Monday, May 28, 2012

Pro's n Con's of CF

So I haven't done a single one of these days since I started so for the last few days of May I'm going to pick and choose a few of my favorites to do. Today I chose the Pro's n Con's! I know what you're thinking how can there be any pro's to living with a chronic illness?! Guess what, there totally are! If I live life only thinking of the negative I'd be quit the bitter person.

Pro's: 

1. The first that comes to mind is FOOD! I can eat whatever I want whenever I want. Actually it's encouraged. Salty, sweet, full of carbs... I can eat it! I don't have to worry about my metabolism slowing as I get older. My body burns so much trying to breathe so eating is what I do best (:

2. The CF community! I've met some of the most amazing people through the online CF community. Some of my best friends are people I've never actually met. Often it's CF that initially connects us, but is so many other "normal" things that keep us connected and being friends. I hope one day I'm able to meet these amazing, inspiring and incredibly beautiful people in person. They help keep my spirits up, and are there when things get rough. They've been where I am and know how to help.

3. Another would be life experiences and who I've become. There's a certain amount of resposiblity that comes with having CF. I've always needed to be able to keep up with school and friends while finding time to get all my treatments, IV's and doctors appointments taken care of as well. When I went off to college it really was all up to me to keep up with everything. I couldn't be like every other freshman in college. I learned how to manage my time very early one. My health depended on it. I also think CF as helped me become a goal oriented and positive person, I've had to work hard for so many things in my life, and without setting goals and having the positive attitude that nothing is going to hold me back, I think I would of given up a long time ago. Even when things get hard and I'm frustrated I know that tomorrow is a new day, and with hard work things will get better. I have my eye on the prize and I work hard to get it.

4. I feel that I also appreciate my days more then a normal 21 year old would. I don't know how many tomorrow's I'll be blessed with. I don't know how long my lungs will hold out or how long I'll be able to go with out needing oxygen when I'm out and about. I cherish those good friends in my life, and I spend as much time with family as possible. I've been so blessed with the people in my life and I've been blessed with enough health to spend time with them and to be able to attend school full time. I don't let a single day go to waste.

Con's: I don't know if I need to really talk about these. I think they're kind of obvious. I spend hours a day doing treatment. Weeks a year in the hospital, and hours hooked up to IV's. All to often I'm exhausted just from breathing and have to cancel plans with friends. I know that the likely hood that I'll live a normal life span is very slim. I know that one day I'll need a new pair of lungs, or that I'll end up with diabetes. I have to wake up early or miss things with friends for hour long doctors appointments and we spend houndreds of dollars every month on antibiotics. I could probably go own but I'll stop there.

While there seems to be many more con's then pro's what kind of life would I live if I let those con's run my life or weigh down on my mind? Life is better when you wear a smile and have the brightest hope for your future. So cherish today, hold close your loved ones and make plans for a wonderful future not matter what might really lie ahead.

Friday, May 25, 2012

The Biggest Little City

I'm sure ya'll know that I went to school up in Reno at the University of Nevada for two years and a little over a year ago, because of declining health, I had to withdraw from school and move home. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I hated having to leave my friends, the true Nevada university and the city that I loved. Well this past week I finally made it up Reno to visit after being gone for over a year!! My best friend and I planned a trip for me to be there right after school was over to celebrate making it through the school year. It felt so great to be back in Reno and northern Nevada. It felt so natural to be back on campus and with my friends. I feel so blessed to have such amazing people in my life. I know the girls felt bad that they had to work so much while I was there, but honestly I couldn't of asked for a better trip. We had grilled tri tip and sat by the fire in Loyalton, CA. Movie date with Jacie, TONS of froyo at yogurt beach, deep fried deliciousness for lunch in cow town Loyalton, Keva Juice on campus, thee funnest motorcycle rides with Quinn around town, playing just dance, making new friends, and just flat out being with my best friends! I'm one  lucky girl. I already have my tickets bought for my trip up there in August before school starts again, wohoo!

Sitting by the fire in Loyalton, CA. Such a perfect night!
Getting all geared up to go riding.
Off to ride around town with Quinn!
One of the funnest things I've EVER done!
The view from Lorin's parent's porch in Loyalton.
My favorite little cow town!
Yummy deep fried deliciousness from Frosty's
FROYO at Yogurt Beach (:
So proud of Wolfie for winning mascot of the year!!!

Once Nevada, always Nevada!!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Yellow Car, I win!

For anyone who's known me for awhile you'd know that it's my dream to one day write a book. I've loved writing and creating stories since I was little. My parents encourage my story writing and poetry by buying me poem journals as a kid, and always listening when I wrote something new. As I got older, and busier with school and life writing was kind of set on the back burner till I got this blog. As I started blogging, and raising awareness about CF. I realized I was writing all the time again, but this time it was about my life with CF. A few months back CF Roundtable's facebook page posted about a guy that was putting together a book in honor of Christine “Beans” Padasak and wanted others with CF to submit poems or stories that they had written to be apart of the book. I submitted 3 things that I thought were my best, and waited.... On Monday I got an amazing surprise in the mail, I made the book!!! I'm officially published! It's only a little book, with a 2 page story I wrote, but I couldn't be happier that they enjoyed reading something I wrote so much that they included it in their book. Even though I haven't written my own book, I've contributed to an inspiring book full of stories, pictures and poems from people living and breathing daily with CF, and from parents/siblings of those with CF. They're selling the book for $10, and the best part is all the proceeds go to the CF Foundation! If you want a copy of this awesome book you can email Carol (Christine's Mother) at carolpadasak40@bluefrog.com or Rick who put a lot of the book together at Rickmanzone56@gmail.com 


Friday, May 11, 2012

May is a special month!


If there was an award for the worlds worst blogger I'm pretty sure I would be a candidate... Heck maybe even the winner! I promise now that school is very I'm going to start blogging more often. I want to start with the "31 days of CF" that has going around facebook and blogs. The month of May is CF awareness month & doing a question a day about CF and my life with it, is one of the best ways I know how to raise awareness. Since it's already 11 days into May I won't be able to do all of them so I might jump around a little bit, and pick and choose which ones I'm gonna do.

I'll start tomorrow, so until then I'll leave you with one of my favorite (current) pictures of my best friend and I! She surprised me for my 21st birthday by showing up at my front door and spending a week at my house. She drove 9 hours alone just for me, how special am I?!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Blowing away CF!

I can't believe I never got on here to talk about the Great Strides team our family made this year! The walk was last weekend, and such an awesome experience. It was our families first time being apart of this since us kids were little. Cortney and I were determined to make it happen this year, so we formed a Houston Family team and we started raising money! For those of you who don't know much about the Great Strides program here is a little info: Great Strides is the CFF's largest and most successful national fundraiser, 90cents of every dollar raised is used in vital CF programs to support research, care and education! It's thanks to generous donors to Great Strides that fund new treatments and drugs that help our family live a long, more normal life. Our team decided to start off small this year since it was our first year, but we exceeded every goal we made! We raised over $1000 & had a bigger group then we expected there to walk with us. I wasn't able to stay the whole walk sadly, so I'm really looking forward to next year. Seeing all the love and support from family and friends is incredible! Heck those who walked with us were willing to get up and going on a Saturday morning at 7:30 am.... If that's not love I don't know what is!

A rock group that put on concerts to raise money for the walk



News 5 guy talking before the stretches and walk!

Ain't that the truth!

Walking time with my Daddy

Thursday, May 3, 2012

A little bit of this. A little bit of that.

Hello blogging world! I feel like I've been gone forever.... Life has been so busy these last few months. I had a kidney infection, we spent spring break in Idaho with my Grandparents, Easter was spent with LOTS of family, I turned 21, my best friend that lives in Reno showed at my front door for a birthday surprise, My cousin got married,I babysat for my aunt while she was on a cruise for a week, we had our Great Strides walk, I just took my Praxis, and now it's the last day of school then finals. I don't have much time to write today, so until later I will leave you guys with some pictures from Spring Break!

Tastee Treet just happens to be the best soft serve in Idaho!
If you ever find yourself in Pocatello you must stop there.
The area just on the other side of my Grandparents neighborhood
Pocatello is one of the prettiest places, even in the winter!
It snowed the morning we left... I was so sad to leave it.
Saying bye! I'm rockin the coolest outfit (:
Spring and Cortney at Butterburrs for dinner after a windy day up at BYU-I!
We brought my Grandparents home with us...
It was a very tight 9 hour drive home, but worth it!
Easter Sunday before church! My family is amazing.
There were SOOOO many Easter eggs for the kids at dinner.