TRIKAFTA!!!

 

November 6th, 2019 I swallowed my first dose of Trikafta!!!!! I have felt every emotion, some I didn’t even know existed. We have waited almost 40 1/2 years for this moment! 

Heres to hoping for a prolonged future, the chance to take a deep breath with ease, and ditching this damn leash... a girl can dream and I am dreaming BIG!!! I have really high hopes for this drug. I am putting every single egg in the basket and really it’s because I don’t have any other choice. I think it’s ok to want big changes and to want them instantly. But in reality I think it will take time and my continued hard work and determination. Trikafta has a lifetime of disease and damage to work around and I just have to remind myself of that.

I can’t help but feel excited and nervous, I am hopeful, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to take this drug that I have been waiting my whole life for. It does come with a heavy heart knowing that I have friends who need it now and don’t have it yet, and that I have friends who don’t even have this as an option. I see you guys. I love you guys. I promise you right now that I will NEVER stop fighting until everyone has a chance at something like this! When I say ‘Until It’s Done’, know that I say it with all of you on my mind and in my heart.

Today as I swallow my first dose I will be focused on visualizing a positive outcome with minimal side effects. I want to be able to live fully each day and not just survive. Im envisioning stronger lungs and deeper breaths. 

I swallow this first dose for all who have gone before me, my special angels watching over me that I can’t help but feel had a hand in all of this. For my family and friends and everyone who has gotten me to where I am today. Thank you! This is for all of you! I have to quote my friend Gunnar “I am holding in my hands 30 years of cystic fibrosis research, millions in fundraising, hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours, and tens of billions of dollars of drug development funding. It’s surreal.” I am incredibly grateful! Breathe out Love! Xo❤️

30 years ago...

My first grade teacher always used the phrase “patience is a virtue” she repeatedly said this to the class as a whole and the individuals who needed a good reminder. Even tho I may have been too young to really grasp the concept it’s something that stuck with me throughout my life. ⁣

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30 years ago cystic fibrosis made headline news when the CF gene was identified by Dr. Lap-Chee Tsui. This was a HUGE discovery and a very pivotal moment in my life. This breakthrough changed genetic research and led to so many new medical advancements across the board. This was the first glimmer of hope for my family that came at a time when we needed it most. This new discovery solidified our fight and fueled our fire to keep moving forward in hopes that a cure would be right around the corner. ⁣

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Fast forward to today... we are still very hopeful, we are still fighting, and we are still moving forward. I often whisper to myself “patience is a virtue” Some days my patience is tested, its not easy being patient, especially when you see first hand what this disease is capable of. I can’t help but yearn for that day we make headline news again but this time the headlines read “CURE FOUND”. 

There are amazing things happening right now because of that breakthrough discovery 30 years ago. Today we are closer to a cure than we ever have been before, and for the first time in a long time I am filled with more hope than ever. That hope is the virtue that will continue to fuel my fight as we patiently wait for that sought after cure. 

Breathe out love! Xo❤️

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Guest Post: Meet Jesse Da Costa

My name is Jesse Da Costa, and on this day two years ago I proposed to the love of my life my beautiful fiancé Ashley “Bea” Briggs. However, a few months after we got engaged I lost Bea due to complications from Cystic Fibrosis, she was only 29 years old. I honestly didn't know much about CF prior to her revealing to me that she had it.  After she told me I slowly started to learn all that I could about CF and how best I could support her. Unfortunately, I was only beginning to really understand the disease and trying to help her manage her health when she got really sick and ultimately passed away. 

It is my hope that by sharing my story that I can help others who are, or may be, in a similar situation. Being a Spouse to a individual with CF is not easy, CF is an isolating disease for all involved. There really is such a void when it comes to resources and support for spouses with CF. I hope as I share my story it will illustrate to others that you can take a tragedy and try to make something positive come out of it. 

The ensuing days and months after Ashley passed away were incredibly difficult and still are almost two years later, but I knew that I wanted to become active in the CF community and help in any way that I could. CF spouses are in a unique situation, and I think they can benefit from hearing about the experience of others like myself – it certainly would have been a great help to me if I had had it. Being as informed as possible about CF in general and being active in the management of your spouse’s health is incredibly important, something that I learned unfortunately a bit too late.

The one big regret that I have is that, while I was learning more about CF, I wish I had asked some of those important health questions sooner and pushed a little more. However, at the time I knew that Ashley knew more about CF than I did, and I always thought she’d be ok. I tried not to press her too much, perhaps I was also a bit afraid of knowing the answers to certain questions I had especially as I saw her begin to struggle a bit more. While it’s a regret I have, it’s also something I’ve learned to let go as unfortunately there is nothing I can do aside from sharing my experiences with others in hopes it can help someone else someday. I've fought hard to move forward with my life, as I know she'd want me to, and also knowing she'll be with me always, forever.

If you are reading this and are in a similar situation, I implore you to be persistent and ask those questions. Get involved. Ashley was forthcoming with me and had even agreed to allow me to come with her to future doctor’s appointments, but I think she had always felt like CF was her problem and wanted to deal with it herself, which meant refusing to let it govern her life or her relationships... that’s the type of remarkable person she was. As a partner of someone with CF, it’s incredibly important to be involved in the treatment process and to get informed as much as possible. And if you’re someone with CF, let your partner in and allow them to help. We want to support as much, and as best we can. Teamwork is vital to keeping everyone as healthy as possible. 

Staying involved in the Cystic Fibrosis community was also very important to me after Ashley’s passing, despite how difficult it was. I learned that people with CF have to deal with a lot of challenges on a daily basis. It was Ashley’s perseverance and zest for life that sparked something in me to help and do more. So together with Ashley’s family’s we started a non-profit organization called the Breathe for Bea Foundation.

                       
                                 

Our mission is to help make the lives of individuals and their families that are battling this life threatening disease more manageable by providing financial assistance and support, as well scholarships in her memory. We also provide hospital care packages to CF patients who have been admitted into the hospital for an extended stay and are hoping to also provide resources and tips based on our experiences. We hope that we can be a support to the CF population. 

Putting my time and energy into this Foundation really helped me through the grieving process. It allowed me to try and turn an event that was so incredibly heartbreaking, into something positive, by helping others with CF. Hearing from the people who we have helped thus far is incredibly rewarding, and I know Ashley would be so proud of what we are doing. It will never make up for her loss, but it’s fulfilling to know that we can help others who have also been affected by this terrible disease. 

One Year On Orkambi

I can't believe it's already been one year!! I was so nervous to start this drug, there were so many unknowns and so many questions. Although it may not be easy, there are times where you just have to be okay with not knowing what will happen next... 

Having the opportunity to take this drug that I had waited my whole life for was such a blessing. For the first time in a long time Orkambi gave me a glimpse of hope. Hope for a prolonged future, and hope that maybe I can live just a lil bit longer. I had so many questions when starting Orkambi and of course I couldn't help but have some high expectations. 

Will Orkambi be the right drug for me? Will it help me get off oxygen? Will it thin out my very thick mucus? Will I see my 40th birthday? Will I soon need a life saving double lung transplant? These were just some of the questions I had asked myself before starting Orkambi and actually I find myself still wondering these very same things. 

Unfortunately there is still so many unknowns and unanswered questions. I'm still not sure if Orkambi is the right drug for me. It still may take some time to see any type of results with it because of the stage of my disease. One thing I do know though is that this drug has done some amazing things for so many and that makes me very happy. 

On sept 30th the FDA will decide if this drug should be available to 6-11 year olds with CF.... I sure hope they approve it for them. This drug is doing wonders for those with healthy lungs. It could be life changing for these young kiddos, and nothing makes me more happy to envision my lil CF kiddos with grey hair and wrinkles. 

So today as I swallow my morning dose of Orkambi I will continue to focus on this drug working it's magic deep inside my lungs... so deep that we just aren't able to tell quite yet how it's helping me. I'm not giving up on Orkambi, I have so much hope for what's to come.... 

There are so many great drugs in the CF pipeline. I am hopeful that if Orkambi ends up not being the right drug for me there soon will be another drug that will help answer all my questions.... and maybe, just maybe meet my high expectations. 

Breathe out Love! Xo❤️

Scars

"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove you showed up for it." 

I believe life is what you make it. So make sure you keep showing up for it time and time again. Get back up and keep trying! It'll be frustrating, but keep your goals in mind and stay focused... don't give up! 

Your struggles make you stronger, and you're strong! So be proud of your scars, and continue to give hope to others. Show them that if you can do it so can they, you just never know who will be watching. We are all fighters in our on way. Some of us just have to fight a lil bit harder. Keep staying strong!! Breathe out Love! Xo❤️

3 Months on Orkambi

**Orkambi update** 

"On particularly rough days when I’m sure I can’t possibly endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through the bad days so far is 100% and that’s pretty good.” 

I did it!! I made it to the 3 month mark on the full dose of Orkambi! Phew... This med has been really tough but I think I am finally seeing side effects subside. Really the only thing I still experience is that dang shortness of breath and my right lung is still having this random popping pain. Everyone that I have spoken to that is on Orkambi has said after 3 months they started to see side effects subside and some positive results. So I'm hoping that is the case. I have been having some really good days where I don't have and side effects, and then of course I tend to over do it on those days and then I need a couple days to recover. I can always tell when I over do it because that is when that pain in my lung is the most painful. So looking for a way to balance it all out.... Baby steps!! 

I think it's still really hard to tell any changes maybe because they are all happening gradually. This last week I have been getting out mucus plugs from my lungs, which is HUGE! They are basically petrified mucus plugs dark and harder than a rock. Who knows how long those have been down there?! Of course I took photos and if you didn't get a text from me of my petrified mucus that was the size of a watermelon seed well, you're welcome. ; ) Ha ha. So fascinating and definitely worth celebrating!! Definitely a great step in the right direction. 

My next appointment is in March and I'm very hopeful things will be great. I'm excited to see what I will blow, but don't want to focus on the numbers too much. I'm just focusing on each breath I breathe, how I feel and how far I've come rather than how far I have left to go... Literally one day at a time! 

Breathe out Love! Xo❤️