A Healing Summer

It has been over two months since I last posted on here. As most of you know, I started kicking my breathing treatments into high gear. I began doing double doses of hypertonic saline, and I started to notice a difference. I was coughing less, and I was just feeling better overall. As exciting as that was, I was still not in the most positive place.

I like to stay optimistic about my CF, and I do everything in my power to not let it hold me back from anything. The issue stemmed from the pattern that I had been seeing in my lung function. It has always bounced around quite a bit, but over time, the general movement has been in the downward direction. It has been getting more and more difficult for me to get it back up after being sick, and when it does start going back up, it is very slow going. I was at a loss for what to do. I was not ready to give up of course... I'm way too stubborn for that. I knew I needed to do more than just the extra breathing treatments and staying compliant (Today is day 221!).

On June 26, I started working with a trainer. I went to him with some goals that he is probably not all that used to hearing. Not only do I want to see a rise in my lung function, but I want to gain a little weight to please my doctors. He took on my challenge and has been creating a program specifically suited for my goals and physical limitations. Since beginning my training, I have been feeling great! I'm getting stronger, and could even tell a difference in my lungs when we played baseball and football during our trip to Iowa a couple of weeks ago.

I won't know officially the difference it is making in my lungs until my clinic appointment on August 27, but I did invest in a little PFT monitor that I can use to check my lung function at home. While I don't know how closely it correlates with the machine that is used at the doctor's office, I have been seeing some positive changes in my numbers. When I first purchased the monitor in June, I blew a 42.2%. Last week, my result was 44.7%!! Again, I don't know what my numbers will look like with the actual machine used at my clinic appointment, but this does show that my numbers are improving! I could not be more excited!

This summer has been so great for my health and for my emotional well-being. It has given me time to refocus on my health, and I am extremely dedicated to becoming the healthiest and happiest me!