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Can Faith and Science Coexist?

Have you ever wondered if faith and science can coexist? I have. My six-year-old daughter lives with cystic fibrosis, and from the moment I learned of her diagnosis, I have believed whole-heartedly in the power of both faith and science to shape my daughter’s future and my own outlook on her life.

Every evening, I hold my daughter’s hand and pray with her as she lies in her bed. Our final verse is always the same. “Please watch over my baby. May she be healthy, happy, safe, and strong. I am so proud of her, and I am so glad that You gave her to me.”

Friends

As I write this blog my husband, Rich and I have just celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary! It is hard to believe a hippie wedding in 1974 could last this long.  It was an Indian summer day on October 5, 1974. The sun rays peeked through the forested slopes and cool canyons at Miwok Shelter in Huddart County Park in Woodside, CA. Amidst the oak madrone and tall redwood trees you could see San Francisco Bay. 

Our special ‘Gift’ that transforms lives

The holy trinity of my CF survival to reach 48 with my original lungs has been unstinting commitment to my medication, regular exercise and the power of the mind.

The latter part of this ‘power of three’ has been a slow burner over the last 10 years since I was diagnosed with CF-related diabetes. Up till my late thirties, I hadn’t appreciated how helpful my mindset and being more present were to my ongoing survival.

When I got diabetes as well as my CF, I knew I needed a different mechanism to deal with the multitude of negative thoughts which were dragging me down. 

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Fall is coming in quick and for a lot of us that means more warming and comforting foods. Soup is one of those foods for me. These days I’m all about recipes that have fewer ingredients and are easy to prepare. The creamy butternut squash soup hits all those points and tastes incredible. The leftovers will also keep well in the freezer for around six months.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

In the Blink of an Eye

It has been a LONG time since I’ve written one of these blogs. The last year or so has gone by so fast that it literally feels like I blinked my eyes and when I opened them everything had changed. The biggest things is that I became a mom in November 2017, to a beautiful boy. Seven weeks later I graduated from my master’s degree program. And sometime between then and now I’ve been part of a clinical trial for a new CF medication that to call life changing would be an understatement.

The Unexpected Lesson

There are moments in life that have the opportunity to define you, if you let them. For me, there is one in particular that I have carried, ingrained in my being so deep that I thought it was impossible to let it go. This moment occurred while I was in grade school when a teacher assigned me an essay on cystic fibrosis. At the time, I didn’t think much of the assignment. When I began my research, I found I had an expiration date. I found that my age expectancy was under 20 years. My life froze, my heart broke, and I filled with fear.

Learning to Paint Her in Color

I worked in healthcare for twelve years and was always drawn to the emotional parts of managing chronic illness. I partnered with doctors and nurses to help them address their patients as people first. I helped people living with chronic illness fit their daily self-care into their already busy lives.

I really thought I got it.

But on August 12, 2013, my five-week-old daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. 

Healthy Snacks on the Go

In a previous post for the CFLF, Increasing Calories With Nutrient Dense Foods, I discussed the importance of whole food nutrition when it comes to increasing calories, especially at meal times. For this post, I’d like to focus on ways to get calories while exercising and on-the-go.

New Eyes

Awaken to the rhythmic tune of my alarm. Eyes still closed. I hear the birds chirping outside. 5am. Stretch my arms over my head. Take a slow, deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Ahhhhh. Rinse. Repeat. Excitement washes over me and I feel a smile spread across my face…

It’s no ordinary day. That’s no ordinary moment. Nothing about the life I lead is ordinary…

A Ray of Hope

Everyday, for about an hour every morning and every evening, I’ve been attached to an airway clearance machine. Its nothing new to me. It’s as much of a routine as brushing my teeth at the beginning and end of each day.

Growing up I hated doing treatments. My brother and I often hid in our basement from our parents to try and get out of doing them. Due to health insurance reasons most CF families only had one machine so we would take turns and wait for the other to finish so neither of us would be alone.

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