Hello Family, Friends, Fellow CF Fighters and all who have an interest in my life!
Welcome to my Blog!
Jamie's Journey! And what a journey it has and continues to be!
As I'm sure most of you know, I have a life threatening illness, Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis, that I will refer to as CF on this blog, is the leading cause of death amongst children in Canada. However, great progress has been made in the CF community. A child born now with CF can expect to live into their old age! The average life expectancy right now is 47! 10 Years ago it was less than 30.
I was diagnosed with CF at the age of 3 months old. Failure to thrive and a sweat test were needed for the diagnosis. I was then raised my whole life, attending CF clinics and needing hospitalizations as I grew older. CF is a progressive disease; the longer you live, the more you will present CF related issues.
"CF is like drowning on the inside", said one campaign by Cystic Fibrosis Canada, and boy are they right! We fail to have the needed enzymes to digest our food and our lungs lack the ability to clear themselves of thick mucus that causes us to get frequent infections. Some days I certainly feel like I am drowning from my own flem. Other symptoms that are present at this stage of CF are chronic fatigue, CF related Diabetes, Arthritis, and the list goes on and on.
Why did I want to start a blog? Well, to be honest, for selfish reasons. You see, I am the type of person who finds it difficult to express myself via conversation. However, give me a pen and paper, or a key pad and watch out! It is therapy for me to be able to write my feelings down and record. Those who read often give me feedback or make comments that enhance my life and often help me get a fresh perspective.
However, if there is one thing I know for sure in my life is that I have ALOTof people who love and care about me. And I often find it overwhelming to keep you all updated, so I thought, what a better way to express myself and keep everyone updated on the changes and challenges in my life, other than a blog!
So! Here we are! And thank you for taking the time to read! On this blog I intend to share alot of advice to help other's with CF get through their trials. I plan on sharing my thoughts and feelings on all types of topics. But mostly, I really want to use this blog to share my possitive outlook on life and good attitude I still struggle to keep. "Life is a gift, and I don't plan on waisting it", said Jack Dawson in the film Titanic. And that is my attitude! Until I draw my last breath on this earth, I plan on making every moment count.
So join me, will you? We will take this journey together. We are going to have our mountains to climb, but we will also have some strolls along the river. Whatever the road we go down, Im just happy your going to join me, hand in hand. Let's get started!
"A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life." ~ James Allen
xoJamie Leigh Fransis
Welcome to my Blog!
Jamie's Journey! And what a journey it has and continues to be!
As I'm sure most of you know, I have a life threatening illness, Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis, that I will refer to as CF on this blog, is the leading cause of death amongst children in Canada. However, great progress has been made in the CF community. A child born now with CF can expect to live into their old age! The average life expectancy right now is 47! 10 Years ago it was less than 30.
I was diagnosed with CF at the age of 3 months old. Failure to thrive and a sweat test were needed for the diagnosis. I was then raised my whole life, attending CF clinics and needing hospitalizations as I grew older. CF is a progressive disease; the longer you live, the more you will present CF related issues.
"CF is like drowning on the inside", said one campaign by Cystic Fibrosis Canada, and boy are they right! We fail to have the needed enzymes to digest our food and our lungs lack the ability to clear themselves of thick mucus that causes us to get frequent infections. Some days I certainly feel like I am drowning from my own flem. Other symptoms that are present at this stage of CF are chronic fatigue, CF related Diabetes, Arthritis, and the list goes on and on.
Why did I want to start a blog? Well, to be honest, for selfish reasons. You see, I am the type of person who finds it difficult to express myself via conversation. However, give me a pen and paper, or a key pad and watch out! It is therapy for me to be able to write my feelings down and record. Those who read often give me feedback or make comments that enhance my life and often help me get a fresh perspective.
However, if there is one thing I know for sure in my life is that I have ALOTof people who love and care about me. And I often find it overwhelming to keep you all updated, so I thought, what a better way to express myself and keep everyone updated on the changes and challenges in my life, other than a blog!
So! Here we are! And thank you for taking the time to read! On this blog I intend to share alot of advice to help other's with CF get through their trials. I plan on sharing my thoughts and feelings on all types of topics. But mostly, I really want to use this blog to share my possitive outlook on life and good attitude I still struggle to keep. "Life is a gift, and I don't plan on waisting it", said Jack Dawson in the film Titanic. And that is my attitude! Until I draw my last breath on this earth, I plan on making every moment count.
So join me, will you? We will take this journey together. We are going to have our mountains to climb, but we will also have some strolls along the river. Whatever the road we go down, Im just happy your going to join me, hand in hand. Let's get started!
"A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life." ~ James Allen
xoJamie Leigh Fransis
