My day is longer than others I guess. Before class I have to do my breathing treatments and take my morning pills. The treatments take about 30 minutes to an hour, so that means I have to wake up earlier than a person who doesn’t have CF. My first class is around 9 am, I wake up at 7 am (very sleepy) and grab my nebulizer cups which I usually have to wash out and then grab my medicine from the fridge.
I sit on the floor (don’t worry there is a blanket) and strap on my vest then set the timer to 30 minutes. Before I start it, I have to take my albuterol inhaler with the chamber attached to open up my lungs. Then I have to mix up the medicine for the first air treatment and that’s when I usually hit the start button on the vest. As the vest and first treatment begin, I usually cough like a maniac or to the point where I am red. But hey, no big deal, I’m used to it and I move on to listening to music or falling asleep. After the first treatment I grab the other aerosol cup (it is usually by my side) and pour in the next medicine which thankfully doesn’t make me cough to hard! After the vest and the 2nd treatment are complete, I have one more treatment to do! The last one is an antibiotic and it taste really bitter; I usually have juice or tea afterwards to get rid of the taste. Believe it or not, I still have not left the house (or dorm). Once all that is out of the way, I am free to shower, eat and take my morning pills. I have quit a bit of pills to take in the morning and it is hard to keep track sometimes, so I use a seven day pill case. It makes it a whole lot easier to do! Before I slip on my shoes I have to make sure I have enough oxygen in my portable tank. I am fairly new to using an oxygen tank and believe me, it is super annoying. I have to calculate how many hours I will be out and then bring either one or two tanks with me (they are NOT light weight). I can usually get through my morning class and part of lunch before I change into the second tank. If I don’t have my second tank with me, I usually give my friend my keys to the dorm to grab it for me (she is THE BEST). When lunch comes around I have to take my 4 enzymes to break down my food. After all my classes are done, I take a break and chill with friends or watch television. Of course I eventually get to my class assignments and then dinner. But before I sleep, I have to do all the treatments that I did in the morning, again….yes, it does get old fast but it helps me breathe.