It is already known that your husband is a carrier of the CF gene because his son from a previous marriage has CF (please correct me if I am wrong, I believe that's what I read). If you are a carrier as well, your child together would have a 25% chance of being unaffected (no CF, no carrier) a 50% chance of being an unaffected carrier (no CF but does carrier CF gene just like dad), and a 25% chance of having CF (From growing older with cf-a handbook for adults). so to answer your question of "is it likely or not?", there is a chance.
If you have a fairly good insurance company, they should cover to have your child tested. The doctor should mention that your husband has a child with CF from a previous marriage. I don't believe I have heard of an insurance company that has denied a sweat test. If they do, it's usually because the doctor doesn't provide enough information, and once the correct information has been submitted they will cover it. Genetic testing can be a little more difficult to get covered, but I have not had a personal problem. Maybe someone else on the site knows a little more about that though and can offer more information about that.
Cf is different for every person who has it. Even 2 people who have the EXACT same mutations are affected differently. You can have lung problems, digestive problems, diabetes (Called CFRD, Cystic Fibrosis RElated Diabetes) and reproductive problems. Some people have all of that, some only one or two of those things, some people have really bad lung problems but very minor digestive issues (or the other way around) there is really no way to know except as that indivudual person starts getting older and you can see the problems and patterns. Some people with CF are rarely in the hospital, and some are there often. It is impossible to predict.
As far as the liver question, yes CF can affect your liver. I don't honestly know the reasons why (somebody on here should though) so I am not going to pretend to explain why. But yes, many patients with CF have had liver problems, my husband for example has elevated liver functions that fluctuate every few months for reasons we don't know (no doctor has been able to figure out the fluctuations) is he near needing a transplant? No, but it is a consideration for the future. As far as a liver transplant, it would work just like a lung or pancreas or heart transplant. If the parents are a match, yes the can use the parents. But siblings are donors more often than parents are.
Jule (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)
