What's In My Prescription Bag This Week? 18.9.17

Sorry for the delay in the second instalment in this mini series! It's because not last week, the week before, I had a rare moment which I always cherish in my CF life - I didn't need to order anything from my prescription! Very rare does a moment like this happen so it was nice not having to go to the chemist to pick up a bag full of medication on the Saturday morning.

But because I missed out on a week of not ordering anything, last Monday saw me order what felt like nearly half of my medication. I ordered Colomycin and Itraconazole as they run out quicker than all the others and usually I need them fortnightly. Which can be a pain because my GP can be a pain in the bum and decide that I'm not due to order them WHEN I AM.

Anyway, I ordered four other things to go along with Colomycin and Itra:

 

C R E O N 10,000/25,000

Probably the most vital medication I take. Without these, I can't eat. Well, I can, but, put it this way, it'll mean paying my bathroom a little but painful half hour visit. We have to take Creon to help digest all the fat that is in our food, our pancreas should do that job for us but it doesn't cause it's about as useful as a chocolate teapot. On average I take about 15 Creon daily, usually more the 25,000 because they are better with meals. The 10,000 strength are better for snacks like a bag of crisps.

Before I could swallow them whole, my Mam used to empty the enzymes that were in the capsule into a Petit Filou yoghurt! Please tell me I'm not the only person with CF to do that as a child?!

 

D N A S E / P U L M O Z Y M E

One of the nebulisers I don't actually mind doing, it tastes nice and it's quick. I breathe this in once a day and it's aimed to thin down the phlegm in the airways making it easier to bring up off your chest. Now, you probably won't believe me when I tell you what DNASE is made out of - Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells. Yes, I breathe in something made from Chinese hamsters every day. Look it up on Wikipedia if you think I'm joking!

S P I R I V A

 

Another one of my inhalers. This one I've been taking since I started going to the adult centre in Cardiff. It helps to increase the air flow in the lungs, making life a tiny bit easier for these lungs of mine. I take two puffs every day. It's quite an unconventional looking inhaler, but it does its job all the same.

V I T A M I N 'E'

We all see Vitamins being sold in Tesco or any other supermarket. I've been taking vitamins ever since I can remember. Vitamins are good for everybody, not just for people with CF. Vitamin E helps strengthen the body's immune and defence system. Infections come and go in people with CF like buses.

 

That's the second instalment of my mini series done!

 

Like I said before, if you have any questions, leave them in the comment box below.

 

Lucy