Weight

For most of my life(Since I became in control of what I eat) I've struggled to maintain what my doctors and dietitian deem a healthy weight. That's a weight with a BMI between 19-24.

A couple of years ago I finally managed to get my weight 48kg which gives me a BMI of 19 so as far as I was concerned the docs should be happy! They were for a little while, with smiles and congratulations on gaining and maintaining a healthy weight, but then my dietitian said that really I should have a higher weight with a BMI of 20 to make sure that when I fall ill I have some 'back up' weight to lose.

At first I hated the idea, why would I want to change my weight from one I'm comfortable with for a just in case scenario? Now however I'm slowly coming round to the idea, I mean 2kg isn't really that much to gain and maybe I'd look better for it (as long as it doesn't all go to one place!) So today I start trying to gain weight again! Last time I gained weight I lived at home and my brother paid rent for me so I could spend all my penny's on fatty junk food to pile on the pounds! Now however I can't afford to buy lots of yummy food, so I'll have to do it with calshakes :(

Humidity

So with the weather this hot, the humidity is pretty bad! Bad enough for normal people I'd imagine but for me it feels like the air has turned into a ridiculously thick soup... Think of the thickest soup you've ever had and then congeal it, and that's how the air feels to me right now!
I really hope these storms help a little! Well I hope they help a lot but that's not likely!

I want a storm like this!

I've been thinking about diabetes a lot lately, mainly because I came across a blog of a woman who said 'having CF is not a license to eat junk food'.

This is something I disagree with, eating junk food without feeling guilty is literally the only plus to having CF! Obviously don't only eat junk food but as far as I'm concerned I'm going to pig out because that's the only way I can keep my weight up. Which leads me to diabetes. Most people with CF will develop Cf-related diabetes (CFRD) at some point in their lives due to the thick mucus that we're so full of, damaging hormone producing cells in the pancreas.

Even when someone with CF is diagnosed with CFRD they still have to keep up a high calorie diet and adjust the insulin to compensate. This I'm particularly pleased about, as even though I'm extremely needle phobic, I can handle the idea of having to inject insulin better than the idea of having to give up my junk food! My point is, when your life is already ruined by something beyond your control, and eating badly isn't going to give us diabetes cause we're going to get it anyway, why bother restricting your enjoyment of food?!

Eat away I say!

Too hot

I have so much housework that needs doing but it's far too hot to do it! I also feel sick cause I haven't eaten but now don't want to eat cause I feel sick...I mean what if I'm wrong! :(

Hospital disappointment

So my lung function was 49% :( Oh well at least they gave me stronger hayfever tablets, also back on salt tablets thanks to the heat. I did learn something new though, because people with cf don't just loose water when they sweat, like normal people, we lose salt too which means we don't feel thirsty and can be dehydrated without knowing it. Good old cf!

Hospital

So it's my usual 6 week check up today and I'm really hoping that if I haven't managed to improve my fev1, it will at least stay the same! (52%) I'm also having bloods done to see if my recent iron I fusion has done it's job! I'm thinking about asking if they can prescribe anything to help me sleep, as it takes me hours to actually fall asleep and I wake up through the night a lot, which results in me either being a tired grumpy Nicola or sleeping the day away :(. I'm a tired, grumpy Nicola today.

The reason living with CF isn't as bad as it could be

This is Jenson, he's a Chorkie! The main reason I hate having CF isn't all the medication or the hospital visits or even the constant cough... It's the fact that I'm stuck in my house almost all day every day, I don't have the energy to go out and enjoy life or even work (although I am working on this!) So all day long I'm in my house BUT Jenson is by my side 24/7 so I guess it's not so bad. He is the most cuddly, sweet and ridiculous dog I've ever known. Unfailingly loyal and exceptionally over protective but always loving and follows me everywhere and I love it. Even though he barks at every single person who walks past the window and won't even let some people sit near me, I wouldn't change him for all the money in the world. Because he's mine.

A little about me

I'm a 21 year old girl living with cystic fibrosis. My lung function is currently at 52% which is the highest it's been in years! Yay me aha. I live with my boyfriend and my dog who also happens to be my best friend no matter how sad that sounds! Being stuck at home because of a stupid illness is only made bearable by him!