Teens and Meds

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jasesmom

Guest
My niece, who is just like my own child, is 18 years old with CF and CFRD. She refuses to take ANY meds! Is this a normal part of the growing up process? Has this happened to anyone else? I would love some advice on this topic. When I mention it to her, she tells me I am nagging. She will be leaving to go to college very soon, and I fear that she will continue to not take her meds.
 
J

jasesmom

Guest
My niece, who is just like my own child, is 18 years old with CF and CFRD. She refuses to take ANY meds! Is this a normal part of the growing up process? Has this happened to anyone else? I would love some advice on this topic. When I mention it to her, she tells me I am nagging. She will be leaving to go to college very soon, and I fear that she will continue to not take her meds.
 
J

jasesmom

Guest
My niece, who is just like my own child, is 18 years old with CF and CFRD. She refuses to take ANY meds! Is this a normal part of the growing up process? Has this happened to anyone else? I would love some advice on this topic. When I mention it to her, she tells me I am nagging. She will be leaving to go to college very soon, and I fear that she will continue to not take her meds.
 
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nmw615

New member
I'm not sure how normal this is for anyone else, but I went through this phase. I rebelled against doing almost all of my treatments and meds; the only thing I continually took was my enzymes, and only because the result was almost immediate and very painful. It was the time in my life when I wanted to feel "normal," and just like everyone else.

I eventually got out of the phase, without too much help from my family or friends. I just realized how stupid it was for me to be doing that to my own body and I started using everything again.

I still take my meds like clockwork, but I also learned to give myself one or two vest treatments off a week (when I'm healthy), just so I could have those "freebie" nights, or a night when I just wanted to be like everyone else my age. So far, it's all working out for me.
 
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nmw615

New member
I'm not sure how normal this is for anyone else, but I went through this phase. I rebelled against doing almost all of my treatments and meds; the only thing I continually took was my enzymes, and only because the result was almost immediate and very painful. It was the time in my life when I wanted to feel "normal," and just like everyone else.

I eventually got out of the phase, without too much help from my family or friends. I just realized how stupid it was for me to be doing that to my own body and I started using everything again.

I still take my meds like clockwork, but I also learned to give myself one or two vest treatments off a week (when I'm healthy), just so I could have those "freebie" nights, or a night when I just wanted to be like everyone else my age. So far, it's all working out for me.
 
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nmw615

New member
I'm not sure how normal this is for anyone else, but I went through this phase. I rebelled against doing almost all of my treatments and meds; the only thing I continually took was my enzymes, and only because the result was almost immediate and very painful. It was the time in my life when I wanted to feel "normal," and just like everyone else.
<br />
<br />I eventually got out of the phase, without too much help from my family or friends. I just realized how stupid it was for me to be doing that to my own body and I started using everything again.
<br />
<br />I still take my meds like clockwork, but I also learned to give myself one or two vest treatments off a week (when I'm healthy), just so I could have those "freebie" nights, or a night when I just wanted to be like everyone else my age. So far, it's all working out for me.
 
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mag6125

New member
It's a pretty normal thing for most cfers I think. I did the same thing when I went to college and I ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks so it was a wake up call for me. I always told my mom she was nagging me too that's a normal teen thing but doesn't make it any easier for you I know. I don't know what advice to give because it took me having to be hospitalized, withdrawn from school and missing half my hockey season to realize it wasn't worth it. You can encourage but I think it's one of those things everyone has to learn their own way
 
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mag6125

New member
It's a pretty normal thing for most cfers I think. I did the same thing when I went to college and I ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks so it was a wake up call for me. I always told my mom she was nagging me too that's a normal teen thing but doesn't make it any easier for you I know. I don't know what advice to give because it took me having to be hospitalized, withdrawn from school and missing half my hockey season to realize it wasn't worth it. You can encourage but I think it's one of those things everyone has to learn their own way
 
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mag6125

New member
It's a pretty normal thing for most cfers I think. I did the same thing when I went to college and I ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks so it was a wake up call for me. I always told my mom she was nagging me too that's a normal teen thing but doesn't make it any easier for you I know. I don't know what advice to give because it took me having to be hospitalized, withdrawn from school and missing half my hockey season to realize it wasn't worth it. You can encourage but I think it's one of those things everyone has to learn their own way
 
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ashdawnsing

New member
I went through a very long phase were I didn't take any of medications. When the effects of not taking your meds kicks in, I think its usually a wake up call. Try letting her listen to CF Voice. Its a website for CF patients of all ages. I found this paritcally comforting to me since I don't know anyone with CF. I think its a normal process that all patients go through.
 
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ashdawnsing

New member
I went through a very long phase were I didn't take any of medications. When the effects of not taking your meds kicks in, I think its usually a wake up call. Try letting her listen to CF Voice. Its a website for CF patients of all ages. I found this paritcally comforting to me since I don't know anyone with CF. I think its a normal process that all patients go through.
 
A

ashdawnsing

New member
I went through a very long phase were I didn't take any of medications. When the effects of not taking your meds kicks in, I think its usually a wake up call. Try letting her listen to CF Voice. Its a website for CF patients of all ages. I found this paritcally comforting to me since I don't know anyone with CF. I think its a normal process that all patients go through.
 
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valshingle

New member
I just joined this forum because of a similar situation. My 19 yr old daughter has CF (diagnosed at 6 weeks of age) and doesn't do most of her meds unless nagged. She is in college and each semester I've watched her PFT go down 20-30 pts in a few weeks. She is now in her second semester and is in danger of flunking out because she insists on taking a full load and then doesn't do her meds so she feels like crap and performs poorly academically. I know how frustrated and worried you are. She relies on the docs to restore her lung function when she goes into the hospital. They just warned her that they may not always be able to get her back to where she was. She is also depressed, but won't take those meds either.

I don't have any advice for you other than you are not alone!
 
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valshingle

New member
I just joined this forum because of a similar situation. My 19 yr old daughter has CF (diagnosed at 6 weeks of age) and doesn't do most of her meds unless nagged. She is in college and each semester I've watched her PFT go down 20-30 pts in a few weeks. She is now in her second semester and is in danger of flunking out because she insists on taking a full load and then doesn't do her meds so she feels like crap and performs poorly academically. I know how frustrated and worried you are. She relies on the docs to restore her lung function when she goes into the hospital. They just warned her that they may not always be able to get her back to where she was. She is also depressed, but won't take those meds either.

I don't have any advice for you other than you are not alone!
 
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valshingle

New member
I just joined this forum because of a similar situation. My 19 yr old daughter has CF (diagnosed at 6 weeks of age) and doesn't do most of her meds unless nagged. She is in college and each semester I've watched her PFT go down 20-30 pts in a few weeks. She is now in her second semester and is in danger of flunking out because she insists on taking a full load and then doesn't do her meds so she feels like crap and performs poorly academically. I know how frustrated and worried you are. She relies on the docs to restore her lung function when she goes into the hospital. They just warned her that they may not always be able to get her back to where she was. She is also depressed, but won't take those meds either.
<br />
<br />I don't have any advice for you other than you are not alone!
 
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nicolemarie2010

New member
I went through it and i too continued to take my enzymes cause it was such an immediate results, I realized i needed to straighten up and get back on my treatments when one day i was working as a waitress and was at a table and started to cough i excused myself and went to the bathroom i continued to cough then i coughed up blood for the first time and got really scared since then i always think about my future and how my future is not just for me but for my future husband and hopefully kids one day.
Just because i dont feel like doing my treatments doesnt mean that i can just skip them, I first have to check with everyone else that is going to be in my future and see what their opinion is on my skipping treatments..... It will make you think.

My advice: something had got to scare her into doing her treatments again, nagging wont affect her.
 
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nicolemarie2010

New member
I went through it and i too continued to take my enzymes cause it was such an immediate results, I realized i needed to straighten up and get back on my treatments when one day i was working as a waitress and was at a table and started to cough i excused myself and went to the bathroom i continued to cough then i coughed up blood for the first time and got really scared since then i always think about my future and how my future is not just for me but for my future husband and hopefully kids one day.
Just because i dont feel like doing my treatments doesnt mean that i can just skip them, I first have to check with everyone else that is going to be in my future and see what their opinion is on my skipping treatments..... It will make you think.

My advice: something had got to scare her into doing her treatments again, nagging wont affect her.
 
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nicolemarie2010

New member
I went through it and i too continued to take my enzymes cause it was such an immediate results, I realized i needed to straighten up and get back on my treatments when one day i was working as a waitress and was at a table and started to cough i excused myself and went to the bathroom i continued to cough then i coughed up blood for the first time and got really scared since then i always think about my future and how my future is not just for me but for my future husband and hopefully kids one day.
<br />Just because i dont feel like doing my treatments doesnt mean that i can just skip them, I first have to check with everyone else that is going to be in my future and see what their opinion is on my skipping treatments..... It will make you think.
<br />
<br />My advice: something had got to scare her into doing her treatments again, nagging wont affect her.
 
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valshingle

New member
My daughter says "What's the point? I'm going to die anyway." I remind her that could be many years away (she has PFT's that range from 85-93 when she takes care of herself, 68-79 when she doesn't). She's so bitter and I only seem to aggravate her.
 
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valshingle

New member
My daughter says "What's the point? I'm going to die anyway." I remind her that could be many years away (she has PFT's that range from 85-93 when she takes care of herself, 68-79 when she doesn't). She's so bitter and I only seem to aggravate her.
 
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