We kept Neil home from school today because he was running a slight fever (about 99 degrees), and was battling some serious nasal congestion.
In most cases, 99 degrees is not cause for alarm. But a fever for Neil triggers all kinds of alarms in our house.
Sheila and I tell ourselves that a fever is a good thing; it tells us the body is fighting, trying to heal. But for the parents of a CF kid, even a minor fever triggers fears that the increased body temperature is a signal of an oncoming infection.
For Neil, this means a round of antibiotics, a day or two out of school, and a quick recovery – so far. We are hoping desperately to hold off the day when the fever means that his lungs have been compromised by serious infection.
New and improved medicines mean that these infections can usually be stifled, but never completely knocked out. They usually mean that the CF patient can expect to embark on a sometimes lifelong cycle of hospital visits and more aggressive treatments.
