"It was a dream pregnancy, no complications, I was full term. When I gave birth she was the most perfect child, dark skinned, lots of black hair, gorgeous little baby. The perfect gift."
- Michele Richards, my mother.
That was until I was 36 hours old, the unthinkable happened. I stopped breathing.
"I heard doctors from a couple rooms down... 'Breathe baby, breathe'. Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to take a walk down the hospital wards hallway. King George IV, Camperdown, and there she was, my baby. Upside down with an oxygen mask held over her tiny mouth and nose. Hysterically, I screamed."
And that was where it all began, I wasn't eating properly, a first time mother, she thought it was her being nervous but it wasn't. My bowels and stomach weren't functioning properly. I wasn't breathing right, either. A strong baby though, I fought from day one.
I was diagnosed with meconium ilius. Emergency surgery. Life saving.
I was diagnosed, then and there, it was official.
"You're baby has cystic fibrosis."
Mutation, double delta F508 - that's me. There are so many different mutations of Cystic fibrosis and unfortunately DDF508 is one of the worst mutations to be diagnosed with. Cystic fibrosis or, CF is a genetic disease - meaning both parents need to carry the gene in order to create a whole. Having the CF gene, does not affect you, but if you have a child and both you and your partner are gene carriers, most likely your child will be a sufferer.
Throughout my early childhood, I usually was admitted to hospital Round 3-4 times per year.
During admissions I would receive a course of intravenous antibiotics,
physiotherapy to help clear my lungs 2-3 times a day,
plenty of food to help with weight gain and plenty of rest.
My admissions would usually last for around 2-3 sometimes 4 weeks at a time.
A stable, happy childhood. An only child.
Losing a little brother because he had CF and was to weak to fight.
A lung capacity always sitting at around a stable 70-80%, a wonderful team of doctors
and a supportive mother and father always got me through.
A high achiever in school, a dancer, a goal setter.
Mutation, double delta F508 - that's me. There are so many different mutations of Cystic fibrosis and unfortunately DDF508 is one of the worst mutations to be diagnosed with. Cystic fibrosis or, CF is a genetic disease - meaning both parents need to carry the gene in order to create a whole. Having the CF gene, does not affect you, but if you have a child and both you and your partner are gene carriers, most likely your child will be a sufferer.
Throughout my early childhood, I usually was admitted to hospital Round 3-4 times per year.
During admissions I would receive a course of intravenous antibiotics,
physiotherapy to help clear my lungs 2-3 times a day,
plenty of food to help with weight gain and plenty of rest.
My admissions would usually last for around 2-3 sometimes 4 weeks at a time.
A stable, happy childhood. An only child.
Losing a little brother because he had CF and was to weak to fight.
A lung capacity always sitting at around a stable 70-80%, a wonderful team of doctors
and a supportive mother and father always got me through.
A high achiever in school, a dancer, a goal setter.
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