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 

Future Nurses

I believe nurses are the heart of the medical field. They always go above and beyond. I've been so blessed to have so many amazing nurses in my life.

I was honored to speak to the nursing class at Yakima Valley Community College in Washington today, where my amazing friend Steph is finishing her nursing school. I loved talking to them about CF and giving them tips on how they can be the best of the best. You can guarantee I told them to "scrub the hub"! ;)  

I hope I impacted these future nurses and when they have a CF patient in their future, I hope they remember me. Breathe out Love! Xo ❤ 

30high5!!!

30high5!!! Hooray for another year!! So blessed! 35 who would of thought?!? So exciting. 

I love every year that I am blessed to be here. I love getting older, it's a privilege denied by many. Aging is a gift that I am so very proud of! 

Thank you ALL for being a part of my life and supporting me and always being there for  me. I am the luckiest girl I know!! 

Cheers to 30high5 may it be as amazing as all my other years!! I'm old and I absolutely LOVE it!! 

Breathe out Love!! Xo❤

Great Strides

A beautiful day to be Great Stridesing it up!!! 

CF doesn't stand a chance... Not with this crowd fighting for CF to stand for Cure Found!! 

Great Strides is a great way to Add Tomorrows to so many lives!! 

Remember we will do great things with those tomorrows, but we just need the chance! 

Visit www.CFF.org to see how you can help! 

Thanks to all that came out and supported Cystic Fibrosis and walked in Great Strides today! It was such a fun day! 

     

            

Throw back Thursday

Hearing you will have to be admitted never gets easier.  Not sure if its the realization that I actually am sick and coming to terms with that, or the fact that I have to take a two week time out to focus on something that you never really want to completely focus on. 

So I pack my bags and move in to my home away from home and I make the best of it. The staff becomes my family and I make the joint as cozy as possible. From rearranging the furniture to decorating ceiling to floor, and don't forget the candy dish so the nurses will stop by to get their fix. There's a method to my madness. 

Joint living isn't always easy, however I'm blessed with an amazing support system that helps make it go as smoothly as possible! 

Breathe out Love! Xo 

Cysters and Fibros

I love ALL my Cysters and Fibros!! It's an unspeakable bond I can't quite explain. An understanding, and a love that's shared deep within in us all. To know each other is a blessing. We are a like in so many ways. 

We have one thing that connects us all that puts us in the company of some of the most amazing people. 

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. 

The CF community is strong, caring and committed. We fight together for one thing, a CURE!! We will fight until that day that we can all be together!! Breathe out love! Xo  

College professor

Ok so just for the day, but I had a lot of fun. ;) 

I Had the opportunity to speak to the future of medicine today. Love spreading CF awareness. This amazing class is the Medical Genetics class at Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania where my friend Katelyn West goes to school. 

They are going to be changing lives. I told them to find a cure for CF, I bet they make that happen! 

My Morning Cocktail

The breakfast of champions!! 

Coffee and pills for days... 

I take about 100 pills each day. Each one plays a part in keeping me healthy and supporting my immune system, so I can stay as healthy as possible. 

Breathe out Love! Xo ❤  

Love to Breathe

May is CF awareness month, pop on over to my website... 

www.lovetobreathe.com 

to learn more about CF and some interesting facts like this one below. 

Breathe out Love!

Xo

We need a cure

May is CF awareness month!! 

We are closer than ever to finding that sought after cure. 

Visit www.CFF.org to see how you can help add tomorrows to the lives of over 30,000 children and young adults like myself that have CF. 

We will do great things with those tomorrows, but we just need the chance. I promise you, we won't let you down! 

Together we can change the world. 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 they work differently for everyone. 

I always do PepMask seen in the photo, combined with"Somergenics" which is my own version of a combo between autogenic drainage and active cycle. Which is basically a breathing technique with different levels of breathing that moves the mucus up, so I can huff it out. As the CFer gets older they will be able to tell what works for them and what doesn't. 

Breathe out Love! Xo ❤ 

Friends 4 life

College Roomies for a year....Friends for life!! ❤ 

Always surround yourself with amazing people! 17 years ago we were put together by chance, today we are together by choice. Love these girls! Xo 

CF Awareness Month

My "Operation Ditch the Leash" painting.   

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!! CF is a genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and the digestive system. It causes your body to produce a thick sticky mucus. The mucus builds up in the lungs and can lead to life threatening lung infections. Notice the mucus in my painting. 

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 day when CF stands for CURE FOUND!! Breathe out love! Xo