Childhood with daily treatments
One of my strongest memories from childhood is respiratory physiotherapy. My parents were very strict about treatment — at least five times a week, each time around half an hour to forty minutes. The goal was to help the lungs expel mucus and clear the airways.
As a small child, you don't always understand why you need all this. But today I know how important these treatments were for maintaining my health.
PCD is a disease that affects a very small mechanism in the body — the tiny cilia in the respiratory tract. Their job is to clear out mucus, bacteria, and particles we breathe in. When that doesn't work as it should, mucus builds up, repeated infections develop, and sometimes ear infections and hearing loss occur.
"With proper treatment, perseverance in respiratory physiotherapy, and support from family and community — you can live a full life."
Attacks and periods of illness
Life with PCD is not always stable. There are periods when the condition is relatively calm, and there are periods when exacerbation occurs. Sometimes it starts with a feeling of blockage in the airways — as if something deep in the lungs just won't loosen.
There are severe coughs, lots of mucus, and sometimes a cough that disrupts sleep at night. Such periods can last two weeks, a month, or even longer. During these times, you need to intensify treatment — more respiratory physiotherapy, more medication, and lots of patience until the condition improves.
Choosing an ordinary life
Despite the disease, I strive to live as normal a life as possible. I work as a teacher, and even when there are less good periods in terms of breathing — I try to maintain a routine. Of course, if I have a fever or serious illness, I stay home, but most of the time I believe that routine actually helps. It gives me strength to get out of bed and move forward.
Personal dreams didn't stop either
One effect of the disease is also related to fertility. Most men with PCD have a natural difficulty conceiving children. But today, medicine provides solutions.
With the help of an IVF procedure, we managed to bring our sweet daughter into the world. It was a moment that reminds me how important it is not to give up on dreams — even when there's illness in the background.
My message
PCD is a chronic disease, but it doesn't have to define your life. With proper treatment, perseverance in respiratory physiotherapy, and support from family and community — you can live a full life.
And perhaps the most important thing I've learned along the way is this: The disease is part of my life, but it's not who I am.
"The disease is part of my life, but it's not who I am."
— Dobi Kordovsky
