I would like to thank everyone for chiming in with their experiences. I am sure you all understand my fear being a parent to a newborn w/ CF and culturing PA already. I am really scared and I just cannot stop thinking about my boy's future and how uncertain it is. I know this is the wrong thing to do and I need to be strong for my son, my wife, and the rest of our family but I cannot stop obsessing over the negatives. I am also going out of my mind trying to learn about PA. CF has turned our lives upsidedown in less than 1 1/2 months. I have put my two dogs up for adoption, I am going to quit my job and we are going down to one salary (my wife's) in order to provide home care and keep our kids out of daycare (i have a 20 month old daughter). And we are trying to move out of our older larger home and get into something smaller so we can control the internal house enviornment easier.
*important*
I am completely uncertain about taking my son to family functions. My wifes family is a very big and affectionate family. We usually travel to Philly (we are outside of Wash D.C) and stay with my inlaws. Their house is very old and outdated, the house still has the carpets my wife played on when she was a kid and no one takes off their shoes (she is 34). The bathrooms have tile and mold which they are constantly spraying Tilex on (which doesn't work). My inlaws also are the caregivers for my wifes 89 year old grandfather who sometimes forgets to wipe after going # 2 in the bathroom. After my sons CF diagnoses and culture PA at less than a month and a half of age I feel this is a PA breeding ground. My inlaws do so much for us, but I want to stay at her sisters house which is much, much cleaner. Is this necesary? Am I right for feeling the way I do about my inlaws house? Should we avoid staying at other houses all together (even if they are clean)? Should I force everyone who wants to pick my boy up at least use antibacterial hand lotion? Is getting rid of my dogs a good choice (in an effort to fight PA)? Is moving to smaller home so I can control internal environment going overboard? Or, am I going over the edge? Please chime in, I need advice from seasoned pros........
*important*
I am completely uncertain about taking my son to family functions. My wifes family is a very big and affectionate family. We usually travel to Philly (we are outside of Wash D.C) and stay with my inlaws. Their house is very old and outdated, the house still has the carpets my wife played on when she was a kid and no one takes off their shoes (she is 34). The bathrooms have tile and mold which they are constantly spraying Tilex on (which doesn't work). My inlaws also are the caregivers for my wifes 89 year old grandfather who sometimes forgets to wipe after going # 2 in the bathroom. After my sons CF diagnoses and culture PA at less than a month and a half of age I feel this is a PA breeding ground. My inlaws do so much for us, but I want to stay at her sisters house which is much, much cleaner. Is this necesary? Am I right for feeling the way I do about my inlaws house? Should we avoid staying at other houses all together (even if they are clean)? Should I force everyone who wants to pick my boy up at least use antibacterial hand lotion? Is getting rid of my dogs a good choice (in an effort to fight PA)? Is moving to smaller home so I can control internal environment going overboard? Or, am I going over the edge? Please chime in, I need advice from seasoned pros........