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Coordinating Your CF Treatment and Your Summer Plans

Summer may have officially begun on June 21, but some families have been enjoying time off work and school for several weeks. Barbecues. Swimming. Biking. Summer camp. Sight-seeing. Theme parks. Are any of these on your to-do list for the next few months? By following these tips, you can keep the day-to-day aspects of managing CF from getting in the way of summer fun. 

Plan ahead

Will your destination have the electricity needed for your vest or nebulizer?

Does the hotel you’re staying at have smoke-free rooms?

Where is the nearest urgent care facility or hospital with a CF doctor in case of emergencies?

Will you be staying in a place with higher altitude than you’re used to? If so check with your respiratory therapist and your doctor to see if you’ll need supplemental oxygen for all or part of your trip.

Make a list of your medications and keep them in your purse or wallet.

Get enough rest

All the excitement of being somewhere new can take its toll on the body. If your day is going to involve a lot of walking or sight seeing, take a short break when you can. Plan to do only as much as you can reasonably handle.

Make good food choices

A common problem for vacationers, even those who don’t have CF, is traveler’s diarrhea. This is caused by an upset in the usual routine and types of food eaten while on vacation. To minimize the effects of too much fast food on the road, take along an ice chest or cooler with some of your familiar snacks and foods from home. Foods that travel well and are good choices for CFers include pretzels and peanut butter, fig bars, dried fruit, and nuts. Don’t forget to take along plenty of bottled water or sports drinks to stay hydrated in the heat. You may even want to bring along a small salt shaker, so you can add a pinch of it to your water or food to keep your electrolytes balanced.

CF Equipment

A recent poll* found that 75% of otherwise compliant cystic fibrosis patients will leave behind their vest when travelling. Whether their going on a road trip to visit friends in a neighboring city or travelling by plane across the country, all models of the vest prove too cumbersome to bring along. As a compromise, these patients make sure that at least one of their travel companions is able to administer chest percussive therapy as a means of airway clearance.

Vacation is no time to back off on compliance medications and treatments. After all, enjoying a vacation or trip is certainly easier when you feel well. Try to adhere to your usual routine (i.e., getting up at a certain time or doing treatments at a certain time.) This will minimize the temptation to skip any part of your therapy. Of course, some activities offer a natural trade-off. For example, a trip to the beach complete with boogey boarding or splashing in the ocean can provide nearly the same benefit as flushing the sinuses with saline or doing a hypertonic saline treatment. Horseback riding can provide enough bouncing up and down to be an effective means of airway clearance.

Make Some Memories