So being at school I've met a lot of new people, and the topic of my CF has come up A LOT. I decided to write a post about the things people have asked and how I've responded.
"I have cystic fibrosis. Have you heard of it?"
"Vaguely in science class, explain"
"It's a lung disease, that's why I cough a lot. I have to do breathing therapy, nebulizers, every day and take pills with every thing I eat."
"Wow, I would have never noticed."
"I know, right? You can't tell I have it really... but I've gotten really sick before, been in the hospital a lot. Sometimes I have to get an IV for a couple of weeks."
sometime's they'll ask more... sometimes not. One friend asked "Well, whats like... the long term effects?"
"Some people get lung transplants eventually.... The median age of survival is late 30s... But there's new treatments being researched every day. And they are soooo close to a big one. But I don't think about that too much... I just live in the now." Usually at this point I get a hug or something, I tell them not to worry, I take care of myself every day!
"Ok, so I have to wake up at 7:30 tomorrow"
"Why do you have to wake up so early?"
"Well, I have to do nebulizers and another thing that shakes for breathing therapy every morning for my CF"
"Agh I forgot to bring my pills that I have to take with everything I eat, I'm going to run back to the dorm real quick."
"I have CF."
"CF?... wait what is that? like... College Friends?"
(ahhahaha that was my favorite)
"Wait, are you really short because you have CF?"
"Well, I wasn't diagnosed until I was 3, so I was sort of malnourished by then and it stunted my growth. But I don't mind being short, I can fit in small spaces!"
"Why are you on facebook at 8 am?"
"It's wiggly thing time!" (what my friends call my vest)
"Oh... I have an 8:30 class :( ."
Person I don't know well enough to tell "Are you ok? You've been coughing a lot are you sick?"
"No I'm fine"
or
"No I cough all the time, I have this lung thing."
or
"No, just allergies"
or
"Yeah, got the swine flu STAYY AWAAYYY!" ...just kidding :)
to a friend who smokes, "Could you please smoke over there, you're making me cough. Then quit, you're killing ya self!!!"
At the dining hall... "Lauren are you poppin pills again?!"
"YUP :) Gotta get my fix"
*laughing so hard I'm having a cough attack* "Hahahahahahahahaha guyysssss I'm dyinngggg"
*later that day* "Don't make lauren laugh too hard to might start dying again!!" LOL
It's not to hard to tell people what I have, it's not too hard to joke about it either. My good friends here know what it's all about, and the fact that we can be comfortable about it and talk about it lightheartedly is great. Sure, sometimes we have deeper convos, about how I'm not scared and stuff. But it's easier when we can just laugh about it (to a point of course!), and not let it get in the way of living.
Labels: college, fun, Stonehill
