Breathing Deeply: My Life With Cystic Fibrosis

Today was a good day. I began my morning with a trip to the gym to work with my personal trainer. He's aware of my unique needs because of having CF, and he's designed a workout that will really help increase my lung function. I'm already feeling a difference after being stretched out. I tend to hunch my shoulders because I'm a bit barrel-chested. The exercises I did today opened me up and really worked on loosening my tightened muscles. I've been keeping an eye on my FEV1 (I have a hand-held spirometer here at home) and it's exciting to see the numbers climb ever so slightly each day as I get back in shape.

After the gym I took a quick nap then got ready for my afternoon visitors. My good friends, Danielle and her husband Danny were in town for a Padres game and they had their little cutie, baby Bethany along with them. They got here around 3:00 and I got to hold Bethany for almost 2 hours straight while the three of us talked and got caught up. Bethany is a sweetheart! She cooed almost the entire time, stopping only to offer me adorable little toothless baby grins. She still has that "new baby smell" (and another baby smell came later on) and seemed perfectly content in my arms. I only wish my friends lived closer.

Tomorrow I'll get to spend time with another friend--a woman I met at the Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference. She has a very active ministry helping parents of terminally ill children. In particular she's writing a book about the grieving process. Her own life experiences play a large part in what she's doing, having lost a daughter to cancer several years ago. I'll be sure to have a link to her online stuff tomorrow.

Today I'm thankful for my return to better health, good friends, and the ways that God makes himself real to me on a daily basis. I hope I never take for granted these good gifts and this season of my life.