Monday Surprises

Two weeks ago I had my CF clinic. I felt pretty confident going in because I had been swimming 5 days a week for 9 weeks at that point. I felt good, energetic, and was still compliant with my treatments. I was excited to tell my doctor I was swimming and because summer is usually my healthy season I was more than ready for a quick and easy clinic visit.

Soon after arrival the RT brought in the pft machine and I did my first blow. My eyes scanned the computer screen waiting for the results. The numbers that flashed on the screen shocked me. My numbers were lower than I had seen in a very long time. I sorta laughed telling my RT that I must have made a mistake because those numbers were ridiculously sad. However, there was a sinking feeling in my heart because I have never actually messed up a pft, after doing them for so many years it is a hard thing to do wrong. Just as I had secretly expected, but hoped to no end was not true, the next two blows were consistently low. I was left dumbfounded. Everyone seemed a little baffled that I was working out, felt great, and had no clue that my numbers had plummeted. My doctor ended up deciding to put me on oral because of a unusual (but not concerning) new bacteria in my culture. I agreed, happy to do something, anything to improve my horrible numbers, but was utterly confused as to how I could have an infection and feel... well perfectly normal.

Fast forward three few days, I was waiting for my meds after a problem with my first pharmacy, when I started to feel the telltale signs of an infection: fevers. The next several days my fevers flared, despite my lungs feeling okay. If it weren't for my low pfts I would have easily blamed the fevers on a different infection because my lungs actually felt fine, but I kept reassuring myself that my low numbers confirm that my lungs were the ones wreaking havoc on my body.

And then one week after my clinic appointment, an entire week after my low numbers I sat up in bed after a good night sleep to start my day only to feel the weight of my lungs, brimming with infection causing them to feel monstrously heavy. So heavy in fact, that I felt they may just fall from my body to the mattress below. My husband saw my grimace, heard the sound that puffed from my chest, and watched my body move in the way it does when your lungs are completely infested with millions of bacteria that are quickly taking over and said, "there it is...". He was right...there is was. The infection had finally reared it's ugly head a week after it tried to warn me.

Four Years Old

Little Kaylee,
You are four years old today. My first real memories are from when I was four and for some reason I have always held being 4 near and dear to my heart. Because all of my four year old memories seem so carefree and so full of joy I feel so excited for you to embark on the next year. As excited as I am for you to experience being four years old I am finding it hard to sum up who you are as a three year old in one little blog post!

You have decided that you are wise beyond your years and that unfortunately my 32 years on this Earth did not provide me with the same depth of knowledge you have obtained in your short 4 years. You ask a lot of questions about the world, but you often disagree with my answers. After disagreeing with me you are sure to back up your facts that are pointless to dispute.

Kaylee: Are there blue carrots?
Me: No. There are yellow, red, orange, purple, and white carrots, but there are no blue carrots.
Kaylee: Yes, there are! When I was living in China, blue carrots were everyone's favorite. You just don't have them here.

You can be so delusional that you once argued that daddy didn't know his own mother's name. You claimed that "back when you were a teenager, your abula told you here real name and daddy was wrong.

Clearly, your confidence is not lacking.

You still love anything creative. You draw, color, create for large portions of the day. A few months ago you found my adult coloring book and now it is officially yours. Another creative outlet you seem to enjoy is helping me cook or bake. Whenever I enter the kitchen you are quick to grab your little chair and pull up next to me at the counter. For the first time, your assistance in the kitchen is actually helpful. For breakfast, you know how to get the eggs out of the fridge, crack them, whisk them and then put the bread in the toaster all by yourself. Sure, sometimes our eggs have a little boost of calcium and some crunch for texture from those eggshells that found their way into the pan. Baking still makes a giant mess as your aim with flour and sugar seems to be a little off. You do know how to level off the measuring cups which always makes me smile! You are becoming a Foodie like your father and like to talk about "textures" (which you use to mean flavors) whenever we make something new. "This has a lemony texture and is a little bit sweet"

You have decided, once again, that sleep is pointless. You often assure me as I tuck you into bed that you will not sleep under any circumstances. Many mornings you insist that you were laying in bed the entire night wide awake. The few times I try to tell you I checked on you and you looked as if you were sleeping you assure me that you were in fact not sleeping, but rather just staying very still. Although you apparently haven't slept in months you do find your way to our bed in the mornings. Most weekday mornings I am at the gym, but I come home to find you snuggled up to your daddy sound asleep... err laying very still. There is nothing more precious than seeing the two people I love most in this world snuggled together.

As you get older I find it harder and harder to sum up your likes and dislikes, your personality, and your current stages in one little post. You are affectionate and love to snuggle, you are in tune to other's emotions especially mine. As you get older our bond changes, but it seems to grow stronger with time. You talk all day long and surprise me with the vocabulary you pick up. You have come out of your shell so much the past few months. You are no longer shy or unsure around people you don't know. You are gaining confidence in your Spanish as well.  You are stubborn and independent. You are beautiful inside and out.

I love you in a way that I could never put into words! Happy birthday,
Mom

7 Weeks

7 weeks ago my head was foggy, my eyes blurred as my alarm rang out in the darkness that accompanied 5:20 in the morning. 7 weeks ago dragging my sleepy body out of bed, in what felt like the middle of the night, felt like torture at best. 7 weeks ago I left my house into the dark and frigid night air. 7 weeks ago I pulled over to admire the moon laying full and heavy in the sky. 7 weeks ago my teeth chattered as I walked the long outdoor hallway to the pool all while trying to convince myself not to just turn around and go home. 7 weeks ago I struggled while I swam my first few laps since last fall, huffing and puffing and sputtering. 7 weeks ago I lived for the weekend when the gym wouldn’t see my face.

A lot can change in 7 weeks.

 

7 weeks later, my body is already waking before my alarm rings out. 7 weeks later by 5:20 the sun has already made an appearance and the birds are cheerfully singing. 7 weeks later the walk to the pool, still cold, no longer makes me shiver right to the bone. 7 weeks later, 40 laps comes relatively easy, my arms and legs accustomed to the motions required for front crawl and breast stroke. 7 weeks later my lungs have adjusted and my oxygen levels stay 90 or above (most of the time). 7 weeks later, my arms show clear signs of definition and toning. 7 weeks later my hair is dry as straw despite wearing a swim camp. 7 weeks later I weigh 3lbs more than when I started, which I am convinced is muscle mass. 7 weeks later my body craves my morning swim. 7 weeks later I dread the weekend when I don’t swim because my cough will be more prevalent all day long. 7 weeks later I am proud of myself for fitting this missing puzzle piece back into my self care plan.

Toddler Talk Part 10

Kaylee loves rhyming. Sometimes she rhymes real words and other times made up words or a combination of the two. In the morning she sniffed my coffee and quickly pulled away saying, "Yuck-o fuck-o!" (it took everything for my husband not to laugh).

I was telling Kaylee how much I loved that her eyes get lighter blue as they approach her pupils. She gazed into my eyes and said, "I love how the white of your eyes have red cracks in them"

Kaylee and I were getting the mail when we noticed a neighbor left their keys in the keyhole of their box. So Kaylee and I walked over to their house to return the keys. As we were leaving Kaylee turned to me and said, "You are a wonderful mommy to those people."

A few days ago I was in a really bad mood. I wasn't even sure why I was so grumpy, but I could not shake my foul mood. I told Kaylee that I was sorry I was so grumpy that evening, but that I was sure I would wake up in the morning in a much better mood. She reassured me by saying, "Even when you are grumpy, you are still the best mom ever."

I have at least a dozen nick names I give to Kaylee, often they are names I just make up on a whim. The other day my husband and I were snuggling on the couch and Kaylee started running at us full blast while shouting, "Here comes love muffin!"

Three and three quarters

I am a little late on this update, but you have hit two huge milestones (?) since you were three and a half and thought it would be appropriate to have it in writing somewhere.

You officially have your first real crush. You have been going to story time at our local library for years, but about a year ago the story time teacher left and a new young male, Mr. Nate, took her place. For about a year you would participate in class, but whenever Mr Nate came your way you would clam up and refuse to look at him directly. This was especially true during arts and crafts immediately following story time. You would flat out ignore his presence if he came over to look at your art or try to make any conversation with you. You still wanted to attend every week so I brushed off your behavior as being shy.

The past few months however, you seem to have grown more than a little fond of Mr. Nate. When we visit the library for any reason you demand on knowing his where abouts. A few weeks ago we went to "art hour" at the library where Mr. Nate often helps out and you spent most of the hour keeping tabs on your beloved, "Mr. Nate is going in the back room, Mr. Nate is talking to that boy, WHERE is Mr Nate??" This was a turning point and after this day you started actually acknowledging Mr Nate to his face. Eventually you built up to initiating conversation and will even give him a high five.

You recently decided you wanted mommy and daddy to go out of town so Mr. Nate could babysit and you were confident that after spending the day with you he would love you too much and would have to move in. The love affair has grown and the other night when I went to kiss you goodnight you were pretending to sleep. With your eyes sealed shut you whispered, "Shh, I am with Mr Nate." You may be delusional when it comes to love, but at least you think of yourself as a great catch!

The other huge milestone was one mommy wasn't totally ready for. Last week you went to your parent and child Spanish class (after taking several months off) and during class you were sitting still, watching the teacher, answering all her questions in clear Spanish. It was clear all the content she was covering you already understood and that colors, numbers, and the alphabet in Spanish was just too easy for you. It wasn't just that the content was easy, but you seemed like a real student rather than a little kid in a toddler class. You were just so much older than you were just a few months ago. At the end of class your teacher said she thought you were ready to join the 4-6 year old class. The big difference between the 4-6 class was that you would be attending alone, as in without me! I agreed with the teacher and said it was up to you. I explained that you would be in class with other kids and that I would be waiting outside for you. Your teacher even said you could try the 4-6 year old class that day (as in 15 minutes from when she told me about the level change). You were so excited you could hardly stand it and eagerly agreed.

I was excited and proud and felt like I wanted to cry all at once. This was your first time at "school" and I was not completely mentally prepared (you are starting preschool in the fall) for this major step. Sure, we had been apart from one another. You have had many sleepovers with your grandparents and my last hospital stay was 8 days. This hour and a half was nothing in comparison. However, it still felt monumental in your growth and development. You were so ready to take this next step in a school setting and I was overwhelmingly proud of your confidence in yourself. I was also feeling a slight loss of the baby that used to need me so much while navigating through this world. Needless to say, you absolutely loved class and you ask daily if it is the day you go to Spanish class.

Guest Blogger- Sara

I am thrilled introduce to everyone to another CF mommy! Sara is 35 years old and a mother to Wiley and Gunnar, ages 8 and 6. Sara, her husband Bill and kids are an outdoorsy family (just like mine!!) and they enjoy hiking, skiing, and going to the ocean! She is a fellow double delta F508 with a baseline of 75%. She stays healthy by doing the Vest and hypersonic saline 4x a day as well as running up to 4 times a week.

Everyone that has CF seems to have a very different experience. Share a little bit about your CF story or how CF effects you.

When I was born in 1980, I had a meconium ileus. I was being prepped for surgery when I passed it on my own, luckily! The doctors suspected I had CF. But didn't test until I was a month old. With a positive sweat test at that point, my parents were told that my health was in their hands. They began doing manual CPT twice a day and giving me enzymes. I was followed at a CF center that was 3.5 hours from my home, so that I could receive the best care possible. My FEV1 remained well above 100% until after I graduated college at 23 years. CF was more of a nuisance, requiring CPT, nebulizers, pills, visits to the doctor, and occasional 2 week stays at the hospital.  I was always full of energy and never felt sick. My parents and doctors were very proactive and aggressive with treatments. Unfortunately, during the transitional years where my care was turned over to me, it became  reactive and lazy. And my lungs paid the price. Although I had played  division III lacrosse all through college, I did not do much else to maintain my lung health during those 4 years or the 2years after. , and as a result I had my first case of pneumonia upon graduation and in the months after that I lost a lot of lung function. CF had little impact on my health or life until that time. I spent minimal time doing treatments and only thought about CF on the 2 days a year that I went to clinic. Now it seems I think about it everyday, and I spend hours doing treatments and trying to stay ahead of the germs my two sons are constantly bringing home to me. Although I have maintained my lung function at 75% for the past 10 years, I have had to work harder everyday for that 75% than I ever did for my 120%.

 
Deciding to have children when you have CF is not an easy decision. How did you and your husband come to the decision that having children was right for you?
 

We didn't really give it much thought. I always wanted to have kids, and I was going to do that. My husband had a genetic test done, and he was not a CF carrier, so we went for it.

 

How did CF play a role in your pregnancies with your sons? Were both pregnancies similar or were they different?

My first pregnancy had a rough start. I had a miscarriage just 2 weeks before I conceived my first son. When I was first pregnant I didn't know it. I suspected I might be, but didn't want to get my hopes up. I wasn't going to test until after I had gone past the point where  I miscarried my previous  pregnancy. However, I caught a nasty virus that had me coughing so hard I was vomiting, and delirious with a fever. I ended up in the hospital for an urgent clean out. At the time of admission, they did a pregnancy test and confirmed I was pregnant. I had lost a good amount of weight from the virus, so I had to play catch up all through the pregnancy, but I managed to gain about 40 lbs by the end. I did not need IVs again for 7 years.

Life is harder with CF than without. It was a drag  going to so many extra doctor’s visits. And the tone of the doctors detracted from the joy of being pregnant, particularly in my first pregnancy when I was a first time mom and was unsure of what it would be like. Rather than reassure me, they fed into my insecurities. The second time around, after having a successful  and uneventful first pregnancy, I had confidence and enjoyed the experience 100% more. Both of my babies were full term, big (8lb1oz, 8lb 2oz) and healthy, and I gained weight easily with both. The best part about my pregnancies was that my lung function actually improved throughout them. In the 8^th month of my second pregnancy I hit an FEV1 of 88% !

While CF did not have much impact on my pregnancies, I would say pregnancy had a huge impact on my CF, in a good way. I think the combination of wanting my babies to be as healthy as possible as well as sharing life with a healthy being in my body are the two things that helped me gain health throughout both pregnancies. I controlled my blood sugars so tightly that the doctors told me to loosen up a bit. Or maybe I was just so full of happiness it literally brought me health.

Please share a little bit about the birth of both your children. Did CF play a role in the delivery or recovery?

Both of my babies were full term. They were both delivered vaginally. But other than that, I had two very different birth experiences. The first was induced, I had an epideral, and I had a lot of tearing requiring stitches. I pushed for a few hours on my back, at the doctors command. Recovery was hard because of the tearing and because I got very engorged when my milk came in. It took a few weeks to get everything under control.  The second time I mostly labored at home, and delivered him 16 minutes after arriving at the hospital. I pushed on my hands and knees for 30 seconds.  I  had no IV, no epideral, not even a heart monitor on my belly, and very minimal tearing, if at all.  Recovery was much easier the second time as well. I didn't have the tearing, and my milk came in just right, I never got engorged. Although learning to be a mom of 2 was challenging.

I didn't feel that I was limited at all from CF. But I did have the usual extra stuff to do to care for myself in addition to laboring, recovering, and caring for a newborn. I did my vest and nebs during labor both times. And continued to check my sugar levels, give insulin, eat and so on. Doing the vest when I was engorged actually didn't hurt because it promoted the milk to let down, and afterwards it was like I  had just pumped (but it was messy). I nursed my first son until he was 17 months old, and I was 3 months into my second pregnancy. I nursed my second son until he was 2.5 years old. And I still haven't lost all of my “baby weight”.

Caring for another person day in and out regardless of health challenges can be extraordinarily challenging at times. What aspect of CF and motherhood do you find the most challenging?

 I feel like I just don't have enough time or energy to be the kind of mom I thought I would be. So the hard part is being the best mom I can be, and trusting that is enough. I'm tired all the time, but I am very careful not to let myself get so run down that I get sick. Because being sick makes everything harder. So it seems like I am constantly choosing what is most important to do each day with the limited energy I have. I can't do everything that other moms do, and I feel like I am always letting someone down. Also, when I am feeling extra run down from fighting off a cold, or taking home IVs the whole family’s day needs to revolve around me. That makes me feel guilty, and inadequate as a wife and a mother. Thankfully my mom has stepped in whenever I need help. She will stay with us and do everything I normally do with housework, and watching the kids, as well as take care of me. But it is hard knowing I need help like that. Also, having my mom live with us for 2 weeks at a time has it's own set of challenges!

Kaylee is only 3 1/2 and is already aware that I do things that most moms do not have to do such as treatments, taking enzymes, etch. How do you explain your CF or tackle health questions your boys may ask?

From day one, my goal has been to include my boys in my CF care and decisions as much as possible. My goal was to normalize CF. And I realized that CF would be to them, whatever it is to me. So I had to decide what it means to me, then make sure my actions and words back it up. I brought them to all of my clinic appointments until they started school. They would sit at the doctors office with me for 2-3 hours 4 times a year. When they were small enough I would roll them in in the stroller and there they would sit, and take it all in. When they got older, they would walk in and sit in the chairs or my lap, and continued to be a part of my appointments. Sometimes they would ask what we were doing, or what something was. They asked small, simple questions, and I gave small, simple answers.

At some point, I brought up the fact that other people’s moms don't do the vest or have a port, or drink “milkshakes” (boost plus). We have participated in a large fundraiser for CF for as long as they can remember, and that has been a way to bring up CF as well. Through the event we have met other healthy Cfers who are thriving as well. We’ve had conversations about why it is important for me to do all my treatments everyday. And why I decided to have sinus surgery and go in the hospital for a clean out. The answer is simply because I have CF my body needs different things to keep it as healthy as possible. My sinuses and lungs were getting too filled up with germs, and I'm  going to clean them out so I feel better. To them, CF is just another part of who I am. I'm different from Dad because I have long hair, CF and a vagina. They ask all kinds of questions about all kinds of things, and CF is no different.

What advice would you give to other mothers that are juggling both CF and motherhood?

I think that growing up with a mom who has CF can be a great thing for a child. They get an excellent role model for overcoming adversity, demonstrating work ethic, and living a life with intention. Everyday I work for my health. Sometimes I feel lazy and start wishing I didn't have to do so much, but I never give in. They see that.  Sometimes I'm sick and I have to take IVs at home. I schedule my days in a way to get all my treatments in, get enough rest and still be emotionally present for them. I struggle, and I mess up sometimes, but I try again the next day. They learn that. They love me unconditionally, and I didn't even know what that meant before I had them. It’s their love that led me to love myself just as I am. I have a peace in my soul I didn't have before. I'm so grateful to have them on this journey with me. At the end of the day, life is the connections we have with those we love. Everything else is just trivial distractions.

It is our job as parents to teach our kids about life, and how to live. I like to include death in those discussions as well, because it is a universal truth that everyone is going to die. Death is not something to fight or avoid, but to embrace. No one knows when they will die, but when it is time, it happens. Until then, we live! We take care of the bodies we live in, we connect with our world, we laugh, we cry, we love, and we talk about death.

There is a parenting style that embodies the quote “never do for a child that which he can do for himself”. As well as “if he can walk, he can work”. I don't have the energy to parent any other way, but even if I did, I'd still parent this way. My kids are confident and capable little people. They are tuned in to what is happening around them, and excited to do their part for our family. You can learn more about it from Vicki Hoefle, and Parenting on Track. As well as her two books “ duct Tape Parenting” and “Growing a Grown up, the Straight Talk on Parenting”

 

 

To read the stories of other women with CF and their journeys with CF and pregnancy/motherhood please click here.

If you are a CF mother (though adoption, step children, surrogacy, fostering) or are CF and pregnant and want to share your story e-mail me at inhalinghopecf(at)gmail.com

 

Spring In My Garden

 

Spring has arrived in the part of this world I call home. The first sign of spring arrived several weeks ago. Yes, there were buds bursting from the silence of winter, flowers unfolding in the warmth of the sun, but the first sign of spring for me is the feeling of my lungs clamping down and the chronic wheeze that comes buzzing from these clunky old lungs. Spring allergy induced asthma has always been much more predictable than any weather man I have ever encountered. And despite spring being the absolute hardest season for me to breath in I still hold a special place for spring in my heart. There is no other time of year that I feel so much hope and anticipation for what is ahead. Let me show you what I mean:



Blueberry



Strawberry flower

Peas

Arugula

 

Echinacea just starting to open

 

Yellow Plum Tree

Ornamental Plum Tree

So much hope and promise is held in these few short months. As I walk around my garden I can't help, but feel overwhelmed at the potential of the things to come. Even when my breaths are frustratingly loud and feel as if my lungs are hardly inflating with each breath I take, I still can't help, but feel excited for tomorrow.