My Body
Living with CF affects more than just your lungs. It can also impact digestion, energy levels, and how your body feels and functions day to day. Over time, it can shape how you experience your body, how you care for yourself, and how you adapt as things change.
With new treatments and ongoing improvements in care, many people are noticing shifts in physical health, mental health, energy, weight, appearance, daily routines, and future possibilities. These changes can bring relief and new physical or mental strength, but they can also require adjustment. Adjustment simply means learning how to respond and adapt when something changes, physically, emotionally, or socially.
Many people experience positive, even life-changing improvements with new treatments. At the same time, living with CF still comes with ongoing health considerations and uncertainty. Improvements may not always be linear or continual, and challenges can still arise. Everyone’s experience is unique, no two people with CF will have the same journey. This may involve developing new skills, creating fresh routines, or exploring pathways that weren’t needed in the past.
A lot of patients have been describing their modulators as a game changer. A lot of positive benefits that we’re seeing in terms of nutrition, improved appetite, better absorption of nutrients and better energy levels.
– Health Professional
This section brings together practical ideas, advice from CF health professionals, and lived experience from the CF community. Addressing some of the challenges you may face will help you to feel more prepared and better able to understand the changes happening to your body and overall health. The resources we have included in this section are designed to give you tools and knowledge to better understand yourself and your health. They aim to spark new ideas about what you need, what supports you, and what goals you want to work toward, so you feel more confident, informed, and in control of your care.
Remember, your health journey is individual. Use these ideas as starting points and lean on your CF team and community for support, navigating change isn’t always easy, and you don’t have to do it alone!
Adjusting to New Medications
Support and practical tips for navigating new treatments, changing routines, side effects, and staying consistent with care.
Changes in Physical Health
Understanding shifts in energy, nutrition, symptoms, and body awareness as health improves, and learning how to respond early to changes.
Looking After Mental Wellbeing
Learn how mental wellbeing can shift and find information on common emotional experiences and support options for people living with CF.
Family Planning
Exploring fertility, pregnancy, and parenting with CF, including emotional, physical, and practical considerations.
Aging with CF
Guidance on living longer with CF, including evolving health needs, ageing-related changes, and planning for the future.
Trikafta masks other things going on, and you kind of, not forget, but you’re not really thinking about it as much, or it’s less obvious. You have to remind yourself and be extra careful and get things checked more because they’ve still got CF, it’s not a cure.
– Parent of child with CF
Extra Support
CFWA can help connect you with trusted information, tools, and services to support your physical wellbeing and how you care for your body. Whether you’re navigating changes in energy, nutrition, weight, body image, mental wellbeing, or adjusting to new treatments, our team can help point you toward the right support.
This might include education and resources, referrals to members of your CF care team, psychosocial support, financial subsidy support, peer connection opportunities, or practical tools to help you adapt to physical and health-related changes at different stages of life.
For more information or to talk through your options, contact our Services Team at services@cfwa.org.au or (08) 6224 4100.
If you’d like additional support around body image, health adjustments, or life transitions related to your physical wellbeing, we can also help connect you with allied health services. These supports offer a safe, one-on-one space to reflect, build understanding, and develop practical strategies for looking after your body and overall wellbeing.