Of course, while I'm healthy now, I still have to be smart. If I'm smart enough to outsmart an illness, that apparently hasn't been outsmarted by western medicine being led by the top medical PhDs in the world, then I better be smart enough to avoid getting sick like that again if I can. This is where the line between letting CF control things and not letting CF control things gets blurry. 

I look and act like any normal healthy person, yet I can't go to a school building or go swimming anymore, unless I want to play a dumb game called "let's see how sick I can get before I'm admitted to the hospital". It's not a fun game, and I really don't think going to a school building or a swimming pool just to act normal is worth risking my life. I've been going to school and swimming in pools for years, but I have to remember that as I age, CF progresses whether or not I feel it, and illnesses evolve and multiply as well. 

So, while I'm forced to stay home from school, and can't go on epic water slides unless they let out into some ocean or river-fed lake, at least I can breathe and live without the taste of infection in the back of my throat. Plus, I don't have to go to a school building or swim in public pools to live a fulfilling life. I'm very happy with life right now, even though this year has been considerably harder on me, and I've found ways to fill my time and make sure I will survive. 

I'm doing my best to live a full life without getting bitter over the things I can't do, or letting CF completely dictate my every move. It's pretty hard to balance everything, since I take about 50 pills everyday, have treatments I need to do, and I have to be cautious of where I'm breathing. Yet, I still find things to do and places to go without letting Cystic Fibrosis control me. If I was totally worried about the air, I wouldn't have a two-stroke dirtbike, and I certainly wouldn't go to motocross events equipped with a bandanna so I don't suffocate to death on dust.

I try to not let weather dictate my outdoor activities. Unlike a lot of CFers I know, I'll play out in the snow even if it's less than 30 degrees outside. I can't pass up an epic snowball fight or sled race. I'll play outside in the heat even if it's over 90 degrees, which sometimes ends with me curled up against a bunker with a paintball gun until the game ends, since it's not fun anymore when I can't function properly. And I'll go outside even if it's dusty and windy, since I can shield my nose and mouth with a sleeve and be just fine. Sometimes I'll have a gnarly coughing fit, but nothing a little water can't help. It's actually pretty rare for people in the CF community to hang out outside when conditions aren't great, since doctors always tell us how bad certain weather conditions can be for our health. In my mind, whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger, and so far, weather hasn't killed me or made me very sick. 

And if I was totally worried about illness, I wouldn't visit crowded places. Yet, I still end up in places like downtown Boston, Seattle, Minneapolis, Omaha, Des Moines, LA, London, Los Cabos, and my hometown Denver, etc. I just know I can't go to those crowded places everyday, since if I do that, I'll definitely pick something up within the first month or two.

It sucks sometimes, but it is what it is. It's just life, and I'm doing extremely well for having the issues I have. It would be terrible if I was bitter and angry over the things CF prevents me from doing, especially since there's so much I can do, and there's even more to be grateful for.