How You Can Help
We are starting our fund drive for next year's Great Strides CF walk. We'd love to keep in touch with anyone who supports us, so please
fill out our online Web form if you'd like to hear from us.
Thanks for your support!
Medicines
Because Cystic Fibrosis is a multi-system disease, which affects each person differently, people with CF usually have customized treatment plans and drug therapies, based on their blood work, sputum cultures, and symptoms. Our daughter Elena takes approximately 30 - 40 pills per day, as well as several inhaled medicines. Some of these include:
- Pancreatic Enzymes - to help with digestion and absorption
- Bronchodilators - before treatments, to help open the airways
- ®Advair 500 - long acting bronchodilator and inhaled steroid
- Steroids - to help reduce inflammation in the lungs
- Antibiotics - oral and IV, to help fight resistant bacteria
- Vitamins A, D, E, K - in water miscible form
- Calcium - to help prevent osteoporosis
- ®Prilosec - to help the pancreatic enzymes work better
- Various Allergy Meds - to help with her asthma component
- ®Nasonex - to help reduce inflammation in the sinuses and prevent polyps
- ®Pulmozyme - Liquefies dead DNA cells in the lungs
- ®Tobi - an inhaled antibiotic
- ®Cayston - another inhaled antibiotic
- Hypertonic Saline - to help loosen thick mucous in the lungs
Sometimes, it is hard for her to have time to do all of her treatments. Sometimes, she forgets to take her enzymes or other meds. Sometimes, she just gets tired of having to take all the medicines and do all the treatments required to keep her healthy. It is a challenge to have to do so much to stay healthy. Mostly, I see Elena just wanting to have the best chance at having a normal, healthy life. That's why we are working to raise awareness. We will never stop hoping for a cure.