May is Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Awareness Month. For me, CF isn’t something I ever think of lightly. I know that each person with CF lives with it differently, and their symptoms and disease severity can vary widely (CysticFibrosis.org.uk). The treatments enabling CF patients to live as normal a life as possible vary as well.
I grew up with a friend who had CF. She was one of my best and closest friends through middle school and early high school. Inseparable is a term you would think of when you’d think of Jodi and our crew of friends. But Jodi spent a lot of days home sick (or isolated from germs) and in the hospital. When I was 14, and she was 16, Jodi died from CF. I was devastated; we all were. It was like a piece of me was ripped away, at an age when teens already have a tough time with transition and life. Loss of a best friend is doozy. It's really hard to understand at that age why someone so young could just be taken away for what seems like no justifiable reason.
I’m proud to partner with the Walgreens CF Champions “Navigating The Journey Together” program, designed to help caregivers and patients navigate the journey of CF with resources and information to alleviate the everyday stress of living with and managing CF. The resources on the site help you be the champion in your own CF story by finding a way to choose to look on the bright side no matter what comes your way.
CF is a complex condition that affects approximately 30,000 adults and children in the U.S. at any given time and primarily affects the respiratory and digestive systems. (1) CF is a lifelong disorder that affects patients’ daily life, including anything and everything from school to work to personal life.
Due to their increased risk of infection and cross-contamination, many patients are also often isolated from others. (2) Because of this, patients frequently report high levels of depression and anxiety, which can greatly impact disease severity and outcomes, even when actively following medication regimens and with having a strong understanding of CF. (1)
The Walgreens CF Champions provide motivation and inspiration to help others make the most of each day by sharing stories and advice with people around the world. From relying on family for support to raising CF awareness, both in their communities and online, they share stories of CF lives well-lived. The website provides numerous resources including Cystic Fibrosis Services, Financial Assistance, Insurance Help & Info, Patient Stories, Local Advocates, Medications & Therapies, Infection Control Guides, and Student Guide with action plans for teachers and others.
About Walgreens Cystic Fibrosis Services (CFS)
Cystic Fibrosis Services Inc. is a Walgreens Alliance Pharmacy that provides specialized care to people living with CF. At Walgreens, they understand every journey is different and every moment is important, which is why they go beyond simply providing medication to offer a compassionate, holistic approach to care. Services include:
- Pharmacists with specialized knowledge and training in CF
- A wide range of CF medications and products, including hard to find medications
- The ease of ordering a refill online 24/7
- The ability to track your prescription order, view your account balance and even pay online 24/7
- A dedicated team that advocates on your behalf to access the CF medications you need
- Experienced case managers who can research insurance coverage options so you understand your plan
(1) Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Patient registry annual data report 2013. https://www.cff.org/2013_CFF_Patient_Registry_Annual_Data_Report.pdf. Published October, 2013. Accessed November 3, 2015.
(2) Wohletz MC. Cystic fibrosis: optimizing outcomes via team-based care. Pharmacy Practice News. www.pharmacypracticenews.com/SE2014. Published November 2014. Accessed October 23, 2015.
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