Keep Your Distance

When I talk with some people about Cystic Fibrosis and daycare, it always comes up about how it be great if CF kids could attend the same daycare to ensure that medications are given properly and the caregivers could learn more about CF etc. Well, the one thing that many people don't realize about Cystic Fibrosis is that CF patients shouldn't be around other CF patients. There's too high of a risk of infections being passed from one to another. While Nash is too young to want to play with these other CF kids, it does have an impact on us as parents.

When your child is diagnosed you immediately want to learn more about the disease. While you can go on the internet, so much of what you read is not accurate and so much of it is negative, it really means a lot to be able to talk with other parents who have been through it all. While our experiences many not always be the same, we all have the one thing in common, our child has CF.

I have met, and become friends with, some pretty amazing CF parents. It's just so hard that while we have so much in common, we can't hang out unless it's without the kids. While us moms do try to get together for breakfast, coffee or lunch every once-in-awhile, it has to be without the kidlets. It would be great if we didn't have to worry about our kids being around each other, and if the kids could grow up knowing each other and be able to share their experiences.

The standard rule of thumb is that CF patients should maintain a 3-foot range between them if at an outdoor venue and this is how we are able to do the Great Strides Walk. Everyone tends to stick with their team of friends and family and while Nash is young, he's in his stroller and not running around where he could be hanging out with other CF kids without even knowing. There are approximately 150 children who attend the CF clinic at Alberta Children's Hospital, many of whom attend the walk. It would be impossible to know who all of them are so we just try to do our best to keep him in his bubble and protect him as best as we can. Yet another one of those little things about CF that you may not have been aware of!

Great Strides Walk 2013