Grown-Up Advice?
Hi, Im Nora and I currently have Cystic Fibrosis and am in the hospital for lung infection! Luckly I only have to stay in for 10 days lol! But im 17 and have so many descions to make this year..and i needed some advice! Since yall im sure have already been through this i have questions feel free to answer any! I would appericatie it sooo MUCH! Its
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I had my first hospitalizations during my junior year of college. I'm still in the mild-to-moderate category, with lung function usually between 65-70%, but I have IV antibiotics once or twice a year. So to answer your questions:
1) I agree that office jobs tend to be best for CFers, at least in my experience. BUT, if you work in a job where you're sitting down all the time, be sure that you make time for exercise. Letting yourself sit all day won't do your lungs any favors.
2) College can get tough juggling all your responsibilities, but personally I found the experience of living on campus (in a dorm) my first couple years, then living in a campus apartment junior year, then off campus senior year, gave me a really good transition from living with the parents to out in the real world. If you do decide to move to college instead of staying with your parents and/or learning online, I recommend that you choose a college with a really good community feeling and support system. I went to a smallish, private college where the residence halls had a really close-knit community feel - it was like living with 25 sisters, and I forged friendships for life there. Ten years post-graduation, I'm still close with lots of the people I lived with in the dorm. Not everyone can afford a private school, and not every private school is like mine was, but in my experience, it was well worth the extra expense. Also, I told my professors in advance if I had any indication that I would need special consideration, health-wise. They were all very willing to accomodate my needs, but I was a very diligent student so they knew I wasn't just bullshitting them. Be a good student, give your professors notice whenever possible, and they will almost always accomodate you.
3) I think that WHO you work for makes just as much of a difference, health-wise, as WHAT you do. These days, a lot of young graduates hop from job to job and are focused on the career ladder. As a CFer, the problem with that is, if you're changing jobs every couple of years you might not be around long enough for your employer to gain trust in, or hold any stock in you (and vice versa). If they don't know you, and your work, very well, it can be a lot harder for them to let you get away when you need to pay attention to your health. Me, I found a job during college for a small business (about 30 people) with really great managers. Not only from a business standpoint, but personally, they are some of the most upstanding people I could ever hope to work for/with, and I know I can count on them for anything (and they count on me just as much). When I graduated they offered me a full time job, and though I've had a few bumps along the way, I ultimately got to advance to a management position myself. My boss knows that I'll do a great job, even if that means he has to give me a more flexible schedule or time off.
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