From Anna's Mom

Anna is on antibiotics again

I guess I knew it would end. We had such a good run without sickness. Life

felt almost “normal” and one could forget, on some days anyway, that Anna

has CF.  It was August that Anna last had antibiotics.  There was one cold in

there, but it stayed in her upper respiratory area and she got through it herself. 

Though I try to be realistic about how sickness will come into our lives, I still

felt great disappointment when I saw that runny nose and heard that first cough.

Somehow I hoped we could avoid germs if we used enough disinfectant

on our hands and prayed hard enough.  And, I can’t help to feel that somehow

I didn’t protect her enough….   As I write this, she is licking the sliding glass door!

What can a person do?

 

Somewhere out there is a balance that I need to find. The balance between still living

your life and being smart about staying healthy.  I had a horrible dilemma in November

trying to decide whether to let the kids go on a field trip with their friends to Lego Land

( a Lego themed children’s museum).  I want them to have great experiences but sending

them to a “germ park” was a scary thought. What if they brought home a cold? the flu?

I would feel responsible because I made the decision that they could go. After great

mulling and worrying we decided on a compromise- Steve took off of work and took

the three older kids to Lego Land while I stayed home with the two younger. I told Steve that he had to disinfect their hands every 10 minutes and watch them for sticking their fingers in their mouths (unfortunately, all three older kids have oral fixations).  As it turned out they didn’t get colds. But I think that the present one that Anna has came from a trip to a museum last week….   So, where is the balance? Perhaps it will take a few years, or more, if ever, to figure it out.

Wende