*Cystic Fibrosis*
State Of Mind

I am so grateful for the amount of time God has given me – I celebrated my 20th Birthday this May. So many kids never get to see that birthday :(

I’m so thankful that I was raised to live a healthy life by doing things naturally. Today is my 1-year anniversary of NO antibiotics!!! I get asked so often how it is that I’m so healthy. People who meet me have NO idea that I have CF. My clinic appointments go smoothly & quite frankly, can be done over the phone. I am on NO medications whatsoever. My goal is to outlive any statistic. So, I take certain measures to make sure that happens.

**My CF Preventative Health Remedies**

In the last year, I have come across so many different things that help in maintaining good health & they are really simple. For example;

• * Gargling with salt water 2-3 times a week. It kills the bacterium that stays in the throat area for 3 days once exposed to. So if you do it twice a week, you’re good to go =)
• * Steam Rooms!! I typically go for a ‘steam tune up’ once or twice a month depending on how I feel. Some months I go more often…it really depends on how you’re doing. If you don't have a steam room in your area, simply boiling a pot of water & breathing over it (with a towel over your head & pot) for 15 minutes does the trick!
• * Raw Garlic =) Because of it’s Antibiotic properties, I like to have a spoon full of raw freshly pressed garlic 3-4 times per week. Keeps me off of harmful drugs that mess me up. Make sure you don’t take it on an empty tummy – not a good idea!
• * Chest Physiotherapy. Kate & I also do therapy 1-2 times per day. Keeps the lungs clear =) to make it fun, we like to watch our favorite shows/movies to keep us entertained. Works VERY well :)
• * Physical exercise. SO important! I have a treadmill that I use twice a week. I run & run … love it! Also, having small nieces & nephews keeps me on my toes :) Physical exercise helps things keep moving, therefore making it harder for infection to set in.
• * Cough Tea. While in Virginia, my sister Helene came across a wonderful cough tea. You can purchase it from Bulk Herb Store. It has red clover tops, licorice root, and ginger root… it helps loosen phlegm, calm bronchial spasm & relieves respiratory congestion. I find it’s GREAT to take before bedtime.
• * Nutritional Supplements! I think it's pretty lame that Health Canada says I’m not allowed to say which ones on a public form. So much for freedom of speech. Just because I’m still alive, and not in the hospitals 24/7 I have to keep my mouth shut as to why I’m this healthy. Just read the CF story that I blogged several posts ago to see how nutritional supplements played a role in how I'm doing. Please message me if you want to know more =)

When I think of Cystic Fibrosis, and how people embrace it, it’s really all about your state of mind. Every person on earth is dealt different cards in life. Some are good, some not so good. There’s a saying that goes “it’s not the cards you’re dealt, but how you play the game”. There is so much truth to that.Sure, I can choose to play the game of the victim. Technically I have an excuse to pin it on – Cystic Fibrosis. I can choose to be depressed in life, or angry with God because I was born with CF. People make decisions every day of their lives. They choose whether or not to wear a red or blue shirt – whether or not to skip breakfast – whether or not to take the stairs vs the elevator. They're tiny little decisions, but yet somehow they form our lives. Our whole world revolves around the choices we make.Every single day I make a choice when I wake up. What will others see in me for the day? Will they see a victim of circumstance or a cheerful fighter? Will they see a happy go lucky girl, or a moody girl? I’m not saying that everyday is a basket of roses, and that CF doesn’t affect me, because it does. Some days…I’ll be honest, they suck. Completely. I’m down & ill and I feel like I’ve been pushed down a dark staircase. All I want to do is fight my way back up where I can see the light, and feel the freedom that comes with a healthy day. Thankfully there are more good days, then bad days. Praise the Lord!!!

So regardless of who you are, or what issues you face, whether it’s CF or something totally different, just know that YOU have the power to overcome any obstacle. Based on the little choices you make everyday. The choice to smile. The choice to never back down. The choice to fight. Fight for what’s right, never believe something just because a so-called wise person said it . Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true. Raise up others around you – be that shinning light that God wants to use. He created you for a reason.

Here's a little tip I thought I'd share with you - if a long life is something you want, then please, whenever possible, AVOID the hospital. Hospital acquired infections is the 4th largest killer in Canada & United States ... uncool.

Quote of the day "God gives every bird his worm, but He does not throw it into the nest."

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Canada Day

Wow…the year is half over already! Where did the time go?


A thought crossed my mind that seemed pretty brilliant to me, and that is; everyone at some point in their life, anytime after graduating, should go completely out of their comfort zone, to a place far away and just observe. Observe a different way of being, working & living. I think life is WAY to short to stay in our ‘box’ our whole lives. God gave us a BIG world – so go out and SEE it! Experience what God has given us :)




I've been reading in Job. Wow. That book of the bible has some deep stuff. My current goal is to learn to have the patience of Job. I've also been occasionally veering back to Genesis. The other day as I was reading Genesis 42-46, I realized that wow…Joseph was SO the bigger man. Lol the term “bigger man” my sisters & I use all the time for whoever rises above everyone though kindness, or hard work, or just being the bigger person in a situation. I was like WOW Joseph, way to go. I mean, not only did he have a colorful coat, which made him AWEsome, he also had amazing character.
With what his brothers put him through, he could have easily chosen to be bitter & eventually put them to death. Instead he had a little fun of his own, and eventually when the time came, he wept, and welcomed them with open arms. He told them not to feel grieved, or angry at what had happened. He saw that God had sent him ahead, and used him to preserve a generation for them and save their lives. I mean wow…way to step up and be the bigger man.



A few weeks ago, I looked out on the road, and I saw this wee little fox trotting around. Our dog saw it soon after I had, and decided to chase it around. This little guy, which we later named “Kristofferson”, was a runt, and was wet & cold. He couldn’t outrun our dog – so our dog chased & chased him all the way to our house. We felt bad for the little guy, so we coaxed him in a live trap, and took the dog away, and let him free to his family. His mother & 2 siblings had been trotting around the yard, sniffing & looking for their lost fox.
I just love the wildlife we have around our place. We’ve had foxes, coyotes, cougars, bobcats, groundhogs, raccoons, deer, skunks & snakes. Everything about the living the country life is just, so, random =) I love it!!!



“I can choose to indulge in my frustrations or I can choose to create a habit of happiness”


Have a great Canada Day =)

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2010!!

Wow, I can’t believe 2010 is already here, and January is pretty much over with.



Health wise, things are GREAT!!!! I just celebrated my 6-month anniversary of no ER visits & no Antibiotics. God has been so good, I feel great. I’ve come across some different things that I find SO helpful in my fight against sickness.

One being Steam Rooms!!! You can find them in Spa’s or at your local Gym. It is so very helpful.
I’ve already mentioned Garlic, and how awesome it is. One significant advantage of garlic is that the body does not build up a resistance to it as it does to many modern antibiotics. This also makes it effective against hospital super bugs. There is so much more information about how HELPFUL Garlic is, especially for those struggling with infection, but the info itself would make this posting longer then life itself lol. So my suggestion is if your wanting more info, just Google it.


You’ll be amazed at all the awesome things you’ll discover :)

Here’s a Spanish saying for the day: A la ocasión la pintan calva. You have to make the most of the chances that come your way. ♥

Happy 2010,
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* Cystic Fibrosis *

Going down memory lane...19 years ago...
- A Tribute to my Parents -

Aloha fellow bloggers :) Life is going really well - things seem to be falling into place for the most part. This may sound vague, but I’d like to take a moment to congratulate myself for doing an update this soon - - (Taking a bow) - - (bow taken.)

Today is June 12, 2009. Today exactly 19 years ago my parents came into the hospital only to hear the doctors tell them that their little Aline was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. They we're told that if I were lucky, I'd make it to my 18th birthday, MAYBE my 20th birthday. They were told that it wouldn't be easy. There would be countless hospitalizations. A life of pain and eventually an early death.

There are times when my parents get on my nerves as any person can relate to, but at the end of the day, I love them both so much.. I have to say with a grateful and thankful heart that God gave me the parents He did. In every way possible, my dad was and still is the perfect dad for me, and my mom - the perfect mom for me. Both of my parents are fighters and fought for my 2 sisters and me. They both love me in a way I will never completely understand. I probably don't say it enough, but I appreciate everything my parents did for my sisters & I...it was selfless and love in it's purest form. I love you both :)

My parents went against the system. In my parent’s eyes, there was no way that their daughter would become "just another statistic". Their blue eyed, blond haired bundle of joy was to precious to let that happen to.

For those of you who’ve read the Cystic Fibrosis story (a couple posts ago…) you’ve read things that both of my sisters and I went through. The tube-feedings, the countless bouts of pneumonia, and the fact that we couldn’t do what all the other kids could do. With so many activities such as playing outside on a windy day, and during the winter we’d stay inside 24/7. My father would gently tell us “others may, you may not”. We were raised to know that we would outlive any statistic. We were protected so that it would be possible to beat the system.


When I was 2 years old, we moved out of the city to a new province. We moved to a nice county farmhouse with clean country air. Acres apon acres to play in, build forts, plant flowers, and have kittens & a farm dog. My dad purchased several goats, and we got a fence put up, and my older siblings milked fresh raw goats milk twice a day for us 3 girls. After each meal we would drink a glass. My parents knew that was one way to keep us healthy. This being the main reason I strongly dislike milk today lol :) But anyways…
My parents decided to become our own personal health experts. They both went through so much to take care of my sisters & I…It took a lot of effort to keep me healthy and out of the hospital ward. My parents have been in the ER waiting room with me on holidays instead of participating with other activities many, many times.

But here…now…19 years later, after 6 years on God given nutritional supplements I’ve lived all these years with 2 hospitalizations. TWO. Every appointment the doctors are amazed. My doctor told me that most of their patients at my age are in and out of the hospital every 1-2 months. I’ve had doctors ask me why I even bothered to come to my checkups. I have a new lease on life. I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, knowing that I am the luckiest girl in the world. I am so blessed :)
The knowledge that my parents obtained 19 years ago about my health, was a smile on the devils face, and an opportunity in the eyes of my God.

God has used Cystic Fibrosis in so many positive ways. He’s used me to tell others about natural ways to stay healthy and live longer with CF…I’ve spoken in front of crowds of 15 thousand in the audience, with 500,000 live online viewers about the nutritional supplements that have given us our futures. Rebecca, Katherine & my story has influenced many people and helped so many other patients around the world – in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, England & North America.

God is so awesome. He is my heavenly Father. My protector. My Refuge. My Strength. Through all our faults, and failures, He has chosen to love you and me. He stands by our side through everything we go through. So for all of you who are going through a rough time, just remember He’s with you every step of the way. Smile, God loves you :)

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2009 Update :)



Wow. It's been 2 years. Opps.

I am currently the oldest at home. I graduated in 2008. I was going to move to Calgary last November for a job, when I got very very sick. Bags were packed - the plane tickets were bought, but because of health I had to turn down the job offer. But even though I didn't understand it at the time, God had it all worked out, and I'm enjoying living at home. I help out with the schooling of my younger siblings, and I do some studying for a Health course. So it all worked out for good. 

Health wise, I'm doing much better now. I started struggling with Hemoptysis. I got hospitalized for it in August 2008 after I got back from Toronto, ON (visiting Helene where she lived & worked BEFORE she got married in Dec...) where they pumped me full of drugs that royally messed me up. I did well for a couple months after my discharge when it got bad again. They brought me into the hospital for admission - they had my room ready and the IV woman ready to go, and I said no. I was not very happy. I told them that I wanted to know where the bleeding was coming from, and what was causing it, and they refused. So I signed a couple papers, and against their medical advice I walked out of the hospital. Within 2 weeks I got transferred to a different hospital =) 
I'm happy to say that I've been very healthy, with the occasional cold here and there. I was raised to be responsible for my own health. When I'm losing blood, I want to know where it's coming from & what's going on so I can decide what's the best way to go. In this day & age, you have to become informed as to how your body really works & then therefore make informed medical decisions.
I'm not against antibiotics at all, they have their place. But using that to always treat the symptom instead of getting down to the ROOT of the problem is what I don't like & I refuse. The body heals itself if given the right tools.



Well, I have a busy day ahead of me, but I'll try my very hardest not to let it be 2 years before my next post :) If it lands up being more then a couple weeks, feel free to bug me. Every now and then i need a little reminder :)

In closing, just remember to live life as if today was your last day. Cherish the moments God gives you. Tell your family how much you love them everyday :) Stay healthy & stay young! God Bless :)

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Cystic Fibrosis - The Story

When I was 3 weeks old I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, which is the # 1 genetic killer in children. My parents were told that the average life expectancy of a CF patient was between 18 - 24 years old.

Part of CF meant having very thick mucus, pneumonia, digestive problems, having to take enzymes with each meal to digest my food, and problems gaining weight. I had to be extremely careful if I caught a cold or the flu because it can very easily mean hospitalization. To help loosen my mucus, my mom had to give me chest physio therapy for 20 minutes, 2-3 times a day.

Tube Feedings

I had to have tube feedings for the first two years of my life.
This meant that my father had to replace my feeding tube every two weeks by pushing it up my nose, down my throat and into my stomach. He had to be careful that it would not go into my lungs or else it would puncture my lungs or stomach. Which if punctured lungs/stomach aren't dealt with immediately it will be fatal. The whole scenario of tube-feedings was very hard on both my parents. My mom who is a very emotional person as it was, could not be around when my father put in the feeding tubes. My older siblings tell me that Rebecca & me would scream for quite some time. All from the pain of the tube getting put in. It was always my fathers job to put the tubes in, and then my mother would be gotten inside to comfort us as babies/toddlers. This went on for the first 2 years of my life. Mostly all my baby pictures have a tube & tape on the side of my face just like the photo above.


My family was introduced to some nutritional supplements in December 2002 and within 6 weeks my need for digestive enzymes were reduced my 70 percent. And after 4 months I was completely off enzyme medication that had been a daily experience all my life.

My mucus became thinner, which is amazing - because it's not suppose to according to medical professionals. My weight gain problem improved big time which shocked my doctors, because we were now actually on the growth curve. We were getting better and better and our doctors mouths just kept dropping lower and lower.

It's amazing how the body can heal itself when given the proper tools. I praise God every day for this miracle He's brought into my life and the life of my 2 sisters that also had the same struggles and results with these supplements that I had.

Now I know I'm healthy enough to get married one day and have children of my own knowing that if God tarries his coming I'll see them grow up and get married and have children of their own. The first picture of me above is me leaving the hospital after an amazing clinic where all I heard was GREAT news! Praise the Lord!

I just want to say thank-you to my parents who at first were quite skeptical after years and years of searching for ways to help us and keep us alive but tried it anyway, and most of all to God Almighty who watches over me everyday, I love you!

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Life ...

Updates ... lets see, I am not reading through the book of Matthew = awesome! I'm learning all about the miracles of our Saviour! He is SO awesome...I'm so grateful to have such a Father :)

I'm incredibly healthy. God has given the amazing gift of special nutrients my sisters & I are on! My body has benefited so greatly from supplementing my diet with these nutrients... CF was so challenging as a child...especially for my extremely hard working parents...so we really thank God for the friend that suggested the amazing nutrients to us...the nutrients I'm mentioning in my blog is a new recent medical discovery, that is amazing! If you'd like to know more about these nutrients, or my personal Health testimony for Cystic Fibrosis, feel free to leave a comment, or even email me! I'd be happy to hear from you!

Time to go ... be good, read your bible, pray everyday, eat well...and try and ween yourself off of soda. That's today's advice.

Peace,
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