Day 1: Visit to the pharmacy

After her check-up at the hospital, Sarah’s mum takes her to the hospital pharmacy to pick up her medicines.

Because Sarah has cystic fibrosis the tiny tubes in her pancreas can get blocked with mucus. The pancreas is an organ that produces the enzymes that the body needs to help break down food. This means that the enzymes produced by Sarah’s pancreas do not always get to where they are needed. She needs to take enzyme supplement tablets with her food, which she gets from the pharmacist. She also takes vitamin supplements to make sure she gets all of the vitamins that she needs.

Sarah also has special medicines to help her body cope with her thick and sticky mucus. DNase is a medicine that breaks down mucus and makes it easier to clear. Mucolytics makes Sarah’s mucus thinner and less sticky. Every day, Sarah takes antibiotics through a nebuliser as well as antibiotic tablets to help her avoid the many chest infections she gets.