Breathing Deeply: My Life With Cystic Fibrosis

Dear Friends,

Imagine for a moment that you are trapped in a room that is slowly emptying of breathable air. You feel as though a weight is pressing upon your chest; no matter how panicked you become, you can’t even summon enough breath to cry out for help. You try to hold as still as possible, knowing that every additional movement robs you of your precious and rapidly diminishing energy supply.

That’s what pneumonia feels like to someone with cystic fibrosis.

As a person who lives every day with cystic fibrosis (CF), I know this feeling all too well. Like many others with CF, pneumonia and respiratory complications are just the tip of the ice berg of complications that I battle on a daily basis. My daily routine involves dozens of pills, hours of inhaled medications, and constant monitoring of my energy level. And I’m one of the lucky ones.

Every day I am given is a blessing. Thanks to new improvements in the medications and treatment options, I am living every day to the fullest. My husband and I work hard to balance the challenge of life with CF in such a way that we can enjoy other things. Although we cannot forget about the presence CF has in our life, we can look at it as a challenge to be overcome, not an obstacle that stands in our way.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is committed to providing that same sort of life to others with CF. By funding the research needed to develop life-improving medications and therapies, more people with CF are given the chance to live a full and productive life. Unfortunately, there is no cure for cystic fibrosis. Half of the population of people with CF will not survive past the age of 36.

Please consider donating to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on my behalf. Just click the DONATE button below. You may also view my official CFF Fund raising page at http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/LaurenBeyenhof

Appreciatively,

Lauren G. Beyenhof