Skip to main content

2014: Expressed by Pictures

See all the Pictures (let it download)!

This is a picture reveiw of 2014! 2013 was a tough year medically. But then again, every year has its up and downs. Read & see our picture reveiw of 2013 (cuz whew it was a doozy). While 2013 was medically exhausting, 2014 was a year of more emotional up and downs. Follow along my year with all the pictures that captured the moments.

The year started off with my needing oral antibiotics (CIPRO). 
Which I've been developing a more severe allergy to them.


My lungs got better... and I was doing a clinical trial!

My stomach tube was leaking so bad
This blog post here explains a lil how I felt & feel trying to keep up



My stomach tube was trouble almost all year!

In April:
Andrew planned a great date at Starved Rock and spent the next day with my family for my 29th Birthday!


I starting heavily planning for our FIRST Princeton CF Walk


We celebrated Andrew's Birthday in May & went to 2 Great Strides Walks (Champaign & Naperville)


Here is a video of the speech I gave at Champaign Walk
Here is why I take an active part in curing CF


In June I got my stomach tube out & had to take medical leave from work



Which never healed, but I was focused on our CF Walk!


On June 28th 2014 we raised over $13,500 for CF!


Later this year we found out our walk became an official Great Strides Walk!
Make sure to read all about our WALK HERE & Join un this year 6-27-15


August was the big move to Sycamore/DeKalb & Andrew continued classes at NIU 
and I started to get a little sick. So back on Cipro.


I had such a bad reaction to it, Doc stopped the meds
& officially was then allergic to every antiobiotic that fights my psuedo (IV wise)


Sept 23rd: My beautiful best friend (Laura) lost her life to CF after a 33 year long battle.



Please read her journey and story here: we were a team and she was the spirit & love!


In  Sept we attended the CF Chicago FestivAle.
We also celebrated a good friend's wedding & took a mini (3 day) vacation to the Dells
I wrote a fun lil post about it Here!



Meanwhile, my stomach still wasn't healed and leaking way worse, so not back to work.
Got it scheduled though and finished up my 2nd clinical trial of the year!

Beginning of October we did our 4th Great Strides Walk of the year!


And at the Peoria Walk I saw Doctor Chatrath. Read why this man is my hero
& how he saved my life!


October 14th I had surgery to fix the fistula that had developed over the 13 years.



Read how the surgery went & the complications here (my tiny/pretty 2 inch scar)
& my night in the hospital


In November Andrew did the CF Climb again (so proud)!


read here to see how he did!


December was full of family & fun! We celebrated many occasions!



Including Andrew's Proposal to me! Read about it here!


So I finally was able to get my stomach tube out after needing it for 14 years, but my best friend passed away. I watched CF take another 4 friends (online peers). I celebreated a lot of life with multiple friends' weddings and 6 CF events (4 walks)! Princeton (my hometown) is now an annual walk site! And then in December Andrew proposed and I became the luckiest girl in the world (in my opinion)! Andrew is simply amazing and I can't wait to start 2015 knowing I will someday marry this man, the man of my dreams!

 Hope everyone had a Happy New Years!

 I was only on oral antibiotics for a total of 3 weeks and NO IVS with only one major surgery. So I want to send some of my positive vibes to a CF friend of mine (Cloey)
 and some thoughts & prayers. She is only 13 with CF. She received her life saving double lung transplant last year in July and is now fighting chronic rejection!  Keep fighting lil chica, you are one tough cookie! 






Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Fostering and CF impact my work

I haven't been on my blog much.... I think that is because most of my blogging is currently been done on Health Union's Cystic-Fibrosis.com (here is link to all my posts on their site: https://cystic-fibrosis.com/members/cherizkunkel/ ). I decided last fall to step away from real estate after 3 years in the business. It was tough to say good-bye, especially since I had tripled my volume and business in the last year. However, I didn't have time to add any new clients; I kept saying, maybe next week, next month I can fit more work into my schedule. The truth is fostering takes a lot of time. We have between 5-8 monthly visits at the agency, 1 court ate a month, 2 home visits from the caseworker a month, plus e have 2-3 doctors/specialist appointments for our current kiddo. We have lots of paperwork we fill out, gas mile logs, receipts to add, and more! Our kiddo also participates in gymnastics and dance two nights a week. We go to a fosterparent support group with our kid ...
2 comments
Read more

Cystic Fibrosis Clinic Results. Not what I wanted, but...

My Results: I went down in lung function 2% points and lost  a couple more lbs. So I'm at 102. I was really disappointed with myself. I know that I have been doing  my meds and I have been doing my stomach feeding most nights too.  I have been making the right decisions and all my friends have been very supportive. I bring my nebulizers over to their houses to do them if we are hanging out, etc. It just wasn't enough this clinic. I really thought there would be a slight increase. However, I haven't been jogging since it is cold outside. And I know waitressing has been making it hard to gain weight. Plus, its winter. It is always harder for me to stay healthy in the winter. Dr. B was still pleased. He said "I should give myself a break, I have been doing everything he asked, I ran a 5K, and I'm still doing well." And that is true 2% increase isn't a huge decrease, only if I continue to decrease then there is a problem. Dr. B told me that I need to focus...
2 comments
Read more

Black Plague ( known as Cepacia B)

Black Plague I had a long car drive home to think, so this is long, but heartfelt. Tonight I went to a meeting for a non-profit I help with and while discussing somebody's anger issues. I decided to share a part of my past with the board that was there. I still am in shock I did so, considering very, VERY, few people know this. But I'm not ashamed and feel like others have been in my place. Naturally, the next step, is to share it on a blog, where everyone has access to it. (heh.) When I was little around middle school age I had some anger issues. I used to get angry over nothing and scream and once in a while even push my mom ( luckily I was tiny and not very strong). She would just hug me and tell me she loved me, she never got angry back.  She knew I was angry because quite a few of my friends with Cystic Fibrosis were passing away, from Cepacia B and other infections that were spreading ( apparently at the parties, camps, and apts) around. About a yea...
Post a Comment
Read more