it was a good day!

Hello again!  Ok so update time!  I wasn't breathing well Sunday morning -- but God helped me get up, get ready and be able to breathe enough for my parents to take me down to Bradley Beach to meet my friend Celeste and our team for the Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Walk-a-thon!  I went on oxygen and in my transfer chair, and we got there for like the last half hour of it, which was totally a God gift because by the way I was breathing.. or not breathing haha it was unlikely I was going to make the event at all and all morning I worked really hard, and prayed even harder "God, just please let us get there before it's over" and he did!  ANDDDD.. Our team raised over $2000 for CF and I only started fundraising about a week or so before the walk, and my sponsors donated $1,195!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU -- I really can't say THANK YOU enough to everyone who donated and Celeste and the team!!!!

After the walk, I was feeling pretty good -- meaning I wasn't a zombie or in a bad mood lol we came home, and Nicole and June came over but I guess the car ride took it out of me because when we got home, I was absolutely beat, and started coughing and breathing harder again.  Monday morn I woke up early.. 5am!  I woke up because I wasn't feeling good at all.  Breathing was really hard, coughing A LOT, headache, etc.. my ox was low, and my side really hurt (I frequently pull muscles in my sides from the coughing, but usually it's bearable) soo I took a pain killer and waited for it to kick in so I could start my treatments and therapy.  It kicked in!  I started my treatments in bed! I'm FREEZING! lol my temperature decided to spike to 103.6!  At that point, I was able to get up and do therapy after my treatments and was already breathing easier, but still terribly.  I'll speed this up a little cos this is the boring stuff -- texted my doc, made admission plans, got ready, got admitted.

Last August the hospital was a nightmare.  I understand I'm a lot to take in haha and I'm not the only patient and all that jazz but when I come to the hospital, it means I'm not healthy enough to fend for myself or else I'd be home, so when I come to the hosp, it's important that they do the medications and have common sense about health because they are taking care of me.  Last time I had to fend for myself, while fighting for meds, while "resting" to get better lol no bueno.  Anyway, I don't mean this as a bash session on my last visit -- but if you don't have a concept of the storm, the calm is downplayed.  So this time, my mom was prepared!  (thank God for her!) She packed all my meds, extra things I ended up needing and didn't think about, and helped me pack all while she still packed for herself, brought all my records and extra paper/pens to write down info for this time -- astonishing. Oh yea, and she put my IV in before we left.  Thank you, Jesus, for my mom!

We prayed and prayed, as did you guys (thank you!!!), and we got here and God just totally set me up from the start.  My nurse saw that I already had my IV in, and wasn't comfortable with that -- she explained to us why, and her knowledge about IVs and their care became very evident; comforting me that I don't have to stay up, be anxious or watch as she hooks up medicines to my IV.  THANK YOU GOD!  I really can not explain this feeling to you at all lol I felt so relaxed as God reminded that He prepares a way - "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you.." Deuteronomy 31:8 -- how easily I get distracted and forget the sweet promises of God -- and how focused He is on sweetly reminding me of them.  Not only did he equip me with comfort that my nurse knew what she was doing, he gave her the idea to hook up a constant IV so that once the medicine finishes, it will automatically go to the saline bag -- which means my IV never gets unhooked -- which eliminates the anxiety and risk of my other nurses doing it improperly!  I have never slept this much in a hospital before!!! Thank you, Jesus!  How you have already smoothed a path for me!!

And just like God, the blessings don't stop there!  "From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another." John 1:16 .. Kept having good nurses, blood work went smoothly, rested a lot!! Today was my best day yet!  I woke up so nicely and so optimistic, but after therapy, I felt pretty crummy.  I was exhausted, my body was so sore, and my lungs hurt and felt tired too.  The pain in my side only added to everything else, and I had to get up to have my bed changed (which my mom did), and get washed up (which my mom helped me do), all while I was coughing and breathing hard.  They gave me a percoset (spelling?) and man oh man... those bad boys are good!  I felt better in less than an hour, and not only could cough better and do better therapy because the pain was gone, but also .. WALKED AROUND!! Like a legit walk -- we could up my oxygen to a portable tank, took my transfer chair for me to push so that I had something to hold on to and incase I got too tired to walk back, and we walked the halls!  (for anyone thinking "OMGSH GERMS!" I had a mask on, don't worry ;) ) we made two laps through the little hallways and back to my room with energy and enough breath!  When I got back, I wasn't exhausted!  I was breathing hard, but not out of control -- I didn't feel like I couldn't breathe and my oxygen was at 92!! I then did my second round of therapy for the day which went soooo much smoother than it has been!  Thank you God!! It was so great!  Ate, rested, did an echocardiogram, and then... went for another walk!! This time, unfortunately the walk didn't go so well lol I barely made it back and was coughing a lottttttt -- oxygen went down to 84 while still on 3 liters... but my mom and i are thinking it's because the hospital put fresh flowers up between our walk, and we sat by one of the arrangements and that's when I started flaring up -- allergies! lol Anyway, it was still great and I'm generally feeling better and optimistic about getting better!

As for my incredible mother -- she got a night off!  My dad came tonight and is sleeping over to keep an eye on me.  The night got too late and we didn't get to go for a pre-bed walk, but that's ok -- I have tomorrow! 

Speaking of tomorrow.... I MIGHT GO HOME !! My doc came in and said whatever happened it seems that the medicine regimen they put me on seems to be working and she'll check on me tomorrow with a good possibility I could go home! AYAYA Thanks for your prayers and love and encouragement!!

I am SO happy because God is love.