Hello everyone, my name is Matt and I'm from Australia. I'm new to this forum but not to CF, I've been dealing with having CF all my life (I'm 21, turing 22 in December) and so has my twin brother; we were diagnosed when we were infants.
Anyway my parents always kept on top of it when I was growing up and now I try my best sometimes too. I'm not majorly sick and for a while I use to be really healthy. I live near the beach so the salt in the air helps and I love going for long walks and bike rides. But I never thought of CF as a hurdle or anything, never really thought that much of it I was just use to it and accustom to having it and it never really got in the way of anything, except school some times but school was boring so I didn't care <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0"> - until now. I finished high-school about 4 years ago and since then been studying Visual Arts and just finished my Illustration course last year.
But this year I haven't done much with my self and my life, it's hard to get a job in this economy, with CF and with an Illustration Diploma. I've been thinking about having the next year off again and traveling. I want to go and volunteer teaching in Romania first, and was really keen on the idea until recently when I got really sick for the first time in a long long time. I'm getting better now it was just a bad cold which has now left a chest infection and the sudden change in weather is setting off my hay-fever and asthma pretty badly.
My twin brother goes back and forth to indonesia and he seems to cope (he's in worse condition than me after an accident he had there now he is a rake, they don't eat much over there) but I'm getting a bit scared about going to Romania with all my meds and worried if I get really sick over there and scared of being a long way from home but I don't want to miss out, I really want to see the world. Or worried if Projects Abroad knock back my application cause I have CF.
There is also a Ranch in Wyoming that take international volunteers and that looked like fun to do as well. Might do that when I got back from Romania - I also feel like doing this too so I can gain more confidence and find myself.
Before I go I'm gonna have to have a "treatment" some of you say - I've called them a tune up. Go into hospital for 10 days with a drip, haven't had one of those for the past 5 years, last one I had was in january 2006 just before my final year of high-school. It's been a while and I've done so well without one, but I feel like I should have one before i go so I can be my best over there and don't get sick.
After that I was looking at going back to school and studying Graphic Design, which has much better employment than illustration, but also a very demanding fast industry which isn't too welcoming of sick days it seems.
So how do others or have others copped with traveling for a long period of time and coping with CF and they're careers?
Sorry for the long post by the way. Look forward to hearing what others say <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Anyway my parents always kept on top of it when I was growing up and now I try my best sometimes too. I'm not majorly sick and for a while I use to be really healthy. I live near the beach so the salt in the air helps and I love going for long walks and bike rides. But I never thought of CF as a hurdle or anything, never really thought that much of it I was just use to it and accustom to having it and it never really got in the way of anything, except school some times but school was boring so I didn't care <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0"> - until now. I finished high-school about 4 years ago and since then been studying Visual Arts and just finished my Illustration course last year.
But this year I haven't done much with my self and my life, it's hard to get a job in this economy, with CF and with an Illustration Diploma. I've been thinking about having the next year off again and traveling. I want to go and volunteer teaching in Romania first, and was really keen on the idea until recently when I got really sick for the first time in a long long time. I'm getting better now it was just a bad cold which has now left a chest infection and the sudden change in weather is setting off my hay-fever and asthma pretty badly.
My twin brother goes back and forth to indonesia and he seems to cope (he's in worse condition than me after an accident he had there now he is a rake, they don't eat much over there) but I'm getting a bit scared about going to Romania with all my meds and worried if I get really sick over there and scared of being a long way from home but I don't want to miss out, I really want to see the world. Or worried if Projects Abroad knock back my application cause I have CF.
There is also a Ranch in Wyoming that take international volunteers and that looked like fun to do as well. Might do that when I got back from Romania - I also feel like doing this too so I can gain more confidence and find myself.
Before I go I'm gonna have to have a "treatment" some of you say - I've called them a tune up. Go into hospital for 10 days with a drip, haven't had one of those for the past 5 years, last one I had was in january 2006 just before my final year of high-school. It's been a while and I've done so well without one, but I feel like I should have one before i go so I can be my best over there and don't get sick.
After that I was looking at going back to school and studying Graphic Design, which has much better employment than illustration, but also a very demanding fast industry which isn't too welcoming of sick days it seems.
So how do others or have others copped with traveling for a long period of time and coping with CF and they're careers?
Sorry for the long post by the way. Look forward to hearing what others say <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">