CF as a Gift

Cystic Fibrosis is a gift. What it has given me is possibly more important than anything I could have learned if I were healthy.

I have learned to appreciate life. I appreciate and love the people around me as much as I can. I want to experience things and do as much as I possibly can.

CF has given me the opportunity to grab life by the horns and make it mine. It has taken me a long time to figure out what way I want to steer the horns of life, but I think I'm starting to figure it out.

I want to help people. I've always wanted to help people. When I was little I wanted to be a pediatric pulmonologist so I could help other children with cystic fibrosis. I've always wanted to help other CFers, but recently I've realized I just want to help people in general.

I want to be an advocate. I want to help people navigate the craziness that is the medical world. Teach them how to self advocate, and get through the insurance hoops. I want to help people get to a therapist and/or a psychiatrist because I've seem my share and know how to find a good one. I can help people organize their medications and figure out a way to remember how to take them.

I want to spend time with children and see the world through their eyes. I want to help mold them into better people. I want to share their joy in new things and comfort them when they are sad.

Most of all, I want to live and feel like I'm skipping joyfully through life. And right now I have that part down.

-- Carla's on the go! Post from her iPhone.

Comments

nicolette.dances said…
Carla,

I've read some of your posts. They are beautiful. I wanted to offer a resource for what you wrote about, being an advocate for others through the medical world. Perhaps you know of it already; I heard of this organization at the Wisconsin Women's Health Policy Summit: The Center for Patient Partnerships. It offers just the type of thing that you were describing. They also train students and volunteers to be advocates and help people through the medical process. Here is the website: http://www.patientpartnerships.org/index.php

Best of luck to you and congrats on one year free of IV!

Peace and Joy,
Nicolette
August 31, 2010 at 9:20 PM
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