★I have decided to form this blog part medical and part personal. Which means every other blog will be personal experiences living with CF. From yours truly me, Sandi Alvaro. The other will be medical tips, info, and insight. Yep, you guessed it, this one is a personal one★
When I was born, I was given an "expiration date", that I would not make it to be a year old. Spoken so casually, as if I were a gallon of milk.
I was delivered by a middle Eastern doctor in, Titusville, Florida on April 26th, 1987. As soon as I was born my daddy knew there was something awry. My tiny baby body was an odd purple hue, which of course terrified him. I was then flown to Orlando, Florida. My father racing underneath the helicopter to get there at the same time as myself,he was a nervous wreck. Not alone were my parents told I may not make it, the doctor actually told them, "not to get attached to me".
During the hectic panic and chaos in Orlando, my mom was back in Titusville bleeding out from what the doctor did to her during my delivery. What I have heard her refer to as, "he just butchered me and coerced me to sign liability paperwork, while repeating "you no sue". My father was on the verge of losing us both. Luckily her and I are fighters and that was the day that my mother and I, were spiritually connected and have been ever since.
After rushing me to the Orlando hospital and waiting for hours my dad was informed that I had neglected to pass my meconium (first poop). Which then lead to, a condition called, meconium ileus which simply is the thickness of mucus around your intestines. This is often the first sign of Cystic Fibrosis. Later on the diagnosis of the meconium ielus sealed my fate. My father had known what was about to be said. He knew it had to be CF. He thought about his 3 first cousins with CF, and just knew!
★Interesting fact- A symptom of both Hirschsprung's disease and Cystic Fibrosis is the failure to pass meconium.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is when I changed my parents life styles and outlook on the world.
Panicking about his "fiancé" (at the time my parents were not married.) My father was torn and confused as to what he needed to do. What could be done? How we were going to make it?
My father tried telling the doctors that CF ran in his family in first cousins. Back then they said it shouldn't be an issue. A few hours later, I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis!
I feel I tell this story, hundreds of times. It's a good success story to tell. One that warrents the attention. To stop ignorance of the life span of a Cystic.
★My next "expiration" date, is whenever I say it is!
PS I have been here raising hell for 26 years and plan on 26 more years! The jackass doctor who gave me an, expiration date, can kiss it!!
Don't spoil, just smile,
Sandi
Sandi
