Cystic Fibrosis: Living With a Chronic Disease

Abstract

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that shortens the life expectancy of the individual to an average age of 37. It is a debilitating disease that negatively affects the respiratory system and digestive system. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the lives of persons living with CF. Two males and two females with CF were interviewed as well as a parent who has a child with CF. A total of five individuals volunteered to be interviewed coming from a variety of different states including Washington, Montana, Idaho, Illinois, and Oregon. Phenomenology method was in order to explore the lives of individuals living with CF. Closed-session interviews were conducted to gain insight into living with CF. The major themes were utilizing family support as a coping strategy, time-consuming treatments, decreasing energy, and staying positive. Participants expressed relying highly on family members to help them cope with their disease and were open with their families when discussing concerns about their disease. Declining energy and health along with time-consuming treatments were common discouraging aspects of CF that required having a positive attitude and utilizing support systems to continue treatments. These findings cannot be generalized to all individuals with cystic fibrosis.