Maggie, my 20 month old, got her first cold this week. Most people can’t believe she made it to almost age two without a cold. When people find out, they call us lucky. And luck probably played a small part in it, but so did hard work, careful consideration, following the doctor’s rules, and prayer. Maggie has cystic fibrosis and avoiding germs that cause respiratory problems is all a part of a day’s work. A runny nose can turn into a cough, which can turn into a lung infection, which can turn into a hospital stay with antibiotics and permanent lung damage, which can turn into a shortened life span. Most people would say that I’m getting way ahead of myself, but it’s all about being proactive with CF.
To avoid the feared first cold for so long we did what any slightly overprotective parent would do. Maggie hasn’t joined any germ-filled playgroups. She stayed away from anyone, family or friend, who had even the slightest cold. We did her chest percussion therapy twice a day everyday without fail since she was diagnosed. She takes her vitamins consistently and eats foods that are beneficial for respiratory health, like asparagus. And I prayed for that first cold to stay away for as long as possible. But the inevitable happened.
Maggie got a cold and a new plan began. Step one was to be a bit annoyed and angry with myself for allowing the cold to happen, but since I knew it would someday show up, step two was to get over that and focus on getting rid of her cold. So… step three, we stayed inside and relaxed. We cuddled a lot, we got lots of rest, and we read many books and watched an extra video. Step four, we had extra chest percussion therapy sections to keep things moving in her lungs. No cough please! After 2 days, she has stopped sneezing and is back to her energized self. Her nose is still a little runny, but she hasn’t developed a cough so nothing has made it to her lungs. Success.
I waited for and dreaded her first cold for so long that I can’t believe it came and pretty much went already. So no more worry about that first cold and how it would play out. We survived it and now I just have to continue with the precautions and the sanitizer and the prayers and rules to keep her free from germs for another 20 months. If I can pull that off, it will be a miracle for sure!