A Wholesome Adventure With Cystic Fibrosis.

Abstract

Growing up with cystic fibrosis (CF) can best be described as an adventure. I'm proud to say that I've survived 43 years of this adventure, thanks to hard work, a lung donor 11 years ago, and opportunities for whole-person care. My identical twin, Ana, and I both had classic CF, where we had aggressive symptoms such as malnutrition, early colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, hemoptysis, and sinus disease that required daily intensive respiratory therapy and frequent hospitalizations. I would like to share my story of how I coped with my illness using a whole-person and whole-systems approach. My immigrant family provided the roots for a strong foundation to cope with illness. Both of my parents grew up in the aftermath of World War II in Germany and Japan. Their cultures taught me perseverance and discipline and most of all gratitude, even in the face of adversity. My sister shared my hatred of CF but became my greatest ally and confidante in this battle. My brother, who didn't have CF, became my “eg...