Transitioning from Summer to Fall

 Remember that summer list? Here is a recap:

Make friends at my apartment complex. Yes I did :) This summer was a lot more quiet than I expected it to be, but I enjoyed

Go running several times a week. This, too, is checked. I would alternate mornings between weight lifting and running 2 1/2 to 5 1/2 miles, which was so nice! It was always a great start to each morning and made me appreciate Sunday even more as a day of rest. My family and I even ran the CF run as well as the run for Millie. Now the challenge will be to keep up with it.

I even bought new running shoes :)

Go Swimming. I don't have any pictures of swimming, but I did a few times. One time I won't forget was when we played what ended up being "bouquet football." The guys were on one side of the pool in the water, and the girls on the other. One would toss the football to the other side, and everyone would dive in after it. It was pretty funny!

Listen to more country music. Yes ma'ams and sirs I did. I loved listening to it about every day at work.

 Not be afraid to wear my hair curly more often. This happened as well...

 

Buy at least one pair of colored jeans

Actually, I ended up buying a pair. Then I bought another, then two more. I guess you can count me in the colored pants club. I couldn't resist---they are a little too fun to wear :)

And this leads to the next one...enjoying summer treats. Holy moly this snow shack is the bomb-diggity! These snow cones were literally about the size of my head! They were too darn good. While back in my home town, I felt sorry for the students in middle school and high school that had to deal with the puny snow cones from Cup O Snow. They just don't compare to these :)

 
 Go with friends up to the mountains

We hiked up to some hot springs

First time hiking the Y.

Later this summer, I had the chance to peer mentor at Fol. Aspen Grove was stunning!

 Catch up on movies. So I ended up watching Brave, the new Spiderman movie, and the Dark Knight Returns. Spiderman was alright, but I adored Brave and I fell head over heels for the Dark Knight Rises; (honestly, though, I was on the edge of my seat during most of it.) Other than that, I really haven't seen too many movies this summer.


 Go see Wicked. You bet I did, and I adored it :)

Other things done on the list:

Breakfast for dinner
Have parties (well, ok, more like went to parties)
 Make cookies Nutella Rice Krispy treats for friends.
Go bowling (which was on a blind date with someone who was 6'7". Craziness!)
Sidewalk Chalk art: I didn't do my own artwork, but was able to go to the Chalk Art Festival with my cousin Caryn.

 Craft night

Run in the sprinlers Go down a huge slip and slide at a park

We had the whole ward at the activity, but this is a pic with a few of the girls

Go on swings at a park
 Go to the 4th of July parade/Freedom Festival: I only stayed in Provo for a little while, but I was still able to see the parade and fireworks

These events aren't in order--I just tried to write it according to the list
Did I do everything on the list? Nope. However, it was still a great summer!


 
 
Summer is in the past, and now I'm about to face the new school year. I'll admit, finding balance has been extremely difficult this week with new classes and working 18 hours a week (in which I have time to study during it.) I learned my lesson that I need to keep up with cardio exercise and strength training regularly. I'm signed up for Zumba and Ballet, but this week didn't cut it. I wasn't sore, felt that I wasn't working hard enough (and this week was more of an intro to the classes.) Yesterday I felt nauseous, exhausted, dizzy, from not enough sleep and not eating as well. My lungs felt tight and this mucus has been building up from not running. I decided I needed to hit the gym, so last night I lifted weights/did pilates for an hour and a half, and I went for a 4 mile run this morning to start the regimen again. So please excuse me as I may talk about balancing life every now and then. I'm not a pro at it and it is always a little tricky to find the right balance.

Now, about the whole not-enough-sleep thing...I have the greatest roommates! We have been staying up talking, eating pie, dying hair, and even went to the first football game of the season this week, and we won! They are some of the sweetest girls I have met and even though we may come from different backgrounds, we have already found things in common.

My days consist of going to classes then work (or vice versa), with hours in-between to study, get errands done, or lift weights, and then heading off to Zumba or ballet. Overall, I enjoy my classes :) You may say I'm trying to do too much, and this week has been crazy and again, I'm still looking for a good balance because this last week didn't cut it. As for now I'm looking forward to an even better school year!!

The reasons for my "abnormal" routine to stay healhty:

Yes, I know, this is a little long, but here is a tid bit on my story with nutrition and staying active.

I don't believe in being skinny. I remember how during my childhood, I could eat anything and never gain weight. Most girls would do anything for this, but try putting your fingertips together, forming a circle. That was about the size of my "quads" since this naturally came with having CF. I have seen girls and women who munch noisily on celery or carrots all the time or always giving the excuse "I'm not hungry" or "I'm ok" (without food.) I have seen girls and women run vigorously or push cardio more than anything else to stay skinny when they are already skinny (usually with not much muscle.)  I always see girls in advertisements and magazines, wearing sweats or athletic gear who are only skinny and not fit. There is a difference. I remember the days where had a feeding tube in my stomach for night feedings and the mornings throwing up after it because it made me sick. I was not always liked by classmates or teachers for having bring snacks to school to eat during class, since our Texan county did not allow it. I remember the hospital tune-ups to gain weight and improve lung function and the days I bruised easily.  Again, I don't believe in being skinny, but I believe in being fit and healthy by getting the proper nutrients needed, and yes, being lean can come as a result.

As soon as I was officially diagnosed for chronic blockages a couple of years ago, I knew I would have to start eating healthier. It's been a work in progress! First off, starting off by eating less junk food or food with heavy creams, butter, or a lot of cheese.It felt weird while having CF, because I was raised with eating those foods all the time. Then it came to forcing myself to eat a better amount of fiber, fresh fruit, and veggies. I used to not like veggies too much, but as time progressed, my taste buds have adapted and I crave them a lot more. I prefer foods such as dark green leaf lettuce over iceberg and whole wheat over white flour. I occasionally use white flour in baking, but have discovered how much better whole wheat tastes, and how refined sugars can be found in pastas or anything that's starchy and not as natural. I also switched from Yoplait yogurt--since it's mostly sugar and not as good of probiotics--to Greek. I am still adjusting since it was a recent switch, but I realized that the Greek yogurt has more protein, more probiotics, and less sugar.

I believe that food is for nutrition. You've have to have it, just through the right sources. Sweets are ok every once in a while, but the best foods were created by the Lord for our own good and have important purposes. More foods have evolved because they are cheaper to make (especially through corn), but we need to remember that food is supposed to help us.

You may think I don't touch junk food, but that's a lie! I love to cook and still use cheeses and (low-fat) creams. I love meat, chicken, steak, and one of my favorite restaurants is Tucanos. I also love Chick-Fil-A and ice cream. However, I believe eating in moderation. I have looked into a few organic foods, but I still eat normal food from the grocery store. However, I hardly touch the "inner isles," where most of the processed food is located. If you are wondering how to eat more healthily, try the "shop around the perimeter of the store" trick. I'm not the girl who eats only veggies and organic food, but I try not to gorge my plate with creams and strive to stay away from processed food when possible.

Exercise:
I wasn't raised being taught much about exercise, and I despised exercising when I had to take gym in middle school. I felt tiny and overlooked by surrounding students who played sports or danced their whole lives.My teacher pushed us hard and promised to give a good grade, but I always ended up failing the fitness tests or getting no higher than a C no matter how hard I tried. I began to hate it even more after a serious stress fracture in my leg while playing soccer because it was too much on my body. (I believe it took at least several months to completely heal.) However, while in school, we had dance assemblies. When I saw the girls dance, I felt a strong pull towards the creative ways of how they expressed themselves through stories and movements, with a weird feeling that I could do the splits, jumps, and more, but I couldn't because it had been several years since I had. Somehow, as weird as it sounds, I could feel it within me.

This is the funny story. This was when I was about 14 or 15 and saw a notice to audition to be a dancer for HSM3. I thought, why not. I made a fool of myself at the audition, however, I realized how much I LOVED dance. I knew I had to start as soon as I started high school.

So then it started with the beginning dance class my first semester. I loved it, then jumped onto the JV team my 2nd semester. I pushed myself hard during the next while on the JV team and was still not doing as well as I dreamed, but found pleasure in expressing emotions and having fun through movement and trying new techniques. After time passed on, I realized during more difficult hip hop routines, that running did not take much more effort. I heard stories from CF patients on how running changed their lives, so I gave it a shot. I took it easy, and would have to stop at every block. Later on, I signed up for the CF Great Strides run.




Yes, I took many stops and went slow while running, but as time went on, I was able to push myself a little bit more each time. The long hours after school for performances for dance (and pilates in the class) increased my strength, making things a little easier for running. I almost joined track by my sophomore year as I trained with the team, but dance and work took over. A couple of years passed with dancing each school day and running here and there, and I found that I loved running. I realized that I should take on weight lifting, so I hit the gym as soon as my step-mom offered my siblings and I gym passes. It was great! I started off easy and continued, keeping the motivation to stay strong for dance and running.


Senior year, I took a huge leap. I felt uneasy and unsure about it. Before I knew it, I joined the running club in the summer to wake up at 7 and run, preparing for cross country. I sprained my ankle pretty badly during a mountain trail run, and had to take a break from there. However, I couldn't wait to start running again, and cross country came before I knew it!

I quit dance temporarily for some reasons I don't want to go into detail about (major girl drama in the class), as well as becoming impatient as I tried and tried to do better but was not getting much further. I decided I would wait to take dance in college :) So I kept with cross country in the fall: day after day of fatigue, sore muscles, running in 100 degree weather up steep sand hills and through beautiful scenery with canopies of forest trees and sandy nature trails as my endurance strengthened incredibly. Since then, I can now keep running without stopping at every block! I made friends while on the team, and realized that each player was facing their own type of battle. For instance, there was a girl with stomach cancer and one girl born with 50 percent of the normal lung capacity. I hated to see them in pain and struggle, but they inspired me as they kept trying, and helped me realize that if they could do it, then I could too. Cross country was an unforgettable, incredible experience that I will never regret participating in. I was one of the slower team members, but realized that everyone runs their own race.

Exercise and eating healthily has extended my life while improving pulmonary function test scores, eliminating hosptial tune-ups, and helped out my immune system. I keep reminding myself of those past experiences, and how I need to put off any similar hard situation if I can. It's never easy and takes a lot of courage to keep going, but I know that as long as I keep up with it, it adds on more time. That is, more time with my future family and dear loved ones. I am still young, but how I take care of myself greatly affects the quality time that I will be able to spend with them. Being able to love my future husband, whoever he may be, more fully, to keep promises and have fun together; to joke and laugh; to play with, teach, and take care of my children while loving them fully; to stay active and have fun as a family, and all the blessing that would come with being a mom and having opportunities to serve motivate me to keep up the things that CF requires. Most people may not get why eating a bag of potato chips would be such a big deal or would rather skip out on the sweat and soreness each day. However, each choice will make an impact on the duration and quality of life with those I love the most. I may not always be able to be this healthy, but I continue to pray with gratitude for the strength provided for better, more days ahead.

Running Playlist

Here is a little look at my running playlist. I make sure there is a good variety to keep me going and I love to put it on shuffle.

Chasing the Sun-the Wanted
Hit the Ground Runnin'-Keith Urban
Le Disco (clean edit)-Shiny Toy Guns
Good Time-Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen
We Found Love- Rihanna
Back in Time-Pitbull
Earthquakey People (Feat Rivers Cuomo)- Steve Aoki
Fever-Cascada
Hold On-Cascada
The Motions-Dashboard Confessional
United State of Pop 2009 (Blame it on the Pop)-DJ Earworm
My Own Step-Roscoe Dash and T-Pain Feat Fabo
Ain't Nothing Wrong with That-Robert Randolph & the Family Band
Do You Remember-J-Sean Feat Sean Paul & Lil Jon
Army of Love- Kerli
Hot and Cold-Katy Perry
Hello-Martin Solveig Feat Dragonette
Fancy Footwork- Chromeo
Good Feeling- Flo Rida
If We Ever Meet Again-Timbaland Feat Katy Perry
Starships- Nicki Manaj
Untouched-the Veronicas
4Ever-the Veronicas
Ocean Avenue-Yellowcard
Footloose-Kenny Loggins
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)-Shakira
Yeah!(feat Lil Jon and Ludacris)- Usher
Titanium- David Guetta and Sia
Every Teardrop is a Waterfall-Coldplay
Charlie Brown- Coldplay
Rock Party Anthem (Feat Lauren Bennett&  GoonRock- LMFAO
If You're Going Through Hell-Rodney Atkins
All Around the World (Feat Ludacris)-Justin Bieber
Give it All Back-Noah and the Whale
Green Light-John Legend Feat Andre 3000
Blackout-Breathe Carolina
Dreaming- Nikki & Rich
The Edge of Glory-Lady Gaga

This summer

Nothing much has been happening this summer, to be honest. My schedule now goes along something like this:

Wake up
Either go to the gym, do insanity, or go running.
Eat breakfast.
Do treatment.
Get ready.
Power walk to work, including climbing the large flight of stairs.
Work.
Take a break.
Make dinner.
Either go to family home evening, Institute, watch some TV, or whatever comes along
Wash the Pari treatment pieces.
Do treatment.
Get ready for bed.
Go to bed.

There have been a few fun nights of playing commando on campus, movie nights, or just singing songs with a few new friends on 2 random mattresses found outside a friend's apartment. Earlier this summer we had a huge slip and slide that went down a hill at the park. Hopefully a few more adventures will come, but this summer is more of a relaxed one. I've found myself having to stay inside most of the time due to some serious air pollution from major fires, and not being able to tolerate the heat too much. However, this fall I'm auditioning to be a character at Disney World /applying for the Disney College Program for next summer, and would be more than thrilled if I get any job there. I would be able to meet people from around the world and even volunteer at Give Kids the World, where my family visited several times during my Make-A-Wish 7 years ago.If I get accepted into the program, I'm going to have to learn how to handle the heat. Anyways, I'm just rambling again, but that's my summer update for now.

It wasn't enough

This past little while, I discovered that deciding to run when I could was not enough. I would find myself making excuses not to go, such as being too tired, too lazy, it was too hot outside, etc. I have been trying to keep up with my new treatment plan, which has been a challenge, and I wouldn't be sure which days to run or when to lift weights at the gym so that I can stay strong and run. So then I decided I needed a new plan--a new routine so I would know when and what my workout plan would be: go to the gym and lift weights for one hour one morning, run at least 2.5- 3 miles the next (or run the first morning and then weights the next), as long as I would have an hour of weights and at least 30 minutes of cardio every morning except Sunday--my day of rest :) It was set, so I began.

It's been rough. I didn't realize how out of shape I was for not having a routine. I have started using not only the weight machines, but free weights, been learning new pilates moves to get ready for my goal of building a six-pack in case I need to get my stomach scar tissue removed (I think that if my abdominals are stronger, then it will heal faster after surgery.) It is a little scary to think about because I hate surgeries and I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I want to be as prepared as possible in case it needs to be done. Then there's running...finding good routes around this college town has been a challenge itself with hardly any hills, busy traffic, and much more. But it's getting there.

It's been hard, especially the first week. I would be sore every day and craving a nap in the afternoon, but I would have more energy throughout each day. On Saturday, instead of running or lifting weights, I was planning on going up with some friends to hike the Y. When I woke up that morning, everything from that week kicked in. I felt like I got hit by a bus. I could hardly move anything...everything from my neck to my shoulders, back of my arms, biceps, my back, my abs hurt when I laughed or coughed (which even hurt my ribs), my inner thighs killed, along with my hamstrings, calves...all the way down to my ankles. Yep. For all I know I may have been hit by a bus. And what's more? I felt crazy for wanting to go on a steep hike. However, I started feeling addicted to the exercise. I knew it was going to help me, and I could wanted more. The hike was shorter than most, but it was steep. At times I felt like I was going to die, but reaching the top felt incredible.

So here I am, still sometimes detesting turning off my alarm between 6:30 and 6:45 AM, but the feeling after each workout rocks. Hopefully the next PFTS blows the Pulmonologists away (no pun intended). :)

Shaping up: How one Cyster Got Fit

I received an email with this article of a Cyster who has understood the importance of staying healthy, so here it is! It's a great one! :)


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Shaping Up: How One Cyster Got Fit By Jessica Muir    From soccer to softball, I have been active in sports since I was a child. It carried over into high school with the addition of running track. I wanted to challenge myself and prove that someone with a lung disease could run track with everyone else. I never thought about how much exercise was doing for me. During college, exercise was done at a minimum while I studied for my Nursing degree. Being a Nurse and running around for 10-12 hour shifts felt like sufficient exercise, hence my lacking in the area during this time. After graduating, and getting married, my husband and I were talking about starting a family. We consulted all of the appropriate physicians to make sure it was safe. During these appointments there was a common thread with each doctor, despite their different specialties. Each one of them had said I was healthy enough, but that I had to "be in the absolute best health of your life going into this." I thought to myself, how much more could I do? I do all of my treatments, go to all of my appointments and, overall, thought I took great care of myself. Then it dawned on me. What hadn't I been doing for quite some time that I already KNEW did wonders? Exercise! It was at that moment I realized what I had to do. Run. I was immediately inspired and began running that afternoon. I hadn't even figured out what my goals were, but I knew I had to start immediately! After not "pounding the pavement" for almost a decade, I ran a mile non-stop. To say it felt amazing would be an understatement. From that point on, I knew that this was my passion. This was something I used to love and I never realized how it had benefited me. It kept my lungs feeling great and kept me out of the hospital. It became a challenge. I wanted to see just how hard I could push myself. Running has done incredible things for me both mentally and physically. The feeling of accomplishment every single time I step off that treadmill cannot be put into words. I set new goals for myself constantly; entering several 5K races each year. My ultimate goal: running a ½ marathon.  Running has allowed my lung function to steadily increase over the last few years, as I have found this to be the best form of chest physiotherapy. I purchased a personal PFT meter and have tracked my numbers for years. The documented increase in lung capacity motivates me. Running has allowed me to challenge myself daily, push the limits, and continue to fight the good fight. Many times when I'm running I remind myself that I'm not just running for me. I'm running for all of us with CF. I'm running for those that CF took too soon. I'm running for those who aren't able to. I run because it strengthens me physically and mentally in the fight against this disease. I run because I can and I am thankful for that beyond words. I will never ever take that for granted. About Jessica      My name is Jessica Muir and I am 31 years old living with Cystic Fibrosis . I was diagnosed at the age of 5 months old with the most common mutation of DDF508. I've been married since 2004 to my wonderfuly supportive husband, Scott. I graduated college in 2002 with a degree in Nursing and currently work full time as a Gastroenterology (GI) RN. I Iove being outdoors and active in any way, cooking, entertaining, hiking, music, and have a passion for running.

Keep Up and Keep Going

Well I started Tobi once more for this month as I take it once every 3 months. I often wonder why I need to take it because I don't even have Pseudamonas, but I know it's important to prevent it from coming in my lungs at all costs. Since Tobi can make people lose their voice, I have had awkward moments while speaking normally to somebody, and all of the sudden my voice has died as I could hardly get any words out. That's when I either speak softly or stop talking, or people wonder why I don't want to talk to them when it's nothing against them. I can continue on, but I have a goal to keep up with Tobi no matter what this year, not matter how disgusting it is or how many whitening strips I may have to purchase afterwards.

Other than that, I have also remembered the importance of exercise. Yes, many people usually want to roll their eyes when they hear of exercise or staying healthy or fit at the beginning of the new year. Truth is, once I have tried to stay in shape and keep up with it no matter how difficult it may be, I have seen great results. Most people exercise to lose weight or get toned, but I have to keep reminding myself that it is crucial for living with CF to stay strong and have higher lung capacity. We often compare ourselves to others, but each of us has our own battle and needs that are sometimes different from everyone else's. I am hoping for higher PFT (Pulmonary function test) scores and for a little bit of tone, not to mention to hopefully cut down the CF belly a smidge :) While keeping up with exercise, I have noticed how my lungs clear out more gunk. I wish CF'ers could realize how cardio activity keeps lungs strong. It's hard to feel the pressure-like feeling on your lungs when you are running or increasing the incline on an elliptical, but afterwards they feel very open and free. It's a great feeling that is hard to explain. Not to mention I feel as if exercise prevents lung infections from stepping in. I often hear students say they get enough exercise by walking around campus, but I can't emphasize how cardio activity improves lung function. On top of that, I have noticed my digestive system works better while keeping up with abdominal exercises.
   
I can't express how grateful I am to have a free gym pass just by being a student and being able to use new equipment!! It's hard to go up the Mt Olympus stairs from the Smith Fieldhouse afterwards and I feel more out of shape when I do, but there's nothing like getting to the top and thinking about a good chocolate milk afterwards.

If you decide not to run out in the cold or can't make it to the gym, here are some tips I have. I am absolutely not an expert, but I can at least give a little bit of advice:
-For any of you cf'ers, keep up with abdominal exercises if you have digestion problems. It will help.
-Keep up with good, complete treatments. There have been some mornings where I have skipped Pulmozyme until nighttime, and remember during a workout when I feel a greater pressure on my lungs that I skipped Pumozyme that morning...
-If you have to choose between an elevator or stairs, always take the stairs
-Remember that carbs give you energy before (but not too shortly before) a work out, and protein afterward rebuilds the muscle that breaks down during the exercises.
-Don't try to do too much at once, otherwise you will want to give up. To keep good lung function, it takes keeping up with exercise and practice.
-And most importantly keep up with what you're doing and don't give up.

To sum this all up, I read a quote on Pinterst: "We must all suffer from one of the two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons." I would rather live longer through discipline than suffer from other consequences. Besides, exercise isn't too bad as it becomes an accustom.

Loving life

Loving life.
Now considering to become fluent in ASL.
I cannot emphasize how much I am loving my classes right now.
Classes today, studying in between, gym time for an hour and a half, made my first steak on the mini grill (while asking my mom over the phone how to marinade it, she exclaimed "You've never made steak before?!?! haha oh mom)
And I was happy to hear they are giving freshman free mugs of hot chocolate by the library for a few days this week. Can't wait to get mine tomorrow :)
And now about to get more study time in
But still working on my New Years Resolution to do treatments before 10 pm
And to eat less junk food
And exercise every day...which really means that maybe, hopefully, it will be every other day
And that is all for now.

What the September??!

Since when is September cold season? For some reason a whole bunch of sickness has flown around, and I'll admit I started to fear for what may come later this fall and in the winter.
Which is why I have already started to:

Use hand sanitizer every couple of minutes
Stock up on yogurt for the probiotics
Set a goal of eventually doing 3 treatments a day, and keep up with active cycles in between each 10 minutes
Set a goal to get more sleep
Run more often every week (I haven't been keeping up with exercise)
Taking in more vitamin C every day
Not touch my face so germs don't spread
And have my nurse and pharmacy on my contact list

Yes, This is what happens when a cf girl hears sniffles everywhere, blowing noses, coughing, and much more. I feel for those who are sick but am praying I don't end up in the hospital this fall or winter. This morning I read a scripture I had posted on my bulletin board earlier-Joshua 1:9:
Be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord God is with thee withersoever thou goest.
It was a simple answer. By reading this I was given the comfort and assurance that everything will be ok. There may be hard times coming, but it will only be temporary and the Lord will help out as long as I do my part. This can apply to anyone, so as long as we try our hardest, the Lord can help us when we need him.

Stress

Day 28: I try not to be stressed, and I am usually content and happy. But I sometimes become stressed because I am a bit of a perfectionist, especially concerning my health. Everything has to be exact: every medicine dosage, every way I set out my pieces to dry, the amount of treatments and how long they are, etc. If I ever miss one night of meds or a treatment, I can stress out because I feel irresponsible and as if part of my life is cut off.

It really depends on the moment for when I become stressed. It can come from a lot of homework and upcoming tests and exams. My stress can come when Uncle Ronald is here (I'll just say he has major anger problems because of his brain injury), the whole house can be a wreck. I often feel as if I have to hold the house together and keep it aligned, or I feel like an adult, but the truth is it all comes down to reminding myself that everyone makes mistakes and we can always get back up, and even though I may feel older at times, it's not a problem to loosen up and have fun :)

Merry Christmas!!

I wasn't able to post yesterday, but I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas! We have had a lot of family over so it's been a little crazy at home, but at the same time it's been a lot of fun. And although Christmas was yesterday, I everyone can remember to always give to Christ by serving others. Smile and laugh more often. Show kindness and love. Express gratitude. Give encouragement. Forgive those who have caused pain or grief. Help those in need. And most of all, strive to be like Christ by remembering his love, life, and example.

For any CF patients out there, I advise you all to be aware of germs. I'm sure you hear of them all the time, but I  started getting sick right before Christmas and realized I need to be more careful. I started having a hard time breathing and my lungs hurt as they had a lot of gunk in them and I was becoming really tired all day, so I started doing more longer treatments in the day along with getting more sleep in along with these few tips:

1. Be sure to always keep your hands clean. Wash your hands with soap and water (you can keep lotion with you if you get dry hands like I do) and carry hand sanitizer wherever you go.

2. Keep up with vitamins, treatments, and cardio exercise. It sounds simple, but it's so important!

3. Try not to touch your face. Remember that germs spread easily.

4. And I am also realizing that there are sick people everywhere! Viruses, flu, strep throat, you get the picture, so try to stay as healthy as possible!

Once again, Merry Christmas to all! :)

Run Your Own Race

     I cannot believe how fast this cross country season went by, and I cannot believe I actually ran it!! It was very difficult to run 3 to 6 miles every day after long hours of school, but I can say it was worth it. I met so many new friends and actually got in shape. But I realized how important it is to run at your own pace and not compare your abilities to other students. I think this was the hardest part for me. It was hard to run with having CF and sometimes feeling like I had a brick on my lungs, and there were some students who did much better than I. But what mattered was when I improved my scores. During this cross country season, I also learned how there are others around me who faced very difficult challenges who were also running as well! There was one who had a very hard time breathing because she was born with about 1/2 the normal lung capacity as a normal person (she didn't have asthma or CF). There was also one with stomach cancer as well (I was very surprised to find out myself that she was running with it). It was a great comfort to know there were others with serious challenges who were running as well,and we were able to help each other out :)

     Oh, and I almost forgot. I finally got pictures of my sister's new puppy Cody. He is so energetic and precious. My other dog Oscar has had a huge jealousy problem with him, so hopefully his attitude will eventually go away.

                                               

                                                               Oh how he loves to play