My "bump" in the road...

I have not been very open about this part of my life in the past;

things have changed, times have changed, I have changed.

As many of you know, and to some it may be quite a surprise, I have Cystic Fibrosis.

Searching the Internet will lead you to read many, many scary and horrific descriptions of this awful disease. I live with it on a daily basis, and have my whole life. Text-book definitions are simply a generic version of what typically happens. First hand I can tell you that I have amazingly great days, and quite a few not so good days thrown into the mix.

Cystic Fibrosis, or "CF" to us who use the term on a more regular basis, affects my whole body (but more often my respiratory and digestive systems). Most simply put, my body makes too much mucus and it gets in the way of my organs functioning properly. I get a lot of serious lung infections (cough, cough, cough) and struggle gaining and maintaining a healthy body weight. I spend a nice amount of time every day popping pills and doing treatments to keep myself healthy and pain and infection free.

(about 3 hours to be exact!)

As many of you also may have noticed, I have had a very hard winter health wise. This past fall I had a med-port surgically inserted in my chest so that I can receive IV antibiotics as often as I need them, and lately it has been more often than not. I was hospitalized this past Monday for a chest infection (don't worry, I am not contagious!) and am now home pumping myself full of antibiotics to once again get rid of these bugs that won't leave me alone.

There is no cure right now, but the CF foundation is closer than ever. I know that this has been said before, but seriously, they are pretty darn close. There are a few very VERY promising drugs that are on the brink of changing the quality of my life, and the lives of everyone who lives with this crappy disease.

I am not telling you this so that you will feel sorry for me, but to make you aware of this disease and how real it is. Many, many others live their lives with CF and it has even claimed a few of my close friends this past year. I am very blessed. I live a fairly normal life. I have two beautiful children, an amazing husband, and am considered "healthy" in terms of this disease. I have a wonderful support system, a family who will do absolutely anything for me; they are the best a girl could ask for!

Cf does not define me, Christina. It never has and it never will. It is just my "bump" in the road that I am hoping to someday get rid of!

Thank you for your continued prayers.

My family and I are walking again this year to raise money to help find a cure

(...or fund the one in the making!)

If you are interested in making a donation, please click the Great Strides link below.