Cystic Fibrosis Podcast 25: Alison Cain Podcast

Allison Cain can finally breathe after transplant and no more “CF boot camp?

Jerry Cahill interviews Alison Cain who is 34 years old and had a double lung transplant at New York Presbyterian Hospital in NYC 1 ½ years ago due to progression of cystic fibrosis. Alison grew up in Connecticut and has returned to work teaching high school Spanish.

– Alison was diagnosed at 1 ½ years of age due to a “strange cough? and “failure to thrive?
– Alison attended Fordham University in New York.
– Sports kept Alison healthy for a long time prior to transplant: “I was a competitive swimmer from age 4 to 13 years of age. I also played soccer, softball, and ran cross country track?
– Alison was never hospitalized for cystic fibrosis until the age of 19.
– At age 28 Alison developed CF related diabetes.
– June 16, 2004 Alison had a double lung transplant that lasted 6 hours and was hospitalized for 10 days.
– Alison believes, after many years of battling CF, that a transplant is the only true cure for CF and that her life is so much happier now.
– Alison’s advice: “Be compliant to therapy/med.’s and don’t give up hope.