Hi,
I'm hopefully going to start volunteering at a Children's hospital near my house. What should I expect being around kids with CF? Is there anything I could do to help or make them feel better? Any other suggestions would be wonderful. Thank you.
Katherine

Hi Kati!

My son has CF, so I can tell you some. CF mainly causes two things, lung problems and digestive problems. With the lung problems I have to worry about people smoking around them, and dusty areas for he can not easily expel this stuff. Not that you have to worry about that in a hospital environment. CF kids cough alot, not a bad thing, it's a good thing it helps get rid of the junk that collects in thier lungs. They do treatments, to help also, he breaths in a mist to loosen up the gunk and then a vibrating paddle is held on different spots on his lungs, this shakes the stuff loose so the kids can cough it up. As for the digestion, he must take pancreatic enzymes in order for him to digest the food he eats. They work well, but not as well as the body's, so he has a unlimited amount of calories and fat he should consume. Since the body does not digest as well as other kids, the will be smaller than thier peers. To see these kids walking down the street you wouldn't be able to pick them out as having CF. They look like regular skinny kids. I hope I have helped you out.

Deb