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and medical professionals who impact our lives.
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I Remember Well
By Catharine Martinet
I remember well the first time I attended a CF conference. I
had several days between jobs, and I decided to overcome my shyness and drive
up to Palo Alto for the 1994 CFRI conference. Until then, I had never been
around a large group of adults who had CF. At first I didn’t feel
comfortable because everyone seemed to know each other, so that left me
wandering around feeling lonely and left out. Luckily, I met one of the friendliest
people in the world a short while later and she made me feel completely at
ease. After the conference was over, I departed feeling overwhelmed, but in a
positive mood. It was affirming to get together with other people who had
similar struggles and triumphs. I also learned more about the scientific and
medical aspects of CF, and that is always good.
Since then, I have always looked forward to CF conferences.
Every time I have attended there have been new people to meet. Some of them
express the same feelings of overwhelming affirmation that I had felt. As a
group we give each other support and encouragement as we face our trials and we
revel in our triumphs and accomplishments. Not only that, it is just nice to be
around other people who are always hungry and who have the same wracking cough!
I have always felt a real sense of community when I am there.
Because of these positive experiences, I was excited when
the USACFA board decided to pursue the goal of planning regional conferences.
Not only would our conferences be different in that they were geared toward
adult issues, but they would also afford people who could not travel long
distances the opportunity for support and fellowship. I relished the thought of
meeting new people from across the country and seeing the looks on the faces of
those who experienced their first conference.
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