This is the mother of all diseases. The fact that it is only potentially fatal is possibly one of its worst features. Think that’s insensitive? Go tell that to a CF patient.
CF is a genetic disease inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion which means you’re an unlucky bastard if you do happen to inherit both dud versions of the CFTR gene. This disease manifests in the lungs, urogenital and skeletal systems, the pancreas, and the skin.
This is what it can cause:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD);
- Osteoporosis;
- Electrolyte Imbalance;
- Deficient Elaboration of Pancreatic Enzymes;
- Frequent Infections, and the very general -
- ‘Failure to Thrive’.
Cystic Fibrosis is a nasty, nasty disease. Surely it must manifest during adulthood? Apparently, no. Let’s take a look at what the CF kids can look forward to:
- Nasal Polyposis;
- Bronchiectasis (chronic dilation of bronchi and over-production of mucus);
- Bronchitis;
- Pneumonia;
- Respiratory Failure;
- Gallbladder Disease;
- Intussusception (one part of the intestine collapses into an adjacent portion, sort of like invagination);
- Meconium Ileus (meconium=bile salts, debris. Clogs the ileum);
- Salt Depletion (they sweat it all out);
- Intestinal Malabsorption (thanks to insufficient exocrine activity of pancreas);
- Pancreatitis;
- Peptic Ulcers;
- Rectal Prolapse (mmm….rectal prolapse);
- Diabetes;
- Nutritional Deficiencies;
- Arthritis; and
- Aspermia (failure to discharge sperm, or lack of sperm. I call it natural selection in this case).
Treatment for CF sucks balls, too. What can they do for you? Prescribe mucolytics to thin your mucus and allow you to cough it up (oh yay). Or, how about a bronchioalveolar lavage?
How about a Tetrodotoxin injection?
