Warrior Mentality

For as long as I can remember, I have possessed a warrior mentality with regard to my CF. I view every day as a battle in the overall war against my disease. I believe that this mentality has served me well over the years; indeed, I attribute my survival in large part to my warrior mindset and approach to CF. This warrior mentality reminds me of a great -- and pertinent -- quote I read years ago in a book titled, "Through Indian Eyes: The Untold Story of Native American Peoples”.

Thousands of Americans are believed to have died of cholera from 1849 - 1855. The ranks of the Cheyenne, a tribe of Native Americans in the Great Plains, were especially decimated by the illness. A dying Cheyenne warrior, frustrated at his powerlessness to conquer cholera, remarked: “If I could see this thing, if I knew where it was, I would go there and kill it!”. (That I find in this quote relevance to my own struggles is ironic, since there is an apparent connection between cholera and CF. It has been suggested that the CF genetic mutation has survived through history due to an evolutionary benefit it supposedly confers; heterozygous carriers of the mutation (who are thus not affected by cystic fibrosis) are more resistant to cholera infections.)

Back to the warrior mentality...As I mentioned, I have possessed this mentality for as long as I can remember, while waging war against CF. And I do believe that such an approach has served me well over the years and has contributed to my survival. But surely there must be other ways to confront this disease. Perhaps better ways?

I wonder if functioning in a perpetual state of conflict is ultimately healthy. I know that it can be exhausting. But what is an effective alternative? Laughter is no doubt great medicine. But would a constant cheerful approach to CF (or any other chronic illness) ultimately prove successful? Is such an approach even feasible against a deadly enemy? I wonder.