Kate on parenting and CF
In this episode of the CFStrong podcast, we speak with Kate about navigating CF and parenting. We discuss Kate's journey to becoming a parent, how she manages her health while parenting and how she talks with her son about CF and what the future looks like.










”Now as he's a teenager, it's easy. But when he was little, I really focused massively on my health as well as parenting... you look at people that have got multiple kids, child three or four just fits in, right. So that's sort of the approach I took with my health and CF. So almost, you know, bizarrely, almost like my first child is CF, and my second child is my son. So he just had to fit in around it, which sounds really ruthless. But you know, without my health as a parent... all the wheels are gonna fall off. So I've got to keep as many wheels as I can, on myself, so I can do the job as well as I can.




























Transcript
Voiceover: Welcome to the CFStrong podcast. CFStrong covers the successes and challenges faced by those living with cystic fibrosis. You'll hear first person stories, conversations with health professionals, friends and partners. Just a heads up, guests may share their personal views about treatments and health management. But please remember, this is not medical advice. And you should always follow the advice of your clinic team regarding your health.
Kirby: Hello, my name is Kirby. And in this episode of the CF strong podcast, we're talking with Kate about CF and parenting. Thanks so much for joining us, Kate, can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Kate: Hey, Kirby. Um, so as you said, my name is Kate. And I'm 52. And I've got CF and I live with my husband and my son. I've got a 15 year old son. And I work part time very part time as a social worker.
Kirby: So you're a mum?
Kate: Yes.
Kirby: Did you always want to be a mum?
Kate: Good question. Look, yes, I did. But when I met my husband, I was 32 I think. So I decided from a CF perspective, I'd missed the boat. So the poor man, we went on our first date. And we actually met a person, well intentioned friends. Anyway, we went on our first date, and I just thought, Oh, this is ridiculous. I'm not going to start a relationship with someone who wants kids if I can't have them. So, you know, towards the end of our first date, I'm going look, what are your thoughts on having kids? And he's going yeah, great. Great. And I'm going right, so this has to be pretty much a last date. Because I'm too old to have kids from a CF perspective. Anyway. And then he was going well, it's a first date, let's just wait and see how we go. But here I was being really, I guess black and white and thinking, I don't want him to get attached like, I don't want to get attached to him, if it's gonna, if kids and my ability not to have them is going to be a deal breaker later. So he's just going well, let's just see you know how second date goes. And we can go from there. But yeah, so I did want kids, but I had decided that at 32, I had sort of missed the boat. Yeah.
Kirby: And then what happens next? Because obviously, we all we know now that you have a teenage son, so what happened next?
Kate: So what happened next? So we dated for a while and and then we started talking some more about kids. And he was going well, I don't see why. You know, you're saying you can't have kids, but you're so healthy. And also going well, you know, average life expectancy with CF is 37 and you're being 32. You know, that's not an ideal situation of kids. But obviously, I was thinking, I mean, I was really well. And I was thinking that 37 wouldn't apply to me. But I was still, you know, keeping an open mind. So then we started to do research, we were actually, we're both from a science background. So even though I'm a social worker,