FDA Sends Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Back for More Study

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed its review of Pharmaxis' New Drug Application (NDA) for its dry powder formulation of mannitol (Bronchitol, Pharmaxis) and has recommended that the company conduct an additional study to obtain marketing approval in the US, Pharmaxis announced today.

"The submitted data do not provide a favorable benefit-risk balance to support the use of inhaled mannitol in patients with cystic fibrosis 6 years of age and older," the FDA said in a complete response letter to the company.

"The determination of efficacy based on the 2 clinical trials conducted to date are not adequate because of the treatment-related frequent early dropouts in trial 301 for which the primary statistical analyses did not account and the lack of statistical significance in trial 302 for the primary endpoint," the agency stated.

In relation to safety, Pharmaxis said the FDA expressed concerns over the occurrence of hemoptysis, particularly in patients younger than 18 years.

The complete response letter follows a unanimous decision January 30 by the FDA's Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee against approval of Bronchitol for the management of cystic fibrosis in patients aged 6 years and older to improve pulmonary function.Pharmaxis CEO Gary Phillips said the company is "clearly disappointed" in the FDA's decision, but noted that the regulator has provided guidance on the necessary measures to gain approval and that Pharmaxis will meet with the FDA soon to determine appropriate parameters of an additional clinical trial.

The FDA previously granted Bronchitol orphan drug designation for the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis.

Bronchitol, which helps facilitate mucus clearance in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis, is approved for marketing for patients aged 6 years and older in Australia and for patients aged 18 years and older throughout the European Union.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/781074

Weekend Recap...in Videos

We had a fun weekend just hanging out as a family. Ronnie's brothers were around a lot this weekend (Grant came up and stayed for the weekend and Andrew came by most days). We also hung out with Josh and Chrissy quite a bit. It was awesome.

In hanging around the house just playing, I caught some funny moments with Mckenna on video. ENJOY!!

The first video is a total mommy fail. Mckenna saw Uncle Grant have a lollipop the day before this, so I let her have one. Well the next day (when this video happened) Mckenna was playing in the pantry while I made dinner. She came out of the pantry with a lollipop, unwrapped, in hand, with a big smile on her face. I tried hard to be stern so she'd know she couldn't just eat them whenever she pleased, but I was too impressed that she got it out and unwrapped, that I let her have it. Not too mention I couldn't stop laughing!


Mckenna talks on the "phone" to people all the time...she loves talking to her uncles and aunts and grandparents...All at the same time!


This one time...at band camp...

Reaction: New CFF Infection Control Policy

I had absolutely zero percent interest in writing about this or sharing my thoughts on the matter. I was only going to share the new guidelines as I did this morning, here, and move on. What's sparking this blog is the responses I've been reading, receiving, hearing etc. Maybe what I write here will make it better for some and maybe it will make it worse for some.

[And now the obligatory preemptive strike. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. How you feel about this and how it affects your life is valid. I respect the views of others. I'm sure there are other pleasantries that I'm leaving out that I will soon be reminded of. This is just my opinion, no more, no less.]

As many of you know who read this blog from time to time, I'm a pretty pragmatic guy. I see the world in black and white with very little grey. I like to focus on the rule and let others worry about the exceptions to that rule. I like facts. I prefer for others to give me straight talk and I appreciate that in return (Just ask my wife). I'm more concerned with the solutions to the problems than the problems themselves. I'm also a pretty visceral guy. Not in an emotional outburst sort of a way, but in an inward, deep-thinking kind of a way. I like to think of unintended consequences. I try to understand someones motivation rather action taken or not taken. I like to debate just to hear the other side, even if I agree with it. I will often not respond during a conversation because I'd rather respond with how I really feel than respond with how I felt in the moment.

Anyway, that's where I'm coming from with this.

So what was my first reaction when I received the email from the CFF regarding the email? Honestly, I said to myself, "Ok," and moved on with my day.

As I started thinking about it more, and with the assistance of the thoughts from others, my opinion has evolved, but maybe not by that much.

Here are the facts about cross-infection:

1. People with CF can get each other sick by spreading different bacteria.
2. New evidence suggests that this may be a bigger problem than once thought.
3. New evidence suggests that the bugs can "hang out" longer than previously thought.
4. New evidence suggests that droplets can go further in the air than previously thought.
5. CFers getting new bugs in their lungs that could potentially make them sick, even with their consent, is not a good thing.

Here are the facts about the CFF:

1. They are one of the best non-profit organizations around.
2. They have changed the way orphan disease research gets done.
3. Their job is to raise money.
4. Their job is to develop materials and provide some programs that support the CF community.
5. I would not be alive today without them doing what they do.

Here are some facts about me:

1. I've been to and spoken at 100's of CFF sponsored events both indoors and outdoors.
2. I've had good friends who happen to have CF my entire life.
3. I have a good relationship with the local CFF chapter.
4. I have no relationship with the national office and have never been to Bethesda, Maryland.
5. I'm not a cheerleader for the CFF.

Okay. So. What does all of this mean?

In short, the CFF can make whatever rule they want to make regarding what takes place at events they are running and/or supporting. There is absolutely nothing I'm going to say that will change the new guidelines set forth. They are not basing these on feelings, they're basing them on science, facts and research.

Do I think it's awesome? Of course not! But it's totally understandable. Who knows, maybe as we continue to learn more and more about pathogens, we'll be wondering why they didn't do this sooner. They are not doing this to protect themselves, they are doing this to protect us. I can understand if a business, or in this case a non-profit, doesn't want any part in putting us in a possibly compromising position.

So how do I respond? Well, at this point, I'm not sure. I know this though. When I don't like something, I don't turn to complaining, I turn to changing. If I think someone isn't doing a great job, I will try to take their job and do better. If I can't make a system run smoother, I'll opt to create a new system. If I think I can be better at x, y or z, I don't talk about it, I just do it. In other words, if I thought that a myriad of people with CF had to be at an event in order for it to be a success, I'd throw my own events with plenty of people with CF invited. But I don't think that. I think the CFF can still have successful events, and raise a ton of money, even while following the guidelines. (In fact, some CF centers have been enforcing some of these guidelines for years at their events [like CF Ed Days] already. Those events are still successful.)

I woke up this morning and these new guidelines didn't change my life one bit. There may be things that will change in the future with regards to my participation in certain events, but that remains to be seen. I'll still take the same precautions as I did before when hanging out with my friends with CF in the real world. Will my approach change with them? Maybe, but not by much.

I woke up this morning with a wife to love. I woke up this morning with a daughter to raise. I woke up this morning with bills to pay. I woke up this morning with a run to complete. I woke up this morning with 4 treatment sets to do. I woke up this morning with Cystic Fibrosis.

I have much bigger fish to fry. Now, maybe I'll just fry those fish 6 feet away from all of my fish-frying peers.

New Cross-Infection Control Guidelines

From the CFF...

We are writing to let you know that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation recently implemented a new infection prevention and control policy for all Foundation events, meetings and offices to protect the health of people with CF. We took this step based on increasing medical evidence that the risk of people with CF spreading destructive germs to one another is greater than was previously thought. Our new policy reflects the advice of leading medical experts on this subject.

The health and well-being of people with CF is our topmost concern — it is at the heart of all we do. We have long had infection control guidelines in place to promote the safety of people with CF. With this new policy, we are acting proactively and immediately to reduce the risk of cross-infection among people with CF. 

The key elements of the Foundation’s new policy are: 

• At any CF Foundation-sponsored indoor event or meeting, including gatherings like committee meetings, only oneperson with CF may be present and he or she will be designated in close consultation with event chairs and key event volunteers.
  
• At Foundation-sponsored outdoor events or gatherings, people with CF need to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from each other.
  
• Under no circumstances shall individuals who have ever had a confirmed positive sputum culture for Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) complex attend any CF Foundation events, meetings or offices.  

We understand that these changes are disheartening and difficult for many in our community. Among the many burdens of CF is that of social isolation. We also recognize the unique challenges that our new policy poses to adults with CF, whose full engagement is vital to helping us better serve the entire CF community. The Foundation embraces and owes so much of its success to the active participation of people with CF in all our activities, from major fundraising and advocacy campaigns to informal meetings in chapter offices.

Fortunately, there are alternative ways we can make Foundation events more accessible to people with CF. We are expanding our use of teleconferencing and live videocasts so people can take part in group activities remotely. We are also exploring other new technologies to help us engage people with CF more creatively and draw on their talents and experiences to strengthen our collective efforts.

You can find more information about our new policy, including FAQs, in a new section on the Foundation’s website:http://www.cff.org/aboutCFFoundation/InfectionPreventionControlPolicy/. We will follow up with more information and resources as we implement these changes.

We are confident that, with the right tools and in a spirit of partnership, the Foundation will be able to put our new policy into practice successfully. Thank you for your help as we take this important step.

Thankful Thursday: Dwee Dwee & Dog Parks

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for Josh and Chrissy living so close. We live about a half mile apart in the same neighborhood. It is SO awesome. We are able to ride our bikes to their house. What's so cute is now every time we take Mckenna on a bike ride (which is every morning) she says "JAAAAHHH" and "DWEE DWEE" (which is how she says "Josh" and "Chrissy"). The other nice thing is Josh and I are able to go to the gym together in the morning (4:30AM BABY!). So instead of going by myself in the early mornings, Josh and I go together! Ronnie hasn't been able to lift because of his elbow, so I just lift with Josh, instead of doing my core class I used to do at 4:40). It's really great time together. 

I'm thankful for my parents getting to enjoy life together. My dad is "semi-retired" (we don't know what to call him because he kind of is done working and could be retired, but is still looking to work/consult/something....soooo we're not allowed to call him "retired). Anywhoo, my parents have been having a blast together traveling, hiking, golfing, you name it. It makes my heart so happy to know they are able to spend so much time just having fun together.

I'm thankful for new words. Mckenna learns new words (what feels like) daily. She is such a little talker with a vocabulary well over 50...I'd guess if we counted it would be at least 75 words. She is so adorable to hear talk. My favorite is how quickly she learns people's names, remembers them, and asks about them later. Mckenna saw her cousin (well Ronnie's cousins' daughter) named Emi for the first time in a long time a couple weeks back, and now she asks for Emi ALL the time. Last week we saw our neighbors' daughter who's 4 weeks younger than Mckenna a handful of evenings in a row, and now every time we pass their house she says, "TEEGA TEEGA" (for Teagan). It is just the sweetest thing to hear her want to see other people and hear how she says their names!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for dog parks. Mckenna and I spend many of our daddy dates taking in the various dog parks that our city has to offer. It's funny though, because although we have a dog, we don't take our dog. Nope, just Mckenna and I. We walk around the perimeter of the play area as she points out different dogs and giggles randomly. Her day is made when a dog actually comes over that she can pet. It's such a great way to spend some time!

I'm thankful for a better gardening season. This last gardening season was better than the season before. We successfully grew 3 different types of lettuce, spinach, carrots, cilantro, broccoli and cauliflower. It's amazing to me how much better garden-grown vegetables taste compared to their store bought peers.

I'm thankful for new experiences. I had my first ever adjustment with a chiropractor yesterday using a deal I secured via Groupon. He was a friendly guy, very funny and he cracked me up (cue audience laughter). Seriously though, he was very excited that I had never been adjusted before and was amazed by how many joints he was able to unlock. He was aiming to unlock 24 and I'm pretty sure I heard 24 pops.

So, what are you thankful for today?

Looking for some inspiration?

I've had the honor to present you guys with many guest posts over the years from various booty kickers in the CF community. If you haven't had a chance to read them, or maybe you're new here, I would highly recommend checking them out!! I've highlighted a couple below to get you started, but you can also use the "tag cloud" on the lower right side of this website and click on "guest post". After you've read a couple, come back here and tell me what you think! Any favorites?

Kicking Cystic Fibrosis!!

My "Declaration of Compliance"

Want to live a "normal" life? Inquire within.

"I can never imagine myself running!"

These are great examples of what some cysters and fibros are doing in our community to stay healthy. You'll see that they all have something in common too, but I won't spoil it by giving you the answer.

I can't thank the peeps who have contributed to this blog over the years enough. Their stories are always inspiring and it gets a little dull for all of us if we only post about me and my family. With that said, if you are interested in being featured on RSBR, please shoot me an email at ronnie@cysticlife.org. Let me know what you'd like to write about. Can't wait to hear from you!!!

Altered Couch to 5k Running Program

Since it's been so long that I have ran consistently, I decided to get back to a running program that slowly introduces mileage. This is adapted from the Couch to 5k program as it is a little longer in length with a more gradual increase in time and therefore distance. It can be altered further, and if you find that your alterations work much better for you, please let me know what they are!!

Enjoy!!

Random Ramblings

We don't really have anything new going on around here to report, but it's Mandi Monday, so by golly, I'm going to write a blog...rambling and random as it may seem.

Ronnie and I both posted recently about stepping up our exercise. We both have followed through. I have been lifting in the mornings with my brother at 4:30am 4 days a week, and then in the afternoons Ronnie and I do some cardio together or on our own at the same time. As we've probably posted before, Ronnie isn't the biggest fan of running with me (yeah, I know, it sounds harsh, but I get it. I am quite the peppy exercise mate, and when you're feeling like you want to die, peppy isn't who you want to see! HA!) So on running days, we do something independently (usually), and on cross-training days we do something together. It's been going really well and feels really good! I am so proud of Ronnie for pushing himself in his runs and feeling really good that I've been able to push myself to be up and at the gym at 4:30am!

Mckenna is a bundle of energy and emotions. It is so fun to watch her grow and change. Last week was a bit rough, full of tantrums. But we may have a solution (for now). Mckenna has been stuck between needing 2 naps and 1 for awhile now. Last week we tried going to just one nap, and man was it a long week. She was only sleeping for 1 hour for her 1 nap, and that was simply just not enough sleep. As of Friday we decided to just try for 2 naps again and see if she wouldn't protest the naps and sure enough, she did a great job. She went down for naps sooner after getting up and slept longer. I think she was just thankful that she was getting to sleep and wake up happy! YIPPEE!! Our little monster is at least better rested and is having only 20% of the tantrums...thank goodness! Oh terrible twos, how I'm not looking forward to you!

We are total Bachelor fans. Yup. I said it. We record it. We usually watch it with Josh and Chrissy on Monday's as soon as I'm home from my high school girls small group (that I lead...not that I am in..ha!) Josh usually sleeps or works through it, but comes to hang out. Although the last few weeks he has just stayed home to sleep since we've been up at 4:30am. All that to say, I'm SUPER excited to talk The Bachelor tonight. For those of you who don't follow it, tonight is the night he picks the final girl that he will be with forever...or the next 2-3 months :) We know it's silly and we know the show never finds love for these people, but we love it anyway! HA!

Other than that, everything is pretty much business as usual!

I know my place...

Thankful Thursday: Discipline & Cancer News

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for a disciplined and hardworking hubby. Ronnie's PFTs took a bit of a dip since getting out of the hole. He was feeling not great after getting out - between a cold that wouldn't quit and a stomach bug. But he is now on fire and going to have his PFTs back up at his next appointment. I know my hubby and his ability to kick booty, so I know they'll be as high as they were..or at least close ;-)

I'm thankful for a good eater. Mckenna is a really good little eater. She has little phases where she wants more of one thing and less of another at times, but it's rare for her to put up a stink about eating. She LOVES veggies and fruits, so beyond that, I don't care what she eats. Ha! That's not exactly true, but I know if I can get her to love fruits and veggies, she'll be getting plenty of nutrients. Right now she's on a peanut butter on bread, broccoli, and egg kick. Frozen peas are her favorite snack. The thing I love best about her is that when she doesn't want something, she at least puts it in her mouth. Sure it makes it kind of messy from time to time, but I love that she will at least TRY it. She will put it in her mouth, chew for a second, and then say, "no" and hand it to me. Better to try than to not try at all :)

I'm thankful for friends. Mckenna and I have a mommy-daughter friend duo that we have play dates with. Mommy, Angie, and I are cut from the same cloth, but different enough that we bring different things to the table and really enjoy each other. The daughter, Harlow, is Mckenna's best buddy. She LOVES Harlow. If you tell her she's going to see Harlow she does nothing but say "Harlow" over and over and over again. When they see each other, they hug and kiss endlessly. It is adorable! I am so blessed to have a friend I love, who's daughter Mckenna loves!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for the good news about Grammy! Mandi's mom's mom had a bit of a cancer scare over the past month and was patiently waiting results of a biopsy of her lymph nodes. So happy to report that the biopsy was clean. Our prayers were certainly answered. 

I'm thankful for time with Mckenna. I said to Mandi the other day that I'm starting to enjoy my time with Mckenna more and more. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy our time together in the past, just for me, it's different now. She's at that stage where you can see her brain working a bit. She challenges herself once in a while just to see if she can do a certain something. She communicates better. I just know when I wake up in the morning, I can't wait for our daddy date :)

I'm thankful for a superwoman spouse. I don't know how Mandi does it. She's the best wife in the world. The most perfect mommy. A loyal friend. An exercise enthusiast. A great cook. And just an all-around cool chick. I don't know how she keeps up with it all, but I'm sure glad that she does!

So, what are you thankful for today?

We Need More Options!!

Near the end of January, I was invited to Washington DC to speak about the need in the CF community for more treatment options, especially, treatment options that take less time. Here's what I said:

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I want to first and foremost thank you for allowing me to be a part of this important process.

My name is Ronnie Sharpe. I’m a 32 year old CF patient. I’ve come here today to tell you about my life and what you can do to improve it. I’m a University of Arizona Alum. I’m a native of Arizona. I’m a brother. I’m a Christ follower. I’m a son. I’m a friend. I’m a sports fanatic. I’m an exercise enthusiast. I’m a business owner. I’m a cystic fibrosis patient. Most importantly, I’m a husband and a father.

I want to stress just how fortunate I feel to be able to wear all of these titles.  I have an incredible life and I am blessed to be exactly where I am today, as the future didn’t always look so bright for me when I was born with cystic fibrosis in the early 80’s.

Cystic Fibrosis, the disease, and how it affects the body, hasn’t changed over the years. It’s still the same genetic mutations, affecting the way our cells operate within our body.  What HAS changed however is the medications and the treatment options available to us over the years. I am here today, thanks to people like you helping to usher in new therapies to this community. It is these medications and medical advances that allow me to be here today, decades older than the expiration date given to my mom when I was born. It is these options that have allowed me to say “I do” to my wife and watch my daughter be born last year.

With that said however, we still don’t have enough OPTIONS, and current medications aren’t enough. We are certainly leaps and bounds ahead of where we have been, but as a community we NEED more. What works for some may not work for others, that’s why OPTIONS are so important. It’s so important that we can try a variety of medications to see what our body responds to; so we have the opportunity to put ourselves in the best position to succeed and take care of ourselves as best we can.

As the OPTIONS available to us have grown, our life expectancy has increased, our health has improved and our quality of life HAS gotten better.

And, if you ask me, quality of life is one of the biggest improvements we can ask for. Added years are important, but if you cannot live and live well than I feel there is little point in increasing life expectancy, which brings me to the something else you can bless me with today; MORE TIME.

I know many, if not all of you, cannot understand the treatment burden that CF puts on my life, but all of you can understand time, because we all value it and it’s worth just as much to you as it is to me.

  

Like all of you, I have a lot of things I want and need to do during a day. I need to succeed at my job. I need to do work around the house. I want to spend time singing Hokey Pokey to my daughter. I want to watch TV on the couch with my wife.

But there is one aspect of my days that I have to fit all of that around, that many of you will never understand: my daily care routine for my Cystic Fibrosis. My treatment routine, currently, dictates my days, my schedule, and my routine and in many ways, my life. I actually ran a stopwatch to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

On Monday, I spent  3 hours 12 minutes and 56 seconds  doing cystic fibrosis related treatments and exercise. That is an average day for me. To give you an idea, that is over 22 hours a week,  over 96 hours a month and over 1,150 hours per year.  I spend 48 full days a year doing CF related treatments and exercise!!

Any treatment that I can take that isn’t a huge burden on my time really excites me. Any potential treatment option that I can take that can potentially “give me time back” excites me even more.

So today, I am asking you for those two things: More options and more time.  A positive recommendation for Bronchitol will do both.

Sunday Funday

Mckenna is a lot of fun. Most days, most of the day, she's a joy to be around. As many of you can relate, there are times when a 1.5 year old can be trying on the nerves. There are also times when your little love is SO fun, so enjoyable, that there's no place you'd rather be than spending time with that little person. Yesterday was one of those days.

Mckenna has dropped to one nap, which has been a little hairy. 2 naps is too many, 1 naps leaves a bit too much time before bedtime, leading to a little miss crankypants. She hasn't adjusted quite yet, so what was 2, 1-hour naps, has become just 1, 1-hour nap...which doesn't give her or us much daytime rest. Well yesterday she decided to sleep for 2 hours during her nap. When she woke up, she was a hype, overly happy little lady. She was goofy, smiley and cheerful all afternoon, with no meltdowns! It made for a delightful afternoon for all of us. For those of you who don't know me personally, I'm a goofball. Whenever I have a willing participant to join my goofy ways, I LOVE it. So since Mckenna was giggly, hyper, and looking to be silly, I was happy to join right in...in fact, I instigated it.

Here are a couple videos to recap the day. What a blessing Mckenna is in our lives, and boy is she fun!

She Loves Being a Farmer!

Thankful Thursday: Helper & Homemade

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for my little helper. Mckenna LOVES to help. Today alone she helped me vacuum, dust, do laundry and fold laundry. It is so sweet to watch her eagerly help me with tasks. It's even cuter to hear her say "ELPER" after I say, "Mckenna, can you be mommy's big helper?" I know there will come a time in the very near future that she will hate chores (as much as I do), but for now, I am really thankful for her willingness and excitement to help.

I'm thankful for girl scout cookie season ending...not because I don't want anymore cookies, but because girl scout cookie season for me is like holiday season for everyone else. I don't gain weight over the holidays, but you better believe I am carrying a couple cookie pounds around. So I am a little thankful that they aren't selling the cookies anymore to save me from myself. HA!

I'm thankful for a helpful hubby. Ronnie does so much around the house and with Mckenna. Every day my life is so much easier with the amount of work he does around here for our family. I am SO blessed to have him in my life.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for homemade meals. Mandi has been on fire in the kitchen lately and its made my stomach and mouth very, very happy. Hoping the trend continues ;)

I'm thankful for perfect walking weather. Mandi, Mckenna and I have been trying to get out for more walks to enjoy more time as a family and to take in the weather. It's the perfect blend of crisp, sunny and windless. 

I'm thankful for Mckenna's stage in life. She's at that stage where she will try to say any word that you ask her to say and it is sooooo cute. I could probably throw words out to her all day and never get tired of it...although I think she would after about 26 seconds.

So, what are you thankful for today?

My Mom's Strength

I get asked often about my mom by readers of this blog. Questions like "how did she feel about you having CF?", "was she strict?", and most common, "what was her secret to being such a good (CF) mom?". Well, her response to yesterday's blog pretty much sums up everything you need to know about my mom. She sent me a very sweet email that makes it very clear where her strength came from to parent a child...especially a child with CF...born in 1980...not exactly the "heyday" for CFers.

Thanks, Ronnie, for your kind words and loving me. You made me cry. I never felt like I was the best mom (you do have your stories!), I sure made plenty of mistakes, but I did TRY to do my best. I put your health in the hands of God then as I do today. Doesn't mean that I didn't take CF seriously, that treatments and medications weren't of the utmost importance, or that I stopped praying everyday for you...but God has a plan and I accept His plan and by the grace of God...go WE. And look what a fantastic man, husband and father you've become. I am a proud Mama...and Grandma!! 

I can tell you this, the apple certainly doesn't fall far from the tree.

Love you Mom.

There was never a doubt.

A few weeks ago, I celebrated my 33rd birthday. Like all other birthdays that I've had, I made much less of a stink about it then some of those around me.

I got many kind phone calls, texts, emails and Facebook comments that I appreciated and certainly lit up my day. It was also some of those comments that inspired this blog:

"Every birthday for us is a good one"
"Wow, 33!! Bet you never saw that coming!"
"Cherish all of your birthdays because none of them are guaranteed"

and on, and on and on....

Now, let me be clear. The people that left/said these obviously meant nothing negative nor do I think they were doing a bad thing. Many of us have been trained over the years to throw-out CF specific phrases at such a time (none of the above would have been said if I didn't have CF). I get it. And, I still very much appreciate them thinking of me on my "special day". It's just that if I'm being honest, those type of comments don't sit well with me, not because they're bad, but because they are so counter to the way I think and the way I was raised to think.

I never had a doubt that I would see 33. Neither did my mom. It was never talked about like some "pie in the sky" idea that I would grow old, graduate from college, have a career and raise a family. At least it was never talked about as a hopefully or if kind of a thing from my parents. It was always talked about in the context of when.

My mom made it clear. I would celebrate a lot of birthdays. Not because I was special. Not because she was so good at parenting. Not because my CF wasn't going to be tough. No, it was because CF was  tough and a tough disease requires a tougher reaction to it. She taught me that my reaction would be one of self-confidence through a belief in treatments, a life of exercise/activity and a faith in God.

She knew it wouldn't be easy. She knew I would make mistakes. She knew CF would never take a day off. However, the thing she said to me more than anything else was that she knew I would be okay.

That confidence came through nothing else but knowing she had done a great job in instilling the values that are still with me today: Personal responsibility, never quit attitude, embrace my failures to propel me to successes, do for others and family first.

And so I ask myself, what if my life hadn't turned out the way it has so far? Would I blame my mom for having such a will do or can do outlook? I certainly don't think so. I've also spoken to many others about this and they feel the same way. In fact, the peeps that I talk to who have an issue with their parents are the ones who had parents raise them in the opposite manner. The parents who held them back. The parents who insisted on raising a 25 year-old child because "they knew better". The parents who didn't make treatments and health a priority. The parents who told their kids about all of the things Cystic Fibrosis would stop them from doing.

I know I've talked about my mom a lot on this little old blog, but that's because she played such a pivotal role in who I am today. I think about life the way she raised me to think about life. My attitude towards CF is her attitude towards CF. She helped make me into the man that my wife fell in love with. She's given me some of the tools that I hope will assist me in being a great father. It's because of her that I've not only seen 33, but that I've lived the last 33 years and will live another 33 more.

I'm here because of the people who love me. Not in spite of Cystic Fibrosis.

Tantrums and Giggles

Mckenna is creeping up on the terrible twos. Over the last couple months she has started in on the tantrums and being opinionated. I am not naive enough to assume this is the worst it will get, so that is why I say we are just creeping up on the terrible twos. I will say, as of now, she does a good job recovering from a tantrum. She has learned pretty fast that when she throws herself to the ground, she gets ignored, and then she just feels a little silly. Occasionally I can even give her a little glance like she's being totally silly, and she will start to laugh. So thankfully her tantrums come and go quickly.

The one blessing about the tantrums starting is that it's just another sign that she's becoming her own person, with her own likes and dislikes. That may be a strange way to look at tantrums, but it's true. It goes along with her increased personality, her goofiness, her verbal skills (this girls talks as much as her momma, which if you know me...that's A LOT). So I'll take the tantrums if it means I get to see more of my little girl coming out. The top tantrum causing events:

- End of bath time - I don't really blame her. If you've ever gotten out of a bath, shower, or pool in AZ, you know it's COLD. She usually throws a bit of a fit, until she's dry and snuggled in her daddy's arms to go get her PJs on.

- Anything to do with her car seat - Sometimes she doesn't want to get in her car seat, sometimes she doesn't want to get out. Most the time she throws a total fit while in her car seat. I'm hoping that when she is no longer rear-facing she will like her car seat better, but who knows. If one of us holds her hand she's usually content, but obviously we can't exactly hold her hands the whole ride, every ride.

- Time to come inside - Mckenna LOVES to play outside. She isn't thrilled when the dog goes out to go potty and she can't go. Or when she's been playing outside and it's time to come inside. She usually melts into a puddle next to the door until she realizes she's not going to get to go outside as a result of her fit and moves on to something else.

- Diaper time - As we have mentioned, Mckenna in mid-potty training, so her diaper comes off quite a bit. She's still too small for pull ups, so it has to come all the way off and then get put back on. Well she is not a fan of the process. She will occasionally very sweetly sit down when you tell her to sit down so she can get her diaper on, but usually you watch her little naked tushy go running, usually with a huge smile on her face. But all fun and games are over (in her mind) when you wrestle her to the ground and force her to stay there until her diaper is on.

So anyways, at least all those little tantrums just mean she's growing up and becoming a little lady with her own little personality. And one thing I love about her little personality is that she is happy, playful, and goofy. I love playing with her and being goofy and playful with her. So I'll take the tantrums if it means I get to experience her personality. Here's my favorite part of our days together...me being silly and making a fool of myself for a laugh:

It's Got You!!!

Thankful Thursday: Sunny Days & Snow

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for my brother-in-law's birthday and first week in a new job. Ronnie's brother, Andrew, had a big week this week - a birthday and a new job. Ronnie has the best brothers and I couldn't be more thankful for Andrew being another year older and to have found a fabulous job!! 

I'm thankful for a good night's sleep. Mckenna is back into her normal sleeping habits after a 2 week blip of random wakings and being sick. I am thankful that I am able to sleep again, but I am even more thankful that she's getting good sleep. I always know when she's well rested and I know she likes feeling well rested!

I'm thankful for sunny days. We had some warm days over the weekend and beginning of the week, and it was fabulous. We were able to play outside for hours each day this weekend and it was fun for the whole family. Mckenna totally loves playing outside, and it makes for a fun-filled day for all of us. We had a picnic, played with water, played with bubbles, you name it!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for cereal. I've been super into cereal lately and I'm not exactly sure why. I don't even eat it for breakfast (that's usually eggs and granola over yogurt) but have had it for lunch and/or dinner more than a few times over the past couple of weeks. My favorite cereal right now? Raisin Bran!

I'm thankful for snow. As many of you know (because it was national news), it snowed yesterday here in Phoenix. I wasn't able to witness it first-hand as it didn't snow in my area, but I thought it was cool to see all of the pictures and videos that friends posted. I also saw some snow falling off of cars heading down the freeway!

I'm thankful for my snuggle bunny (my little one). Mckenna has been super snuggly lately and I can't get enough of it. She's also been a big time Daddy's girl which I must admit, feels pretty nice. I can't imagine it lasting much longer :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

Happy Birthday Andrew!!

One of my little brothers, Andrew, is turning 23 today!! I am so proud of him for so many reasons, but here are some that come to mind...

He's always feared God.
He's always been extremely loyal as a brother, son and friend.
He's always worked very hard in school since the day he started.
He always played the game he loved (basketball) with passion.
He's always willing to lend out a helping hand.
He's a great brother-in-law to Mandi.
He's putting in time with Mckenna every week to try to win the title of "favorite uncle" ;)
He graduated from U of A in 3 years.
He obtained his Master's degree in Family and Marriage Therapy by the age of 22.
He continues to do what's right over what's convenient.

Anyway, I love you and I'm proud of you Andrew.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Precautions for MRSA

I had a clinic appointment yesterday in which I found out that in my last sputum sample, I cultured MRSA. This was a HUGE blow as MRSA in one of my biggest fears. I've also gone almost a year without a hospitalization (normally I'm doing at least twice a year visits) because I've been extremely compliant and my PFTs had been steadily increasing, so it was kind of a shock to hear that I got it, but not from the hospital. I did a quick CL search on MRSA and came across a question you responded to, and noticed that you have cultured MRSA yourself. Reading that was very calming, as it tells me that you can be healthy even if you have it.

I was hoping that you could answer a few questions based on your experience. You've mentioned before that your doctors said you didn't have to worry about avoiding babies or older individuals- is that true for brand newborns? Did you have to (or choose to) take any extra precautions when Mckenna was born? This is a major worry of mine because my cousins are all having babies that I would like to be able to hold and play with. I also hope to be able to try having children in the somewhat near future, and, although the situation is a tad different considering I would be the one carrying the pregnancy, it would be comforting to hear from a CF parent with MRSA about their experience. Another major concern that I have is that my brother Brian, who also has CF, doesn't have MRSA. I asked my doctor about precautions, as I will be seeing him at Christmas, and he said that we should avoid hugging, but that mask wearing isn't as crucial. Do you have any suggestions there? As much as it's difficult for me to accept that I can't hug my brother the few times I get to see him, I plan to do follow his suggestion, and I have considered wearing a mask anyway, just to be safe.

_____

Culturing anything new is never what we want to hear, but as you've seen me say already - not the end of the world. Of course everyone reacts differently to various bacterias, but I've been told that many US doctors don't believe that MRSA is a huge deal nor has a major impact on the lungs. They feel differently in Europe, but that's neither here nor there.

My lung function started to decline before I contracted MRSA due to "being responsible for my own health" and making poor decisions. I've had MRSA for about 10 years now, but through better adherence and an increase in treatments and exercise, I've been able to increase my lung function back to where it was 10 years ago. It's hard to know if MRSA has had any impact whether it be on lung function or "recovery time".

To answer your questions....
1. I asked as many doctors as I could and they all said the same thing - I did not have to worry about being around my newborn daughter. They said the only people that I would have to take precaution around would be those with no immune system (ie, chemo patients).
2. We did not take any special precautions with Mckenna.
3. A mask would only be useful if you are actively coughing. Otherwise, no contact and not coughing/talking in his direction should be enough.

I wouldn't worry a whole lot about it. Just continue kicking butt by taking care of yourself and discuss with your brother what would make him the most comfortable.

Another Successful Half Marathon

Happy Monday, Y'all! Where did this week go? It seems to have flown by.

Alright, enough water cooler chatter, here's my week rundown on my workouts. I'm happy to announce that I feel like I nailed it this week. Monday through Thursday I did exactly what I hoped. I did some sort of strength training and some sort of cardio each day! Then Friday and Saturday I didn't do much because I could still feel muscles from earlier in the week and I didn't want to go into Sunday's race with sore muscles. So I was really happy with the week.

The race was an hour away. So my mom and I got up and each left the house by 4:45am. From the parking location, it was a 25 minute bus ride to the start. Holy moly, I can tell you it plays with your mind a bit riding that long on a bus, knowing that you were just driven from the finish line to the starting line...and that you'd be running back!

That race started at 7:30am, so we waited a bit at the start line because it was go time. When the race started we both felt a bit stiff. Man oh man was I happy I rested Friday and Saturday (beyond just running around outside with Mckenna) because I was not feeling too great at the start. My joints ached because it was chilly and my muscles all felt tight. We started out pretty strong. Despite questioning our pace at the beginning because people seemed to be going WAY faster than us, we were doing a 9 minute mile pace, so we knew we could pay attention to how fast it felt others were going. This time we hadn't set out with a plan, but knowing my mom, and her knowing me, neither of us mentioned walking when we hit mile 4 like last time...I think we both wanted to beat our time from last month, but neither of us said it out loud (isn't that right, mom?!) We didn't walk until we hit mile 6, and even then, we just walked through the water stop as we drank, and then started running right away again. We both were feeling it around mile 6-7. My mom's butt was cramping up on her (she's had problems with it and it acted up last race too) and my knee was starting to throb. We both just pushed through. Every two miles there was a water stop, so at mile 8 and 10 we walked through the water stops. At mile 11, mom's butt started killing her, so we walked for a minute or so, and she decided just to push through, so push we did. At mile 12.5, there was a GIANT hill to go over an overpass and we walked again for about 30 seconds to give mom's butt another stretch before the final push. I am happy to say that I pushed it through the finish line at 2:03:36 seconds!! About 30 seconds/mile faster than last month's half marathon! All in all, it was a great race, and believe it or not, a PR for me!! Looks like not training is a good strategy for me?! Ha! I kid...we both kept commenting that we really need to start actually training for them! It was not comfortable like the last one was. In fact, it pretty much sucked the whole second half...but goodness I am thankful we kept pushing and finished well!

There were a couple things I witnessed during the race that warmed my heart and made me believe in the goodness of people. First, around mile 8, I noticed 2 cute little girls in front of us, no older than 13 (yes, there were kids ahead of us HA!). They were tiny and adorable, and running just them, not adult in sight. One girl looked strong and confident when I first saw them. The other looked tired. The tired girl would stop and walk for a minute or two, and then sprint to catch up with her friend. Well after a while of this, I noticed them again, this time, strong girl was holding weak girl's hand...as if she was trying to help take some of her load off. It was the sweetest thing to watch. They made such an adorable duo. The best part, they finished together, holding hands! The other thing that restored my faith in people was the other kind of encouragement, through words, that I heard. One that we experienced was at mile 12.5, when we went to walk for a few to stretch mom's butt out, as soon as we slowed to a walk we heard two men about 100 yards behind us yell, "Don't stop. Come on!" when we continued to walk to hollered again. Thanks to their encouragement, we decided just to forget the tushy and keep running...thank you guy 1 and guy 2! Pride is a beautiful thing sometimes - Ha. I kid!

If you have never done a race before and want to get into running. Do a race!! I can tell you that running can get boring and seem pointless, but I promise as soon as you finish your first race, you will be hooked. The feeling. The people. The excitement. It makes you want more, more, more! Even if you haven't been training, just go walk a 5K to get a feel. It will push you to want to run and do it again! As for us, we will be looking for another race to do soon...perhaps with some legit training first :)

Oh yeah...here's us before the race!

Thankful Thursday: Thin Mints & Visitors

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for my love. After all, it is Valentine's day...so I can't help but think about my hubby today. I have been so blessed to find such an incredible man to spend my life with. I never imagined I'd have such an incredible husband and marriage, but God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams.

I'm thankful for girl scout cookies...and I'm not thankful for them at the same time! HA! I have a total love affair with Thin Mints. I may or may not have eaten 2 boxes in the last 3 days (don't judge me - hehe). I literally cannot stop eating them. They are just so perfect in every way.

I'm thankful for a happy baby. Mckenna has been a bit cranky the last week or so between being sick and not sleeping well, she's been on the cranky side, with one meltdown after another. But last night she got a really good night's sleep and have been the happiest little love all day today! YIPPEE!!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for some special visitors that are coming in today from Texas. My Dad and my Step-mom Denise will be hanging with us for the next few days and we're very excited about it! I love having family around, and since I only get to see them once or twice a year, it's extra special!!

I'm thankful for Mckenna's love of books. She is always asking us to read books to her, which usually turns into her flipping through the pages and pointing out "dogs" and "cats" and "fish" and "Noah" and "Jesus" and "giraffes" and on and on and on. It is so cute how excited she gets about certain things.

I'm thankful for a pretty potty trained little girl. She's about 50/50 on the pee-pee, but we've only changed about 4 poopy diapers in the last month. You've got to love that!! She also looks so cute sitting on a toilet as we just plop her up on the seat and she holds on until she goes. So cute....and much cleaner!!

So, what are you thankful for today?

Gym Exchange

This isn't the first time it's happened and it won't be the last, but it's fresh, so I thought I'd rehash while I remember.

Here is an exchange that I had with a woman today two treadmills over....

Me: *Cough*

Her: (Trying to get my attention by waving her hand in my direction)

Me: (Finally give in and look over) Yes?

Her: Do you have that cold or flu that's going around?

Me: Nope.

Her: But you're coughing!

Me: I know.

Her: And you don't have it? (Said very skeptically)

Me: No, I have a lung disease.

Her: So you don't have the flu?

Me: No, but I do have Cystic Fibrosis.

Her: Oh, ok, oh.

Me: (Put headphone back in and continue to watch SportsCenter) *Cough*

Her: (Grabs towel, stops treadmill and leaves)

....and life goes on. 

Not Back On the Wagon

Unlike my very awesome wife, I am not back on the wagon! I have been battling a virus/cold, in the hospital or traveling since December 23rd, 2012 and my exercise life has certainly suffered for it.

Yeah, I've been to the gym now and again. Went on the occasional walk or bike ride. Heck, I even ran in the hotel gym, but I have not come close to the workout pace I set in 2012. A good part of 2012 I was in the gym 5 days minimum and usually 6. I endured some of the toughest workouts I have ever done. I pushed myself like never before. I was incredibly consistent. So far, 2013 has not been the same.

I'm not an excuse guy, so I won't give you a COMPLETE one, but I will say this. About 50% of the available days I could have gone to the gym were "no way" days. In other words, I was too sick to safely work out either for myself or for others. 25% of those days were "I probably could, but if I push it, I may set myself back" days. I did in fact push it on some of those days that then the days after became "no way" days. It may be generous, but I'd say 25% of the days were probably "It won't feel good, but I can do it" days. Of those days, I probably went half of the time.

So what are we talking here? Well, by my calculations, I've been a slacker for 12.5% of 2013. This is obviously not acceptable to me, my family or anyone counting on me to kick booty. I must improve.

It won't feel good to start, but starting is key. Even if it's just .5 miles or a short lifting routine or a couple box jumps. I've got to get moving. I don't think I'm at 100% health right now, not even talking CF stuff, but sometimes, 100% doesn't come.

Sometimes, it's just a matter of taking that first step and not looking back.

Back on the Wagon

It's about that time...time to get back on the wagon. January was a wacky month for us. Between Ronnie's tune up and traveling for a speaking engagement, and the three of us being down and out with colds (and pink eye for Mckenna) the last two weeks, it has been a bit wacky during January and the beginning of this month for working out.

I made the choice not to get to the gym as much while Ronnie was gone, I wasn't bound and gagged in the house while he was gone. Ha! All excuses aside, I could have done more. But the beauty of a spouse that works out is that you push each other to go, and I'm just not as good without my better half around.

Ronnie and Mckenna are still sick, but it's time for this momma to get back on the pony. I need to get back into the gym something fierce. I haven't totally let my muscles atrophy to mush, but much longer and I may have trouble lifting a fork to my face...and that would be awful :) Thankfully when I did workout (which I should mention was 3 or so days a week...which isn't awful, just way less than I'm used to), I would push myself hard. So my muscles still got a challenge, but the frequency was lacking.

I will be pushing myself this week and going every day, but I need to be a little smart about it. My mom and I are running another half marathon Sunday, so I need to be a bit strategic about what I do...so I keep muscles from getting too sore or fatigued before Sunday. I think I can lift my upper body and core decently hard, but need to avoid to much intense stuff on my legs. I will say, we are just running it for fun again (I haven't run more than a few times between the last half and this one...and we didn't train for that one either - HA! So we aren't expecting to break any records), but I also can't have my legs be totally dead. I figure I can just work out decently hard and just push through on Sunday, but totally dead legs will make that a challenge. Sore upper body I can handle!

So why am I writing a blog about it? I want you to hold me accountable. I will be working out Monday through Friday on weights and light cardio and then doing the half on Sunday. I will report back on Monday. If I didn't do it...flog and stone me, will ya?! I figure if I put it out there, I will have to. Who wants to fail publicly, right?! Hehe!

Am I the only one that finds it impossibly hard to get back into the groove once you're out of it? Have any tips you want to send my way?

Bad Candle Strategy

This is how you DON'T blow out 33 candles!!

Thankful Thursday: Benadryl & Rio

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for good health. We've all been sick this last week, and it makes me extra thankful that most the time we're in good health. I can't wait to all be back up to par!

I'm thankful for kisses. Mckenna is such a lover lately, giving lots of kisses. I just can't get enough.

I'm thankful for Benadryl. I have had a tough time sleeping, but I've popped a couple Benadryl and been out like a light. It's FABULOUS!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for early bedtimes. With the fam being under the weather lately, we've focused on getting to be earlier...way earlier. Usually, I put my head on the pillow around 10pm, but for the last three nights, it's been on the pillow by 8pm. It has definitely made a difference, but I'm looking forward to feeling better as I'm a bit of a "night owl". 

I'm thankful for Mckenna's words. Every time Mckenna says a new word, my heart melts. Some of her latest are Jesus, Bible, giraffe, snack, treat, poo-poo and Chrissy (sounds like Toy Story when she says her aunts name!). She is so proud of her expansive vocabulary :)

I'm thankful for Rio, my in-laws dog. We are dog sitting for a bit and it's great to have another dog around. It's nice for us, because we like Rio, but it's even better for Jezzabel. Jezzabel acts about 8 years younger when Rio is around and they LOVE playing with each other. We actually have to tell them to knock it off once in a while because they get so crazy!

So, what are you thankful for today?

"CF is different for all of us. Those of us doing well should encourage those who are not. Best thing you can do is learn from others mistakes, be encouraged by others successes, and create a compelling and great success story of your own." - Amber Richter

That has to be one of the best things ever said about the CF experience.

Making a change isn't easy.

I had a pretty general question for ya, and i saw how much u like questions. I am 19 years old and never been really compliant with my meds. i was never able to motivate myself long enough to keep doing them. i recently admitted myself into the hospital because ive felt worse than i ever had. I was told to watch your talk about cf and bag of tricks and i found you very insirational. in fact your the only person that has really gotten through to me and i realize i have to take my meds so i dont feel this crappy but im scared i may slip back into a depressive state about it.. I wanted to know how you kept doing your meds after your major scare, because you must have created a habit of not doing your meds consistantly n thats very hard to break out of. I to remember just beingon albuterol and chest pts when i was younger. times sure have changed just wish i could do it as easily.

............

I'm happy to hear that you're open to change your habits concerning your health and I hope that you start to feel better. With that said, yes, I've been in your shoes.

The biggest thing for me, was to stop being selfish. All of the choices I was making that in turn had my health declining was all about what I wanted to do and what made me happy. Yet, everyone around me, who cared for me, was very sad about how sick I was getting. They were sad to see me become the shell of the man I once was. They didn't like to see me struggle to breathe. They hated seeing CF "hold me back".

After I had my "come to Jesus" moment I realized that it wasn't CF holding me back, but that it was me. It was a culmination of all of the bad choices that I had been making. Simply put, I wasn't putting my health first. And as you can probably guess, life isn't as awesome with bad health.

When I made a change, I decided to make a schedule and stick to it no matter what. I also committed to doing "everything right" for as long as I was doing "everything wrong" which in my case was 8 years. I see too many people that commit to doing their treatments for a month or two, don't see the change they had hoped for, and then quit. I didn't think it was realistic to erase 8 years of bad decisions in two months, or even two years; I committed for the long haul.

This commitment meant exercising regularly, increasing my daily treatments and being pro-active about hospital stays.

All I can say, is that it's worth it. I feel great. I spend less time in the hospital. I look better. I breathe better. My mind is better.

Hope that helps a little bit. I'm always here for a chat or any question that you may have.

Ronnie

Coughs, Sniffles, and Sore Throats

It's that time of year again. Time for coughs, sniffles, and sore throats. We had a round make it through out house hold around Christmas, and it seemed like we just continued to pass it around with my brother and sister-in-law and my parents. Another round has made it into our house now, and man does it make me thankful for good health.

I got it first, and have been battling a headache from the congestion and sore throat since. Then I ever so kindly passed it to Ronnie, and Mckenna has a bit of a cough now, but doesn't seem to be feeling terrible. I will say, the cough goes nicely with her recently "cured" pink eye. I tell you what, we're a germ factory right now.

Anyways, when I'm sick there are always a couple things I LOVE doing:

- Having lazy days - Lazy days look very different with a toddler than they used to. All you parents out there know exactly what I'm talking about. There's no laying on the couch all day long. That said, we made a point to lay around as much as possible this weekend.

- Sleep - I LOVE sleeping. And when I'm sick, I love sleeping even more. Nights have been a bit wacky because Mckenna still is having funky sleep (who knows if it's a cough, the pottytraining, the fact that Ronnie was gone, then back, than gone again). But I am thankful that I have been able to sneak in a nap or two.

- Chicken noodle soup - Chicken noodle soup is always good, but it's especially good when you can slurp some of the broth down a sore throat.

- Snuggles - I'm a cuddler in general, but I especially like to cuddle when I'm sick. I'm so thankful Ronnie is home to snuggle since he was gone for a tune-up and traveling to speak much of January...that said, that may be what passed it on ;-)

Anyways, the nice thing about being sick is it sure makes you thankful for good health, so I am thankful for that reminder! But now I'm ready to get rid of this cold from the house so we can all get back to our normal selves!