Saturday, December 31, 2016

Looking Back

Well, it is the end of another year... 2016 has come and gone. Like so many of my friends, I have decided to take some time to reflect on the year. When the year began, I went into it with a couple main goals. I wanted to continue with my streak of compliance with my breathing treatments, and I wanted to continue working out regularly to fight cystic fibrosis.

I did both of those things. Today marks three years of sticking to my breathing treatment regimen! I have worked hard to stay healthy. I worked out no less than three days a week every week except for extenuating circumstances. While the year started off strong with my lung function staying stable and me feeling pretty good, things started to take a turn in the fall.

The start of the school year is always rough on my lungs, and this year was no different. I saw a two percent drop in lung function in August. Unfortunately, drought led to wildfires all around Knoxville and weeks of bad air quality. That led to tight lungs and lung pain that was on and off through the end of the year. On top of that, I ended up with a cold right before my clinic appointment in November. This time, my lung function had dropped to 41%... four percent less than August. Was I disappointed? Yes. Surprised? No.

With the help of oral antibiotics and steroids, I pushed through. I didn't let it get me down. I had to miss a couple of workouts due to a stomach bug, but two weeks later, I was back up to 44%. Numbers were headed in the right direction. I was proud of my hard work and used it as motivation to keep pushing and fighting.

This past week, I have been dealing with a back injury which has slowed my workouts temporarily, but my lungs are still on the mend. Then, on Wednesday, I found out that I have pink eye in both of my eyes... I had to get antibiotic eye drops, and now that is in the process of getting better as well. The second half of 2016 has thrown everything it has at me. I feel a bit beaten down and frustrated. To say I'm ready to see 2016 in my rearview mirror would be an understatement. I am excited and ready for what the new year has to offer!

Happy New Year!

7 comments:

  1. Hi Kayla, I've just stumbled across your blog and really enjoyed the read. I'm 24 and have CF too. I had a really bad 2016 which has resulted in my being on the transplant list. If you every fancy reading about someone else with CF, feel free to check out my blog too.... http://cfjustbreathe.blogspot.co.uk. Also, if you every feel like you need a moan or talk about life, I'd love to listen and chat. This is the first time I've ever got in touch with someone with CF, so it's all a bit scary! Thanks, Stacey :)

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    1. I hate to hear that. I'm always up for talking to others who have CF. I think it's good to have people to talk to who understand what you are going through.

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  2. Hello, I'm the mom of 4,2 of my girls have cf. 2016 was a tough year at our house and so far 2017 isn't much better, but there are better times ahead God bless you!

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  3. Hi Kayla,
    Like Stacey, I came across your blog by chance. I'm 20 and also have CF. I seems that 2016 was generally a bad year for people with CF, myself included. Maybe it was because it was such a hot summer.
    I was wondering what you had over your mouth in the last photo in this post?

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    1. That could be a possibility. It is a Vog Mask. I wear it at my clinic appointments instead of the typical hospital masks they hand out there.

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