Re: it's me Kerry

[Guest guest]

Kerry,

It's hard to put into words how thrilling it is to hear from you! I could not possibly be any happier for you. Please know that you and your family remain in my thoughts and prayers. Keep going, keep riding....keep breathing!

Love ya!

Beth

Moderator

Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 Dermatomyositis 11/08

To: Breathe-Support Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 11:33:15 PMSubject: it's me Kerry

I have of course kept up w/ our dear Lucian and talked to Leanne from time to time. I have told both of them that I felt such guilt about not keeping up w/ you all that I didn't feel right coming on here to give any sort of update on myself. I told them to feel free to mention me if they liked after speaking w/ me, but to please explain that was why I hadn't been on. I still have May's utube message to me saved in my email from whenever that was, but it came at a bad time for me. Before that point I was super positive Kerry, but about that time I went thru a rough period. I did have rejection in Feb and March and didn't get the all clear until May. I just had a checkup in August and they had some concerns after my test and made me do another bronch to check for rejection and thank goodness this time there was none. For a while I was just bogged down by all the side-effects of the meds and I felt some sort of survivors guilt like I couldn't possibly

complain. It would seem silly to complain about the side-effects and in the big picture they are not all that, but all of them piled up at once, without anyone who walked in my shoes, I just had a tough road and needed to shut down for a while til I could again become positive Kerry. Anyhow, one of the reasons I spoke to Leanne was to give permission for the foundation to again use a picture of me and the kids for one of their compaigns. Last year they used the picture for posters around Chicago during a bike ride fundraiser. Long story short I went for a bike ride w/ my husband and upon doing it the wild thought occured to me that I could actually now participate in this bike ride that I was once the literal "poster child" for. So, I mentioned it to Leanne, looked in to it and have continued to ride my bike. I worked it out w/ our family's crazy schedule, arranged childcare, booked the hotel and started raising funds. This has had me on the foundations

site and well here I am realizing if I was doing this I should finally suck it up and say hello. I will tell you now I have no idea what's been going on w/ everyone as I haven't been on since I last posted, which was I don't know. Hello to all and if anyone would like to catch me up that would be welcome and I don't the person who posted this reply to Peggy's post, but I'd be glad to answer any questions about my journey/story. For tonite, I must sign off. My prayers to the entire group. Lastly, I will add the link to my fundraising page for the foundations bike ride because it does give a broad picture update on me w/ all of my recent physical activities and even a recent picture (a bike ride while out in Cali, yes my first trip since transplant).http://pff.donordri ve.com/index. cfm?fuseaction=

donorDrive. participant & eventID=501 & participantID= 1014Goodnight, KerryIPF '01Bilateral Transplant 12/08> >> > Group I don't know why but I forgot to tell you that Lucian went to > > see Kerry and she is doing wonderful. She is doing an

exercise class > > and a couple yoga classes. She is a go get'er.. I would bet she will > > be playing soccer or hockey which ever one it is she plays.. I am > > always amazed by that little thing. Thankfully she has gained about > > 10 pounds. She is mad about it but> > Lucian said she looks great.> > > > > > Love & Prayers, Peggy> > Florida, IPF/UIP 2004> > > > "I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet,> > when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."> >>