Breathing Deeply: My Life With Cystic Fibrosis

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"

--C.S. Lewis




Some other CFers and I have been discussing our fondness for pretzels. Pretzels are, quite possibly, my all time favorite snack.

Why I like pretzels:

1. Salty
2. Crunchy
3. Fat-free
4. Not messy
5. Inexpensive

Their saltiness is appealing to most CFers. I think it's the body's natural way of dealing with the messed up chloride ion transport channels. Desiring something crunchy is possibly another way our bodies try to cope. Studies have shown that people who exhibit a desire to chew on ice cubes are iron deficient.

Part of the reason I like them is because it's one snack food that is relatively easy on my digestive system. There are few things in the snack world that are good for complex carbs, but low on fats. I need lots of calories, but it's essential that my body can retain them. If a food is high in calories but too fatty, it does me no good.

My dad-in-law works for Frito-Lay, so I'm always a willing recipient of the bags of pretzels that are out of code. (i.e. unopened and still fine, but can't be sold b/c they're past their freshness date). I've got a HUGE stash of pretzels in the pantry that I've been working on since Christmas, thanks to my own personal "happy go-lucky Frito Man."

Aside from the occasional salt granules that fall to the floor, pretzels are relatively mess-free. They're not greasy, so I don't have to worry about inadvertently wiping my hands on my pants as I eat them. This is also why they were a permissible snack while I was clad in my wedding dress. Today's picture was taken at my wedding. We did photos before the ceremony so that I wouldn't get too worn out. We also stopped for a snack break in between. I'm quite accident prone so the only snacks we had were things that could not spill or stain. We even used water instead of wine for communion, just in case I spilled (which I did.)

I figured if Jesus can turn water to wine, then forgoing the wine wasn't going to make the occasion any less sacred!