I have been writing this blog for a few years now, and I have never mentioned it.

In the past, I have often thought “People know what it is.” However, it seems they often half know what it is.

Whenever I am in a new space, people often notice that I am taking something like candy. My enzymes give me away. Then the amount of food and my size. My cough. At one time I didn’t cough, so I could pass as a relatively healthy person for a few months longer.

I do not hide my CF, but I don’t announce it either. I like having people get to know me first, a bit anyway. There does come a point where I have to say something, my gut usually signals me. If I don’t say something to my friend, they will feel mislead down the road.

However, when I say, “I have cystic fibrosis. Do you know what that is?” I have a few bylines attached to said announcement:

Do not ever feel sorry for me;
There is nothing to feel sorry about.
Do not ever treat me differently;
Treat me with compassion, but never differently.
I don’t believe in complaining,
There is no worth in it.
I am matter-of-a-fact about certain defined realities, because
CF is.
It takes everything and more.
As life takes hard work,
Work hard.

With that – understand that it takes a lot of time to care of CF, and those who have CF are well aware of the patience and perseverance that is needed. At times, those qualities will be undoubtedly asked to those who know the CFer.

CF is extraordinarily selfish. It takes and takes. You can hit things, ignore it, yell at it, it doesn’t matter – you are stuck are with it.

Flip that, let’s say for fun –

CF is a friend that clasps their hands together to give you a boost;
A Kleenex that is in reach every time you sneeze;
An extra key in your pocket when you left the other one at home;
A friend that hands you a hot cup of coffee just when you spilled yours;

One dryer sheet left in the box when you have one last load to do;
Your plane is delayed when you are running late because your dog got spooked;
You got off the night shift just when the sun begins to set later and later;

A tornado that zig-zags through your neighborhood leaving your house standing;
Watching the rain pour out of the sky, lifting the humidity and bursting the saturated molecules, leaving it to do its’ next bidding;
A parachute that catches you every time you fall.

Let’s say, for fun.