Today's topic on the blog: complacency.
Most CF people go through a phase of not being compliant with all their treatments. It just happens. There are so many therapies to keep track of, and it can get overwhelming. Many people with CF have a moment when they want to forget about their CF and just be "normal". This uncompliant phase lasts varying amounts of time, but usually it lasts until the person is hit over the head with the fact that they're only hurting themselves when they refuse to keep up with their treatments and that their health will go downhill fast without the help of current medications.
In my life, I've never really had a moment when I've flat out refused to be compliant. No, I'm not saying I've never skipped a treatment or never forgotten to take pills. But I've never deliberately chosen to ignore the advice of doctors and prescribed therapies. I guess I've always had a feeling that my doctors truly want what is best for me and that the medications I take really do work. My parents have always been extremely supportive of me while also teaching me that my CF treatments will help me live a longer, healthier life and that they are extremely important to maintain.
Compliance hasn't been a battle I've fought. However, recently I realized that, even though I've done my treatments and taken my medications, I've been complacent with the way I go about my CF life. I've done my therapies so I could check it off my to-do list, but I haven't necessarily put my best effort into keeping myself healthy. There's a difference between sitting and doing a breathing treatment for thirty minutes versus actively breathing and coughing from the bottom of my lungs during those thirty minutes of treatment. There's a difference between taking my pills and taking my pills while making sure I eat foods that are good for me but are also high calorie food options. There's a difference between going to the gym 5 days a week and pushing myself to work hard while going to the gym 5 days a week. Complacency is dangerous because it's easy to say that I'm doing everything I'm supposed to, when in reality I'm just checking something off my list without putting much effort into it. With CF, you can't afford to be complacent. At least, not if you want to stay as healthy as you can for as long as you can. As annoying as it is that being strong fighting CF takes a lot of time and can be exhausting, it's worth it in the long run.
I have no doubt I will go through periods of complacency again. That seems to be a constant struggle of mine. Maybe it's because of my type A personality, I get so focused on checking boxes off a list that I lose focus on doing things on that list the right way. But that's no excuse. If you see me becoming complacent, I give you permission to hit me over the head with the reality of CF so that I can snap out of that complacency and get back to work!
Most CF people go through a phase of not being compliant with all their treatments. It just happens. There are so many therapies to keep track of, and it can get overwhelming. Many people with CF have a moment when they want to forget about their CF and just be "normal". This uncompliant phase lasts varying amounts of time, but usually it lasts until the person is hit over the head with the fact that they're only hurting themselves when they refuse to keep up with their treatments and that their health will go downhill fast without the help of current medications.
In my life, I've never really had a moment when I've flat out refused to be compliant. No, I'm not saying I've never skipped a treatment or never forgotten to take pills. But I've never deliberately chosen to ignore the advice of doctors and prescribed therapies. I guess I've always had a feeling that my doctors truly want what is best for me and that the medications I take really do work. My parents have always been extremely supportive of me while also teaching me that my CF treatments will help me live a longer, healthier life and that they are extremely important to maintain.
Compliance hasn't been a battle I've fought. However, recently I realized that, even though I've done my treatments and taken my medications, I've been complacent with the way I go about my CF life. I've done my therapies so I could check it off my to-do list, but I haven't necessarily put my best effort into keeping myself healthy. There's a difference between sitting and doing a breathing treatment for thirty minutes versus actively breathing and coughing from the bottom of my lungs during those thirty minutes of treatment. There's a difference between taking my pills and taking my pills while making sure I eat foods that are good for me but are also high calorie food options. There's a difference between going to the gym 5 days a week and pushing myself to work hard while going to the gym 5 days a week. Complacency is dangerous because it's easy to say that I'm doing everything I'm supposed to, when in reality I'm just checking something off my list without putting much effort into it. With CF, you can't afford to be complacent. At least, not if you want to stay as healthy as you can for as long as you can. As annoying as it is that being strong fighting CF takes a lot of time and can be exhausting, it's worth it in the long run.
I have no doubt I will go through periods of complacency again. That seems to be a constant struggle of mine. Maybe it's because of my type A personality, I get so focused on checking boxes off a list that I lose focus on doing things on that list the right way. But that's no excuse. If you see me becoming complacent, I give you permission to hit me over the head with the reality of CF so that I can snap out of that complacency and get back to work!
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