Stop Bugging Me CF

Thanks to another CF mom for this idea!  While doing our neighborhood garage sale, Elena did her own booth to help Fundraise for her Rosebuds team that raises money for Cystic Fibrosis research and CF families in need.  It made me teary to listen to her explain what she was doing and why.  She is SOOO grown up.  She even enlisted her little sister Emily to help for awhile. 

So proud of our big girl taking charge of her disease and not letting it define who she is.

Silly nilly

So thankful for Elena's good health this summer. She is doing great on pulmozyme. She eats well and is looking a little thin, but makes up for it in height as she is having a growth spurt (growing pain in her legs most nights). Her energy is thru the roof! She is constantly playing piano, making up dance routines, creating crafty crafts for herself and her siblings, doing science experiments, swimming, running, biking, playing outside as much as she can between the heat and the rain, and just being a fun and spirited 8 year old.

She is growing up at lightening speed before my very eyes! She is NOT listening to her daddy at all when he says, "Hey, cut that out and stop growing! You just can't be as tall as your mommy just yet!"

We start homeschool back up in a couple weeks. This year Elena is excited to share the school room with her brother, Ethan, who is starting preschool!

Even though life with cystic fibrosis can make us a little coo-coo for cocoa puffs, we are still filled with lots of joy... And a lot of silliness too.

CF Girl!

While in Disney World last month collecting character signatures, Elena decided that she should perfect her own.  This is what she came up with:

That's about right after this weekend!

 Visit our blog for details and videos of our famous little girl!

www.goodrowgang.blogspot.com

Rockstar Awesomeness continues

Dr. McKean is really a truly fabulous and amazing Man and Doctor. Besides the prayers and obvious hard work it takes from ALL of us to keep her healthy, I truly feel that McKean's aggressive treatments have kept her strong and it REALLY shows when she does her PFT's.

Today at her follow up visit we watched as her lung function continues to be super. Then we listened as her lungs sounded clear. Then we looked as her nasal polyp showed signs of shrinking with the affects of the meds McKean prescribed last month. AMAZING!

Last night Joel and I were talking about Elena's health. We wondered if her good health was a fluke and if other kids with CF her age were doing as well.

We fear her future for her. Her health is not predictable and can change in an instant. This can be frightening to think about, so we just DON'T think about it often. However, when we do it is a sad discusion.

I meantioned my thoughts to McKean. His answer, "TOBY (a newer med out since Elena's birth) has CHANGED CF." Yes, yes it has.

More new meds continue to change the outlook for Elena and her other friends with CF. The dollars that go into research REALLY are making a difference. I see it everyday when I look at Elena's growing body, when I place my head against her back to listen to her CLEAR lungs, when I watch her run and play with her siblings, when I see her catch a cold and throw it off quicker than the rest of us, when I begin to fear for her and I have her hug me and tell me what a great mom I am.

God is so good. He takes the bad and makes it good. Elena may have CF but the amazing stuff this child does is going to continue to rock my socks off...I just know it!

Her Rosebuds race is this weekend. I'm so very proud of her for having the idea of Rosebuds and "running" with it! It has been a success every year since it's creation three years ago. I can't wait to see what the dollar's raised is this year! I'll keep you posted.

There is still time to donate toward her team, click HERE. Thank you to ALL who have been so supportive of Elena!

Polyp...hopefully not for long.

Elena's latest regular CF doctor visit showed that her lungs were rockstar awesome! However, Dr. McKean discovered a polyp in Elena's nose. This is pretty common for folks with CF. She is using two different nasal sprays to try and reduce the size of the polyp. She is fortunate that it is not bothering her breathing or causing any other problems at this time. We are hopeful that the meds will reduce the polyp and no further actions will need to be taken at this time. We should have answers in a couple weeks following her next visit to McKean. Meanwhile, the kid is 8!!!! When did THAT happen? As her birthday came and went this year I had such feelings of joy. I looked back at her baby book and smiled at the story of our first miracle; Elena. For those of you who are around me a lot, you know that March 3rd is usually surrounded by a few tears. This was the first year it was all smiles. I even watched her birth video without a tear! Time heals, God heals, and the joy of my family is infectious!

Girl Scout Cookies!

Guess who's selling Girl Scout Cookies? ELENA! Let me know if you are interested in buying any from Elena. Elena is starting to take orders. She informed me tonight that she wants to sell 1,000 boxes so she can win an iPod Touch...then said she was ok if she sold ONLY 400 for the iPod shuffle. SOOOOOO, any box sold to get her toward her goals is MUCH needed and VERY MUCH appreciated. :)

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree...

(taken at my parents for our BFG Pretend Christmas...thanks to Will for this name B (Bostelman) F (Freeland) G (Goodrow)...taken PRE-flu outbreak)

Ethan, Emily, and Everett were diagnosed with Influenza Type A on Tuesday of last week. The moment their diagnosis was confirmed, we sent Elena out of the house. She has been living with her Grandparents for a week now and is symptom free! It is a good thing we sent her right away (at the Doctors insistence) b/c since that day we have been cleaning throw up, doing every song and dance to get the medicine down the kids (I even sang "A Spoon Full of Sugar" while whirling and twirling through the Candy Cane Forest...two movie references here), doing 4...no make that 7 loads of laundry a day, and praying Elena would stay healthy. Oh, did I mention that Daddy had been out of town all that week? I should be exhausted and cranky. However, I've got friends nearby that have made food drop offs, medicine drop offs (thanks girls) and a ton of family offers to help out. So instead of tired, I'm very grateful!
After a trip to the doctor and the hospital on Saturday we learned that:
Ethan has the flu, pneumonia, and an ear infection
Emily has the flu, severe bronchitis, and an ear infection
Everett has the flu and an ear infection
and a Partridge in a Pear tree!

Elena has NOTHING! Thank you Dr. Miller for your quick action to remove her, thank you Dr. McKean for the quick meds to protect her, and thank you grandparents for keeping her for so long! She thinks she is on vacation even though Nana continues to do homeschool with her.

Today the kids are doing better. The fevers are gone, the smiles are back, and the sibling bickering is right back where it was two weeks ago. Of course, there is a few hugs and sweet gestures here and there to keep a mother's heart happy.

It has been surprisingly nice to be stuck at home. Our home is decorated all festive, the fireplace stays lit and warm, and the advent wreath is lit every meal (the kids are WAY excited about the fourth candle being lit yesterday...I have to admit that I was, too!) The flu forced a slow down and I think it came at just the right time.

I hope you all have a chance to slow down and really enjoy the joy that the birth of Jesus brings! Merry Christmas!!!!