Making an exercise plan, I think.

So lately it seems that everyone is blogging or talking about exercise and how much it has helped improve their lung function, and I decided it was time for me to get my butt in to shape... better yet my lungs!! For the past year or so my lungs have kinda been on a steady down climb. It is the same routine I get sick, do IV's my pfts pop back up but then a month or so later I start to feel sick again sooooo I figured I should start running and working my lungs out. So far I am thinking about going to the gym about 3 times a week for a couple weeks then maybe step it up a notch. I went today and felt so out of shape. Then my freaking toes cramped up and I couldn't stand on them anymore. Has anyone had that problem??? The gym here at my apartments is really nice. We have a pool to but it's slowly getting to cold to swim much.

Anyways that is the idea I have for getting my lungs back into shape and my numbers where they should be. I am up for any advice or tips that you have. I have never been one to work out so this is all new to me. I'm not ready to be sick and back home and I am not ready to even be at the point of thinking of a lung transplant but my numbers rang between the mid 50's to low 40's and I just want them stable again.

Reno's Great Hot Air Balloon Races!!

Every September, the weekend after Labor day, the great hot air balloon races come to town. Last year we could see it from our dorms but this year Lorin's mom came to pick us up at 6 in the morning to pick us up for the races!! What an experience. Not gonna lie it was freeeezing but once the sun was out all was good. I had never been so close to an air balloon. Next year we want to go at 5 for Dawn Patrol so we can see the balloons in the air all lighting up "twinkling" in the sky. I love Reno and all there community events. If anyone is near the Reno, Nevada area when this is in town I recommend coming at least once! It's alot of fun.

The first balloons to rise. There represented the twin towns. In one balloon was a member of the armed forces to represent all those who who fight for our county and in the other was a fire chief to honor all emergency personnel.

Then the air guard had 4 plans fly over head and you can see that one broke away to represent all those we have lost at war.

September is my FAVORITE month!

It's officially been decided September is number on my list of favorite months. Yup, it even beat our my birthday and Christmas!! Why, you may ask? Well let me tell you :D So first and for most college football is finally back! Our first game was this last Thursday and I can honestly say I missed it even more then I thought I did, and I already thought I missed it alot! As always the WOLFPACK came out on top with a win against Easter Washington: 49-24!

So now your thinking alright you're in college so college football is exciting but what makes September so great when football goes till December?? Obviously you have never been to Reno,Nevada in September!! Labor Day weekend (this weekend) also means the annual rib fest or rib cook-off (which ever you prefer) is in town Thursday till Monday! Over 300 of the country's best rib vendors are downtown. I had a pulled pork sandwich with sweet and sour and a dash of hot BBQ sauce, funnel cake with strawberry whipcream and powdered sugar and corn on the cob!! OMG it was some of the best food I have ever had. We didn't even get to do everything I wanted to do and I can't wait to go next year to see everything else I missed!




I also got to see my high school government teacher that was in town for the rib fest and we met up with him at the Peppermill and he bought us all gilato. We talked for about an hour. It was a blast! Next on my list of why September is amazing is the annual Reno Balloon Races. Hundreds of hot air balloons come to town and for 3 days light up around 5 in the morning at the park up the street from the school and float around the sky. Last year us girls tried pulling an all nighter the night before and missed it but this year we are going to be there for dawn watch which is the most beautiful time to see the balloons light up! Exciting, I know!! but that isn't the last of it. There is also the street vibrations where bikers and old cars come to down town and show off their stuff. My Uncle Ted comes to town every year for this and this year I get to ride around Tahoe on his bike with him! Then of course one of the best parts of September in Reno is the weather. Man how I love the start of fall. By the end of the month the days of absolutely perfect and the evenings you need a sweater. You can feel winter in the air trying to creep in but you know you still have about a month till the first storm blows in and we have to break out our winter coats.

So there you have it. That is why September happens to be my favorite month of all!

Happy (early) Birthday Skye!!

Lets start from the beginning. My sister and I were looking online for some cute CF awareness bracelets. That is when I first ran across this amazing blog. After looking at the bracelets I began looking around the blog, I was thinking to myself, "This is the cutest little girl I have ever seen and she looks just dang happy even through everything that is going on." So I decided to follow her and her mom's blog. From there I become facebook friends with her mom and now I feel as I have known them forever. The poor little girl not only has CF and a few other complications caused by that but she was diagnosed last week with a hearing problem to. So for her birthday party that is this friday in RI I made a "Happy Birthday" song video for her.

Little Skye is turning two years old and is the cutest little girl I have ever seen! Seeing the pictures her Mom puts up always make my day. Of course She would be no where if it wasn't for her amazing Mom and Dad. I don't know how her mom does it but she always finds away to make it to tomorrow and to make the best out of every situation possible. I so look up to her for that. She is such an amazing Mommy to little warrior Skye and I am so grateful for the CF community we have that allowed me to meet and become friends with this amazing family. Skye's mommy keeps a pretty up to date blog about their daily lives. If you are interested in hearing Skye's story or if you would like to see the cute cf bracelets or key chains that her Mommy makes here is the blog: http://teamskyesthelimit.blogspot.com I hope Skye has a great birthday and I wish I could be there!

My new home sweet home!

Where to start..... So much has gone on in the last three weeks that I was to busy to even think about getting on here! First and for most I am finally back up in Reno and back in school. So far I love my classes and Reno couldn't be any better. The most exciting part of being back up here is being all moved and settled in to my new apartment with my amazing roomies: Sherise, Lorin and Jessica! The weekend we moved up my mom took us grocery shopping an got us all set up. Having a kitchen and your own space is so nice, WAAAY better then the dorms. All summer us girls worked on buying stuff for our kitchen,thanks to our amazing friend Thomas we have a tv and dvd player, now all we need is stuff to put on the walls in the living room. We heard horrible stories from ppl about the highlands and why we shouldn't move there but honestly I couldn't be happier. New carpet, full furnished, the noise level on the weekends is totally tolerable, the shuttle to campus is really convenient and I have my best friends so what could go wrong?! I have a bunch of pictures of our apartment and my moms trip up here so I will pick and chose my favorites to put up for now.

Our first shopping trip for the apartment!!

Three of the most amazing women I know.
My mom, Grandma and Aunt Spring.

So there you have it!! My new home sweet home. Lorin and I do most the cooking but I don't mind at all. We all help clean up the kitchen and living room every night. On sunday I was so tired of working on hw that I took a break and made some blueberry muffins. Gotta love having a kitchen. My momma raised me well. I can cook, clean and survive on my own. Who would of thought.... not me that's for sure!!

Ports, Boogers, and Bronchs, Oh my!!

It has been a very busy week for me, probably one of the busiest and there are no signs of it slowing down until who knows when... winter break I guess! Lets start at the beginning. Thursday I took my little brother on a date to the movies but I get home to hear we have to leave right away to get test and pre-op stuff done for my port placement that following Friday that we had no idea bout until a couple hours ago. So we hurried to the hospital got my test done and 2 hours later we were at the other hospital up the street with family. Earlier that week my cousin Beth was in a car accident and on Thursday we were doing the final test to see if there was any blood in her brain which would declare her brain dead. So that whole week we spent with family at the hospital praying for the best. Sadly we got the worst of news my cousin Beth was no longer with us. I will have to fill you in on that later. It is still to hard for me to talk about. So after a night of no sleep I get up bright and early cause it is time for my PORT!! I don't think I have ever been so excited about a single surgery. For anyone who doesn't know I have the worst veins ever. My last 3 PICC's have been a pain. Two I was sedated for and the last one took 4 pokes to get in soooo it was time for a port! I thought it was gonna be easy just slip it in I wake up and bam done. Nope not at all! I was so sore and the stupid orange iodine dyed my skin and is still all orange. The nurse and I joked that I should tell everyone it was just a bad fake tan. After I got home and popped some pain pills the doctor gave me I was off to give my uncle and his family some dinner and visit to make sure things were okay. Then from there it was time for my cousin Ashtyn's baby shower! At UMC while waiting for beth's test results my aunt told me I better be there. She would even make a bed on the couch for me. Luckily I didn't need a bed. For the rest of the weekend the pain meds kept me pretty out of it. It still hurts a bit today but now I think it is just the surgical glue starting to come off.

Then on Monday it was time for another sinus surgery and a bronchoscopy to clean all the gunk in my sinus's and lungs! My doctor gave us pictures of all the gunk that was ooozing out of my sinus's but I will spear ya'll the trouble and not put it up. This one was alot harder then the port. I guess when I started waking up I didn't like the tube in my throat and threw up (thank goodness I have no recollection of that!!) then when I was moved to a lower down recovery my oxygen sats dropped to the 70's! The doctor thinks it was because my lungs were still soaking up water from the cleaning out. So after a couple hours and a few deep breathing exercises I was headed home. The worst part of all this is my lungs are tired and I can't blow my nose for a whole freaking weeeek!

I am so grateful for my doctors and all the medical advances they have had. I am just started this new medicine that came out called Cayston. So far I love it!! It gets me coughing pretty good for the 3 mins it runs but I feel like I can breathe deeper now. I do it three times a day and have to clean the nebulizer after every time but so far I think it is worth it. Until we find a cure I am willing to do anything! I see the doctor to hear about what he cultured during my bronch and see how my numbers are on the 18th then I am back off to Reno to move into my apartment!! I had 2 boring months of summer to get everything squeezed into this last month! Guess it was time to kick my lazy butt into gear.

The good. The bad. My busy life.

Oh my word I have no idea where to begin. Just wow that is all I have to say right now. Life has been insane lately. Finally things called down. I was on good meds, my brother and sister were finally home and getting their PICCs out. Once I thought things had settled down my cousin Beth was in a car accident. She was riding home from her bf's on her dirt bike and was hit by an suv. My parents have spent the last two days up at the hospital with family and I went today and will be spending tomorrow there to. It's so great seeing everyone pull together and be there for each other in a time of need. It is looking really bad. I went in to see her today and I almost lost it. My mom was holding her hand an talking to her but I stood back by my uncle (her dad) and just kind of watched. It didn't look anything like Beth. It was to much for me to handle but I glad I got to see her and will again tomorrow. Tomorrow they are doing a test again to see if there is any blood in her brain and as much as I want to be positive and say there is and she is waking up every time the doctor does tests and talks to us it seems even less likely. I love her so much and I can't believe this is happening.

I am also having surgery on Friday to place my port (wohoooo!) My mom hates the idea but I am so excited. I have terrible veins and so over PICCs.Then on Tuesday I am having sinus surgery and a bronchoscopy back to back. Thank goodness my doctors are friends an plan procedure together so they can put me under an get it all done. We also have a family pool party and BBQ saturday and a baby shower for a cousin Friday.

So the next week or so I will have TONS of time with family and to TONS of time in the hospital. Some of the time is good others not so much. I love seeing all the family and getting to talk and laugh and share memories but it is sad that it took something like this to get us all together. I love my family. I love my doctors. I am have such a blessed life that I love.