Week 6 PCL: Pauline gets clucky!

After much dismay, and www.dictionary.com refusing to acknowledge the word clucky (and ever so faithfully checking with the mja before google), google has once again saved us, and helped define clucky, using such fun phrases as 'baby-fever'. Natalfebrility? lol -- what Greek is that Vik?

Anyone have a fact sheet on CF from the last disability unit?

Questions about genetic testing, again?

I'll find some diagnostic stuff.

And for those doctors who know not just about anatomy, but also of the heart: how would we all feel if we learnt our child had CF?

Much love and sleep.

Tim


Part A

Over the past year Pauline had taken to looking at babies as they sat in their strollers in supermarkets. She even found herself reading articles in magazines on the advantages of breastfeeding and what were the current popular names for babies. She admitted to her partner Matthew that she was starting to feel quite ‘clucky’.

As soon as she had made this admission they both realized that having a baby was the next logical step. They had paid quite a large deposit on their new home and calculated they could easily manage on one salary for a year or so, even with the mortgage payments. They were young and very happy together. It seemed the right time to think about starting a family. There was, however, one problem.

Pauline’s brother Tim, and his wife Tracey, had a lovely six-month old baby. While the little girl, Sheridan, appeared alert and healthy, newborn screening had diagnosed her as having cystic fibrosis. Neither Pauline nor Matthew knew anything about this condition. They didn’t like to ask questions of Tim and Tracey because they both seemed reluctant to talk about it. The baby appeared so healthy it was as if the parents refused to believe there was anything wrong with her.

Pauline and Matthew decided to find out as much as they could about the condition and, most importantly, what the likelihood might be of any child of theirs being born with cystic fibrosis. They made an appointment to see their local doctor and, in the meantime, Pauline continued to take the contraceptive pill.
Pauline and Matthew arrived at Dr Clarke’s surgery armed with a list of questions. Pauline said that while she and Matthew were now very keen to start a family, they were seeking reassurance that any child they might have would not be born with the same condition as that suffered by their niece.

“First of all, what is cystic fibrosis?” said Matthew. “Sheridan looks perfectly healthy to us!”