Day 3:

Last night really sucked. I got very bloated and uncomfortable for some reason after dinner, even though I didn't eat anything that could've caused the bloating. I had the same meal I had the night before. Everything I tried to solve the problem didn't work. I was unable to sleep because it felt like my insides were getting pushed up into my rib cage. Thankfully, I wasn't in pain. But, the pressure I felt inside was just as bad as actual pain. Somehow, I managed to fall asleep, and five hours later, I woke up again, still bloated, but feeling a little better. 

I knew that bloating wasn't a good sign. It's an uncommon side effect. But, I still suffered from it. So, I made sure to eat even more fiber than I have been, and if things didn't get any better by the afternoon, I would take three doses of laxatives. Many of those who experienced bloating ended up in the ER a couple days later with severe abdominal pain for all sorts of reasons, and I've been determined to not end up like them. I'm all too familiar with abdominal pain so severe I wonder if it's a medical emergency. I just never took the time to get my stubborn ass to the ER to get checked out, even though there have been times when I probably should've. 

I didn't have much time to ponder the "what if" questions this morning. Dad was coming over to get me to hang out for a few hours. I took my third dose of Trikafta with a hearty glass of eggnog (Trikafta requires me to eat at least ten grams of pure fat with it in the mornings, because it needs fat lipids to bind to in order to work. Why that is, I don't know. All that I know is that I'm starting to hate eggnog), and got into my dad's soccer mom SUV when he arrived soon after. 

I got a lot of gift cards for Christmas. I asked mainly for art supplies, but since most of my family assumed I knew way more about what I meant by "art supplies" than they did, they just gave me a bunch of gift cards, which is perfectly fine by me. I ended up spending $25 on sketchbooks since I've been running out of clean paper for my drawings, and called it good. 

Dad then drove us to Cabela's. He wanted to see if they had any coats he liked, while I wanted to pick up some ammo for my .243 and spend at least two hours gawking at the firearms I'll probably never make enough to own. When we arrived, I immediately took off for the hunting section where the guns and ammo were, with Dad trailing behind me. Unfortunately, the ammo I was looking for had sold out. Everyone likes those 90 grain Winchester rounds for their .243's, including me. But, I still got to check out a bunch of firearms, especially the shotguns. One of these days, when I'm not broke, I plan on getting myself a 20 gauge shotgun for bird hunting and skeet shooting. 

Dad's been pressuring me to get a 20 gauge shotgun the same way I've been pressuring him to get a dirtbike, so we can compete with each other at the skeet yard. My dad hasn't gone hunting in over twenty years, but he wants to get back into it, especially since I'm an avid hunter and reintroduced wild game into my dad's diet. I'm actually kind of surprised by my dad's desire to hunt and fish again. Several years ago, he was a staunch supporter of radical gun control and supported the animal activists that called for the ban on trophy hunting when Cecil the lion was killed. Now that his daughter's an avid hunter, and he inherited some of his father's firearms, I think his views are changing. He won't admit it, but I'm slowly turning him into a gun nut. I can tell just by the way he was looking at the firearms, and how excited he got just from talking about skeet shooting with me. 

This year has been pretty hard for me, hunting wise, because I missed out. I want nothing more than to go hunting, but I'm stuck at home because I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was, and snagged no tags. I would've filled several freezers with delicious elk meat had I been more proactive in getting my tags. But, I learned my lesson. Next season, I won't miss out on any hunting opportunities, and I'll hopefully bring home plenty of wild game to feed myself, and share with anyone who wants it. There's no way in hell I could stuff 300 pounds of elk meat in a freezer only meant to store 170 pounds of meat if I use my entire body to pack the meat down. 

After spending an impressive three hours at Cabela's, dad and I left and headed to lunch. I wasn't very hungry, but I still shared a sushi roll and a plate of potstickers with my Dad. As I was eating, I noticed I wasn't nearly as bloated as I was in the morning, and eating didn't feel like a chore like it often does. Also, I wasn't nearly as tired as I usually am after spending so much time on my feet. My flu-like symptoms were also mostly gone. Overall, I felt good and healthy. 

Now, several hours later, I still feel comfortable and full of energy, although the right side of my abdomen feels a little swollen. I'm not in pain, I can't see anything abnormal, and my body seems to be working as it should, so I think I'm ok. I feel better than ever before, in ways I just don't know how to describe. I feel like I can breathe easier, even outside where it's still very cold. Every time I yawn, I don't feel like I have to take in multiple breaths to feel satisfied. My pulse doesn't feel as hard as it used to be either. But, I'm very thirsty for some reason, which is a common side-effect of the medication. Regardless, Trikafta's doing something good for me. That's for sure!

However, other than that, nothing has really changed. My sense of smell is still pretty poor. My appetite is the same as it's always been, although I no longer have to fight my gag reflex to swallow food when I don't feel very hungry. I'm still a perpetually cold person. My fingers are still clubbed. But, it's only day three, I started this medication while I was incredibly healthy to begin with, I have the Double-Delta F508 gene, instead of just the single Delta F508 gene of CF, so Trikafta isn't as effective for me as it is for others, and Trikafta is not a cure. 

I still have Cystic Fibrosis. I still have to take a lot of pills and do a lot of treatments to stay healthy. I'm still sicker than your average person. But, I'm hopeful that Trikafta will drastically improve my quality of life in the long run, so I can live as though I don't have CF, so long as I'm taking the medication (and my liver doesn't attempt suicide). But, like I said, it's only day three. Trikafta affects everyone differently. So, I have no idea what the future may hold for me. I'm just hoping Trikafta will make it possible for me to do the things I love to do without having to worry about too much pain or illness. I don't have any real expectations. I'm just along for the ride, and am hopeful for the best.