Spreading Awareness, All the Way to Germany!

Hey guys,

I am honored and so excited to tell you guys that a blog for people with Congenital Heart Defects has in Germany asked to use one of my past articles for their own blog. After corresponding for a few days back and forth, the article was published on its site just a few days ago. I posted a link to their website on my 'Favorite Links' section of my blog, so feel free to check it out! 

This is also exciting for me because I got to meet yet another person who has a congenital heart defect and the same lung disease I have, Pulmonary Hypertension. If that wasn't cool enough, she also has a pacemaker like me! I have met a lot of people who have pacemakers, sure. But none of them have had PH like I do! I thought I was the only PH patient who had one! 

It is amazing how the world can be so big but the internet can make it so small and you can meet and connect with people from all different countries that you otherwise wouldn't have even known existed! The written word can bring hope to the world and change. And know, its also brought me a new friend; all the way from Germany! Just another reason why I love to write and will continue to do so. 

Hope and Love,

Becca 

P.S. If you want to read my article on their website you can go here: Corience.

Back from Florida!

Hey everyone,

So I am back from Florida! Last night our flight kept getting delayed so I didn't get home till about 1:30 AM. Needless to say, I was exhausted. Especially from all the walking around we had done over the course of the week. We went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Sea World and Wonder Works. Wonder Works is kind of like a science center but the building is turned upside, so it is known as the 'Upside Down House'. 

We didn't spend a lot of time in Sea World since it was a down pour constantly and all the rides closed down. In Universal Studios we visited the Comic Book Land, Dr. Suess Land, Comic Strip Land, Jurassic Park land and of course Harry Potter world where we tried their Butter Beer. The shops in Harry Potter world were amazing, but the whole place was crowded so we didn't spend a lot of time there either. 

The conference went really well! I gave my speech about creativity - especially blogging and writing as a coping mechanism. I also performed American Sign Language to music to the song 'Power of One' which went perfectly with the theme of the conference 'The Power of One; From a Kitchen Table to Around the World'. I had so much fun answering questions and meeting people who sat in on my session! 

A lady gave me her business card after my speech and asked me to write a few paragraphs about this years conference for the next edition of a book called 'The PH Patient Survival Guide'! I am so excited to help her with this and to write a few sentences about all the sessions I attended this year! 

Speaking of sessions I attending, I went to a Teen PH Support Group and I sat in on a Low Salt Diet session. In that session we could all ask questions as to how to go about doing a low salt diet, not getting to dehydrated and things like that. 

This conference was amazing and I really enjoyed our stay in Florida! The next conference is in 2 years and it will be in Indiana. I am already excited for it! The did film my speech, and once I get a copy of that - I will post it on here! 

Hope and Love,

Becca 

- Guest Blogger -

Hey guys, 

I got an e-mail from a lady named Melanie would asked me to share this article she has written. While it talks about how to deal with cancer through blogging or keeping a journal I think it can really apply to anyone going through a hardship; or just needing a way to cope with life. Here is the article, I hope you enjoy! 

Most people can honestly say that they make lists; grocery lists, Christmas lists, guest lists, birthday lists and to-do lists. Fewer people can honestly say that they make lists of their goals; that they catalog their wants and desires and use their lists as a personal form of motivation to achieve those goals and live the life they’ve always wanted. Using a blog or a journal to catalog dreams, desires and wishes is a way to motivate oneself to success, whether it is in business, personal life or illness.
Keeping a journal or starting a blog is one way that people deal with their stress and emotions in a healthy manner. In particular, those that are suffering from illness such as depression or even a rare form of mesothelioma cancer can benefit most from keeping a journal and cataloging their thoughts to ensure a better prognosis. A person that is suffering from cancer or another disease typically deals with a major load of stress on average. All those worries can bring a persons mood, health and even quality of life down significantly, which is why it is a great idea to journal or blog. Writing down emotions, stresses, feelings and even goals that a person wants to accomplish in their life is a great way of dealing head on with stress.
Cancer treatments are difficult on people. They can cause illness and depression and bad days. When a person is having a bad day, it helps immeasurably to be able to look back on the journal they’ve been keeping and read about their journey thus far. Seeing that they’ve lived through previous bad days and that good days are never far away can help to improve a person’s mood, and their quality of life. Quality of life is of the utmost importance in terms of dealing with any type of illness. A person’s quality of life could make or break they way they handle their treatment and their prognosis after treatment.
Journaling does not require a person writing down their exact feelings or emotions on paper through complete sentences. Journaling can be drawings, lists, notes or phrases. Writing down lists of goals, things to do and places to go and see can help a person realize that there is more to life than cancer and itstreatment and that once their treatment ends they have their whole life to experience the things on their lists. These lists and the words written in a person’s journal can be the best type of motivation. This will help a person in dealing with illness to continue down their path of recovery with a better attitude, better health and a better outlook on life. Keeping a journal can help one look forward to the future and be excited about the life they have to live.- Melanie a guest writer  For more information go to: Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance 

Love and Hope,
Becca 

Great News!!

Hi Everyone, 

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while, I have been really busy with college; which is going really good. Sadly I have been really tired whenever I come home so I take a nap for a few hours, but other than that I am doing great. I have some great news! I had to turn in my first college essay about an important event in my life, so I wrote about my graduation from high school and how I wasn’t even supposed to make it to that point yet. I was really nervous about how she would grade it and what I would get, but I got a 90%!! I was SO excited! Then I had to do a take home Sociology Exam, the teacher kept telling us that take home exams were not easier; in fact they were harder. So I was really nervous when I turned it in; but I was pleasantly surprised when I got it back and I had gotten the grade of 100%!!

Some more great news is that I applied to be an official blogger for the Adult Congenital Heart Defect Association’s website. I heard back from them and they accepted my application! I am going to be a blogger for them! Woo-hoo! Then, on top of that I also heard back from a website called Fight Like a Girl Club which is a website where woman can post and read inspirational stories of woman and girls going through health issues such as tumors, diabetes and cancer. I had applied over the summer and finally heard back from the founder of the website who apologized for the delay (because they have so many applications) she also told me that she remembered the article I had written for them as a guest writer over the summer and she also said that she looked at my blog and read one of the poems I had posted on there. I was so surprised and excited when the founder of the website told me that since she remembered my writing she didn’t even have to look at my application; I automatically got a position as their blogger for their section on Heart Disease! (I did explain to her though that my heart problem is a defect, not a disease because those are two different things.) I am just SO excited! I love writing and I’ve always wanted to make a positive change in the world using my love for the written word; it seems as if I am getting the chance to do that now through two different blogs! I am so happy!!!!! I want to thank all of you who read the stories I would write as a little kid and told me to continue with the hobby that is now a passion of mine. Your support is greatly appreciated!

With Excitement,

Becca

Home!

Hi everyone,

I got home Tuesday from Oregon. I drove with my niece, little sister, two older sisters and my dad from Oregon all the way back to Arizona. Instead of going by miles, my dad would measure our progress by the weather. He'd yell out every so often "Now we are at 85 degrees. Now 90!" Did this till we got to our house, the temperature being 110!! I missed my bedroom and the soft water we use for the shower; the shower in Oregon was not soft water and made your hair feel even dirty after a shower than it did going in. =P 

While up in Oregon my parents surprised me with my own laptop! They got it for me as a graduation present! It is an HP and I LOVE it!! 

I went with my two nieces and my little sister to our church today to help set up for Vacation Bible School Camp. After that we went to my grandma's house for lunch and swimming. 

I wrote an article for a newsletter called PathLight. PathLight is the newsletter that the Pulmonary Hypertension Association sends out to all it's members. When they post it on their website, I will post the link so you all can read it!

Not much else is new here! Thanks for checking in!

Love,

Becca