RT Student Blog

Well, I made it through day 2 of 4 in the NICU. I go back next Wednesday and Thursday. Today we had more twins and I even got to set up a baby on a Nasal CPAP. It actually looked a lot like this.

I then got home to find this nice comment "I'm a CF Mom and I got your blog from some of my CF friends out in blog land. I think it's great that you are getting to know new families and that you are getting the word out about CF. Good luck in school. If you have time stop by and check out our family. Melissa is 19 months old and has CF. She is doing really well. Her lungs are clear at this time. She never had to spend any extra time in the hostpial when she was born. She is only on enzymes and vitimens at this time."

Of course I had to go check out The Liberto Blog. I added them to blogs I follow but if you haven't met them, you definitely need to go meet Melissa. She's one of the cutest little girls I've ever met. I look forward to getting to know them and I'm sure you will too.

Last week was an amazing week here at the blog. I had a snow day and a lot of free time to meet people. I met some awesome people who are dealing with lung diseases. Unfortunately I am back in school, clinicals full time and don't have the time to blog like I did last week. I will keep an eye on the blogs I have discovered and keep you updated on my Great Strides progress (55 bucks so far..woohoo!!!). Go visit my friends and have fun getting to know them

Thursday I had a crazy day at clinicals. I didn't get to eat breakfast or lunch. I did get to see a couple of procedures that I had never seem before. I saw a transesophageal echo which was neat. You could actually see the heart. I also saw a bronchoalveolar lavage done without a bronchoscope. It was done to clean out the lungs of a patient who had aspirated grits. I'm getting off the subject though.

When I got home I had an email from Carolyn, the mom blogger of A Thousand Pictures. "
Thanks for all you are doing for cf!!". Naturally I went to check out her blog. She is the mom of 3 who lives in Austin, Texas (I'm jealous) and is going to nursing school. Her 2 oldest boys, Kyler and Branson, have CF but from the pictures on the blog, it doesn't slow them down. I saw pictures of them doing all kinds of stuff like roller skating. I posted this one because they are at a UT baseball game. I'm definitely jealous because I love sports and would love to go to a UT game myself.

Go on over to A Thousand Pictures and check out her blog. Don't forget that you can do your part to help find a cure for CF by donating to the Great Strides walk.

Ok, so the past week I've been telling you about these amazing kids growing up with CF. The last couple of days though I have gotten to meet some adults who have cystic fibrosis. These guys were blessed with the chance at life by receiving lung transplants. I've said it before but I believe organ donation should be an opt out system instead of an opt in system. Go check out my new friends Christy, at Color Me Healthy, Katey at Katey at My CF Journey with God, and Steven at Breathin Steven (kind of catchy). I will warn you though, when you read Steven's story about Kari, the girl whose lungs he received, have some kleenex handy. It'll bring up a few tears. Oh, and Katey also has a post that I think is very special. Go see for yourself :)

Once again I have gotten a comment from another mom dealing with CF. This time I heard from Angela in Kansas who has a 9 month old named Phoenix (coolest name ever). I'm gonna warn you though, when you click on the link you'll immediately fall in love with the cutest little boy you've ever seen. The blog is called Phoenix's Fight and it's about their fight with CF.
Their blog is an awesome place with lots of videos and even Phoenix's Quilt of Love (go see what that is)

"Phoenix was born April 30, 2008 in
Topeka, KS at Stormontvail Hospital. Two days later he had surgery for a mecinium ileus at Children's Mercy Hospital in
Kansas City, Mo. The surgeons told us it was greater that 95% Phoenix had
Cystic Fibrosis. Two weeks later his tests came back positive for CF. Phoenix is a double carrier of DF508. (For more information on CF please visit http://www.cff.org/)
Together with family and friends Phoenix has started the fight of his life.
This is his story!"

I know you want to help with this horrible disease. Go here to see how you can help and win a nice camera.
Also, go check out my Great Strides page and donate a little.

The other day I told you about how my new friend Julie (Seamus's mom from Mugga Bugga) had given me a lovely blog award. I am to send it to my new blog friends, and they are to pass it along to their new blog friends. It should go to those who step outside their comfort zone, and make new bloggy friends. I'm pretty sure most of my new friends have gotten it already but I will pass it on.

Katey from My CF Journey with God In an email she told me " I have a huge passion for CF and doing everything I can for other CF patients and families!". She also has CF and received a LIVING DONOR Double lung transplant from her mom and a family friend. She was given a second chance at life and is doing great things to help others. I really am in awe.

I think everyone that I have met and been writing about this last week. You guys deal with this horrible disease on a daily basis. I will see this from the perspective of a caregiver in the hospital, but you are the heroes.

I got an email from Julie over at one of my new favorite blogs, Mugga Bugga, sent me an email today. She told me about an award she had given me. It is the Lovely Blog Award.

"I send it to:
Marcus at RT Student Blog who doesn't have CF or have a family member with CF but has quickly become a friend to many in the CF community. He is getting the word out and raising money for us all."

This is a very nice thing that she has done. I feel honored to get to know her and the other brave mommy bloggers who are dealing with CF. keep coming back here every morning to read about them, their brave kids, and their awesome blogs.

I won't bore you with the introduction today because by now, you know what these posts are about. They are about the people out there who are dealing with cystic fibrosis and who are blogging about their experiences. I've only recently gotten behind this when I discovered the Great Strides walk and decided to put together a team.

Today I am going to tell you about one of the cutest, bravest little girls out there. Her name is Sydney Anne, she is 5 years old and was diagnosed after her first birthday. Like most of the kids with this terrible disease, she doesn't let the disease slow her down. You can tell this by the pictures and video's her mom has posted.

So, as I tell you after every post, you should go check out her blog. Once you get to know these awesome kids dealing with this disease, like me you'll start thinking of ways you can help. Tell them I said hello.

The last couple of days I have jumped on the CF bandwagon with my enthusiasm for the Great Strides walk that I have signed up for. BTW I now have 2 confirmed team members (besides myself) and my first donations. Another thing I have is new friends who are dealing with cystic fibrosis on a regular basis. They are familiar with things like "The Vest" , "Chest Percussion Therapy", and nebulizer treatments. Things that I only became familiar with as I progressed in Respiratory Therapy school.

Because of this stuff I have started meeting these brave cf parents and decided to start profiling them here. My few (very few) readers can get to know them. This should help since most of my readers are RT's or fellow RT students. We are the people who will be taking care of them when they come to the hospitals.

Today I got a comment from the mom of Lil' Chris. She's also about to become a mom again (like within the next week or 2) so she's dealing with a lot. Chris is a one year old who doesn't let CF slow him one bit. You have to go check out the awesome videos she posts over there. Don't forget to tell her I said hello.

Yesterday you followed me as I met a family dealing with the horrible disease Cystic Fibrosis and my decision to participate in the Great Strides CF walk. As a future Respiratory Therapist, it is a disease I will become very familiar with I'm sure. I woke today to find an email from someone else dealing with CF (after looking outside and taking pictures of the snow, that is). Her name is Cindy and her daughter Reilly has CF.



"My daughter, Reilly is 5 years old and has Cystic Fibrosis. Right now, her health is good, but every day I pray that today won't be the day that her health takes a turn for the worst. In September 2008, we completed our first annual Great Strides walk in Elizabeth City. I am happy to say that our event was a success. We raised over $33,000 for research and future drug development. I feel confident, that one day we can make CF stand for CURE FOUND!"


They are also from NC and as you can tell from their post above, are familiar with the Great Strides walk. Now I don't know that I will be able to raise $33,000 for the CF Foundation this year but with your help I'm sure gonna try. Go on over and check out her blog Cure CF For Reilly and tell them I said hello.