CF Happens

Happy Birthday to me!! I’m 45 and STILL alive!! When I was born in 1980, the idea of me making it to 45 was not even in the distant parts of anyone’s mind. That was my reality. My parents never treated me like I was on “limited time.” They let me live my life like a “normal” kid…who just happened to get sick often because of CF. I made all the “normal” kid memories of hanging out with friends, fighting with my older brother and his friends, going to school, dating, driving, high school football games, getting my first job and much more.

I’m very thankful I was NOT kept in a bubble and I was able to live a reasonably normal life. I was taught to use common sense when it came to germ control (as any normal human should) like wash your hands, cover your cough and don’t eat or drink after others for starters.

I have some friends with CF whose parents really kept them from being able to experience things in life out of fear. I understand the fear because it’s a given to be scared when your kid has an incurable genetic lung disease (which affects much more than just the lungs). You don’t want to lose your child at any age, let alone at a young age. I say all of that just to reiterate how blessed I am to have made it to my 45th birthday.

People often say to me, “How are you so positive all the time?” First of all, I am NOT positive ALL the time. Just ask my husband. haha. I have always lived a life of gratitude and thankfulness for every day that I am alive, no matter if it’s a good day or a not so good day. My life very well could have been cut short at any time over the last 45 years. I have plenty of days where I don’t want to “do CF anymore.” I would love a break from CF but obviously that can’t happen. At a young age I made the choice to speak life and positivity into the universe no matter how crappy of a day I was having. If I only focused on the negative things I would drown in all the negative thoughts. Sitting in the negative for an extended period of time just isn’t who I am.

Trust me, I have days where it’s very hard to see anything positive. I’ve been known to throw a grown up tantrum…with all the kicking and screaming just like a toddler. Of course I question, “Why me? Why do I have to have CF? Why do I have to live the sick life?” Questioning things will do nothing except make me more upset because I have no control of me having CF. CF isn’t going anywhere. I have to make the best of my life with CF, in spite of CF. You will waste years of your life worrying about things that are out of your control. All you have control over is how you handle to situations your given, good or bad. Make the best of a crappy situation! Learn to laugh at yourself. You don’t have to take life so seriously all the time. Have fun in life. You only get once chance to live your life.

Also…if you didn’t know, the age you turn on your birthday is really the age you just completed, not the age you’re starting. After 1 year of life we say we are celebrating our first birthday but we are really starting our second year of life. Are you mind blown?? haha. No matter what, celebrate yourself and love yourself every day! Here’s to another year on earth for me!!

Until next time…