Erica Rice, mother of a daughter with CF, noted that “people underestimate the emotional and psychological impacts [on] a person who has CF,” explaining that “[t]here’s a lot of anxiety that goes along with it” since patients carry “the weight of responsibility of caring for [themselves].”
According to Mrs. Rice, the effects of CF vary widely day-to-day, as “[i]t’s a constant balance: there are some days where you barely notice it [CF] and some days where it’s monumental.” This may cause further anxiety as to how to deal with the varying effects of CF.
Mrs. Rice promotes positivity in dealing with CF. “[A]ny child can be born with anything or develop anything in their life,” said Mrs. Rice. “Everybody. . . has something. Nobody’s body works exactly the same way as somebody else’s. And this [CF] is just her something.”
She further encourages patients to not be resentful of having to make lifestyle changes to accommodate CF: “Don’t be annoyed that you have to take pills, be thankful that you have it. . . We try very much to focus on being thankful for what we have instead of being upset for what we’re missing out on.”
In addition, Mrs. Rice believes that people shouldn’t think about CF as an illness, but rather “just a part of [them], just a fact.” As such, “We very much try to call her medication pills instead of medicine because to us medicine means you’re sick. . . but the CF doesn’t make her sick.”
Mrs. Rice revealed that CF is “one of those conditions that they call a hidden disease. Because you can look at someone and not have any idea that they are “sick.”” As such, “[t]hey [other people] don’t realize the gravity of the decisions we have to make on a daily basis, and when we can’t attend something, they can get kind of annoyed and think we’re overreacting.” “I just wished that other people would be more sensitive and aware to what our reality is,” explained Mrs. Rice.