Hello, 2011!

My first week back in school since the New Year has been pretty good. Busy, big surprise, but good! This weekend is going to be busy too with it being Sigma Kappa Parent's Weekend and our banquet.

Sorry for the short update. I'm sleepy still, I've got class soon, and I've got a lot on my plate including a test on Monday.

Here's a shoutout to CF Fatboy who had another sinus surgery yesterday. No update from him yet, but his wife said that they were home already, which was earlier than Fatboy expected! That's fantastic news.

Sorry for the short update. My next one should be longer.

-Andrea

Prayers for my brother's dog Beeker who is having her right eye removed today due to a tumor. Praying that the surgery goes well and the tumor is benign.

Post-Sinus Surgery annoyance

So after my sinus surgery (which was almost exactly a year ago), my sinuses were empty, happy, and not painful.

Now the headaches have returned. With a new annoyance- nose bleeds.

My first thought was that I had a growth spurt and I was in the nose-bleed range of height.... haha just kidding. But seriously...

...after surgery, I was told to do the sinus rinse twice a day plus Asteline and Veramyst. And I did for a while, but it got to the point where every time I would do the sinus rinse, I would get a nose bleed. Like, I would blow into a tissue after the rinse and where there should be green/clear stuff, it's all red, and a lot of it. This bothered me, so I stopped. I still do the rinse from time-to-time and I still get nose bleeds. I now also get nose bleeds randomly, like a few minutes ago when I coughed too hard. I'll wake up with them sometimes too. The sinus rinse produces pretty lengthy bleeds while coughing and other "random" ones are short lived.

I'm not sure what to do about this. Ignore the bleeds and keep going? I usually don't get anything else out of my sinuses because I get so freaked out, so I can't blow as hard. Do I stop and let my sinuses fill up again? I really don't want surgery again... I go to the doctor in about a month (already??!) so I'll ask then too, but if anyone has any advice, I'll gladly take it.

I still do the Veramyst regularly, and the Asteline "as needed" (which is what my doc told me to do last visit. It makes me really drowsy and dizzy for a minute or two.) but it doesn't feel like it's doing anything anymore. I'm using the Asteline more regularly in hopes that it will do something to help!

Thoughts from an Alumni

Graduation has come and gone. I got my diploma, my final report card, and walked out of Hirsch a different person.... an Alumni. That word makes me feel old. Like I owe the school money now. (Actually, the school owes me $200 for a scholarship....)

So far, nothing really seems different. It hasn't really sunk in that I'm *DONE* with high school. Not yet. Sometimes, like when we were back at the school while everyone was in class and we were pulling a senior prank, but not most of the time. It's just... strange.

It's a little scary because Magnet was so comfortable to me and I enjoyed that warmth of knowing all the teachers and most of the students and my way around. Now I'm going off to a new school in a new city with new teachers and new students. I'm up for the challenge, don't get me wrong, and I'm looking forward to meeting and making new friends, but it's a little intimidating. Luckily, I'll know enough people there to get around campus pretty easily.

First post-surgery sinus infection. NOW I finally understand how sick I used to feel all the time without realizing it. Wow, this sucks. I'm so drained of energy and my throat is me. Plus my sinuses hurt again. Haha how did I live like this for so long??

OH OH! I also learned one other thing: try hard in school. All 4 years of high school. They really, really, really do matter. All of them. Make straight A's. Just do it.

'Nuff said.

-Andrea

Recovery

Wow. Surgery Friday and here it is the Thursday after. Seeing as I slept most of this week away, I don't remember much. And what I do remember, mostly isn't pleasant. Thursday night, my arm was hurting from the PICC line so I took some Dilaudid. Little did I know I was allergic. Worst night of my life but glad I found out then instead of after surgery when they would have given me a much greater dose!!

Up until the last day or so, I've been dru.gged up on pain meds and nausea meds trying to manage both. I hardly ate, moved, or enjoyed my day. Basically, recovery was 100000x harder than I thought it would be. Because of all the meds, I didn't eat. Because I didn't eat, I felt sick. Because I felt sick, I wouldn't move nor eat. Etc etc etc. Parents and doctors both worried that I would catch pneumonia from just lying there all the time. But I would be very dizzy when I sat up, so I felt discouraged to move. It was a HORRIBLE recovery filled with pain, sickness, dizziness, overheating, and night sweats. One evening I even spiked a fever but sweated it out by the next hour.

But now I'm home after a week in the hospital. Here, I'm more inclined to walk around and eat, which in-turn quickens my recovery. I go back to the doctor on Monday to get the PICC taken out and then for my surgeon to "finish the job"...... Oh boy.

So far, the only difference I've noticed is my lack of tolerance for spicy foods. :[ That was my claim to fame! I won't feel 100% better until I go see my ENT again on Monday. I'll let ya know how that one goes...

Today I ate my first FULL meal since last Thursday (before surgery). YAY!

I'll keep updating as exciting things happen.

-Andrea

"Closer to Time"

I mentioned in the previous post that I would see how I'm feeling "closer to time" to the surgery. As far as nerves go, I'm fantastic. I'm not worried at ALL. Seriously. That actually makes me wonder.. what's wrong with me?! I'm the worry-wart by nature! I would be the one to worry about me not worrying. Ugh.

Nevertheless, I'm not worried and am actually, *gasp*, looking forward to it! No, not the pain and the feeling sick, but I'm becoming more and more aware of how often these sinus headaches are around and how much I cough due to drainage, and how I'm not as hungry, etc. I have news for you, people: sinuses have the ability to make or break your day, week, month, year. My dietitian told me that I have "no idea" how sick I feel right now because I'm just so used to it. But once the swelling goes down after surgery, and I can breathe normally, I will be "amazed" at what I've been missing for these past 2 years or so. I'm looking forward to feeling good in the mornings, to be able to smell, taste, focus without headaches.... the list really does go on and on.

A good friend of mine was having sinus headaches today. I felt bad for her, but I couldn't help but smile because she said things like "if this is how you feel every day, I am so sorry." and commented on how I don't complain about it and "here I am whining for one day!" What have I got to complain about? A headache? A sore throat? Nausea? What's new to complain about? Nope. I'm good, thanks. I've really just become accustomed to all of this that normally, I don't say anything about it. I move on and I eventually forget it's even there.

Everyone is being really supportive about it. And some people are just down-right funny because they try not to make it awkward about that I'm going in for surgery, like it's a shameful thing. I just can't help but laugh because I'm not trying to hide it or anything. I really don't care if people know that I'm back in the hospital or having surgery. So what? But people are considerate, and I respect that, but I still chuckle to myself. It's almost like when people come across people in wheelchairs. You don't want to be like "OMG YOU'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR" but you can't ignore them nor can you pretend like they are ok. They know they are in a wheelchair, people, and you're not telling them something they don't know by confirming it. It's just life.

So I went to go talk to the Bio 2 class on Friday. It went well. I was VERY nervous at first, but had a close friend sitting beside me and the more I talked the more comfortable I became. They asked a few questions but mostly they just listened. I talked about everything from nutrition, life expectancy, PICC lines, how we're diagnosed, the genes, and so much more. I ended with an honest plea for them not to look at me as the "kid with CF" but still as the athlete, the student, the in the hall, whatever. Just don't label me with what I was given instead of who I am.

Ok! That's all for now! Depending on how my week goes, this may be the last update before I go to the hospital. We shall see!

-Andrea