SPOTLIGHT:

The Cocooning Chronicles

As some members of the CF Community move into their fourteenth week of cocooning, PWCF Greg Foley recounts his experience so far. As a lecturer working online, he is embracing new technology and enjoying a break from the traffic. In this spotlight, Greg writes about the importance of treating and recognising mental health as well as physical.

As the country begins to reopen and restrictions are lifted, people with cystic fibrosis and those who are medically vulnerable are advised to stay home as much as possible and urged to use judgement on how best to apply the public health guidance.

While this remains a challenging time, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland would like to remind members that we are here to support you. CFI issue regular updates to members on our website, www.cfireland.ie Details of supports available to members can be found on page 13

I’ve been in lock-down for over two months now and while there is a feeling of Groundhog Day about my current existence, I’m doing fine. It helps that I’m an introvert at heart and while I enjoy being with people I’m also happy enough to spend long periods on my own. It does help, of course, that we can all stay in contact with our friends and loved ones through WhatsApp and social media. Being locked-down in the 1970s would have been a much different proposition.

I'll be 57 in June having somehow survived pretty much everything CF can throw at a person, including multiple infections, collapsed lungs, blocked bowels, years on home oxygen, and ultimately a double lung transplant (in 2002) and a kidney transplant (in 2011). Except for about nine months in 2003, I have worked without any major interruption since I was 23. I’ve been incredibly lucky and can’t claim any credit for my survival.

I’ve been a lecturer in DCU since 1986 and while the job has provided me with a lot of flexibility, it has been demanding. In a curious way, work, not CF, has dominated my life and if anything defines me, it’s my work. It has consumed me.

Anyway, by the middle of 2019, I was feeling very tired, both emotionally and physically. I think I was suffering from burnout and this was not helped by the fact that my transplanted kidney is not working very well. I had developed a sort of depression/anxiety for which I decided to take medication, medication that seemed to put me back on an even keel. I think we all need to be prepared to admit that we are suffering mentally and not try to battle through. We take bucketloads of medication for our malfunctioning bodies, so why not for our malfunctioning ‘souls’.

Nonetheless, the lock down period has been a welcome break for me. I’ve had to work, of course, because we had to move all our teaching online and that was a bit of a learning curve for us all. But I enjoyed the whole process - it was something new.

But now as things are quieter for me, I can pause and reflect, take it easy, read more, write a bit, and generally do the things that my work schedule didn’t allow. I go for a walk every day, usually before 9am, and I always wear a mask. I don’t miss the early starts, the sitting in traffic and the useless meetings that seem to be a feature of all workplaces. But I miss my friends and colleagues, and even my students. Students keep me young!

My only real worry in all of this is that my wife, Julie, who lives separately with my son, Leo, might catch Covid-19 and I’ll be left to bring up Leo on my own. Given my health and limited life expectancy, that is a terrifying prospect. But as I’ve done throughout my CF life, I try to park those fears and just focus on the here and now. That tactic has worked for me so far.

I’m not sure when, and if, things will go back to normal for me. My employer is understanding and knows that I may have to teach online for a lot longer than my colleagues but one thing I know for sure is that I’m not going to risk Leo’s future by being reckless and trying to be a hero.

So for now, I’m happy to live a day-by-day existence but I have to admit that I miss going down to Wicklow and walking in Glendalough and generally being close to nature. For now though I’m just glad to be able to hear the dawn chorus, louder than ever because of the reduced traffic levels. Life could be a lot worse.