May is coming quickly!

It has been quite awhile since I last posted in the blog, and I apologize for that. I have been getting my students ready for TCAP, and that alone, has been taking up all of my time. When I was still a student learning how to teach, I always thought it was strange that the standardized tests make teachers so nervous and stressed out..... It turns out, they are very stressful as a teacher! :) There is just way too much pressure on teachers and students for the students to do well. I'm sure my students will do fine though, and I'm looking forward to the tests being finished. We test everyday for the rest of this week. Next week will be such a relief!


I also received my 2013 Kayla's Krusaders shirts in the mail! They look fantastic, and my team seems to really like them. :) I could not be more excited about the Great Strides walk this year! My team is probably doubled in size, and the walk is going to be in a much better location. As the chairperson for the walk this year, I have been able to get previews of what the walk is going to look like. There are so many new, exciting things being implemented.

Speaking of my team, the reason it has doubled in size is because of my amazing work family! At least 30 people that I work with at the school ordered a shirt and are planning on walking on May 18! We all wore our shirts on Friday, and it was such an amazing feeling seeing all of those people showing their support for me and my cause. The students even got in on the act, because they were so curious about why all the teachers were wearing a shirt with my name on it. I explained to them what I have and what that means. They were so sweet with expressing their concerns and questions about the disease. Many of them have said they want to attend the walk as well. I cannot express how much I love my job!

Amazing co-workers!

The walk is on May 18th, and there is a 5K called the Pajama 5K benefiting CF that morning as well. I plan on participating in the race, and my goal is to run the whole thing. It's a hefty goal for me, but I think I can do it! School then ends the next week for summer which blows my mind! I feel like the year has been so short and fast. My clinic appointment is the week after that on May 29th, and I have set the goal of my FEV1 being 60%. As you may recall, my lung function took a huge hit when I came down with the flu in December. It dropped from 53% to 40%. At my last appointment, I had gotten it back up to 50%, but I am stubborn and will not be satisfied with that. I'm working hard by doing my treatments and exercising. One can only hope that I will see a difference!

One final piece of news: Vertex released information about Phase 2 of VX-661, one of the drug combinations that is being tested for those of us with DeltaF508 (the most common CF mutation). The trial has shown significant improvement in lung function! That's the kind of news I like to hear! I hope and pray that things keep going the way they are and the news stays positive! I have high hopes for the future!

Happy Monday!