Please make CF stand for Cure Found.

Check out the video at: http://www.andylipman.com/video.cfm

Fifty-five-year-old Cahill, who has cystic fibrosis and underwent a double-lung transplant last month, is a popular and recognizable figure in the CF community.

“You Cannot Fail” has become Cahill’s personal mantra, and the You Cannot Fail book includes 40 pages of quotations, photographs and essays that illustrate how he lives that mantra day in and day out.

The book is one component of a broader You Cannot Fail program of the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Launched late last year in support of the cystic fibrosis community and others coping with serious illness, the You Cannot Fail mantra has universal appeal.

The Foundation plans to expand the You Cannot Fail merchandise offered on Amazon in the coming months. In the meantime, the book and other merchandise — including t-shirts, wristbands and paperweights — also are available from the Foundation’s online store.

Sales of the book and merchandise support a new You Cannot Fail scholarship and other programs benefiting the cystic fibrosis community.

• The Bonnell Foundation
• Ideas from the CF Foundation
• Purchase a hat, shirt or bib to help promote awareness!

Some other simple ideas:

• Wear a purple ribbon to show your support.
• Post a CF fact-a-day on you Facebook or Twitter page.
• Use Instagram to document various parts of your daily life and share them online.
• Do a letter campaign to all of your friends and family asking them to help you raise awareness of CF.
• Blog about how CF has affected you and your loved ones, post your links in our comments section or on our Facebook page.

What ideas do you have to create more awareness for CF?

In the healthy world, I go out in public. I don’t “look” sick and often I can hold back my cough. I like the fact that I can blend in and hate that people who are more obviously disabled are treated differently in public. People who are ill or handicapped deserve the same decent human respect that everyone deserves – they do not need anyone’s looks of pity or wonder.

In the healthy world I also have acquaintances. They know me well enough to know I have CF, but are not close enough for me to share my struggles. They worry about me when they hear I am sick, but they really don’t have any idea how sick I am or what I go through because they “see” me as healthy, energetic Jen. When they find out I only work 2 afternoons a week or that I sleep 9-10 hours a night, they don’t understand and some even make jokes about it. Then I get hurt. This isn’t fair to them, of course, because they only see me as my public “healthy” self. And so I continue to struggle with how to handle this group.

In the healthy world, I have family and friends who are painfully aware of the 2 worlds I live in. They are the ones who hear my uncontrollable coughs and my gasping for air; they are aware of the frequent digestive problems, and they see me get tired easily. Although they cannot relate, they are wonderful and understanding and sympathetic.

Then there is The CF World. CF is a degenerative, fatal disease for all who have it – but the severity of it in each person varies widely. I have what is considered a mild/moderate case. When I was diagnosed in 1972, the average life expectancy was 10. Because of this, my parents were extremely overprotective of me, but overall I didn’t feel sick. By the time I hit my teens, I decided that any treatment was stupid and that I wasn’t really sick. The only thing I did for my CF was take enzymes to help with my digestion.

Fast forward to age 22 – I was living in Michigan, had a terrible scary cough and was coughing up blood. I set an appointment with a brand new doctor since I had just moved there. I’ll never forget the moment my doctor looked me right in the eyes and said – if you keep doing this little to treat your CF, you will be dead by the time you’re 26.

26? I was devastated. Somehow, in the back of my head, I had decided that I would probably die early b/c of my CF – like maybe in my 60′s – but 26? He immediately put me in the hospital for a “clean out”, put me on IV antibiotics and did a variety of unpleasant humiliating tests. When I went home I was given a brand new “vest” machine to do airway clearance and 2 different medicines that I had to inhale through a nebulizer twice a day. Welcome to the real world of CF, Jen.

After being in the hospital for 2 days I was informed that I had received a nickname from the other CFers. I was called “the bitch.” This was not due to my personality, but rather it was due to the fact that I did not need my first “clean out” until age 22. They despised me for being so healthy. I just received the most devastating news of my life about the severity of my illness and they were upset because I was so healthy?

I still continue to live out this dichotomy today. I had to retire at age 34 because working was getting to be too much of a drain on me (expect for my very part time job). I do 2 hours of breathing treatments a day and am on so many medicines that all of the people who work at the pharmacy know me by name. But to many in the CF world, I am doing well.

Right now the average life expectancy for someone with CF is 37 and I am 41. Compared to many who have suffered so much more with CF, I am blessed by this fact. Compared to most people who live in the healthy world, I was born with a great burden.

In the end, I think they are both right.

Club CF is a valuable online resource featuring stories about adults around the country who are living, breathing and succeeding with cystic fibrosis.

Despite the popularity of social media, there are few online venues where people with CF actually can tell their own stories and feel as if they are making real connections. Club CF bridges this gap — it’s a website that allows people with CF to open up and share some very personal stories with others who may be able to relate to their experiences.

This CF Wind Sprint was made possible by a grant from Genentech.

BEF invites the CF community to submit questions and topics for CF Wind Sprints via its Facebook fan page or on Twitter.

http://esiason.org/

Here is a snippet from her post:

What systems, habits or practices (different words, same outcome) do you need to put into place to create the results you want?

Here’s why this is such a crucial question:

A system or habit is something you set up in advance from a place of intention.  You schedule it in advance. You set the alarm, define the work, set the timer, show up and get it done.

When you do this, you become immune to reactive thinking, to those days when you feel whiney, to the “I don’t feel like it’s,” and to the sudden moments of panic (like my college boyfriend used to have).

Your Magic Words are a ridiculously simple (but powerful) phrase that will multiply your results every time:

“This is just what I do.”

 While Christine is talking about business, this works perfectly for taking care of my health. There are some days that I don’t want to workout but it looms over me because I know it is keeping me healthy. If I apply the mantra “this is just what I do”, it makes it just plain fact.

A few scenarios where this works for me….

~ I had to run errands and now I am really tired. I didn’t eat lunch yet. I don’t want to make something. I need the calories though. So I make a sandwich and I sit and I eat. “This is just what I do”.

~ I have a two-hour window where I could workout for the day but I have so many other things to do. Can’t I just take today off? I remind myself there will always be stuff to do. Right now, workouts are very important. So I ignore the laundry. The dishes sit in a pile and I go workout. “This is just what I do”.

~Taking a nap many days even when it means leaving a social event or canceling plans… “This is just what I do”

When I have accepted the things I must do for myself as matter-of-fact, it becomes much easier. Knowing they are a means to an end helps me know the frustration, pain, lack of energy now, will all be worth it at some point. It is even paying off now because it is keeping me in this semi-healthy limbo.

Do you have a mantra you use to keep you motivated? Can you see the phrase “This is just what I do” working for you? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Christine Kane is the Mentor to People Who are Changing the World. She helps women and men Uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly Uplevel You eZine goes out to over 20,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com. 

Eligibility Criteria
The Elizabeth Nash Foundation Scholarship program is open to individuals with CF who are in-going or current undergraduate or graduate students at an accredited US-based college or university.  Given limited resources, the program is currently only open to US citizens. Funds to support Associate Degrees are not currently available.

Selection Criteria:
In selecting applicants, the Elizabeth Nash Foundation Scholarship Committee takes into consideration  each applicant’s scholastic record, character, demonstrated leadership, service to CF-related causes and the broader community, and need for financial assistance.

Application Requirements
In addition to completing a short data form, applicants are required to submit a one page essay, letter of recommendation from a teacher, letter confirming CF diagnosis, and an academic transcript.  In addition, applicants are required to submit a copy of their FAFSA and specific details of fees and tuition costs from their academic institution. A checklist of all application requirements is included in the application available here.

Scholarship recipients must be willing to support the Foundation, at the Board of Directors’ request, by writing an article for publication by the Foundation, writing up to 10 thank you notes to donors and/or 5 – 10 fund raising letters in support of ENF, speaking at one local event, or in some other manner nominated by the recipient.

2012-2013 Application Deadline & Award Date:
Applications for the 2012-2013 school year must be postmarked by April 9, 2012. Due to the volume of applicants, incomplete or late applications cannot be considered.  Notification of scholarship awards will be mailed by June 20, 2012.

Award Details
Grants range from $1,000 to $2,500 and are made directly to the academic institution to assist in
covering the cost of tuition and fees. Grants are made for one year; however, individuals may re-apply for subsequent years.

Questions
Any questions should be addressed to scholarships@elizabethnashfoundation.org.

Forty-five-year-old Rick grew up Queens, N.Y., and was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at six months. He now is married to his caring wife, Leigh, and is the proud father of their 15-year-old daughter, Marty.

“The first thing I noticed post-transplant was that I could BREATHE. I could take a deep breath without coughing — it was truly amazing,” Rick says.

Post-transplant, Rick became the “can do” dad. “I was able to take my daughter to the mall and walk around with her and shop. That is a great feeling,” he says.

Rick’s recommendation to people with CF who are thinking about a transplant: “Fight your depression, stay active, and have a strong support team you can talk to.”

Click here to listen to the Rick Lerz audio podcast on the Boomer Esiason Foundation website.

To help make this interview one of Podcast Alley’s top-rated health podcasts:

Go to www.jerrycahill.com
Scroll down on left side to “Email Address,” type in your email address and hit “Vote Now”
You will get an email response
Respond to the email to activate your vote
This “LIVING. BREATHING. SUCCEEDING.” Podcast/Vodcast series is made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from Genentech to the Boomer Esiason Foundation.

Recognizing the financial burdens that exist for many cystic fibrosis (CF) families, the
CFCareForward Scholarship was developed to honor young adults with CF as they pursue goals of higher education and beyond. Through this program, Abbott continues its 25-year commitment by offering support to patients and families touched by CF through nutritional,
financial and educational resources.

Scholarships are awarded based on applicants’ creativity, academic excellence, community
involvement and ability to serve as a positive role model for the CF community. For more
information, visit www.CFCareForwardScholarship.com.

This year, the CFCareForward Scholarship is celebrating 20 Years of honoring young
adults with CF.

Turning 20 in 2012
• Forty CFCareForward Scholarship recipients will be selected to receive $2,500 for use
during the 2012-2013 academic year and given the opportunity to compete for a larger
scholarship in one of two categories, based on level of study

• In celebration of the 20th year of the Scholarship, $20,000 will be awarded to a
Thriving Undergraduate Student and Thriving Graduate Student. These awards will
be given to the recipient with the most votes in each category after a month of online,
text and phone votes from the general public along with a panel of Abbott judges

• In the past twenty years, scholarship funds totaling more than $2.2 million have been
awarded through the CFCareForward Scholarship program

• Accepting applications until April 17, 2012: www.CFCareForwardScholarship.com/apply

To be considered for a marathon entry, each runner must commit to make a donation or raise funds totaling $3,000 or more to the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The donations support research toward a cure for cystic fibrosis, as well as BEF’s Exercise for Life Scholarship to improve the quality of life for individuals with CF.

For application and fundraising information, check out the 2012 ING New York City Marathon page on our website.

Please also visit the Team Boomer website for information about other 2012 events, including the New York City Triathlon, Boomer’s CF Run to Breathe and Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

Warm regards,
Team Boomer Staff