The proof is in the sweat

Yesterday I had a chance to get out of the house and go for lunch with two other CF Mommies. What a great resource these ladies are! Both have a child with CF, both around 2 years old, so have been through all the things we are experiencing and more. I learned new things, made new friends and hope I can continue to seek advice from them in what's sure to be many ups and downs to come.

One thing that P.J. and I were always curious about was the sweat test we had done on Nash when they first confirmed the diagnosis. We were never flat out told what the number was and yesterday I learned where to find this number. Who knew it was right in front of me the whole time!


What is the "sweat test"? 
People with cystic fibrosis have high levels of salt in their sweat. So basically the sweat test measures the amount and if it's high it confirms the diagnosis suspected from the newborn screening.

less than 30 = normal
30-59 = boarderline
60 or greater = positive for CF

Nash's sweat test number was 96:(

Here's a picture that P.J. had taken on his phone while Nash was having his sweat test done at three weeks old. I hadn't seen this until today! Totally painless as you can see by him catching flies!

The proof is in the sweat

This is also why we have to make a salt solution and add it to breastmilk in a bottle once a day. I'm thankful that he takes a bottle as others have had to try to give it to them in a syringe, which you can imagine isn't the tasty treat they would like it to be. Nash doesn't even notice when it's mixed into his bottle. Once he gets older our dietician will give us ideas of how to make his diet high in sodium as well as fat. Friends and family need not worry about sneaking chips and candy to our little guy!