I Was Born With a Chronic Disease - Tamara Easton
When I was 6 weeks old I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a life threatening disease that attacks lungs, digestion and life. At the time I was born, the doctors thought I had a blocked bowel so they took me for a bowel biopsy and that’s when they discovered one of my kidneys was larger than the other, so they took me to do some tests. The tests included a sweat test. The results came back positive and that’s when they found out I had Cystic Fibrosis.
My parents were both carriers without even knowing it. They had a 1 in 4 chance of producing a child with CF and that child was me. When the doctors told my parents that I had CF they were kind of shocked but not that much because they didn’t know what CF was or what it meant. Shortly after I was diagnosed with CF my parents and I were flown down to Sydney so that they could learn about CF. I was taken to Sydney’s Camperdown Hospital to get further tests. When they finally learnt about CF and what it is all about they were even more shocked. They learnt about all the things they would have to do and what medications they need to treat my CF with. The learnt how to do physiotherapy on me and how to make up the medications, how to sterilize my nebuliser and what sort of tablets I would be on for the rest of my life.
I don’t really remember much about the affects my CF had when I was younger. I have to take lots of different tablets to keep on top of my CF. I have to have 3 different types of medications that I take through my nebuliser. I go into hospital every 2-3 months to get antibiotics. When I was 3 years old my parents were told that I had to have a tube surgically placed in my tummy because I wasn’t gaining weight on my own. Every time I went into hospital when I was younger they would always have to put an intravenous in my arm so they could give me antibiotics. I had to get them in all the time when I got admitted hospital until I was 10 years old and was told that my veins had collapsed and they were useless. That’s when they told me I could get a special device put in my groin called a port-a-cath and that all it required was a needle to access it. (It also required a long 2 and a half hour operation to be put in place). I have been living with my CF for 15 years now and I’m still going strong (well trying to anyway). I have had my port-a-cath for 5 years now and it’s the best thing I have ever done.
The best thing about my life is having a supportive family that cares so much about me no matter what I do. This year is my 16th birthday and my goal for that is to be able to get my drivers license and my own car so I don’t have to rely on my mum running around for me so much. I am currently studying for my year 10 Certificate at JPET-Mission Australia and my course is called OTEN. My other goal is to be able to become a hairdresser and be able to do something with my life. I have never let my CF get me down or in my way. I want to be able to live my life to its fullest and be proud of what I am trying to achieve. I always have to force myself into eating because if I don’t, I don’t end up eating at all.
Lots of people don’t believe that I have CF because I look healthy on the outside. I try to be as brave as I can and show people that I’m not just a sick young woman – I’m more than that. I have the best family to look up at and be proud of, I’m thankful they are here for me. The person I most look up to is my older sister Helena because she sticks up for me and helps me through the tough times I face everyday of my life. She’s taught me how to stick up for myself when she’s not around. I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s the best person in my age group that I can relate to. She’s my role model and always will be.
