I went to the doctor (AGAIN...) today and apparently I need to gain four pounds before the winter. You know what this means.... I'm going to McDonald's tonight! And stocking up on ice cream and donuts. My friend Cati said to me today "You can eat whatever you want and not have to worry about getting a heart attack because you're going to die young anyway! You're so lucky!" Thanks, Cati.

Junk Food

So there is one thing I enjoy about my cystic fibrosis- I can eat whatever I want, as often as possible. This means double-cheeseburgers, oreo milkshakes, chocolate truffles, and anything else high in calories and fat! I'm never going to have any problems "watching my weight"-actually, I always have and always will have to make sure I eat enough. I have so much trouble gaining weight. People tell me I'm "lucky" for being able to eat and eat and not gain a pound. I tell them I would trade any day for a normal body.

I'm so happy right now- my parents sat me down last night and told me that they've been saving money for the last three years and this summer we're going on a tour of Europe! I CAN'T WAIT. I've always wanted to see the world, probably because I know I probably have less time left than other people. There is so much I still want to do and see and become, all in a limited time frame. Although- I guess we all have a limited time frame, don't we? Everyone does. I'm just lucky enough to have a clearer estimate of when I'm leaving this earth than others do.
Anyway, back to Europe. This is going to be the best thing ever.... I can't believe I'm actually going to see all those places that you read about, like Venice and London and Paris! This is a once-in-a-lifetime oppurtunity, and I am so grateful for my amazing parents who love me so much.

No Contact Sports :(

Today after track practice I watched the soccer game. I like to think I have a normal life, but to be honest I really don't. The fact that I have CF means that I can't play contact sports- I'm stuck with track, swimming, and biking. I'm an average runner (not all that great), a terrible swimmer, and my bike is only for transportation. All I've ever wanted is to be able to at least TRY something like soccer or volleyball. I bet I'd be good at volleyball- I'm really tall. I really shouldn't complain, though. If I had been born 40 or 30 or even 20 years ago, by now I would be dead. As a matter of fact, when I was a baby the doctors said I would only live to be 12 years old because my cystic fibrosis is much worse than other people. Maybe sometime in the near future there will be a cure.... didn't they say there would never be a cure for polio? I'm not betting on it, though. I guess for now I'll just be happy with the fact that I am able to play sports at all.

I think I've learned a very important lesson this week. I probably take around 30 pills every single day (I don't know how many exactly, my mom keeps track of that stuff) and I woke up late last Friday and... forgot to take my pills. I felt under the weather all day, and my coughing got worse and worse. My mom picked me up from school and rushed me to the hospital, where the doctors told me that my pneumonia had returned! How wonderful. I spent the weekend in the hospital, and now I'm home, more or less back to normal after feeling miserable for three days. My mom really freaked out. I guess that was expected. It was a pretty dumb thing to do, I guess. From now on she's waking me up 15 minutes earlier everyday and is going to watch me as I take my medication. I don't really mind, because I hate going to the hospital more than I have to (which is often).