The "Diagnosis"

Two and a half weeks after we came home from the hospital...
I was just doing some chores around the house and Gabe was taking a nap in his swing and I get a phone call. It was a nurse from his pediatrician. She asked for Gabriel's parent and I said 'this is her' and she began to tell me his genetic newborn screening (blood test) they did at the hospital came back abnormal. My heart just drops... I start feeling faint. And I ask what was wrong and she says he tested positive for Cystic Fibrosis. My heart drops even lower. I start to cry, and I don't even know what Cystic Fibrosis is. I ask her about it and she says she's not allowed to talk about that over the phone that I have to see a doctor. So I am balling at this point. I call my mom to ask her if she knows what CF is, and she said she's not sure, so I ask her to go to the library and find out for me (we didn't have internet at this point). Robert is working but I call him anyways because I am so upset. He rushes home on his bicycle, comes in and hugs me. I tell him more about what the nurse said and then my mom shows up. We all sit down and talk and then begin to pray over Gabriel. I decide to just pick up and head to the doc, that was so unethicle to tell someone that about their child and tell you what it is or whats happening or going to happen. So I demand to see the doctor and he sits down with me, Robert and my mom and tells us that CF can test positive even if he is just a carrier and to not be worried yet that we will proceed to more testing. A carrier means that either just Robert or just me has a CF gene. Being a carrier does not effect you in any way. In order for someone to actually have CF the mother and the father must both carry the CF gene. CF is very rare, they say. Only 30,000 some odd people in america have it. CF effects a persons sweat chroride channels. Anyways, about a week later we take him to Tucson to get a sweat test, this tests the salt content in someones sweat, and if its abnormally high it usually means someone has CF. Near the end of the day the results shouldve been back, and the docs nurse keeps blowing me off and says she cant tell me the results over the phone. At this point I'm worried so I drive to the doc office 5 mins before they are supposed to close and ask to speak to the doc and they say hes already left and I tell them I just want to know the results please. So the nurse went back to find the doc and he hadn't left yet and he said that he'd sit down with me. His sweat results were high. Which meant positive for CF. We also did one more genetic screening which also tested positive. I have had 100% faith that my son will have a miracle, I will never stop believing God's promise to me and my family. I do not want pity, and do not pity my son. If you don't have something positive to say then don't say anything. Don't ever say "poor baby" to or about my son; he is not poor, he is healthy and strong. Our words are powerful!


For more information on Cystic Fibrosis and ways to contribute please visit: www.cff.org