CF Glossary

I (and other CFers) are so used to hearing so many various medical terms. But I forget that other people have no clue what on earth I'm talking about! So here's a mini glossary of some words..I'll probably add to it when I can think of some more! 
There's many names of tablets and IVs etc that I have and it would take a million years to list them all so they're not on here!


BRONCHOSCOPY - They give you some sedation so you’re as high as a kite, pop a tube with a camera on the end up your nose and into your lungs to have a look at whats down there and suck any crap out! Also called a ‘bronch’

CANNULA - A little line that usually goes in your arm to administer treatment, only last a few days though

CF - Cystic Fibrosis 

CFRD - Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes (such a mouthful to say!)

CREON - Tablets I take ALL the time to digest food

DNASE - Medication that I put in the nebuliser to thin the mucus in my lungs

FEV1 - How much air you breathe out in 1 second..can be in a percentage or in litres

FVC - How much air you breathe out in total..can be in a percentage or in litres

INSULIN - Injection into the tummy to keep my blood sugars under control

IVs/IV - Intravenous antibiotics

LUNG FUNCTION - How good my lungs are working! Depends on how much air I’m breathing out in 1 second and how much I breathe out in total. Look at FEV1 and FVC for more info!

NEBULISER - A device that enables me to breathe in a mist of antibiotics. Also referred to as ‘nebby’ or ‘neb’

PICC - A long line inserted into the arm which goes to the top of the heart for administering IVs

PORTACATH (PORT) - A small device put under the skin with a line connected which goes to the top of the heart. My port is on my right side. Also I’ve called him Paddy, so if you ever see me writing about ‘Paddy’ thats my port!

SALINE - Sterile water used to flush a PICC or port before, during and after IVs

SATs - Oxygen levels in the blood