CF sufferer and campaigner

WINTER can have a devastating impact on those who suffer from CF and is our most fearful time.

It is almost inevitable you will catch a cough, so like many others I’m also suffering from a nasty infection brought on by a simple cold.

In October, Matt Hancock telephoned me to tell me lifesaving drugs were to be made available on the NHS.

Fantastic news, but before my Symkevi could be prescribed I’ve been struck by flu, leaving me temporarily too ill to take it.

So instead I’ve had a line inserted into my vein to allow me to syringe strong antibiotics straight into my blood stream four times a day, each taking an hour-and-a-half.

So my time treating my CF has soared.

Now I’m living by a strict routine of physio, antibiotics, rest and as many calories as I can eat to try to fight the infection. However, currently my lung function is still decreasing.

Living with CF means constant coughing but the past few weeks have seen me coughing so much it’s made me sick, as well as being physically exhausting.

Plus, I have now damaged my vein and midline due to the sheer amount of antibiotics I’ve been pushing through.

So I now have to go back into hospital for them to insert another painful new line.

If these antibiotics fail to bring my lung function up there are still some other options available to me – for example increasing

my steroids which come with their own debilitating side effects.

Christmas may have to be a little more quiet than usual!

Hundreds of people with CF are currently going through a similar situation due to the cold weather and relatives around us falling ill. This time of year is scary for us.

Sadly, some sufferers will be spending Christmas in hospital – and will stay until able to regain strength and fight the infection or access the drugs recently made available following the Daily Express campaign.