DREW'S VIEWS

May 31, 1988: The day I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Ironically, on this same exact day, one of my cousins was in the hospital having a portion of her liver removed due to cancer. What a coincidence that the two of us were simultaneously fighting similar, yet completely different, battles. Unfortunately, my cousin’s battle with cancer ended shortly after my diagnosis.
This story is symbolic of my life with cystic fibrosis. As my parents were learning this critical news about their two-year-old daughter, they knew my cousin was fighting a tougher battle. Therefore, from the moment I was diagnosed, self-pity was not a dominant theme in our lives. Rather than letting CF be a decision-maker, we decided to fight CF.
There are two ways of living with a chronic illness like CF – 1) allow the illness to define who you are, or 2) define yourself as a person, while CF is simply an attribute. Thankfully, I chose the second option and let my own life goals take precedence over the fact that I have CF. If CF were my primary driver, it would be tough to accomplish as much as I have.
It’s very easy to use CF as an excuse to develop a defeatist mindset, but that’s not going to get us anywhere. Yes, CF can be a comfortable and “legitimate” reason to forego great opportunities. However, do you want to spend your entire life waiting in the wings because you have a good excuse to be cautious?
Sometimes we’d rather dwell on the illness than live our life. We’ve all probably been there at some point, but the mental fight is just as important as the physical battle. Here is a quotation by Mary Kay Ash that I love: “Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.”
If you’re reading this, you’re obviously not as unaware as the bumble bee. However, I’m sure we could all benefit from the bumble bee’s perspective on life. Buzzzz!
Until Next Time,
Drew
drewdotson@gmail.com