Rush Workshop: sick day

Yesterday I didn't attend the morning workshop because I was curled up in a little ball on my bed unable to move. Awesome. I showed up for the second half of workshop (after lunch) when I felt just a little bit better. Every girl I talked to told me to go back to bed. "This week doesn't matter as much as next week when we'll really need you!! Take care of yourself now!" So, I followed my sisters' advice and stayed in bed/on the couch all day yesterday. I hated missing workshop, but they were right. And I feel a lot better today! And, just to show another reason why I love my sisters, they made me a get well card! A lot of the girls signed it and it really did brighten my sad, sick day and made me feel better. I love these girls.

My voice is lost every day of workshop and comes back the next morning. Current voice status: shaky. But I need it for tonight because it's FOOTBALL GAME NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

Still super busy. I get a break in a few days. Sorta.

-Annie

What a week!

This really has been one of the worst/longest weeks of this quarter. And I'm so glad it's over.

Monday- A day off and I spent it doing homework.

Tuesday- I did my presentation and took my test. I did fairly well on both of them. I went to my lab, but due to a mix-up, came in late and got yelled at and kicked out. I cried because those lame miscommunications, when concerning school, don't happen to me! Luckily, I contacted my TA and got it all worked out. That night I played some soccer and came out with a bunch of bruises and a limp.

Wednesday- Didn't make it to my 8am (so tired...) but drove in for my doctor's appt. (summary after this). I went by Casey's house to visit her new puppy, which made me really happy! Drove back and went to a self-defense class that night. After that, I studied with a friend for a few hours until around 10pm. I was so tired.

Thursday- Went to my two morning classes and went to the lab right after that (on time!). Right after that, I had a soccer game and then studied until 11pm for a test the next morning.

Friday-8am bio test. Then I went and napped until noon. At 1:30, I did yard/house work to prepare for Sigma Kappa Parents Weekend, until 5pm. I ate dinner at my Big Sis's house and we watched a movie until 9:30. Then I cleaned my apartment until a friend called me to talk faith. We talked for an hour or so and I realized it was 1130 when I got off the phone. I still had to finish cleaning the apartment since the rents were coming at 10am.

Saturday- 10am: Desserts with Mom. 12-3: Bowling with Dad. Then we drove out to my local church so they could meet some of my friends. Then we went by my great-aunt's house here because we haven't seen her in a while. Banquet then from 6-8. I then spent from 9-12am comforting a friend through a hard time. Then Casey spent the night with me.

Sunday- I got up for church at 9. Cooked lunch and went to choir at 3:45-4:45. Meeting at 6. And now, I'm watching the Saints game.

*deep breath*

I'm still really tired.

I'm supposed to go play soccer tonight at 9:30, but I think I'm gonna pass this week. It's been too much and I need some sleep. Some serious sleep.

Ok. Doctor's appointment. I lost 3lbs (grrr) but my PFTs were up! My FEV1 was 71% (Up from 64%) and another thing... (the FFV? Or something?) was 94% (up from 70%). The peak flow results are up from always around ~510 to 540 EU. It's always good when, as the CF Dr. looks over my results, she smiles. They are letting the slight drop in weight slide this time, but they just don't want to see it continue. She is so proud of me because of the life-choices I'm making and the good head I have sitting on my shoulders. She gave my mother and me high-fives and asked if she could clone me and have a whole clinic of me because "it's refreshing to see CF patients getting out from Mama's wing and still taking care of themselves because THEY want to and they know they NEED to."

So last week was rough, but this week will be better. And thank goodness. I need it.

-Annie

A Full Day of Sub-Freezing Temps

Wow. Just wow. For Louisiana, this is COLD! I can't remember a day when it was below 32 all day long. There are ice patches all over campus. When I walked to class this morning for my 8am, it was 18 degrees, 10 mph wind, felt like 6 degrees. Let me see if I can explain this... I DON'T DO COLD. I am not a cold-weather creature, by any stretch of the imagination. I have been wearing full-body underarmour as a base layer of my warmth. But the wind is unbearable. Southern cold is different from northern cold, and I've been in both more than once. Northern cold is dry. Southern cold has humidity that sticks to you and "chills you to the bone" (as I heard from a Northern lady visiting). Today, the humidity ranges from 60+% to about 30% throughout the day. That's enough water in the air to make anyone very very cold, without wind. Then add in the 10-12mph winds... ugh... needless to say, I didn't want to leave my covers this morning.

On a different note, it was roughly 2 days until I heard my upstairs neighbors use water again. And since my bathroom is not a rainforest anymore, I'm assuming it has been fixed. Yay!

Oh!! Last night was the College Football National Championship game! I cooked dinner for the boyfriend and his best friend (came out HORRIBLE. The recipe was just awful; not my fault. Never cook 3-cheese pasta bake from Campbells recipe book EVER. Smells good, but don't be fooled.) as we cheered on Bama (Sorry Anjea!! Nothing against Texas, but I like Bama more) as they won the National Championship! Roll Tide! It was a fun game to watch.

After I finish this post, I'm going to wash all the dishes from last night (and the tray we cooked the pizza on afterwards), load up Dora, and head home! Celebrating boyfriend's best friend's birthday tomorrow.

So I've been unable to run all week. For the first few days, I had a random hip-flexer injury where I couldn't even walk well. Once that healed, I now have very sore quads from my kines 292 class where we've been doing muscle strength trainings and workouts. So I still can't walk well. *sigh* Maybe Monday will be better.

-Annie

Ahh Mondays

It's Monday once again, but who cares?? I'm still on break! Life's good.

So I don't think I'm getting sick (*crosses fingers*). My GI junk is better. Who knows what that was, but I'm glad it's over. However, my cough has steadily gotten worse. Not really bad, but I can tell. It's more productive and wet, not that dry cough or the clearing of the throat that all CFers do. But that serious "lung" cough. It came to my attention, days after it should have, that my boyfriend's dad thinks he may have had a return of his walking pneumonia. WHAT?! Contagious or not, I don't think I need to be around it. I learned this after being there 3 days in a row. "This cough just won't go away!" he says. akjsdlakdf then why am I over here?! They are normally really good about remembering my "issues" but this blew me away. However, I think it may be more contributed to his smoking habits than pneumonia. Either way, I'm a little bit upset.

The Indy Bowl is today! Louisiana Tech is not playing this year, but I'm still going. Gig 'em Aggies!

I can hardly wait to get back to college-town and have the gym be open again so I can go running inside. It's very obvious how much running affects my health, but I cannot run outside. It just doesn't work. I have no idea how I did it for four years in the cold (and 14 in the heat!).

2009 is almost over!! I'll do a year's recap soon.

-Annie

Independence Bowl 2008

On a scale of 1-10, the I-Bowl was an 8.

The game was at 7, but I started getting ready around 4:30. I was so pumped. First came getting dressed: under armour (body and legs), a Tech t-shirt, jeans, converses, and a red Magnet hoodie. Then eyeliner and blue mascara. Whataburger chicken strips, 3 episodes of House, and the boyfriend. I'm ready to go.

And so we go.

After wading through cigarette smoke and drunk people, we get through the ticket check, bag check, personality check, and finally to our seats. Great seats too! Right next to a block of students that go to the opposing team. But really, they were good seats. Row M on the 25 yard line. And these seats had backs. Yay! Honestly, it felt like Mardi Gras: loud drunks everywhere and you see people you know every time you turn around. Anyway, the game begins.

So, NIU scores and kicks the ball back to Tech. Tech catches it in their own endzone and runs it for a touchdown. Best play of the game. I had just sent the boyfriend out for nachoes (he saw it on the TV, thank goodness!) and was still gone while Tech was kicking it back to NIU. While he was gone, a man and his wife (I presume) stumble up the stairs... and into the seat next to me. The man was so drunk. He reeked. Luckily, his wife was sober and pulled him up to the next row. He tells the people behind them, "These aren't our seats, but I don't feel like climbing anymore.... we should be ok." Fantastic. The boyfriend comes back and notices the new people. I warn him immediately of how obnoxious they are (the man has been shaking my row of seats and yelling vulgar language) and he points out the two cops that are keeping an eye on him. Seems the man had pulled out a pack of cigarettes and put one in his mouth. Fine. I don't care. It's not lit. Maybe he's got such a bad habit that he just needs one in his mouth. *sigh* It's all fine until he lights it.

The boyfriend told me he was going to take it out of the guy's mouth, but I told him to just go get the attention of the police. Either way, he took care of it. Sadly, this cop was less than stern with the meager, "Sir... could you please put that out? We don't allow smoking" and walked off before he put the cigarette out. I was going to scream. I can't be around smoke and I'd gotten more than a lung-full already that evening. He puts it out and eventually leaves. Drunk college students replaced them, but sadly they were much better behaved. More loud, but I can handle that.

Tech won 17-10. Everyone cheered and we left. Aside from the massive intake of smoke, it was a very good evening!

Oh, and after a little begging and some motivation, I got the boyfriend to take a picture with me! He's about as camera shy as I am. :]