The Vest

I was given a Vest, for free, shortly after I was diagnosed with CF in 1996. It took some time to use it regularly. I remember actually being very good about using the Vest when I was in college. The interent was fairly new, so I would spend time Vesting while surfing the web. But I never really felt like the Vest was effective for me in mucus clearance. At some point I turned to exercise and discovered it was much more effective at mucus clearance. Quickly, I decided on my own, that as long as I was exercising, I didn't need to use the Vest at all. As my PFTs remained normal, it was hard for my doctor to agrue with that logic. Exercising and Vesting both take up time and it is difficult to fit both in to my routine, especially with working a full time job. So, for a decade now, I have stayed dedicated to exercise as a main form of mucus clearance. It is not to say I never use the Vest...but from day to day it just sat in the closet.

In all my recent education with CF and seeing how others are affected by the disease, I have been rethinking this position. Maybe I should be doing the vest everyday, even if it is on a day that I exercise. I just don't want to wake up one day with regret, especially if I someday get sick. I don't want to think..."well maybe if I did the Vest I would still be healthly." Now, I know if I just make a goal of using it everyday for 30 minutes I will fail. I have to start with a realistic goal. So, my goal for the next month: For every evening I plan on watching TV for 30 minutes or more, I will do the Vest. I don't know if I will necessarily do the Vest while watching TV (as the TV has to be REALLY LOUD for that to work), but I figure if I have the time to sit around watching TV, I have the time to Vest. Ah...I will be traveling this weekend and I don't have a travel friendly Vest. I'll start this week and continue on when I get back.

Focus on the Positive

I sometimes loose motivation to blog because I do not have a lot of blog readers. Sometime I ask myself why I even keep a blog? I realized a couple of days ago that attitude seems unfair to those who do read my blog. Even though my "fan base" may be small, I have met some incredible people out there who are extremely supportive. I have really found a lot of inspiration through blogging, so its important that I continue to focus on all the positive aspects of this form of networking.

Speaking of supporters, I received two phone calls yesterday related to CF care. The first was from Mrs. Wonderful, the CF Clinic social worker. She was just checking on me before she leaves for the CF Conference on the east coast. She will be gone through the end of the month and won't be at my clinic appointment next week. Although we didn't get a chance to talk, it was nice of her to call.

Second, I spoke to the event's coordinator at the Northern California Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to have a kick off conversation for next years Great Strides Walk. It is still several months off, but she wanted to check in with me to give me some encouragement for fundraising.

Now, I know both of these women get paid to do these jobs. However, I think our community is very lucky to have thoughtful and dedicated professionals. I am thankful for both of them. And I truly believed that they both really do care about me and the CF community. So, instead of thinking about all those people out there that don't read or follow my blog, I'm going to remember these two women calling to check on me just because they care.

Work-Out Wednesdays-What I Do at the Gym-Elliptical

The elliptical machine is my favorite piece of equipment at the gym. Actually, it is probably my favorite form of exercise because I find it challenging, it burns a lot of calories, and when I am done I just feel like I have the best workout. I have been using the elliptical regularly for about 8 years now. Initially, it really kicked my butt. I could barely do 5 minutes. I slowly worked my way up, adding more and more time over the first couple of months. I was able to quickly move up to 30 minutes. For awhile I thought that was my plateau and for years, this was my standard. About two years ago, I decided to step it up and take on 45 minutes. This amount of time has been working really well for me. I use the elliptical once a week.

The hardest part about using the elliptical is not getting bored. In addition to my essentials, I have a system for staying motivated on the elliptical: I change a setting every 5 minutes. For every 5 minutes that pass, I change the resistance, incline or direction. This way, I am not thinking about how much time I still have left to complete the exercise, but I focus on how much longer until I change a setting. Staying focused on five minute intervals is much easier on the mind than the total time remaining. This has really helped keep me on the elliptical for the full 45 minutes.

Pulmozyme One Month Later

Well I have actually been on Pulmozyme for five weeks, but it has been one month since I provided an update on the treatment. The treatment is going well. I have been 100% compliant, which is exciting. Sticking to a schedule and administering the treatment at the same time has been key for me. I have had no noticeable side-effects. I did check in with my doctor about the twice-a-day dose. Apparently that was a mistake, and I am only to have one treatment a day. That change has been easy to incorporate.

Work-Out Wednesday-Joining a Gym

I first joined a gym ten years ago. I joined a local club, Stan Bennett's for 19 dollars a month. I joined in September 2000. I had recently graduated from college and was working full time for the first time in my life. And I gained about 15 pounds. This was really the first time I ever gained weight and it really sneaked up on me. I thought I was immune from gaining weight. So, I ran out to join a gym to get control of my weight. I didn't realize at the time how important that decision was concerning my overall health.

In 2006, I had major back surgery. The recovery was difficult and the only form of exercise I could really participate in was in the water. I needed to join a gym with a pool. So I left Stan's and joined 24 Hour Fitness. I was a decent gym that helped me meet my fitness needs, both in and out of the water. But as the years went on, the atmosphere of the facility started to deteriorate: dirty, the pool heater was always broke, crowded, and unsanitary conditions. We decided to move on. Around April of this year we joined a country club: Fountain Grove Gold and Athletic Club. A local facility with many amenities from clean towels, tennis courts, a restaurant, and snack bar. Its at a beautiful location and I love being there.

For me, belonging to a gym is key for getting a good work-out. There is lots of variety at the gym and having a gym that I love going to really helps. I truly love being there. However, I realize the gym environment is not for everyone. And it does cost money. I personally think it is the best money I spend every month and is just as important as paying the mortgage or paying for food. Plus, I don't want to pay for a gym membership that I don't use, so the cost is added motivation. I want to get my money's worth.

For the next several weeks, Work-out Wednesdays will explore all the different things I do at the gym.

Treatments While Traveling

While on vacation I really worked on keeping up with my treatments, although I was not completely successful. It is challenging on vacation, because we were away from our hotel so much. It was hard to schedule treatments, but I always made sure to plan them out at some point during the day. I was 100% with pulmozyme. Sadly, this is the only treatment that I can say I didn't miss. I only missed one sinus rinse, which was the first night on the train. I missed almost all of my evening vitamins, but didn't miss any of the morning doses. And I was really bad at using the Acapella. I need a better plan when traveling to avoid missing any treatments. But I'm trying not to be too hard on myself, just learn on how to improve.

What I didn't expect was a slump in treatments once I returned home. Now, I have not missed any treatments, but it took a few days to get back in to my routine. It was like being away and being off schedule followed me home. I found myself not sticking the the regularly scheduled out times for my treatments. And I am still slacking with the Acapella.

And yes, this will be the last blog related to vacation.

Seattle-The Run Down

I never got around to blogging about my trip past days 1 and 2. I was just too busy having fun to stop and spend time on the computer. Here is a run down of the trip, including a few pictures:

Seattle, WA
September 26-October 2, 2010
Coast Starlight



World Mark-Camlin



Pike Place Market



Space Needle



The Underground Tour
Agilent in Everett, WA
Jimi Hendrix's Grave



Tap House Beer Sampling



Pumpkin Spice Lattes



A Coffee Tour


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Bainbridge Island



Olympic Sculpture Park
Red Mill Burger
Safeco Park-A's win 8-1



Woodland Park Zoo



Pub Tour