CHS graduate lives with cystic fibrosis

COLUMBUS - After every few words she spoke, Lora Supencheck cleared her throat.

The 1997 Columbus High School graduate explained that action away by saying she always sounds like she is stuffy or has a cold.

For Supencheck, that feeling has been present her whole life. But it was only 10 years ago that she finally knew why.

”My parents were always concerned and brought it up to my doctor. My main thing was I was always coughing. We noticed something was off. I coughed a heck of a lot more than other people did,“ Supencheck said.

At first, doctors said she had sinus problems or allergies. But it wasn't until she was 16 that she was finally diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

About 30,000 people in the United States are affected with the genetic disease that causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus.

Supencheck, the daughter of Rod and Jean Supencheck of Columbus, said a diagnosis at that late of an age isn't typical. Most people are diagnosed when they are infants. Usually people with CF have pancreas obstructions which prevents enzymes from reaching the intestines to break down and digest food.

But Supencheck didn't have that problem, which is why it took longer for her to be diagnosed.

Supencheck, 26, is a transportation engineer in Chicago. She has both good and bad days. On the days she doesn't feel well, she describes the feeling as having a really bad cold.

”I'm very congested, and my chest is very tight,“ she said.

The mucus, which is produced by people with CF, clogs the airways and leads to life-threatening lung infections.

To help alleviate her symptoms, Supencheck takes daily medication and also performs airway clearance sessions. For those sessions she wears a vest that is connected by two tubes to a air-pulse generator. The generator pushes air through the tubes to inflate and deflate the vest. The compressions dislodge mucus and moves it along so it can be easily removed.

The average person who has CF usually lives into their early 30s. Supencheck said she feels like the disease is getting a bit worse for her. During her doctors, visits, which are every three months, she has her lung capacity measured.

”That is getting a little bit worse, and I'm getting more infections,“ she said.

Supencheck said she used to not talk about her CF, not necessarily because she was ashamed of having it, but because she is a private person. She also went through asking ”why me.“

”I used to think like that, but now I'm starting to be like, ‘Hey, it's a part of me.' I tried to ignore it. Nobody knew,“ Supencheck said.

She encourages people to take part in annual fundraising events for continued research on the disease. Columbus will host a Great Strides Walk for the Nebraska Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on Saturday. The walk will begin at 1 p.m. with check-in at 12:30 p.m. at Pawnee Park. Preregistration is available on-line at www.cff.org or by calling 402-564-6154.

Supencheck has never let her disease get in her way of life. She was active in sports in high school playing softball and basketball. She said her life now is active and she is very independent. She is optimistic about her life ahead.

”My future looks good. If I keep up with my treatments and don't stop doing them, it looks good,“ she said.

Reach Julie Blum at 563-7535 or jblum@columbustelegram.com.