once upon a time: a story of childhood with CF

once upon a time...

approximately 23 years ago...

i was a small child with big brown eyes, straggly brown hair, a fondness for baby dolls, a sassy attitude and a loving, supportive network of friends and family.

here are some photographs documenting the story of my childhood with CF.

i did my nebs in good company.

sometimes with friends or cousins...

other times with my baby dolls. knowing me, they were probably next in line for the neb.

i also re-distributed the chest pt love. after all, it would be selfish to hog it all for myself. everyone deserves clear lungs! (note the old neb in the background)

you know, give and receive. chest pt trains were always a highlight, mostly for my friends.

we had fun supporting CF research (in the t-shirts created by my mom and her artistic childhood best friend).

i even fine-tuned my stethoscope listening abilities concentrating hard on listening to a friend's lungs. "crackle-free!" i declared!   

i sometimes zoned out so much while doing my vest that my neb handset somehow ended up in the mouth of my baby sister who, did i mention, does not have CF. oops to both her getting albuterol and me not.

it is the story of a childhood filled with more love, care, silliness, ridiculous outfits, normalization, laughter, imagination, nurture, fun, strength, bossiness (on my part) and support,
even from lytton (the dog),
than you can believe. 
all that and CF. 


that's my story.


the end. (well, of this story, at least)

**thank you to my mom for always taking so many beautiful photos, for capturing so much love and fun on film and having the foresight to digitize it all.