Author: Lauren

First a little background for those of you who don’t know. The FDA, being the nice government organization that they are, recently granted approval to only certain enzymes which we CFers need for our pancreas’s to help digest food. According to my doctor anyway, Ultrase (the enzyme I took) never did any of the required trials, which is why it was not granted the honor of FDA approval. What does this mean? The CFers who have come to love and depend on their Ultrase must find a new P.I.C (that’s Partner in Crime for the un-hip crowd) as insurance companies prefer to cover FDA approved drugs. Alas, I must leave the enzyme I have taken for years and years, the one I have carried around in purses, wallets, backpacks, and pockets. The enzyme who’s bottle rests in not only in my heart and in my own medicine cabinet, but the cabinets of friends or family too, for it goes wherever I go. The enzyme who has blessed my mucus-clogged pancreas with the ability to digest and absorb the many treats and eats which I consume. I kind of have a little attachment to my Ultrase, I sort of don’t want to let go. But Ultrase has become that old love who you thought was everything you needed until you found someone new, someone like a Zenpep or a Creon...

Laughing is the best form of airway clearance (I think) My best friend Matt and I do some pretty funny things, this time we caught it on camera! I had so much fun making this and it makes me laugh every time!...

A professor once asked us“Do you believe in love?”That thing you can’t graspor hold in your hand.That faith we seem to havein the meant-to-be’sin the for-the-better’sin the bond with a motherin the forever and ever I think what he meantwas: do you believe in theintangibleunexplainable,the things that don’t giveyou answersor proof?The things that confuse youbut comfort youwith belief in the future. Do you believe in truth,fate,friendship,hate,karma,life,or hope? What he was really asking was:Do you believe indeath,angels,heaven,life,prayer;Do you believe in God? -Copyright Lauren Bombardier...

College students bring a LOT of stuff to move in, but if you have CF you have to think of even MORE things to bring and mentally prepare for. Here’s my little check list. 1. Vest: I’m lucky enough to have my new small, portable vest which makes it a lot easier to bring to school. With my old big one we would have to wheel it up the wheelchair ramp or find a strong guy to bring it up the stairs, all the while getting strange looks as to what this contraption was. Now, my vest fits snuggly in its bag which just looks like a suitcase! 2. Nebulizers: I have the E-flow for my study as well as a regular nebulizer. Along with this you need a spare neb cup.  3. Sterilizer: Some people boil their nebs or wash them. Well in college, we don’t have our own sink ( and the one we share can be gross), and we don’t have our own stove to boil water. I have the baby bottle sterilizer which works great. All you need is a bottle of distilled water, you turn it on, and soon you have nice clean nebs! In between sometimes I’ll rinse them with sterile saline that I have. 4. Stuff for nasal irrigations: I do the NeilMed sinus rinse which works best with warm distilled water....