fevered meanderings - feel free to delete-intended as humor!

[Guest guest]

n in the middle of her annual Christmas pneumonia here--home with that

dangerous object--the computer!

The physician I saw at the ER early this morning asked me how and why I had

waited so long to be seen. At the time, I just said it was stupid of me.

However, his comments have given me pause for thought--and we all know what

that means in my mind!

I think I have it down: how does a cystic fibrosis patient know when she/he is

REALLY sick:

1) When it takes the greater part of a two-cup measuring cup to contain the

sputum--this could be not good;

2) When one has steatorrhea, diarrhea and constipation sort of all at once,

this could be a clue;

3) If every nerve in your body goes off like an explosion within you with even

one

coughing spell, this could spell trouble;

4)If your sinuses are filled, your eyes are goopy and if you usually hear very

well,

this could be a clue;

5) If you have lost your voice (totally) for more than one day, that is bad;

6) If all of the above is happening whether or not you have a fever, AND you

ache all over and your lungs fill up and you can no longer sleep on your back

even with the bed raised---the worst is at hand;

And, if you have not gotten the picture and figured out what to do about it

because

you do not want to move, then, as was I, you are " stupid, " delerious and in

TOTAL and complete denial!

I think that all the meds I got today must have weighed about ten pounds, and

I can't even calculate the cost to my insurers, but it is a true miracle of the

season that I got to the ER, got the pharmacy, and made it safely home!

So, this is what the intelligent, well-informed cfpatient or cfparent does NOT

allow to happen without acting like maybe a month ago!

Love to all of you at cfparents,

n Rojas, the " red " and the stupid!