Positive Thoughts Thursday

Sometimes I feel like I use this blog to vent/complain about things going on in my life, and I don't want to continue with all of that negativity. So each week I'm compiling a list of positive, happy, lucky, fortunate things that are going on in my life or anywhere around the world.

• Spring break was excellent! I was able to spend some with some family and friends, and I also had lots of time to relax. I even got a one day extension when we happened to get about a foot of snow on Sunday = Snow day Monday!
• Thanks to our snow day, this was only a three-day work week because we have tomorrow off for Good Friday.
• Last night was McTeacher night for our school. The teachers worked at McDonald's for a few hours last night and 20% of the profit went to our school. We ended up raising around $870!! I spent my time working the drive through. :) I have to give credit to the people that work at McDonald's - it was not easy, but I had a lot of fun! 
• Tim and I are big fans of The Walking Dead. I saw this on Facebook today and it made me laugh! It's called "Undeniable Proof that 'The Walking Dead' and 'Toy Story' Have the Exact Same Plot!

Positive Thoughts Thursday

Sometimes I feel like I use this blog to vent/complain about things going on in my life, and I don't want to continue with all of that negativity. So each week I'm compiling a list of positive, happy, lucky, fortunate things that are going on in my life or anywhere around the world.

Here's a side view of what they
do every time I do my treatments!

• I found a local (about 45 minutes from where we currently live) Great Strides 5K!!! I'm so glad to have found a 5K to support the CFF! I'm definitely going to train for this one! :) For information, click here.
• This week I've been on spring break and its been very relaxing. I've been able to read some of a book, watch lots of Dr. Phil (guilty pleasure!) and crime shows, and I even got my planning done for next week already.
• Today I'm heading north!! I'm very excited to see some family and friends this weekend. Tomorrow I'll also be spending the day at the school I worked in last year, visiting previous co-workers and students! Yay!
• Exciting things are happening, but I'm sworn to secrecy for now... ;) It has to do with a couple of my Goals.



Sorry it's blurry - I tried to take a
picture with my webcam.
Archie is loving sitting on my lap while
doing my treatments. And Pez (Tim's sister's
cat) is hanging out on the back of the chair.

• Tim's dad has a pregnant cat at his house. I'm already begging him for a kitten when it gets old enough! I've never had a kitten before and I think it would be so fun. I think I'm turning into a crazy cat lady....We have our cat, Archie. And right now we're "cat-sitting" for my sister-in-law and her husband while their house is on the market. They're trying to move to IL, yay! I don't know if I can handle 3 cats at once...that's a little on the crazy side. :-)

New CFF Regulations

I received an email today from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation informing me on the new infection control regulations between CFers. (My thoughts about it are below)

CF Foundation Updates Infection Prevention and Control Policy for All Foundation Events and Meetings

March 14, 2013

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation recently updated its Infection Prevention and Control Policy for all Foundation events, meetings and offices to protect the health of people with cystic fibrosis.

The Foundation took this step based on increasing medical evidence of a greater risk that people with CF could spread destructive germs to others with CF, which may lead to severe or worsening lung disease. The new policy reflects the advice of leading CF medical experts and published medical research.

The key elements of the Foundation’s policy are:

• Indoor events: At any Foundation-sponsored indoor event or meeting, including gatherings such as chapter committee meetings, only one person with CF may be present and he or she will be designated in close consultation with event chairs and key event volunteers.
  
• Outdoor events: At Foundation-sponsored outdoor events or gatherings, people with CF need to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from each other.
  
• B. cepacia: Under no circumstances shall individuals who have ever had a confirmed positive sputum culture for Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia)complex attend any Foundation events, meetings or offices.

“We understand that these changes may be difficult for many in our community,” said Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Foundation. “However, we want to be sure that we are doing all we can to reduce the risk of cross-infection among people with the disease. The health and well-being of people with CF is our top concern — it is at the heart of all we do.”

The Foundation is expanding its use of teleconferencing and live videocasts to help make it possible for people with CF to participate in indoor Foundation events and meetings and is exploring other new technologies to engage people with CF in all of its activities.

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I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I understand. It's to keep us healthy and from spreading our germs/bacteria to other CFers...but at what point to we have to put ourselves in a bubble? What about when I go to my CF clinic appointments, how are they going to seclude us in the waiting room? And I've even seen that at some Great Strides events (even though they're outdoors) CFers have had to wear a lei to identify themselves as having CF. Are all CF fundraising events going to be like this now? What about the black tie events and indoor things throughout the year where several CF patients were able to speak and tell about their experiences? It's tricky when we're trying to live as normal as possible, but yet we can't because we can't be around each other and everywhere we go we have to identify as a CFer. I'm not just a CF patient. I'm a daughter, sister, wife, aunt, teacher, and friend, too.

All I have to say is thank goodness  for social media! I'm very thankful to have things like Facebook, CysticLife, CFLiving.com, blogs, etc to connect with other CFers. When you're going through something, and you feel like no one else understands, what do you want to do? You want to talk to someone who's going through the same thing as you; you don't want to feel like you're completely alone in all of this and that's what Facebook, CysticLife, CFLiving, blogging, and forums have been able to do for me and many, many other cysters, fibros and parents of CFers. Although this is discouraging, we can't let it define us! We have to keep our relationships strong exactly how we've been doing it. It's so important now to spread the word about these amazing websites and forums for CFers to connect. 

Anyone want to buy me a webcam so I can keep in touch (and see) my cysters & fibros since I'm not allowed to see them unless we're yelling, outdoors, six feet away?! ;-)

Positive Thoughts Thursday

Sometimes I feel like I use this blog to vent/complain about things going on in my life, and I don't want to continue with all of that negativity. So each week I'm compiling a list of positive, happy, lucky, fortunate things that are going on in my life or anywhere around the world.

• One more day until spring break! As much as I love my kids and my job, I'm looking forward to having a week off. I'm planning on relaxing and spending some time with friends and family.
• I've got another couple goals in the works that I'm hoping to check off my list in the next few months...not sharing what (no baby, so don't start spreading rumors!), but I will share once they are set in stone. :-)
• We're only 30 days away from my first Great Strides event of the year! I'm very excited and looking forward to seeing all of my old friends and co-workers! 

Positive Thoughts Thursday

Sometimes I feel like I use this blog to vent/complain about things going on in my life, and I don't want to continue with all of that negativity. So each week I'm compiling a list of positive, happy, lucky, fortunate things that are going on in my life or anywhere in the world.

Our green eggs!

• We're celebrating Dr. Seuss week at my school and it's been so fun! Tomorrow one of the other kindergarten teachers and I are going to be dressing up as Thing One and Thing Two, and her assistant will be dressing up as Cat in the Hat. So far I've read all of these Dr. Seuss books to my kids this week: Hop On Pop, Fox in Socks, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Ten Apples Up On Top (complete with a full math lesson), Green Eggs and Ham, Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?, The Lorax, Put Me in the Zoo. Tomorrow we'll be reading Cat in the Hat and Cat in the Hat Comes Back, and any other Dr. Seuss books we haven't been able to get to this week. We've also watched several short videos and today we watched Horton Hears A Who! We've also completed many other Dr. Seuss related activities. It is so fun to teach from these books instead of the standard curriculum! :-)
• Wednesday was Green Eggs & Ham day in our class, so I made green eggs and ham (ham stayed pink) for the kids to try. I only had two students say they didn't like it - one didn't even try them. They were so amazed that they still tasted like yellow eggs! It was hilarious! After they devoured the food, they had to write "I do (not) like green eggs and ham."
• This past weekend we got together with Tim's family and celebrated his great-grandma's 99th birthday! :-) She's such a nice, funny lady and I love being around her. She amazes me because she's totally with-it and still lives on her own!!

Family picture from the birthday party -- notice our two adorable nephews
and one more on the way! :-)