Healthy

We are so thankful that Kelsie has been so healthy so far. I dare to even say it, but she has not had so much of a sniffle up to this point. With Cystic Fibrosis, the risk of getting sick from an immunologic standpoint is not the problem, its what happens if you do get sick. Therefore, it is imperative that we do all we can to keep her as healthy as possible for as long as possible. I am becoming more and more anxious about this as the cold/flu season approaches. Especially considering my job in primary care pediatrics which can be a cesspool for germs. I make every effort not to bring those germs home by washing my hands constantly while at work, and changing my clothes and washing up when I get home. And as hard as it is not to grab my baby as soon as I walk in from work, I try really hard to make sure I always go upstairs to change and wash off first. But getting sick is pretty inevitable when you work in primary care...and even as we speak I am battling a sore throat - yep, I woke up with that friendly visitor this morning. And the sinus congestion and headache are starting too. Now I just pray and hope Kelsie doesn't get it, but if she does, pray that its just a quick little cold and doesn't turn into a bacterial infection!

Which reminds me to share a piece of encouraging information I saw this week. I was reading Kelsie's last note from her CF doctor and saw the assessment listed as: 1.  Cystic fibrosis with very mild lung involvement, history of normal pulmonary function testing and currently no active symptoms. 2.  Pancreatic insufficiency with excellent growth pattern and weight gain. I was so thrilled to see such an optimistic assessment. Even though she seems to be doing well to me, I have often wondered if it is just too early to have seen the effects of her illness. But by him saying that her lung involvement is "very mild", he must see a lot of other infants with CF who are alreading exhibiting more severe respiratory symptoms. I know there is a wide spectrum of CF in terms of severity and this just leaves me with a renewed faith that maybe her illness will be less severe.  I know that the the longer we can keep her lungs healthy by preventing infections and keeping her well-nourished, the better off she will be longterm, so I will do anything in my power to make that happen.
That is one reason I insist on breastfeeding. Not to knock formula, but it simply cannot provide the same benefits as breast milk, and one of those most important benefits is the immune protection it provides. My antibodies are passed along to her via my breast milk and that gives her extra immunity to fight off infections.  I'm not gonna lie though, breastfeeding is exhausting - especially when you work. But its definitely worth it and I am absolutely determined to do anything I can to continue nursing her for at least the 1st year. Other than starting solids, Kelsie has been exclusively fed breast milk so that means I have to pump when I can't be with her to feed her. And because she has to get her daily dose of salt in a bottle, it also means I have to pump every night. I always DREAD pumping and many nights just don't want to go through the hassle, but I know that if I skip pumping, my milk supply will eventually go down, and I will also not be replacing the milk she is consuming when she isn't nursing. It is also exhausting because of the effect it has on your body. It takes a lot of extra calories to make all that milk, calories that I don't necessarily consume every day, so that is a constant drain on my energy as well! But I still wouldn't give it up for anything. Totally worth it for so many reasons!!!