And for Christmas this year.....I get.....

A couple of weeks ago I came down with that cold I posted about. After a couple days of those antibiotics I thought I had this mo fo under control and on its' way out. Things changed after 1 week of being on those meds though. Apparently my body was like "oh you know didn't!" and decided to react in a not awesome way to them. I started to feel like I had the flu. My whole body ached, I had the chills, my joints killed and my nose started to get full. Also my cough started back up. I did a little research and saw that these symptoms were side effects of both meds so my doc and I decided to hold them to see if things improved. Twelve hours after stopping them I started to feel so much better, and by the second day I felt great...except for this cough.

Fast forward to Friday night and Saturday...this cough has gotten much much much worse. It's a cough that my family and close friends have not heard in years, since before starting Kalydeco/Blue Lightning really. Not only is the cough bad, but my sides and chest hurt, you can hear crackles when I breath and I've been sleeping twelve hours a night. So unlike me.

So, how? "How can you still get a lung infection now that you're taking Blue Lightning?" my best friend asked this week. It's a very valid question that I'm sure a lot of others wonder too. Kalydeco is not a cure. Sure it treats the underlying cause of CF and helps my CFTR protein function better to alleviate my symptoms, but it does not cure CF. My friends and family have seen the very best ever of me over the past two years thanks to Kalydeco. (and exercising and eating well :) ) No coughing for the first year and a half straight,  PFT's that I had never seen before and listening to my speeches saying how "I have never in my life felt better than I do now."

But I still have CF. I still culture pseudomonas, and those buggers can still work really hard together to turn into an infection. This infection is really testing me though, and seems like it hit harder than the infections I've had in the past when I wasn't on Blue Lightning.

Last night I was talking on the phone with my best Ute friend Somer who said, "Oh mannn can't you just wait until after Christmas?" I then started to cough and she quickly replied, "Nope! You're going in tomorrow..." It's now Christmas Eve and I am heading into the U to get things started. My doctor was on call last night and has everything lined up for when I get in there. Hopefully we can get the desensitization going today and get things working.

Spending Christmas in the hospital is not new for me or all of my CF friends. It's what we do to get better. We used to strategically plan the stays so they would fall over Christmas break. I expected them. This ordeal is more unexpected and well, annoying. I have been looking forward to seeing my nieces on Christmas Eve and morning, especially seeing Kacey have a stroke when she gets that damn Dodge Charger Police Car we got for her.  Hopefully someone will capture this magic on video for me!

I did score an incredible Christmas sweater from a friend this week that I plan to wear tomorrow at the hospital. It definitely has three dogs on it and two are wearing gold chains....so that's enough to make you go cray!

3...when were you diagnosed...and 4

Ok funniest work out moment happened this morning, you may not laugh but it was kind of like an SNL skit.

I hit the early morning weight class with Armstrong today. This is a popular class with the older crowd, but don't be fooled, the 84 year old woman has a tighter body than most 20 year olds and the other silver fox has arms larger than my legs. This is no joke.

There is a little portion of that class that takes us to the wall for some wall sits, the kind of sits that don't end and your legs feel like they could catch on fire. Luckily Armstrong I deal with this pain by looking at each other and laughing..it really helps.

Well today...today was hilarious. I was wearing the "Train. Breathe. Out Run CF" shirt. As we were walking over to the wall next to take a squat, our very nice instructor read my shirt. Just as my legs started to burn she asked what CF was...and then the conversation continued like this:

Instructor: "Do you know someone with CF?"
Me: "I know someone very well."I say settling into my square
Instructor: "Who?" she asked as my right leg started to shake.
Me: "Me" I pointed to myself with the dumbell as I raised it up for a curl.
Instructor: "You have CF? and 2..and 3..."
Me: "Yep I do!"
Instructor: "And 4...when were you diagnosed? and 5..."
Me: "18 Months old...1983." By this time my I was ready to not be squatting anymore.
Instructor: "Wow" and hold the squat..."Are you a doctor..6, 7, 8.."
Me: "I wish..."

Mind you..She is wearing a headset mic while teaching so that everyone in the gym can hear her. So, as she is instructing people on what to do, and counting, she is asking me these questions out of the opposite side of her mouth. It was hilarious!!!

Good start to the day..

Kale Power Celebration

*Go ahead and click that picture above to see the Top 10 Benefits of Eating Kale*

That leafy green stuff is good..and it is damn good for you so you should eat it! This week I've been on quite a kick and above is one of the most delicious ways I have ever had it.

Attention CF circle, kale could be really great for us: Kale is loaded with Vitamin A, K (2 vitamins we already take more of), has more calcium per calorie than milk (osteopenia/osteoperosis?), high in fiber (you know...), great anti-inflammatory ..the list goes on, just click the pic.

Here is what's in that picture above: Kale salad (see recipe below) with a diced baked sweet potato, tasty red lentils in a fab sauce (see recipe), a KBC pumpkin ale, my fruit bowl..and a leg lamp nightlight. Oh..and of course my Nook that is in the process of cleaning my Altera nebs.

Kale Salad- Adapted from the December Whole Living Magazine recipe.

 Now called Em's Super Kale and Sweet Potato Salad

Makes 2 Servings

To be honest..when I make up my own stuff I don't measure. So what listed below is just me guessing.

Bake 2 small or 1 large sweet potato(es) in oven (375 for 35 minutes or so..ish, maybe)

When done, let cool and dice

For Kale Salad

Couple cups of diced Kale

3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Crushed Garlic

 Pinch Red pepper flakes

 Salt to taste 

Pepper to taste

 1/2 of a Lemon juiced

Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

Mix Olive oil,  garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and lemon in bowl. Pour over kale. Add parmesan cheese. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before eat.

Red Lentils- Recipe on the back of the Trader Joe's Red Lentil Bag

1 Cup red split lentils

2-1/4 broth (I use veggie)

1/4 white vermouth (I used some Charles Shaw Shiraz)

1 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 tsp. black pepper

Everyday Seasoning Salt to taste (Sea salt in my world)

1 tbsp. olive oil

Heat oil in pan; add lentils, toss to coat; about 1 minute. Add broth, wine and seasoning. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat until tender and the liquids almost absorbed, about 12 minutes. 

More Kale Ideas

- Kale Chips

- Blend into your favorite smoothie with a frozen banana, almond butter, or frozen berries, yogurt, kefir etc..

- Soup it up!

That's all I got for now...eat well and be happy!