new dog. So the German S. is 90lbs. and I bought a Italy coffee table book. Take Care/Be well Pat/60 - CF

 

[slugo21]

That's funny cause I tell all my friends I have asthma. So overall I really think its about quality of life. The reason why I am a rt is because all I know is respiratory and bad as it is I love it as well. Every one has a calling. Plus I can be empathetic towards patients. I don't see a lot of cf pt where I work. Around maybe 1 a year because of the high elevation (7500ft).