Eventually, after consulting with a couple of psychiatrists, I got on an antidepressant called Zoloft that, after several weeks, kicked in and took the edge off. I now had more control over my anxiety. I no longer had unstoppable, crippling anxiety attacks. My coping mechanisms were able to kick in again and bring my anxiety to heel whenever I felt it flare up.
I soon got used to my crazy amounts of energy, and found healthy ways to get it out of my system. I fell in love with cardio exercise, like hiking, running, playing with my dog, using my hands to build things, going to many stores in one day, and so much more. I was finally able to get some spring cleaning done after never having enough energy to do it. As a result, I got rid of six years worth in useless shit in an afternoon, replaced my shitty old bed frame and mattress with brand new ones, and rearranged my bedroom office just for the hell of it. I also spent more time on cooking in the kitchen, since I had the energy to stand longer, and my body could digest my more creative recipes. My mom was pretty disgusted by my love for fried chicken gizzards and bacon-wrapped burgers. But, she was ecstatic that I could eat those things and not suffer from indigestion, even though she gagged at the sight of the gizzards and greasy bacon burgers.
Speaking of which, my bathroom trips were no longer grueling experiences. I could tell my digestive system still wasn’t normal, but it wasn’t completely wrecked like it used to be. Since I could digest my food so much better, almost everything that came out of me was remarkably normal. I no longer suffered from near-daily episodes of diarrhea or constipation. Sure, shit still happened occasionally (pun absolutely intended). But, thanks to Trikafta, diarrhea and constipation became more of a weekly thing rather than a daily thing, which was a massive improvement.
Trikafta also did a lot of very unexpected things for me, and revealed that I had issues that I was only vaguely aware of, or not aware of at all.
My menstrual cycles were always horrible. Ever since they started, they hurt like absolute hell. I knew it wasn’t normal, but there was nothing I could do to mitigate their severity. At the start of every menstrual cycle, I would get really, really sick. My abdomen and thighs would be so sore that I could do nothing except curl up in a little ball and cry for part of the first day. Ibuprofen only barely eased the pain. But, for the most part, I’d just be curled up in pain, counting down the minutes until it would diminish for me to get up long enough to eat or shower, before they hit again.
My doctors feared I had Endometriosis, or cysts on my ovaries. But, Trikafta revealed it was a CF thing caused by a massive buildup of extra sticky mucus. My fallopian tubes and cervix were full of mucus, so my body would have to push extra hard to expel the egg and blood that filled my uterus every month. I didn’t realize that the mucus discharge I dealt with daily was also abnormal. I was just too afraid and embarrassed to really mention it. But damn did Trikafta clear me out!
Four days into my Trikafta-induced clean-out, I was in the shower when about eighteen years worth in mucus gushed out of my lady parts. I had no idea what the fuck was happening! Understandably, I panicked, but there was nothing I could do but stand in the shower in shock and horror as it all happened. As soon as it ended (which took a good ten minutes or so), I got out of the shower, dried off, got dressed, and called my grandma into my bedroom. I told her what happened, and she just smiled and squeezed all the air out of my lungs.
“You’re healing!” my grandma squealed as she held me in a bear hug, “It’s a miracle!”
Several months later, my doctors told me I could have my own kids if I wanted to, now that my uterus was cleaned out. They had eight patients at my hospital who spent years trying to get pregnant but never could. But, when they got on Trikafta, they were able to get pregnant without an issue, and all of them gave birth to healthy, normal babies. I never was interested in having kids. But, perhaps in the future, that will change. Also, I haven’t dealt with severe menstrual cramps or abnormal discharge ever since that incident in the shower four days after I took my first dose of Trikafta.
Suddenly, I was free from the pain CF put me through for most of my life. I no longer had to worry about what I was eating quite like I used to. I no longer spent the beginning of my monthly cycle curled up in pain. I no longer had to shove extreme amounts of food down my convulsing esophagus until I was sure I'd puke, only to suffer from painful indigestion hours later. I no longer woke up at night shaky and weak from low blood sugars. I no longer fought so hard for air. I no longer had regular headaches or nosebleeds from sinus infections. I no longer suffered from joint pain. Sure, I'd still deal with unique health issues for my whole life, but they'd be occasional rather than daily. For the most part, I was free from the chains of Cystic Fibrosis for the first time.
