Cystic Fibrosis
Anatomy and Physiology II
6 June 2013
What tha CF?!? The Human Race, almost inherently, has developed quite the propensity for taking things for granted. Whether it be indoor plumbing, air conditioning, eating on a daily basis, or having clean socks to wear, you can bet we don’t appreciate it like we should. The majority of the population carries on their whole life like this; totally ignorant of how truly lucky they are. Then, there’s a small piece of the pie that is born, for lack of a better word, unlucky. Very, VERY unlucky. I just so happen to be closely related to one of these “unlucky” individuals. No, he’s not unlucky because he’s married to my sister (which I’m sure pains him on some occasion, anyway) but rather because he was born with Cystic Fibrosis, or CF, to those of us “in the know”…
So what is CF? Other than being a painful, inconvenient, soul-sucking bitch (female dog) of a hand to be dealt, it’s a chronic disease affecting multiple organs and systems of the body. It IS genetic, with BOTH parents having to pass the CF gene to the child. The parents don’t necessarily have to have CF, they can merely be “carriers” of the disease (Kepron 2). The gene absolutely must be carried and passed on by both parents in order for one to inherit the disease!
While Cystic Fibrosis effects multiple organs and systems of the body, the organs most effected are the lungs, making it a predominantly respiratory disease. It manifests itself mostly in chronic, recurring lung infections but presents initially with signs and symptoms not necessarily respiratory related. One of the earliest signs of CF is failure to thrive. Sure, maybe your child is the runt of the litter (like myself) but if they’re eating you into the poorhouse and not growing or gaining weight at all, that is failure to thrive. Houston, we have a problem. Basically what’s happening is the infant is not absorbing fats properly, which translates in to malnutrition and bowel movements that
6 June 2013
What tha CF?!? The Human Race, almost inherently, has developed quite the propensity for taking things for granted. Whether it be indoor plumbing, air conditioning, eating on a daily basis, or having clean socks to wear, you can bet we don’t appreciate it like we should. The majority of the population carries on their whole life like this; totally ignorant of how truly lucky they are. Then, there’s a small piece of the pie that is born, for lack of a better word, unlucky. Very, VERY unlucky. I just so happen to be closely related to one of these “unlucky” individuals. No, he’s not unlucky because he’s married to my sister (which I’m sure pains him on some occasion, anyway) but rather because he was born with Cystic Fibrosis, or CF, to those of us “in the know”…
So what is CF? Other than being a painful, inconvenient, soul-sucking bitch (female dog) of a hand to be dealt, it’s a chronic disease affecting multiple organs and systems of the body. It IS genetic, with BOTH parents having to pass the CF gene to the child. The parents don’t necessarily have to have CF, they can merely be “carriers” of the disease (Kepron 2). The gene absolutely must be carried and passed on by both parents in order for one to inherit the disease!
While Cystic Fibrosis effects multiple organs and systems of the body, the organs most effected are the lungs, making it a predominantly respiratory disease. It manifests itself mostly in chronic, recurring lung infections but presents initially with signs and symptoms not necessarily respiratory related. One of the earliest signs of CF is failure to thrive. Sure, maybe your child is the runt of the litter (like myself) but if they’re eating you into the poorhouse and not growing or gaining weight at all, that is failure to thrive. Houston, we have a problem. Basically what’s happening is the infant is not absorbing fats properly, which translates in to malnutrition and bowel movements that
Cited: Dryzmkowski, Jeanette, and Margaret Frazier. Essentials of Human Diseases and Conditions. 4th Ed. St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier, 2009. 78-79. Print. Kepron, Wayne. Cystic Fibrosis. Buffalo: Firefly Books, 2003. Print. Roberts, Bryan. Personal Interview. 03 June 2013.