Hey guys! My name is Katrina, I am from Bunbury, I am 26 yrs old and I have cystic fibrosis (CF). I was diagnosed a few days after birth. I have 2 older brothers, but thankfully they are not even carriers.
Growing up my parents tried to make things fun for me, like reading a good book to me while I was doing my nebulisers or airway clearance. Sometimes my brothers even sneaked in to listen. I learnt that if I didn’t take my medication or do my physio, then I wouldn’t feel so great and would have to miss out on doing things, so I made sure I did them all the time. I still get sick of doing it sometimes, but I would rather be healthy and be able to do things like travel the world, hang out with friends and dance.
Because I keep myself pretty healthy, I have been able to travel to America, England, France, Bali, Fiji, Solomon Islands and soon I’m off to Cambodia. So no matter how much you hate it, just do it and find ways to make it fun, so that you can enjoy doing what you love.
Sometimes I have to have a hospital visit and get a PICC line put into my arm so I can get better. A PICC line is a long line they put in your arm that they can put medicine into a few times a day for 2-3 weeks. If you are able to, it can be done at home once the line has been put in. If you go home with the line in, you must be very careful to look after it, protecting the area and making sure you don’t bump it or get it wet. When I was younger they used to put me to sleep to put the PICC line in, but now I have to stay awake, so I had to find ways to make it easier for me to get the drip put in.
The last time I was in hospital was one of the best experiences. I took time before they took me to get it done, to sit and listen to soothing music. I also talk to God and ask Him to help it go smoothly, as pain free as possible and to calm the nerves inside, I find this helps me. I always have my mum by my side and she holds my hand (yes, even as an adult). The ladies doing the job were really nice and assured me it wouldn’t take long and she would try to make it less painful. Then me and mum put in earphones and watched a comedian on her phone, this really helped to take my mind off what was happening. And it was all over in about 15 min. So just think of ways that make it easier for you and ask your doctor if it’s possible to do them. Sometimes we need to go into hospital so it’s important that the process is as easy as possible then when we come out we can continue enjoying life.
Interview from Rozee 2018.