Feature Article

Class Act: "CF Goes To School"

Articles

• CFRI 20th Annual Education
         Conference: "Successful
         Strategies for Living Well with          CF"

• Examining the Link between          Nutrition and Exercise

• If You're HEPA and You Know It...

• Giving it the Old College Try

Welcome to The Servers Newsletter.

"Back to School" is here; and we're here to help you get back into the groove. Whether your children are heading off to school for the first time, or you're college bound, we've provided you with tips and advice on how to ensure a smooth transition.

The CFRI Education Conference was a success! Our interviews will be rolling out over the next several weeks. Stay tuned in to the new CF Tube for captivating research findings and personal stories.

Stay informed, share knowledge, be empowered, and make a difference.

Sincerely,

Jeanne Barnett
Founder, CysticFibrosis.com

Sharpened pencils, new backpacks and notebooks; 'Tis the season for heading back
to school. Sending a child off to school for the first time can be an emotionally
charged event. The typical anxiety level may be ratcheted up a notch for parents of
children with cystic fibrosis. This does not need to be the case. With a little bit of help
and a few simple tips, you can send your child to school confident that his or her CF
needs will be met.

In August, 2007, we surveyed our members in a CF Parents Survey. Throughout this article you'll find quotes by our CysticFibrosis.com members regarding their expectations, excitement and apprehensions about sending their children off to school.

Larasmommy: "Mostly I'm worried about the germs and how sick she gets when she goes there."

Bbedrock: "Starting a school year is always exciting. My son loves to experience and learn new things and I hope that continues as he starts a new school year. The biggest fear is that he will contract something at school; he's entering third grade; it's never happened, but the fear is still there."(Read more)

CFRI 20th Annual Education Conference:
"Successful Strategies for Living Well with CF"

The CFRI celebrated its 20th Annual Education Conference August 10-12, 2007 in Redwood City, California. The conference was an opportunity to connect the CF community with the latest information regarding CF research, treatments, therapies and CF services. Presenters spoke on topics ranging from CF research, advanced gene therapies, clinical treatments, newborn screening, quality of life issues and concerns, as well as effective strategies for working within your school system. (Read more)

Examining The Link Between Nutrition And Exercise

Lungs aren't the only organs affected by the thick, sticky mucus that cystic fibrosis produces. The pancreas, an exocrine gland that normally secretes digestive enzymes necessary to absorb nutrients from food, can be coated with mucus as well. In fact, nearly 85% of CF patients demonstrate pancreatic insufficiency before age 10. This can lead to issues of malabsorption and malnutrition due to the body's inability to break down fats,...(Read more)

If You're HEPA and You Know It...
        Contributed by Lauren Beyenhof

Cystic fibrosis patients, asthmatics, and allergy sufferers alike need to be careful about the quality of air they breathe. Although it's impossible to completely remove all airborne contaminants from a home or office, a safe and healthy option is to invest in a HEPA filter.

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate air filter. When something is labeled as being a true HEPA, it is basically saying that its efficiency in removing certain contaminants from the air is 99.97% effective at removing particles that are .3 microns and larger in size. To get an idea of what that means,...(Read more)

Giving it the Old College Try

According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's most recently published Patient Registry Report, nearly 60% of people with cystic fibrosis obtain a college education. There are a number of different scholarship programs available to make paying for higher education less of an obstacle. The Servers is pleased to announce that two of our own members have received scholarships from the Cystic Fibrosis Scholarship Foundation.

By providing financial aid, the CFSF gives many young adults with CF opportunities they may not have had otherwise, or just makes their college experience much better by relieving some of the financial pressure, thus giving the students more time to study, keep up their health, and enjoy their...
(Read more)

All Contents - Copyright (c) 2007 CysticFibrosis.com. All rights reserved. This material may be copied online, including email forwarding, but not reproduced or distributed in print without written permission from CysticFibrosis.com