NEW, New York Times!!
December31
Check out this “Where Are They Now?” feature from the New York Times. This year I was part of both the Running Voices and Voices of Cystic Fibrosis feature for Tara Parker-Pope’s Well Blog. Here is a little end of year recap that features myself and two others! What a great nightcap for 2009.
Patient Voices: Where Are They Now?
By KAREN BARROW
(Click on the pic to read the whole article!)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________This has definitely been one of the absolute most exciting years of my life! My brother Adam and sister in law Marcy gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl ever, Kacey Emily Schaller. She is the light of my life and I love her to pieces. For sure the best thing of 2009. I saw the county on two wheels. From Detroit to Chicago with four friends on our bicycles. Then from Chicago to Burbank, CA on a Vespa where I ended up at a taping of The Ellen DeGeneres show. My dream came true as my hero and idol, Ellen, came up to me during commercial breaks to talk to me and give me some good words and Joe Perry’s guitar pick. Read all about that on my Emily to Ellen section of the site. The E2E trip took me through small towns and big cities. I met life long friends and saw friends both old and new all across the map. Lululemon Athletica was more than gracious in every city that we met and I am thankful for their support on my mission to Rock CF! Quality time with my dad and uncle was unmeasurable too. This year was chock full of set backs, from injuries and other things, but one thing my brother Jason told me is to “Never take NO for an answer!” I didn’t and every time a lemon hit me this year, I made the best lemonade possible! And even sold it! Right now I’m on day 10 of the Vertex VX-770 Clinical Trial and I have a really good feeling that I am getting the real drug and not the placebo. My cough is almost obsolete and there is barely any of that crazy thick mucus in my lungs. My salty sweat seems less salty too…?! Unfortunately the CF community said goodbye to too many friends and loved ones. What a tough fall and winter season…I just know that all of my CF buddies are “Breathing Easy” now and not struggling. For you all though (especially Mel) I am running my first Full Marathon. Every step is for you and of course everyone else living with CF now. We will beat this thing…I know we will. Until we do though, we need to keep kicking ass and taking names. To a happy, healthy and successful 2010. Rock CF, Em
