Update...

GOOD NEWS!!!!!  I don't have to go in the hospital!!  My FEV numbers went up to 103%.  My max baseline is around 108-110% and my doctors said with regular exercise (which is still lacking :/) that my numbers should come up that much more.  So I just need to keep getting more rest, finding a little time to relax, and finding time to exercise on a regular basis.  This will be easier once school starts again as my girlfriend and I are going to work together to stay healthy and workout and eat right on a regular basis!  Thanks for you prayers!!  Goodnight! :D

Friday...

Friday is the day that I go back for my checkup.  If my numbers have stayed the same or gone down, then I will be going into the hospital for a couple weeks.  If they have gone up then that's good and I can stay out! :)  Let's pray hard and hope that they have gone up!

So my girlfriend came and visited me last week for a few days.  It was VERY nice to see her. :D  Love is good for the soul! :D  She is such an amazing girl.  Anyone who is reading this, I want you to know that I love her! :)

One More Thing...

I remembered one more thing that I forgot to add in the last post. Our doctor likes to do blood glucose tests once a year, as diabetes is a complication that can come with CF. I've had little problems with my blood sugar ever since I was little. I had my glucose test done in May, and when I went to clinic in June, they told me that, well in layman's terms, I'm pre-diabetic. So basically, the way I understand it, I am going to get diabetes and there's nothing I can do to stop it. I just have to wait for it to come. My girlfriend is going to help me make sure I eat right while I'm at school. She's a huge blessing in my life! :) (I just had to talk about her.)

Moving on...

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. I have been quite busy. I will leave my past at that, and if you have any questions beyond what I have posted, please ask. On to my life today.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to CF clinic. The report was only ok. Back in March, my sister and I had bone density tests (our doctor does them every 5 years if I remember correctly). On June 25th, we received the report. My sister seemed ok, but they said it wouldn't hurt at all to take more calcium. They raised our Vitamin D levels as they are doing with many patients. But my report was slightly more concerning. I have what the doctor called osteopenia in my spine. She said it's basically half way between having normal healthy bones and osteoporosis. So my vitamin D levels were raised and I have to take extra calcium. I was kind of surprised because I drink a crazy amount of milk every day.

My FEV1 numbers were at 96%. In March, they were 97%, but I blamed that (as they were near 107%) on the fact that I accidentally inhaled a Cadbury chocolate egg on the trip to the hospital. But they were down this time despite not eating anything this time (on purpose I might add). The plus was that my lungs sounded clear.

My doctor decided to put me on an antibiotic, just to be aggressive. She also told me to get more rest and exercise, the first I'm doing a little better at, and the second....well I'm at least thinking about it more. It's just hard to do when you're so busy. I go back at the end of July (on the 23rd I believe) to see if my numbers went up. If so, hooray!! If not, hospital...here I come! I will have to go in for a clean-out. If I have to go in, it will be my 3rd hospitalization. The first occurred when I was 15. I am becoming more familiar with the respiratory therapists at my hospital (Fletcher Allen Health Care). I love my hospital. I don't mind being there, which helps when I have to stay for two weeks. The adult inpatient floor that they admit CF patients to is on the 6th floor. So for exercise, I run up and down the stairs.

But that visit is still a while away. Let's pray and hope that my numbers go up and that I don't have to go in. But if I do have to go in, I will be thankful that it is during the summer and not while I'm at school.

Josh