Harmful Fumes for CFers/New CF Mom Blogger/Organ Donation/Decision to have another child or not

Click here to check out the blog of a new CF mom I found thru Ronny;) Well, she's not new to blogging and her son is 14 months old... but she is new to me;-) lol

Ronny had a GREAT post the other day on his blog. When doesn't he have a great post though;-) The post was actually from his girlfriend, Mandi. Click here to get the whole post on his blog.

These are some very interesting things that I didn't know(except about the smoke;) and that I feel ALL CF families should know, especially us who have young CFers who can't tell us when their lungs hurt. Here is the post from his blog....

Caution: Harmful Fumes Ahead (for CFers)

On Thursday evening, I decided to paint my nails. I'm not much of a girly-girl, so I rarely partake in this form of pampering, but for whatever reason, I decided Thursday night was the night. Ronnie and I were watching TV, I jumped up, grabbed the the nail polish bottle, plopped back down next to Ronnie and began painting. Two nails in, Ronnie moved to the other chair. I didn't think much of it. After finishing my manicure and waving my hands in the air (who knows if that actually dries your nails faster), I moved to get closer to Ronnie in his newly selected location. As I started to get close, Ronnie lovingly said, "just so you know a little something about me," he paused, "nail polish really irritates my lungs. "IT DOES?" I replied, feeling a little bad for not knowing. How would I have known? I never paint my nails. It doesn't bother my lungs. I just didn't think about it. But after he mentioned it, it seemed like a no-brainer.


I decided to compile a list of things I know of that irritate Ronnie's lungs, in case you have little ones that can't/won't speak up:


-Smoke - this seems like an obvious one. And sure, if someone is blowing cigarette smoke in my face, I notice, but there have been many occasions where Ronnie will say, "someone's smoking, let's move" and I haven't even smelled it. This goes for other kinds of smoke also. Smoke from cigars, pipes, bon fires, burning meals, etc. After a night with a lot of smoke around, Ronnie will often cough up blood.


-Car fumes - When we're running or walking on the sidewalk of a busier street, Ronnie often complains of how the car fumes make his lungs feel and it often irritates his lungs making him cough more.


-Air fresheners and scented candles - Bathroom aerosol sprays, plug-ins, regular old candles, these often make Ronnie's lungs feel irritated and "itchy" in his words. If you're looking to "freshen" the air a little try potpourri.


-Perfume - If someone has too much perfume on (not just when spraying it) it really tightens up Ronnie's lungs. I'm not sure there's any way around this other than cutting back on the perfume usage. I do wear perfume and Ronnie has yet to complain, but when I wear it, I go light.

These are the only offenders that I know of. I didn't realize how much more sensitive CFers' lungs were. I hope this list helps.


If you have any others, please leave them here.


P.S. If you haven't made it over to www.naturemade.com yet to see Ronnie's story, check it out. I'm super proud of him :)

Click here for another great post by Ronny about being a good CF mom:)

Here is one more great post by Ronny about making the decision to have more children if both parents are CF carriers. Be sure to read all the different comments too;-)

I think that's enough for now...LOL ;-) Let me know if you have any questions,
M
PS. Lately on Young & the Restless(yes, I'm addicted to a soap opera;) they have been talking a lot about organ donation. I'm so glad that they are, b/c it is SOOOOOO important for CFers. Most CFers will need a double lung transplant when they get older. Please, Please, Please become an organ donor TODAY. Don't wait another minute! You could not only save 1 life, but you could save 7 lives!! Isn't that a great way to be remembered? I hold comfort in knowing that someday I may save a life or two or 7. Click Here to find out more about how to become an organ donor in your state and how to ensure your wishes are carried out upon your death.

Ok, now I'm done...for real this time;-)