Monday, October 6, 2008

Health

To all who do or do not know my younger brother Darren and I have Cystic Fibrosis. Basically, it is a genetic disease which affects the respiratory and digestive systems. Everyone who has it is affected differently. Our biological parents had 4 kids, Aaron, me, Sherri and Darren. Aaron and Sherri are both married with all healthy children even though one of them is a carrier for the genetic disease. A carrier is someone who genetically contains the mutation but not any of the symptoms. Because CF is a recessive disease both parents need to be at least carriers to give the child the disease.
I was diagnosed at about 11 months of age and my parents had no idea what CF was let alone that they were carriers. Once I was diagnosed and began treatments I was relatively healthy. I have only been hospitalized about 3 times that I can remember. Darren however, has always been a lot worse. He got a double lung transplant about 2 weeks after we found out we were expecting a baby. His recovery is going amazingly well and my health though the pregnancy is very good also.

1 comment:

Dawn and Spence said...

Bret and Kari...I really enjoyed reading your blog, and learning your story. Your page looks great, and I'm so happy you get to be blessed with baby soon.

You may have an interest in checking out my blog and clicking on the Friends and Family link that have the name Ryan and Sharlie. Sharlie is my cousin, and you may recognize her or her story. Anyhow, long story short, she too has CF, and my family is VERY aware of the disease and history, and everything else that comes with it.

Keep the posts coming, and keep us posted on your next trip out to Utah.

-Snarr and Dawn