Jeph, certainly there aren't any perks of having a life-threatening disease, are there?!
Why, yes, reader, there are, in fact, a few perks of having this disease. Maybe not many, but I'll take what I can get.
Why, yes, reader, there are, in fact, a few perks of having this disease. Maybe not many, but I'll take what I can get.
I get to eat a lot
Yeah, baby. My parents have been trying to get me to eat anything since I can remember. They practically forced me to eat ice cream and fatty foods as a kid. I mean, how much can that suck?! Realistically, it does suck because despite eating so much, I barely gain weight (Jeph, that's just another perk! No, it's really not). I really do struggle with weight gain, which is why I have to eat so much, but I do love my food! Especially when my dad lets me get pretty much anything at the store to bring back to college. Because I have CF, I have to eat a lot, so yeah, it's not terrible. Unless I have those days when I'm just not hungry. Those suck. My sister Anna portrayed this really well in one of her blogs, which I didn't realize existed until maybe a year or two ago. (The first paragraph is what I'm talking about, but the whole blog is good so don't stop there.)
I went to HAWAII
In October of 2013, my older sister, three younger siblings, parents, and I went on a week-long vacation to Hawaii thanks to Make-A-Wish. It. was. AWESOME. We would never have been able to afford a trip like that without Make-A-Wish and my CF. Even if I didn't have CF, we still wouldn't have been able to, and I probably never would have gone. However, I do have CF, and although I do hate using CF to my advantage, I did in this case and I don't regret it. In Hawaii, I made so many memories with my family and I have that to hold on to forever. The Make-A-Wish foundation is one of the greatest foundations out there for people with life-threatening illnesses and it does so many great things, not medically, but emotionally and spiritually, for patients and families who suffer.
Hospital Prom!
How many people get to say they had prom in a hospital...twice? Yeah, it doesn't sound great. It wasn't great, but it was still a perk, I'd say. If you didn't know somehow, I missed my junior and senior prom, and my social worker and dietitian threw me a hospital prom. While the conditions weren't great, it was so memorable, and like Hawaii, it wouldn't have happened without me having cystic fibrosis. My girlfriend, Noelle, even got to ride in a limo to the hospital and we got Olive Garden catered, so, yeah, it was a good night. :) A year later, the same thing happened, but I asked the staff to keep it low-key. They respected this, but Noelle still surprised me with decorations and we dressed up for some pictures. While I had to watch my proms happen through pictures and videos from a hospital bed, I had my own unique experience while everyone else had a pretty normal, maybe even bland prom. ;)
I get my own room in college
Forget about having to worry about roommates. Oh yeah, and I have my own bathroom in my room. AND I get this room next year. How great is that?! Anna had a similar situation when she went to college, and I'm so glad I get this set up. It makes it so much easier for me to do my treatments without disturbing a roommate or making them feel uncomfortable. I have more room to store my medicines, and I just have less of a chance of getting sick because I'm not actually living with someone. So, while it looks awesome and like I'm bragging about it (okay, I might be a little), it is kind of necessary for me and any potential roommates (shout-out to Parker who was supposed to be my roommate until I rejected him).
I am more sympathetic
Okay, these next two points may seem like I'm kind of building myself up and saying "hey look how good of a person I am!" but I truly believe these things. Having a chronic illness makes you suffer. With CF, I cough all the time, I'm pretty much constantly tired, my lungs are sore a lot, and there's a lot of medicines and routines I have to do, not including my school schedule. No, this isn't a pity party, and I'm not trying to make you feel bad for me, but it's just the truth. That being said, because of everything I experience, I understand what others go through and can appreciate it when they feel sick or tired or whatever the case may be. A lot of people complain about others complaining, because "you have it so much worse!" or "I've been through worse. That's nothing." But that doesn't matter. Pain and suffering aren't objective. Just because you have a cough doesn't mean you can't complain around me because I always cough. You're not used to it! It may actually be worse than mine at the time, so yeah, you might have it worse. Just because someone might have it worse doesn't mean you can't have it bad. It's like saying you can't be happy because someone else is happier. It doesn't make sense. So, with my CF, I am more sensitive to people's problems, even if they're not physical ailments. I've been through a lot, and even if I haven't been through what you're going through doesn't mean I don't have sympathy for you. Life is hard. For everyone. I like to think that I can see multiple perspectives and possibilities, like why someone might be late, or is on their phone in church, or crying in the middle of class. Maybe they slept late, but maybe they had to stop to help someone who is struggling. Maybe the person on their phone is talking to their girlfriend, but maybe they have a loved one in the hospital and are looking for updates. Maybe the person crying doesn't understand the material and is stressing for the test, but maybe someone they know just died. There are a lot of possibilities in any situation, and sometimes they're not always the most ideal. I'm always open to talk or listen to those who need it.
I'm overall more positive
Similar to the last point, I am just overall happier in life. I've grown to realize life is short and not a lot of things we think are important really aren't. With my cystic fibrosis, I've seen this first hand. My sister died from CF at the young age of 23. I've been hospitalized for two proms. I miss a ton of homework and tests in the hospital. At the end of the day, they don't add up to that much. I've learned to put my real priorities first, because I want to be happy. I don't want to do what I have to do. I want other people to be happy, too. I do what I can when people aren't. I try to be positive and optimistic, looking at all possibilities and choices. I'm hopeful. As depressing as it might sound, we're all going to die. And the things that matter now may not matter when we're dead. The happiness and positivity that we spread will matter, however, and my goal in life is to spread as much as possible.
So, yeah. CF has its perks. Not a ton, but they're there. And I'll take them. With chronic illnesses, there is a lot to be depressed about. There's a ton of stress, medicines, doctor appointments, hospitalizations, coughing, and treatments. It's hard, but these things make it easier to live with. Cystic fibrosis sucks, but my life, despite it, doesn't.
