Hi Liz,
Hey, congrats on not being admitted into the hospital for 10 years. I haven't been in for 2 years. I don't believe in tune-ups and here is why. When I was in my teens, my doctors instructed me to get tune-ups twice a year. I listened to them because their supposed to know what they are talking about right??? Well after 8 years of listening to them, the pseudo on my lungs started to get resistant to Tobramyacin, Tetracyline, Cirpo IV, and a few others. Also my ex-doctors were drug-happy. Have a cold--take Cipro or Levaquin. In no time at all, a simple "tune-up" went from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. Sometimes the "tune-up" lasted even 6 weeks. Simple oral medications started to take 4 weeks to even start working. Also as a woman issue, I started to get constant yeast infections and thrush. Monistat stopped working. Diflucan (sorry if spelled wrong) stopped working. My GYN doctors had to prescribe something else like Monistat but that could only been given with scripts. Finally, I had enough!!!
I thought "I have mild CF." "Are all these 'tune-ups' really that much needed?" I decided to switch doctors and only resort to admissions when no other means was possible. For each cold, I stuck it out. Sure I had a fever of 102, threw up mucus once a day, and lost weight but I was determined not to use drugs. Usually after 3-4 weeks of misery, I got over it. Slowly I started to see the yeast infections clear up. I started to have more energy. I even gained weight. Sure there times when medications are needed. I fully support that. However, there is a difference between needed and being needy.
Now, I culture pseudo and yeast in my lungs. However if I get sick now, I still have resistance to many of the medications that were used when I was in my teens. I'm now 24. I only have a few options of meds to choose from if I get real sick. THAT IS SCARY!!! What if I need a medication someday and it won't work because I still have a resistance to it. THEN WHAT DO I DO!!!
Liz, I think what you are doing is working. Don't change anything. If I could turn back the clock, I would want to have the same track record as you. And I think that's it's great that you don't take "tune-ups" LIGHTLY.
Jennifer 24w/CF