Goals 14 Years Apart


June 27, 2005, age 19
Goals:
1.     Gain weight. For real - I want to be 135. Currently, I weigh 122. I know that 135 is an unrealistic goal, but it's the healthy weight for someone of my height. I really want to weigh 130. I need to change my views on food. I've realized that for me, eating is part of my health routine - it's just as important as my other treatments.
2.     Stay at school for the full semester. I will take care of myself - and if one of my classes is too stressful or taking up too much time, I will just drop it. Taking care of myself is a full-time job, so from now on I'm looking at things differently. It's like I'm taking a few classes on the side, but my job comes first. My health is first. I can always re-take a class, but I can't un-do damage in my lungs.
3.     I will not be hospitalized before next May. Dr. Green said when I got out of the hospital in April that he seriously doubted that I would be able to stay out of the hospital for a year. Since he said that, it's been my goal to prove him wrong. I'm staying out of the hospital for at least a year. I'm not going to be stubborn on this one - if my lungs are bad, then of course I'll let them hospitalize me, but this is my goal. I want to fight and be strong like I've always done. Being hospitalized for my lungs once was enough for me. I'd rather it never happen again.
4.     I want to graduate from UW Madison.
5.     I'm going to throw a huge party for everyone I know on my 33rd birthday. 33 is the average life expectancy for someone with CF, and I know I'm above average so I'm going to make it to at least 33. MARK YOUR CALENDARS - JULY 30th 2019 - HUGE PARTY.

March 6, 2019, age 32
Review of goals from almost 14 years ago:
  1.     I gained that weight.  I gained the hell out of that weight.  I ended up at 200 lbs by the end of 2011.  And then I lost weight.  After transplant, I got down to 115.  They nearly needed to put in a feeding tube.  And now I’m a healthy 145 again.
  2. Nope! Was never able to complete another semester.
  3. Nope! I was hospitalized in September for 6 weeks.  I tried still going to my one class everyday and it was such a shit show.  I got in a car accident while I was technically inpatient in the hospital… ahhhh pediatrics where you can leave for almost anything.  I left that hospital stay to go for a Sunday drive with my dad and to go dancing with my best friend.  I literally laughed out loud at the “being hospitalized for my lungs once was enough.”  Who was I kidding?  And here I am almost 14 years later with new lungs!
  4. HAHAHAHAHAHA! But they clearly didn’t want me to graduate or they would’ve been more accommodating.  I don’t care if I ever have a degree in anything.
  5. THIS!  The life expectancy for CF is now around 37, I think.  42 if you’re in Canada bc, gee, socialized medicine.  BUT I could still throw a big party for my 33rd bday! It’s 2019!!!


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