Team Emily is underway!!

The Haager family hosted our annual Team Emily Kick-Off BBQ on Sunday to get our Great Strides Walk Team on its way!

Check out some fun pics from the afternoon. I am stoked for another year to walk and to have people I love walking beside me. Thanks to my parents for hosting yet another successful and fun afternoon in the backyard :)
~Em

This is the awesome cake Julia made for our team :). Love it!

Julia and Mom, sporting their Team Emily gear
I love my mom!
The Martins rocked the house :)
My girls :)

Great Strides is Coming!!

Team Emily 2009 will be walking in Dana Point, CA on Saturday May 2nd!! Come join us!
See my Great Strides Website to join my team and walk with us, and/or donate to finding a cure for CF. Any donation is appreciated :). Great Strides happens all over the United States so if you can't walk with us, consider joining another team or creating your own team- go to www.cff.org/Great_Strides for more information.

Go Team Emily!
~Em

An itchy update

Turns out, I'm allergic to Imipenum! Yuck. My slight itch on my skin progressively got worse with each dose of medication and by Wednesday morning it felt like my whole body was itching and burning from the inside-out when I infused my medication.

After much discussion with my wonderful doctor, Dr. Rao, we decided to give me a week off of IV meds and re-evaluate my progress next Wednesday. I readily took this break as it's been exhausting to keep track of my meds every 6 hours. I'll be spending this week exercising a ton, sleeping extra (thanks to no medications I slept a full 8 hours last night!) and praying my lung function can bounce back up on it's own. Hopefully I had enough medication to kill the infection brewing in my lungs and my pulmonary function levels will jump back to my baseline. If not, it may be hospital time for me (but I won't worry about that till next week!)

Thanks for the prayers and support, friends- it's a blessing to know I have people backing me up! Much love to all :)
~Em

A Little Itchy?

Hmm...as I was awake at 4am this morning to do my IV infusion I suddenly was very itchy all over and just couldn't stop scratching! Is this a side effect of the medication or am I developing an allergy to Immipenum? Hmm...we'll see if this continues, but it is quite uncomfortable!
~Em

A Round of IV's

After fighting a sinus cold for a few weeks I am bummed to say that my cold traveled to my lungs and has brought my Pulmonary Function levels down, increased my mucus and has and made my breathing difficult. So I started a round of IV antibiotics this week to fight the infection and bring my lungs back to normal. I am thankful to be able to do these medications from home and not from the hospital :). Though it takes more coordination of my schedule and extra effort to make sure my meds and treatments are done, I am happy to be sleeping in my own bed!

I ask for your prayers these next two weeks:
-Pray the meds will be effective and my lungs will bounce back to my normal function levels
-Pray I can get some rest. My meds are every 6 hours and have some gnarly side effects.
-Pray I can maintain life as well as be careful to care for my body's needs

Thanks, friends...and if you encounter some random blog posts on here, it's because i'm up at odd hours pumping meds into my system and trying to keep myself awake ;)
~Em

Hawaii Article

Remember how I went to Hawaii in December with the Mauli-Ola Foundation?
Here's an article put out by Transworld Surf Magazine with some press and photos about our surf day for Cystic Fibrosis. Good times!

~Em

Loving 26

Like I said in my previous post, I love February...it just happens to be my favorite month . And a few weeks ago I turned 26! Yes, 26...which before my birthday was a little daunting knowing that it was now closer to 30 but now, a few weeks after, I am in a place where God is really teaching me and I am learning a ton. I have been overwhelmingly THANKFUL to have had 26 healthy years of life. I rejoice in the blessings God has given me, in the fact that I am alive and well and I am excited for what is ahead.
I want to take this time to say thanks- thanks to the Lord for 26 amazing years to live and breathe . Thanks for all the people in my life who continually love me and shape me by God's grace, and thanks for an excitement for many years ahead. I love 26...and I love knowing God is in control of the next 26 :).
~Em


Here area a few pics from a wonderful birthday weekend away in Catalina! Fun times with my Life Group! For the record, I am now in love with this island :).

February Birthday Fun

February is my favorite month...why? It happens to be the month where I get to celebrate so many friends and family's birthdays (as well as my own)! I get to celebrate both my sister and dad, as well as many friends along the way...February is a great month :).
Happy Birthday to dear friends and family, it was a blast celebrating with you this month! Here are a few pics from just one of the celebrations I was able to be a part of!
~Em

Celebrating Mariel's 30th! Thanks Denise for hosting a great breakfast for the girls :)