Spencer Russo(age 11)

“Life With Cystic Fibrosis”

My name is Spencer Russo and I am turning twelve the day after Christmas. On May 14 th of 2008, I went to the doctor and did a sweat test and it came back positive for Cystic Fibrosis. CF is a genetic disease so it can not spread. There is no cure for the disease and most people live to be thirty-seven years old. Some people don't even know that they are a carrier for this gene. One in twenty-five people are carriers. My mom's cousin died from this disease at twenty-three years old, so it carries in my family.

The day I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, the doctor walked in and told my mom and I the devastating news. My mom was sad and couldn't stop crying and I asked the doctor if I was going to die? He told me, “It's possible.” I was very scared.

The doctor told me that I have to use a machine called, “The VEST” everyday, twice a day for the rest of my life. I also have to take a lot of medications. I hate to do the VEST, it hurts my arms and I get lonely. My mom makes me do the VEST even when I tell her that I don't want to.

Having CF has not been fun. I've had to have lot's of surgeries and been in the hospital twice. The hospital is far too. After all my doctor's appointments at the hospital, my mom takes me downstairs to the cafeteria for my famous chicken tenders and french fries with season salt. My body craves salt because of my disease.

Yesterday I went to the doctor's again and found out that I have to have surgery on my stomach and stay in the hospital for a few days. I am scared to be cut. The surgery is called a “Fundoplication.” I don't think it is “fun.” I also found out yesterday that my lung function test is excellent. The team of doctor's said it's because I do all my treatments and take all my medications.

Living with CF is really challenging. I can't be a normal kid and the doctor's are really annoying to me. I want to do normal things like sleep over at my friends house without doing the VEST or bringing my medications.

I hope that someday a cure will be found and I won't have to go to the doctor's all the time, do treatments everyday and live as long as I can go.