Kevin A. Przybyl Breathe Easy Foundation Inc.

A person suffering from cystic fibrosis will have to deal with being dependent on medication for the rest of his life, some upwards to 30 different medications per day, several needed multiple times per day.
Medical Costs for insured patients can exceed $10,000 per year. The cost to uninsured patients is astronomical forcing patients to cut out medications, nutrition and doctor visits, all critical to a CF patients survival
Every year, CF patients need one or more IV antibiotic sessions in the hospital to “clean” the lungs from bacteria. Usually an antibiotic session like this takes about 2 weeks
Despite the best efforts to take the required medication, an adult suffering from cystic fibrosis will also have to undergo a continuous physical therapy regimen.
This treatment will consist of daily chest massages to relieve the patient of the mucus that built up in the lungs during sleeping. As a child, the parents or therapist would be doing this for the patient, but as he grows up, he will need to learn how to do this for himself, with the use of PEP mask, vests or through “auto drainage”.
Physical therapies have to be executed two or three times a day, taking about 20 to 30 minutes per session.
Adult patients tend to use 2 nebulizer sessions per day: one in the morning and one in the evening. The inhaled medicines are bronchodilator, mucus thinner and when needed antibiotics. Each session takes about 10 to 15 minutes using the latest aerosols.
CF persons burn more calories than other people just by breathing, patients needs to maintain a diet that is high in calories and fat. I myself must take in a minimum of 4,000 calories to maintain my 105 lbs.
Advancements in medical research concerning cystic fibrosis have now made it possible for patients to live many years as adults. Nevertheless, lung function decreases over time due to lung scarring. After some time people aren’t able to do normal physical activities like walking or going up a staircase. Luckily patients can look forward to a new beginning thanks to a lung transplant.