This news is long overdue.  We heard from Meaghan's doctor that the year long treatment of the MAI infection was SUCCESSFUL!!!  As of Thursday, March 21st Meaghan stopped taking 3 oral antibiotics, Rifampin, Azithromycin, and Ethambutol.  Those are big words for grown ups but Meaghan could say them all and tell you why she needed them.  Now she is very proud to tell you that she no longer needs them.  She also knows what good news it is because now she has no restrictions on meals, her belly feels better and her appetite is improving.  Just to be very clear, this is extraordinary news.  When Meaghan was hospitalized and diagnosed with the MAI infection over one year ago, we were warned that all we may be able to expect was to colonize the infection.  Meaning that Meaghan's body would have to learn to "manage" the infection.  MAI is a very rare type of infection and there was no record of someone Meaghan's age being treated for it.  Johns Hopkins put everything they had into treating Meaghan aggressively to give her the best chance to kick MAI.  We owe them such a debt, Meaghan is MAI free and all the energy spent to protect the rest of her body from harm was successful as well.

Today, Meaghan is being treated again for a new pseudomonas infection.  We were first diagnosed with  pseudomonas last July.  Regular readers of the blog know what happened next but for anyone who's new I will share again.  We tried an inhaled antibiotic but it didn't work.  Then we tried the inhaled antibiotic plus an oral antibiotic.  That didn't work either.  So Meaghan went into the hospital for a bronchoscopy and 3 weeks of IV therapy.  That worked!!! But we got pseudomonas back 3 weeks later.  So it was time for a new inhaled antibiotic.  It worked, temporarily.  Meaghan has to use the inhaled antibiotic for another 6 treatments.  Each course is given 3 times a day for 1 month.  Then we take a month off before treating again.

You may wonder how we live like this.  Honestly, it isn't easy at all.  But it is so important to stress that we choose to LIVE.  We lean on each other, encourage each other, cry together and thank GOD for every day we have together.  CF is our gift.  As a family, we have grown and feel that what we've gained from living with CF outweighs all the rest.

My take away for today, go love each other and support each other.  Especially those of us who fight this terrible disease.