A Day in the Life of Jared

Jared and his nebulizer

...as described by my sister Mauri.

A typical school day for Jared starts at 5:00 am.  First he takes his albuterol inhaler (used to prevent and treat wheezing, difficulty breathing and chest tightness).  After waiting five to ten minutes for the medicine to work, he takes Hyper-Sal (helps clear mucus and improve lung function) through a nebulizer (converts medicine into a vapor so that it can be inhaled).  This takes at least 15 minutes. After the Hyper-Sal he does his Vest for 20 minutes.  (The vest is used to loosen the mucus in his chest.  The vest has two hoses which are hooked to a computerized air compressor.  The compressor sends sharp bursts of air in rapid succession into the vest to vibrate Jared's chest to shake loose the mucus in his chest so he can cough it out.  The compressor and vest sound like a helicopter is landing in your living room.)  Finally he takes his Tobi through the nebulizer which takes another 20 to 25 minutes. (Tobi is an antibiotic used for treating Psuedomonus.) 

At 6:20 Jared gets dressed and takes his pre-breakfast medications which consist of Creon (enables Jared's body to absorb the nutrients in his food), Ranitidine (used to treat ulcers), Cyproheptidine (appetite stimulant because he never feels the need to eat nor does he enjoy the food he does eat), and an ADEK vitamin. After the meds he has breakfast which usually consists of a can of Boost Plus and maybe a piece of bacon.  We leave the house at 6:45 and head off to school. 

Before lunch Jared must take another dose of Creon and Cyproheptine.  After lunch, if Jared is coughing more than usual, he has to do his Vest again in the nurse's office. 

When we return home from school, it is snack time and time for more Creon.  Then we do home work, and if there is time, we play in the yard.  After coming inside, we start the evening medications around 3:45.  He takes the Albuterol inhaler, Hyper-Sal, Pulmozyme (helps break up thick mucus) which takes another 10 minutes.  Next Jared puts on the Vest for a 20 minute session, and then he takes his Tobi treatment. 

Then it is time for supper medications at 5:15.  He takes Cyproheptidine, Ranitidine, Creon, Singulair (relieves constricted airways), Nasonex (relieves sinus congestion) and finally Arithromycin (antibiotic). After medications we have supper.

After supper it is time to go to the ball field for practice or a game.  We leave the house around 5:40.  When we return from the ball field it is shower time, and Jared gets his last big meal of the day which is a can of Boost Plus. Then brush teeth and time for bed at 8:30.

Mauri is currently raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF).  CFF is responsible for much of the research and treatments that are now available for people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).  They have played an enormous part for the greatly increased the average lifespan of someone with CF.  If you would like to help, please click on this link.