We Did it! Thank You!

Thank you so much!!!! We did it!!! 

Because ALL of you are so awesome, and amazing we surpassed my goal of $3838 at 11:30 pm on my birthday. We are now at $4,596 and counting. Woop woop #38Donate The money raised goes directly to the CF Foundation and 90 cents of EVERY dollar raised goes to funding research... which is so amazing and will get us that much closer to a cure. 

Thank you for ALL your love, your support and for just being right behind me every step of the way today and everyday!! My birthday link will be live until the end of May which is CF awareness month.  http://tribute.tributecff.org/somerlove38


Thank you so very much for all your continued support. I appreciate every single one of you, you truly keep me going. I am so very blessed to be a part of ALL of your lives! 
Breathe out Love! Xo❤️

38 Donate!

38 Donate!! May is Cystic Fibrosis Month and it just so happens to be my bday month.... I don't think this is a coincidence. 

It's an exciting time in the CF community more than half the CF population is over 18 now which is unbelievably amazing, but sadly only 15% of the CF population is over the age of 40. Turning 38 that statistic hits a lil to close to home and is very sobering to me, in fact this number is not ok. 

A cure is close, but we aren't there yet! Please join me as my theme for my bday this year is 38 Donate!! I have set up a special link to take donations that will go directly to the CF Foundation and help fund research to find that sought after cure. Because let's be honest that is the best birthday gift I could ever hope for. 

https://tribute.tributecff.org/somerlove38

As I celebrate my 38th birthday I know that the odds haven't necessarily been in my favor and getting here hasn't been easy, but it has definitely been worth it!! I am filled with more hope than ever, and truly believe with my whole heart that a cure is close. 

Thank you for making my bday so special by making a bday donation in my honor and helping all of us with CF keep celebrating these milestones. I dream of the day I can celebrate my 40th bday and I will have ALL of you to thank for that. 
Breathe out Love! Xo❤️

CF Superhero Saturday

I was so honored to be asked to be a part of a series of interviews Jessica Bean has put together for CF Awareness Month. The series is called CF SuperHero Series. So naturally my alter ego 'SML' Super Mucus Lady was Super excited. 

Jessica lives in Australia so it is already CF Superhero Saturday over there...

Throughout May she will be asking some of the people who inspire her in the CF community seven questions about their experience living with this disease. 

Thank you Jess for choosing me to collaborate with you on this project. You yourself are such an inspiration to me and so many!

Click below for the full interview. 

http://www.jessicabean.com.au/uncategorized/cf-superhero-somer-love/

Breathe out Love! Xo❤️

65 Roses

Have you ever wondered where the term "65 Roses" comes from.... 

The “65 Roses” story dates back to 1965 when an observant 4-year-old, hearing the name of his disease for the first time, pronounced cystic fibrosis as "65 Roses."

Today, “65 Roses” is a term often used by young children with cystic fibrosis to pronounce the name of their disease, since Cystic Fibrosis can be difficult to say. 

The "65 Roses" story has captured the hearts and emotions of all who have heard it. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Richard the boy from this story when he was awarded the Heroes of Hope Award back in May of 2008.

The rose, appropriately the ancient symbol of love, has become a symbol of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 

Breathe out Love! Xo❤️

Bonded For Life

"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."-Anne Frank

It's a unspeakable bond I can't quite explain. An understanding, and a love that's shared deep within us all. To know each other is a blessing. We are a like in so many ways, yet so different at the same time. Each and every one of us with CF is truly one of a kind. We are ALL different yet we have one thing that connects us all that puts us in the company of some of the strongest, most amazing people. The CF community is strong, caring and committed. We fight together for one thing, and one thing only a CURE.

Our common thread isn't something you want to have, but there isn't a choice and we make the best of it. We surround ourselves with these amazing people and we stick together! Blood is thicker than water.... But mucus is thicker than both!! 

I love all my Cysters and Fibros, they mean the world to me. I'm beyond grateful and so lucky to be in the company of these amazing individuals. Please feel free to share or tag someone you love with CF. 

Breathe out Love! Xo ❤️

CF Awareness Month

Sometimes we often hear "But you don't look sick"... If only people had X-ray vision.... May is Cystic Fibrosis awareness month and it just happens to be my Birthday month...coincidence?! I think not!! 😉 

So please join me this month and let's make everyone aware... CF needs a cure! 

What is CF?! Well, CF is a genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and the digestive system. It causes our bodies to produce a thick sticky mucus. The mucus builds up in the lungs and can lead to life threatening lung infections. 

This is my actual lung X-ray, I call these my pearly whites. The white is irreversible scarring from the thick sticky mucus and the many lung infections I have had. Both the mucus and the lung infections have resulted in loss of lung function over time, my lung function currently hovers around 27-28%. I literally think about every breath I take. 

A CFers day consists of hours of breathing treatments, airway clearance, exercise, and handful of pills, and that is just the regular maintenance for when we are healthy. We work so hard day in and day out. 

CF is inconvenient, CF is exhausting, and CF will never be easy. However, I believe CF has made me stronger, it makes me fight harder, love more, and truly appreciate life one breath at a time... CF is a blessing in an ugly disguise, it's my reality and its made me who I am today, for that I am grateful. 

I will continue to fight and do my part until that one day CF stands for CURE FOUND!!  Breathe out love! Xo ❤

Airway Clearance

What is Airway Clearance?! Airway clearance helps loosen the sticky mucus from the lungs so it can be huffed or coughed out. Airway clearance helps CFers stay healthy and breathe easier. Clearing the airways also reduces lung infections and improves lung function, it is typically done after inhaled medications. There are many different forms of airway clearance and because every patient is so different, each technique works differently for everyone. I always do PepMask seen in this photo, combined with "Somergenics" 😉 which is my own technique combining 'Autogenic Drainage' and 'Active Cycle Breathing'. I basically take a variety of breaths at different levels in my lungs that moves the mucus up, so I can easily huff it out. I think everyone should learn how to huff cough it's saved my life many a times. I once choked on a gusher (fruit snack), and had no idea what to do, I kept huff coughing and finally with an extreme amount of force the fruit snack dislodged and flew out of my mouth.... this is just one of the many times CF has been a blessing in disguise. 😉 As a CFer gets older they will be able to tell what form of airway clearance works best for them. As always please feel free to share so we can make more people aware! 

Breathe out Love! Xo❤

Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

Sometimes we often hear "But you don't look sick"... If only people had X-ray vision. 

May is Cystic Fibrosis awareness month and it just happens to be my Birthday month...coincidence?! I think not!! 😉 So please join me and let's make everyone aware...CF needs a cure!! This is my actual X-ray, I call these my pearly whites. The white is irreversible scarring from the mucus and the many lung infections which result in loss of lung function, my lung function is currently at 27%. 

CF is a genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and the digestive system. It causes our bodies to produce a thick sticky mucus. The mucus builds up in the lungs and can lead to life threatening lung infections. A CFers day consists of hours of breathing treatments, airway clearance, exercise, and handfuls of pills to try and stay healthy. 

We will continue to do our part, until that one day CF stands for CURE FOUND!! Breathe out love! Xo ❤  

Shop til you're out of breath

Utah Peeps... Mark your calendars!! 

May 7th 3-9 pm at Charming Charlie at The District South Jordan. 10% of your entire purchase will go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 

Don't forget Mothers Day is two days away from this event. I'm sure you can find her something real fancy there. 

May is CF Awareness Month... So let's make everyone aware!

Breathe out Love! Xo❤️

Be Fearless

"It's better to live one year as a  tiger, then 100 years as a sheep"-Madonna 

Its easy to be a sheep when faced with fear. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.... CF is fear. I choose to live my life as a Tiger. Living with fear lurking over you can be daunting at times. Remember to rise up and be bigger than your fears and show them you're brave and strong, show them your inner Tiger.

I want to thank everyone for helping me spread the word and making others aware of CF. As CF awareness month comes to an end remember we don't just need a month dedicated to making people aware, we need as long as it takes until CF stands for CURE FOUND!  

So continue to be fearless... tell your story, inspire, and breathe out love to everyone. You just never know when you will make a difference. Xo