Ears Don't Come With Volume Controls.
Above: CF parents need to
administer large amounts of
medicine.
Right: Mark Levine is active with
the CF Foundation.
er complained."
Mark watched his broth-
er grow up and grow weak-
er. David's lungs, working at
10 percent capacity, pre-
vented him from walking
around a room without get-
ting tired. Shortly after
David's junior year in high
school, doctors said he
wouldn't survive another six
months without a heart and
lung transplant.
The surgery took place in July
1990. By the following December,
David was swimming in a Flori-
da pool and enjoying himself over
winter vacation. He completed
high school, entered a college
away from home and did well.
"Some CF parents are very pro-
tective," Mark says. "They can't
let go. But my parents were like,
live. Live. I mean, they didn't ac-
percent. Now, he guesses they're
a _ t about 80.
Stable, for the time being.
When Mark goes out to dinner
with friends, he generally tosses
a handful of pills on his plate, then
fields questions from anyone
brave enough to ask.
"People want to hear that
everything's going to be all right.
It shocks them when I tell them I
can't say for sure. I'm an optimist,"
he says, "but I'm realistic."
To remain as healthy as pos-
sible, Mark follows a regimen of
care that includes eating a high-
fat, high-calorie diet. Many CF pa-
tients must consume up to three
times the normal amount of food
because their belabored breath-
ing requires extra energy and
their digestive systems don't work
efficiently. Diabetes is a common
side-effect.
In healthy individuals, enzymes
produced in the pancreas enter
the intestines, where they break
down meals into fats and proteins,
later absorbed by the blood to help
the body grow, fuel and maintain
itself: In CF patients, the enzymes
get stuck in the thick pancreatic
secretions and never make it to
the intestines.
There are treatments. Little AH
Roth must swallow up to 75 pills
before a meal and 60 prior to a
snack. The enzyme supplements
helped him grow from his 5.7-
pound birth weight to 7.13 pounds
in a matter of days after he
was diagnosed last year.
Mr. Levine takes simi-
lar pills. At practically 6-
feet tall, he weighs 165 and
appears robust.
"I work at it," he says.
CF is a high-mainte-
nance disease, and social
workers note a higher-
than-average divorce rate
amongst couples with CF
children. Babies require
constant attention, and the
stress level is generally
more than one person can
endure.
Dr. Roth, for instance,
administers Ari's first
round of therapy from 6:30
to
7:30 a.m., before leaving
tually say it, but they encouraged
for work at his dental office.
him to go to school."
"It would be very difficult for a
The summer before David's
sophomore year, rejection set in. single care giver to keep him go-
His immune system began to fight ing," he says.
Later in the day, Mrs. Roth and
against the new heart and lungs.
the
older boys — Jacob, Benjamin
In November 1993, David died.
and Zachery — take over with
He was 21.
Now Mark, missing his broth- more "percussion therapy." Every
er, is facing the facts. CF patients four to six hours, a family mem-
don't get better. Ten years ago, ber pounds on Ari's chest and back
Mark's lungs were working at 100 CYSTIC FIBROSIS page H22
Until now, if you wore a hearing
aid, your index finger was almost
always poking at your ear! Adjusting
the volume up — the next moment
turning it down. All just to listen
comfortably to changing loudness in
everyday sound situations.
Now there's Multi-Focus®. The
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controls. No remote controls.
MultiFocus uses microchip technolo-
gy to automatically adjust comfort-
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MultiFocus® easier... without man-
ual controls.
Why Should a Hearing Aid?
CRUZ HEARING
AID SERVICE
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Call today for a
Hearing Consultation.
(810) 424-8450
18899 W. Twelve Mile Rd. • Lathrup Village
Note: Not all people with hearing difficulty are candidates for hearing aids. The benefits of amplification may vary among users.
Consult your hearing care professional for advice.
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