Clinic Update

Today was my one-month post hospital clinic appointment and I'm happy to report that, overall, it was a fairly good visit.  My FEV1 has finally shown some improvement after being in the tank last time I was in the hospital and is near baseline.  I'm still hanging out around 44% lung capacity, which I'm happy with. Given that a few years ago I was struggling to keep it in the 30's (when I was battling back-to-back pneumonia infections -- SIX times in one year), I am always thrilled to see a higher #.

So the plan for now is to keep on keeping on.  My stomach issues are still rampant, but my GI doctors have been less than forthcoming in ways to fix or improve it and I'm just in for the long haul.  I have been on the Domperidone for over a month now and while I will say that while I see some improvement over the Reglan (which was doing absolutely nothing to treat my gastroparesis), it is still an everyday problem. In addition to the stomach issues, my doctors are having me checked for possible gallstones, so I have an abdominal ultrasound scheduled for Monday. I have been having sharp, stabbing pains in the area of my gall bladder every time I eat, particularly if I eat anything high-fat (which I typically try to avoid).

I talked with my NP today about scheduling a tune-up in August because I want to be in tip-top shape for September when I go on a cruise.  Two of my BFFs, Angela & Brien are getting hitched and are doing a wedding cruise out of Mobile.  It's actually the same cruise I went on last year (to Progreso and Cozumel), but ANY cruise is a good cruise in my books.  I am definitely looking forward to some true vacation time (even though I qualify for four weeks of vacation with my employer, I typically only get one week and forfeit the rest when I am in the hospital).

And that's about all the updates I have for now. That, and the fact that my legs are numb from allowing my sixteen pound beast to sit in my lap while I've been typing this blog (love ya, Beau-ba-lo!).

Catch y'all on the flip side!

Cruise Pics, Part Deux

A slideshow of pictures from Progreso:



Unfortunately, the pictures we took with the underwater camera didn't turn out (cheap underwater cameras and brackish water don't mix particularly well), but I've included them just to prove that I really did kayak (and for almost two hours!) ... needless to say, C. and I were exhausted by the time we decided to call it quits.

And Cozumel:



I'll have a few more pictures to share from our 'Fun Day(s) at Sea' in the next go round. Laters!

Cruise Pics

More to come, but I wanted to start sharing some of my pictures from last week's adventure. I think the highlight of the trip was our Dolphin Swim & Ride shore excursion in Cozumel, Mexico.

Next Week...

...I'll be quiet as a mouse. The first thought that comes into my family's mind is probably, "Brandi, quiet? NEVER." However, I will be taking a short break from the bloggy world this week to enjoy myself here:

We are headed down to New Orleans today (our port of call) and will be boarding the ship sometime tomorrow.  Tuesday, it'll be a "fun day at sea" as we cruise down to Progreso, in the Yucatan Peninsula.

On Wednesday, we'll spend the day in Progreso and we'll be participating in a shore excursion, the Mangrove Kayak Adventure.  We cruise overnight to our next stop, Cozumel.

I am super excited about our shore excursion in Cozumel -- the Dolphin Swim & Ride.  Swimming with dolphins has definitely been on my bucket list and I finally have the chance to cross it off.  Woot!

On Friday, it'll be another "fun day at sea" as we cruise back to New Orleans.  Camera is packed and ready to go and I'll be armed with a ton of photos upon return.

I'll have limited internet & e-mail access while I'm on the ship (not sure exactly how much it costs yet), but if I'm able to upload any pictures, I'll try and give you a sneak peek of how much fun we are having.

See ya in about a week, peeps!

Viva Las Vegas

It's taken a little longer for me to get around to writing this post than I intended, it's been a crazy-busy three weeks since I got out of the hospital - which is a GREAT thing!

As many of you know I missed my trip to San Francisco when I got sick last time. I was disappointed because Katey and I both had been looking forward to our vaca and the CF conference. Knowing that I was kind of bummed about missing a chance to fly across the country (I have a serious case of the travel bug), my aunt came up with a great idea ... VEGAS, baby!


Our one reason for going? To see the Phantom Of The Opera at the Venetian where they've created an amazing replica of the Paris Opera House (for my review of the show, click here.)


In one word, our vacation was QUICK - we flew to Vegas on Friday, spent Friday night and Saturday doing the Vegas thing and flew home on Sunday.

The "Vegas thing" included the Stratosphere, casinos galore, The Fremont Street Experience, pool time at the Golden Nugget, lots of great food, Madame Tussaud's, a gondola ride at the Venetian, and, of course, Phantom. This was Alex's (who just turned 21) first trip to Vegas. He fell in love with the roulette table and did pretty good the first day. Then he found out that to win big you have to play big. And then you end up losing big. =)

I've posted a few of the highlights from our trip:


If you click on this pic, it will take you to a video of our ride (Big Shot) at the Stratosphere. We did the "Thrills!" package which included tickets on all three rides (Big Shot, X-Scream, and Insanity - The Ride). The Big Shot is a "free-fall" type ride that takes place 1000 feet above the city. I loved this!

From Videos

This video is from the Fremont Street Experience - the light show that takes place over downtown Las Vegas.

From Videos

We had a blast. This is the first of many vacas that Cheryl, Alex, and I have done together and only one of many, many more.