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"Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. A defective gene causes the body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections. These thick secretions also obstruct the pancreas, preventing digestive enzymes from reaching the intestines to help break down and absorb food. The mucus also can block the bile duct in the liver, eventually causing permanent liver damage in approximately six percent of people with CF." Read more at their website, www.cff.org

Hallie was diagnosed on 06/30/05. She was born 01/18/05 weighing 7lbs, 6ozs. Everything seemed to be going okay, although I noticed that she didn't gain weight very rapidly. At her four month well child check she weighed 11lbs, 2ozs. Then she got sick with what I thought was a "cold". She wasn't getting any better and her weight dropped to 9lbs, 12ozs at six months. Her family doctor did a chest x-ray and noticed that she had pneumonia. We were sent to a pediatric pulmonologist who suspected CF. The day the diagnosis was confirmed, Hallie had to be admitted to Wesley Medical Center for an electrolyte imbalance. She had IV's for 3 days. Then we came home to start our new life as parents of a CF baby.