2nd Anniversary of Blogging (see how I've changed)!

 2nd Anniversary of Blogging!

First of all, 2 years wow. Time flies. I remember when I first started blogging in 2012! I had moved back to my hometown after graduating from the University of Illinois and was deciding what to do next. Here's the first page of my blog entries Beginning 4 Blogs! As you will see when I first started I didn't write as much, probably because I wasn't sure what exactly to say. I may not always have the most "on edge" topics to discuss, but I am always comfortable sharing my voice online now. It's interesting how much my life has changed since the beginning and exactly the amount Cystic Fibrosis influenced the path I took. So I'm going to take this time to explain the last two year journey of my life and how CF has impacted it!

2 years ago...

Starting with first Blog ever: I was living in Princeton, my hometown, after receiving my bachelors degree and was trying to figure out what job was best for me. I was a before school/after school nanny for two girls 5:30am-8:00am & 3-4pm. I also worked during the day as a DayCare Teacher. I did this for most of 2012 until the fall, when I started serving at a local restaurant. I was designing websites (for extra money) and managing my church's website, teaching sunday school and delivering mobile meals in my free time. Also in 2012 I bought my car, which I still have and love! I was a busy lady back then. I started exercising more and ran my first  5K (whew- read about it here) in the fall 2012! My lung function was at it highest ever! A record height of 64% coming up from 38% in 2010. Also I started getting more active in theatre again, which is how I met my boyfriend Andrew. We started dating in October 2012! This was a big year for me, lots of changes and things to figure out. I had discussed how so much in my life was being figured out. For example, I was getting tested to see what my CF mutations were. As you may know, new drugs are being found that deal with some of the specific mutations problems. For example:

Kalydeco: "is an oral pill taken twice a day for the treatment of CF in people with the G551D mutation. It helps improve lung function and lower sweat chloride levels and helps patients gain weight Kayldeco was made possible by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, with the support of the CF Foundation, including a $75 million investment." -cff.org

Shortly after starting my blog I found out I have 2 copies of the same mutation: DeltaF508. Over 50% of CF patients have this gene type. 2 years ago most of the research being done was for G551D, but I'm glad to report that they are researching and working on DeltaF508- Which is taking Kalydeco in combination with vx-809. Read about my mutation's drugs here! career & Gaduate School is what was bothering me the most My mutations and my decision on school were discussed a lot in my blogs in 2012. As far as schooling, I was accepted into Graduate School and I loved being back in school. I'm a nerd and I love learning.  Even after graduating in 2010 from U of I I continued taking courses in Politics, Science, and Social Work to just learn more. By 2012 I had to decide what to do school wise. I started looking into school and got accepted to a Graduate Program at Dominican University for Fall of 2013. Which brings us to...

1 year ago...

Spring of 2013 I studying some extra classes for fun, had been dating Andrew for 6 months, was really invovled in Theatre (2 shows, improv, and show choir) I was serving as a waitress at two different restaurants to pay my bills and babysitting in my spare time. I was getting ready to leave for Grad School in the fall. Things were a little craxy, but I was enjoying it! On my 1 year Blogging Anniversary I spent time discussing an amazing weekend my boyfriend surprised me with in Chicago! Check out my 1 year Anniversary Blog to read about it and check out the view we had at dinner at the Hancock Building in the Signature Room- Valentines Weekend in Chicago- Dinning Fancy! It was an amazing weekend. Filled with a Shakespeare play at Navy Pier and that fabulous dinner! I focused on my jobs, classes, and theatre mostly.

6 months ago... 

I wrote a blog a little after the 1.5 year Anniversary of Blogging, I decided at that time to discuss the important of blogging for the CF community and what online peers and support means for us! Importance of peer support blog- HERE!.  Around this time I had healed from a triple hernia repair surgery over the summer and moved up to the burbs in the fall for school. I had started Grad School in August, but I got sick and ended up in the hospital for a while in October. I had to take a Medical withdrawal from school and had to focus on work and health. Which brings us to today...

Today...

 I think I eventually I may want to get my Masters still, but for now I'm putting it off. I had a hard time keeping my health up last semester (Fall of 2013) while working and going to school. And let's face it, I gotta work. So for now school will be put on the back burner. But that's okay, because I'm working on my Real Estate License. I know I have been working on it for what seems like forever, but it is my last priority right now. Work. Health. Family all comes first. However, I'm on a plan where I will finish all my studying and be able to take my Licensing Exam by August if all goes to plan! I do love houses, architecture, and real estate. Plus, its pretty flexible as far as making time for my CF stuff, so all in all it would make a great fit for me. I'll stay here in the burbs until Andrew finished his degree in Spring 2015 and we will go from there. For now, I'll just enjoy my time here and focus on what's important.

Its crazy that two years ago I was super focused on exercise and my jobs. I wasn't in a relationship and had no intentions to be in one. However, now I'm in an amazing relationship with a man I love more than anything!  I also was working numerous little jobs back then, but now have 1 job I excel at and can work on my real estate too. And my future education will work out too! Funny how things work out!

Happy 2nd Anniversary Blog and Thank You to everyone who follows along the journey!