I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.
The doctors told my family I would die an infant.
After proving them wrong, my doctors said I would die by age 8, then age 16.
At that point I asked them to stop predicting my death, as I have no intention of going anywhere.
Lungs
With CF, mucus becomes thick and sticky. It builds up in my lungs and blocks my airways, causing coughing fits. The buildup also makes it easy for bacteria to grow. This has caused me repeated, serious lung infections. Over time, these infections have damaged my lungs causing scar tissue.
Sinus
The nature of the disease effects the mucus secretions in all organs that use mucus including the sinuses. I've had seven sinus surgeries to correct sinus problems caused by the disease.
Digestive
Mucus clogs my pancreas, and digestive enzymes are not able to get to the intestine. So food is not properly digested, particularly fats and proteins. Lack of nutrition prevents normal growth and development. Unhealthy weight loss and difficulty maintaining weight are common problems for me.