I guess CF and my past have their benefits. I'm never allowed to compare scars and near death experiences with family or friends, since I'll always win. No one has a 12 inch heart surgery scar. No one's suffered like I have. I automatically have the title of being the biggest badass in the family by far, even though I didn't really get to choose to have that stuck next to my name.

I have to fight. There isn't a choice. Either I get up everyday with a "try me" attitude, and fight CF even and especially, when it hurts, or I curl up and die. 

My parents never let me have excuses, and they never held me back. They encouraged me to go into extreme sports and compete with the fit and healthy kids. They made me go to a regular school until it tried to kill me last semester, and exposed me enough so I can fight off common illnesses without antibiotics. They made sure I ate right, had the right medication, and got my stuff done. Even today, my mom still buys me "disgusting" foods like calf liver, raw sushi, and steaks I cook rare, even though she always makes a face when she sees me eating it. And my dad goes on wild and stupid adventures with me every weekend he sees me, and isn't afraid to try the foods my mom gags at. In fact, dad never lets me win anything. I have to beat him at his level, and as I age, I get closer to that. 

They do this because...