Gavin DeGraw!!!

Alright... It has been awhile since I've posted. This post is going to be much different than my last post. Last time I posted, I was very sad and depressed over the loss of my puppy dog. I miss her very much, but it has gotten much easier over time. Today I am going to post about...

Gavin DeGraw!!

My friends and I went to a concert at the Peace Center on November 9th- BEST NIGHT OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!! We went to the concert expecting a great time, but we had no idea how wonderful the ending of the night would be. David Cook was headlining the show, with Gavin DeGraw sharing the show. Carolina Liar opened up for them.

After Carolina Liar opened up, we went out into the Lobby Area to meet them!! They were awesome people, and very talented. We were so excited to get a picture with them!!

While we were in the lobby standing in line to meet Carolina Liar, we heard a rumor that Gavin DeGraw would be coming out for a meet and greet after his segment of the show. We FREAKED OUT because we LOVE LOVE LOVE Gavin and went to the show mainly for him. After Gavin performed,we booked it out of the Concert hall (We actually got in trouble for running) and headed to the area where Carolina Liar did the meet and greet. After standing outside for 20 mins, the merchandise guy asked us why we were waiting around in the lobby while people were performing. We told him that we heard Gavin would be coming out, and we were waiting to meet him. The merch guy automatically said "That AIN'T happenin!!" We were disappointed, but decided to wait a few more minutes to make sure he wasn't lying to us. We were talking to all the "Ticket Ushers" (The usually annoying people that make sure you are in your seats at all times) and they were all laughing and talking with us about how dedicated we were to Gavin- We REALLY wanted to meet him!!

After about 30 mins or so of standing around talking (while praying that we got to meet Gavin) the Merch guy quietly called us over to his T-Shirt table and said "Alright girls, let's talk. Whatcha Got?" We started going crazy when we realized that he had backstage passes. Our sweet talking had worked!! We all said that we could give him gum, and he said "What else you got?! I want Vodka!!" One of my friends handed him a twenty dollar bill, and it worked!! We all got what we wanted!! The Merch guy got his Vodka, and we got our passes!!!

We were jumping up and down for about twenty minutes, and I think we told the Merch guy that we loved him a million times. I remember calling my Mom screaming into the phone that I got backstage passes. Her response? "Cool Brynn. I'm going back to bed." Oh well. She wasn't as excited as I was, but I got over it.

We spent the last hour of the show standing outside of Gavin's tour bus- He opened the blinds and waved at us!! There were all kinds of crazy people standing outside of the bus, but we were the only ones that had passes to meet him. While standing outside the tour bus, we met Edwin McCain, and Ryan Smith- Big time music video director. We had an amazing time, but we will never forget when we got to hug Gavin and have our pictures taken with him!! David Cook and Gavin DeGraw both signed my ticket and brace(I have tendontitis)!!!!

Best Night of my life!!!

(Like the picture? I had to try harder than ever to keep my cool and smile normal.)

Until next time,

Brynn Kaitlin

BK :)

Daisy and Me

Today is the first day waking up on my own, and I hate it. My dog Daisy was my best friend and shadow. Every morning, my best friend would sit outside my bedroom door crying and scratching until I woke up and went to greet her. Most people would think of this as an annoyance, but I loved it. Even when Daisy was at her sickest, she would come get me in the mornings. Boy, am I going to miss her.


When my sister and I were little, we wanted a puppy so bad. We had one Poodle, named Phoebe, but she was old and didn't like to play.  People always told Hannah and I that if we wished on a dandelion, at some point our wish would come true. We wished on dandelions all the time, asking for a puppy. We started wishing on dandelions when we were probably four and six years old. When I was around seven or eight, my sister and I realized that our wishing had paid off- we would be getting a puppy.

My mom told us that we would be getting another Poodle, but this Poodle would have red fur. My sister and I were thrilled that our wishes had come true and we would finally get a puppy. Our brother, who was two, was terrified of the idea. He was afraid that the puppy would chew up his feet and would destroy his blanket.  We just told him that if he didn't leave it  laying around everything would be fine. The day that my mom and sister brought home the puppy, my brother and I scrambled to pick up our "valuables" so that the new puppy didn't chew them up when she came home.

When I laid eyes on my new puppy for the first time, I was so happy.  She was perfect. She had the curliest red fur, and the most adorable face. We named her Daisy. My siblings and I constantly fought over holding her. We loved playing with her; We loved throwing her toy, but our favorite was dressing her in baby clothes.  My mom always told us that the new would wear off of her, but for me, it never did. She was my baby, my Daisy.

We loved dressing Daisy in doll clothes- She seemed to enjoy it

                                                   

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures

                                             .
When our dog Phoebe died, I was upset and mad at the world. I didn't understand why dogs couldn't live as long as humans. I wanted Phoebe back. My mom said "It's okay, we still have Daisy." I was so happy that we still had a dog, but she wasn't the same as Phoebe. Awhile after Phoebe died, our kitten died. We just found him outside and figured that he was bitten by something in the woods. I didn't think it was fair that Mickey had to die before he hit a year old. We were all so sad. Again, my mother said "It's okay, we still have Daisy."

Daisy and I were always together. Whenever I came home from school, she would run as fast as she could to come greet me. If I stepped outside even for a minute, Daisy would be sure to greet me the second I opened the door to come back inside. She loved all of us, but Daisy had a special connection with Dad and I. Whenever my Dad came home from business trips, we would scream "DAD'S HOME!!!!!" and Daisy would go running straight to the door that led to the garage. She would also go running if someone screamed "BRYNN'S HOME!!!!!" Sometimes, we would scream "DAD'S HOME!!!" even when Daisy was sitting in my Dad's lap. She would still go running for the door.

In 2008, Daisy got sick and was diagnosed with Diabetes. I was terrified, because I knew that this would shorten her life span. Daisy had to eat special dog food, and she was given two insulin shots each day. Once the Diabetes was under control, she seemed to feel better. She seemed to be back to the happy dog that she was. Daisy had good and bad days, but she had more good days than bad. When she did have a bad day, she would be attached to me or Dad. When Daisy did have a bad day, I didn't leave her side.

When I was in Seventh Grade, I got very sick. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with me, and every test they ran came back clean. I was so frustrated that the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. When I would lay on the couch sick, Daisy would appear out of nowhere, and she never left my side. I was unwell for over five years, and Daisy was by my side every second that I was sick. Sometimes, Daisy was the only thing that could make me feel better.

It was hard when my best friend started going downhill. She started developing cataracts and she was running into walls and falling down all the time. She eventually became blind. It was so hard to look into her eyes and see the white clouds. 

A few days before Daisy died, I was very upset; I knew the end was coming. I laid on my bed feeling like dying, because I didn't know what I would do without her. Guess who cheered me up? Daisy. I was crying about her dying, and she was the one to cheer me up. That same day, Daisy walked over to her favorite toy, picked it up and dropped it in my lap. It was so obvious that she felt terrible and was in pain, but she brought me her toy anyway. I know that she was trying to reassure me or make me happy, but it was so hard. When I threw her toy, she had to stumble all over the place sniffing it out because she couldn't see. She played for ten minutes anyway. I know that she did it for me.

There is nothing harder than losing a family member. Daisy dying is one of the hardest things that I have had to go through. When I woke up this morning and realized that Daisy wasn't going to scratch and whine at my door, it really hit me. I really loved that dog. I just wish she was here to cheer me up like did the last time I was upset. I know that she can be happy now though, and that she is looking down on me in Puppy Dog Heaven. I love you Daisy, and I am going to miss you so much.

I sure am going to miss my girl. When she died, I saw a dandelion in the grass and made a wish for my Daisy. This is to the amazing dog, who started and ended with a wish on a dandelion.

- Brynn

Dear: ____________

So... I have lots of feelings about a lot of people.. I wonder if you can figure out who you are?

Dear 1: Grow up. You think you are all that, but you aren't. A lot of people have a problem with you. You can be one of the most fun people in the world.. when you want to be. A lot of people really care about you, but you either (a.) Don't notice (b.) Don't care or (c.) don't know how to express your thoughts/feelings to others. Everyone thinks you are a lot of fun, we just wish you were nice to us half the time.

Dear 2: Don't let other people influence you the way you have been letting them. You are a really good kid, and you are so much fun to be around. You are way better than your friends; Find some new ones!!! Don't let them change you.

Dear 3: You are awesome. I haven't seen you much this year because of being sick, but I seriously miss you. You are one of the most amazing friends ever, and I absolutely love the "get well cards" made out of index cards that I have received from you and my sister. You are one of the best artists EVER and I LOVE seeing all of the pictures of your artwork. We will have to catch up for all of our missed amazing times this year over the summer. Maybe we can wash my car and tie dye again? You are the best.

Dear 4: You are so strong. I don't know anyone that has been through as much as you have, and yet you have stayed yourself throughout everything that has happened in the past two years or so. You never gave up on yourself, and you kept going when things got very, very tough. So many people look up to you and wish they had your kind of strength.

Dear 5: I miss you being the way you used to be. We all had so much fun together when we were little, and then you had to drastically change. We talk about wanting to change you back all the time, but we know that it won't happen. We used to play hide and seek when we were little, and then get into trouble for not coming out when you had to leave. I miss you being so much fun and not having a care in the world. We all miss you.

Dear 6: Come home... please!!!!! Everyone misses you, and you keep visiting only to leave again!! We want you here to stay!! Too bad that won't happen.

Dear 7: You, my friend are AMAZING. I have probably been through the most with you, and you understand me like no one else can.. because they have never experienced the things we go through on a daily basis. We always have SO much fun together. We together are the most quoteable people in the universe. I know that one day we will both be better. You will be the famous song-writer/singer, and I will be the trampoline model. You, are my Fabby. :) I love you!!!!

Dear 8: I met you freshman year... in gym class... where you made fun of my running. :( hahahaha You are my bus buddy/carrowinds buddy/ boot buddy. We always have so much fun!!! You made fun of me last year when I hurt my thumb and was in a cast. And karma struck.. and you got a boot. :) and I laughed SO hard. and then... karma struck again.. and I got a boot!! Except... my boot is sexier than yours... mine has a little blue button that is fun to push :)


Well.... That is it for now. This kid has make-up work to do.

Until Next Time,

Bk

Spring Cleaning, Tie Dye, Prom, and Gallbladder problems?

So what could I possibly have to say about Spring Cleaning, Tie Dye, Prom, and Gallbladder problems?

A LOT.

The past couple of weeks have been very exciting, for sure. I guess I will go all the way back to like three weeks ago. It started off very exciting, because I was doing exceptionally well. We have started cleaning out the attic and all of our other storage areas in the house and moving them to a storage unit a few minutes away from our house. That weekend, our amazing cousin came over and helped us clean things out of our house and move it to our storage unit. After we worked for several hours, mom gave us each money to do whatever we wanted with. We decided to get some things to tie dye shirts with. My sister had the coolest result of a home tie dye project I have ever seen:

Isn't that awesome? I am going to have to let her do mine next time. Mine turned out the best I have ever seen, until I saw hers. Maybe I am just pathetic at tie dying, but her shirt kicks butt.

This post is kind of going nowhere... so I will skip details and get to the good stuff..

(I ended up getting a nasty sinus infection that I could not get rid of, and I can't have antibiotics so I had to get antibiotic injections in my legs... the most painful injections you can get because they go straight into the muscle. They kill. It feels like fire traveling through your legs and makes you want to die. But... enough of that story... I missed a full week of school but then got better.)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That was last week.

Saturday was Prom. I had a blast. It would have been terrible had I missed it. Oh wait... I almost did. Right after I got my dress on and my make-up done, I stood up having bad pains in my right side. It went from seemingly minor to very severe very quick and I almost had to go to the emergency room. It took everything in me to keep it together. Long story short... I sucked it up and went to prom anyway, despite the pain, and it eventually got better. Turns out it was probably my gallbladder. I have been having issues that relate to gallbladder malfunction and I am going to the doctor tomorrow. It looks like surgery is in my near future. Awesome.

Wish Me luck.

BKay

Oh... Prom Pictures.....

Like the dress? Like the hair? Lemme Know.

(I'm done this time.)

- BKay

Good Days > Bad Days

I am finally starting to have more good days than bad. Finally. I feel like I have lived for the time like this.. for the past five years or so. Living trapped inside a sick body is indescribable...miserable... lonely...unhappy. I am so happy to be doing better... and to not be so reliable on that awful medicine and its side effects. It is kind of ironic that I am writing this post about having more good days.. when I am having a bad day (sick day) today. But... I realize that I will continue to get better and better.. and that thought excites me very much.

The medicine that I had been relying on for quite some time changed me so much. I was different. I wasn't the same outgoing, loud, talkative, energetic, ADHD, OCD, friendly person. Instead, I was a silent, exhausted, and unhappy zombie. I now know what it is like to be me again!!! I am so happy, and I have energy again. Before I started to see improvements, I didn't know what I would do with my life. I couldn't see my future. But now, I can. I will be helping others who know what it means to be very sick. I will be the one to tell them that everything will be okay, when they don't see themselves getting better. I will be the one to change someone's life.

While I was typing this blog entry, I was listening to my music on iTunes, when a song came on that I can very easily relate to, along with so many other people. "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus is amazing. Now, I am not a fan of Miley Cyrus at all, but I love the song... Especially this part:

" There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Aint about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb"

I think a lot of people can relate to this song. Everyone has struggles. Everyone wishes that they didn't have major struggles or difficulties in their lives, and that they could get rid of them. Everyone hates to face the biggest challenges of their lives. It isn't easy to face a challenge. It is even more difficult when things don't go your way, because you keep wondering what the outcome would be if things HAD gone your way. But, it is the outcome of the simple daily challenges and the most difficult challenges that make us who we are.

 The more I think about it, I wonder what I would be like had I not gotten sick. Would I be the same? Probably not. I believe that everything happens for a reason. We don't always understand why the things that happen to us happen. Maybe it is simply just to learn how to face reality, and to keep going on with life. But, since I have been sick, I have learned a lot. Being so sick all the time gave me a lot of time to think. I never understood why it had to be me that got sick. Was it to make me stronger? Was it supposed to teach me a lesson? Or.. Did God just know that I could handle it? Whatever the reasons, I learned a lot about myself. I am stronger than I was before. I now know that I can handle much more than I ever thought was  possible before. I learned so much more... and I continue to keep learning.

- Brynn Kaitlin

Stairs + Book Bag + Cell Phone + Stupid Fat Cat = Major Fail

Well... this week has been another adventure. Monday morning I woke up feeling great. Five minutes before leaving for school, something awful happened! I was going down the stairs (rather fast) with my book bag on my shoulders and I was looking at my phone. My stupid fat cat decided that it was a good idea to run underneath my feet and make me fall. I fell from the 2nd step all the way to the bottom. During my journey down the stairs, I decided to stick my foot out to the step ahead to try and catch myself. Instead of stopping, I went all the way down the stairs on my ankle, which had ended up being turned all the way inward. (I don't think my 50 lb book bag on my shoulders made it any easier to stop!!!)

I went to the doctor Monday evening and they did x-rays. They discovered that I badly injured the ligaments in the ankle. They also found something weird about my x-rays. They said that they didn't know if it was from a previous injury, this injury, or if the anatomy of my foot was just very abnormal. They suspect that something is wrong with it, and by the way that the doctors were talking, it worried me. (Yes, doctorS. One doctor came in, and then after a few minutes another one came in and looked at my foot, too.) We also told them about my food allergies, and they told us that the allergies had probably weakened my ligaments and joints, making it much easier than normal to have a serious injury by normal activities. (That's why the ligament in my thumb was damaged by a seat belt so easily.) I have ankle problems to begin with, so the doctors were worried about me injuring my right ankle by limping around.

SO... I have to wear a lovely boot on my injured left ankle, which almost touches my knee. I have to use crutches because I'm not allowed to put a lot of weight on it, and it makes it less likely for me to injure my other ankle. I also have to wear a brace on my right ankle to prevent injury. I ALSO have to hold my crutches awkwardly with my right hand to avoid re-injury to my thumb. I ALSO will be put back in physical therapy. I will be given therapy on my newly injured ankle, and also will have to get it on my other ankle.

Thank you, to my stupid fat cat, Zoey for doing this. Greatly appreciated. I will probably have to wear this boot to Prom, and it SO won't go very well with my dress. My luck. To top the rest of the week off (so far) I am sick. Great week.

Until Next Time,
The Greatly Annoyed,
Bk

Last day of spring break.

Well... tomorrow we go back to school. I always hate the end of a break, but I am looking forward to being back. I actually really dread going to school now that I am going to hopefully be back in school "full-time". My goal is to go to school every single day this week. I haven't done that since september. There is soo much stress for me going back to school tomorrow. I have all kinds of assignments to turn in, out of my two classes I have tomorrow- both teachers hate me. They have both gotten into a lot of trouble for not getting me my homebound assignments, and then one of them takes 5 days to answer and email.  As much as I am going to dread those classes, I am still excited about tomorrow. I really miss not seeing my friends.

I am really ready for next year... so that this school year can be over already. There are sooo many factors that make everything stressful. I hate having to think about school, because I can't get it out of my head. But, I've had to think about school a lot while doing my 30 weeks worth of make-up work.

My homebound was extended, so I will still be only going to school for half a day the rest of the school year. I dropped all of my afternoon classes (the school made it not count because it was medical problems) so I will be taking spanish online this summer. The other classes were just related arts and were just extra credits.


I hope that this week goes well, and that the stress can stay to a minimum. Wish me luck!!!

Bk

I am a martial artist.

I am a martial artist.

I see through different eyes.

I see a bigger picture

when others see grey skies.

Though many can't conceive it,

I stand. . . facing the wind.

My bravery, not from fighting,

but from my strength within.

I am a martial artist.

I'll walk the extra mile.

Not because I have to,

but because it's worth my while.

I know that I am different,

when I stand on a crowded street.

I know the fullness of winning,

I've tasted the cup of defeat.

I am a martial artist.

They say I walk with ease.

Though trained for bodily harm,

my intentions are for peace.

The world may come and go,

but a different path I'll choose.

A path I will not stray from,

no matter, win or lose.

~Karen Eden~

I have this on my wall in my bedroom. It really does describe the life of a martial artist, and it is amazing. I know this poem by heart, I look at it hanging on my wall every night.

I just felt like posting tonight, so I decided to post my favorite poem. I spent hours today writing a poem for school. It is so much harder to write a poem when there are all kinds of strict guidelines to go by. It takes all the fun out of it. I actually enjoy writing poetry, but only when I make the rules. I hate having to follow a certain format or whatever. I write differently depending on my mood. My poem I wrote for school wasn't good at all, to my standards. I can only write meaningful things when I am going freestyle based on my mood at the time. Earlier today, I was going through the files on my computer and came across things I did when I was in 5th grade. Some of the poems are SO FUNNY.



Ode to Velcro

Velcro was there for kids who couldn’t tie

Velcro was a hero and that’s no lie.

Children were happy, because they didn’t have to shout:

“Come on, Help me out!”

Looking back at it, things were bad

All children were very sad.

They felt used,

Possibly confused

These were impossible laces,

And there had been many sad faces.

Then, Velcro came to the rescue,

Made on almost any size shoe!

Children were glad

They couldn’t believe they had ever been mad.

Thank you Velcro, we owe you one

What would we ever have done?

Brynn Duncan

I wrote that in 5th grade- we had to write a poem on a helpful invention... I chose velcro? 



Lilly Lufus was a dufus

Her dog Rufus ate

A rock

Sister Cassie was too sassy

Her Dog Lassie killed

A frog

Brother Bobby had no hobby

His Cat Hoppy smashed

A vase

Mama Janet went to a planet

Her Hamster Janet II died

In space

Father Petey was too Creepy

His friend Eydie went

To Jail  

Granny Boldie was an oldie

Her fish Goldie got

All moldy

Hannah, Garrett, and I came up with this in 2005. Garrett came up with the Mama Janet part. hahahahahahaha.

It's amazing how going back through files on my computer can be so much fun.

I was considering posting my poem that I wrote today, but I am not proud of it, so I'm not going to!!

Well.. I was in a poetry mood today.

Until Next Time,

Bk

Strength

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength."

I've been told by many that this quote describes me; Maybe they're right. I have had to put up with a lot the past several years, and I kept fighting to stay on top. I haven't given up. I may not be able to get into USC for pre-med right after I graduate, but I WILL get there eventually. I will probably go to a tech school of some kind and then transfer from there. (If you maintain a 3.0 GPA, you can automatically transfer to a school, such as USC. I can easily maintain a 3.0) I will reach my goals, I just don't know when. I have had to work so much harder than anyone knows, but many people don't think that my hard work has paid off. I know that it has. I may not have my good grades anymore, or a lot of things, but I have gained so much. 

When I first started taekwondo at the age of nine, I immediately made it my ultimate goal to reach 3rd degree black belt. We had been to a tournament, and one of the 3rd degrees did a demo. I was fascinated by his abilities, such as his "super-strength" and board breaking techniques. I knew that I wanted people to look up to me the way I looked up to him.

I made it to 1st degree black belt at the age of eleven.

Right before I turned thirteen, I got really sick, and nothing was the same anymore. I couldn't eat anything without getting sick, so I stopped eating. I dropped down to 89 pounds. I was 5'8", so it was an even bigger deal because of my height. I lost my strength, and didn't really care about anything anymore; except for reaching 3rd degree black belt. I decided to suck it up and gain my weight and strength back.

I reached 2nd degree black belt a few years later.

I got even sicker. I started having problems again so I stopped eating. I dropped back down to 102 lbs. I started missing more school. My immune system had reached rock bottom and I caught everything. I had five ear infections in one year. I had a stomach bug more times in a year than you can count on fingers and toes!! I was always sick, and I never felt well; even on my "good" days. Once again, I decided to suck it up and deal with it. I wanted my 3rd degree black belt, so I was going to fight harder than ever to get it. I was extremely sick the day I tested for 3rd degree black belt.

Although I was sick, I reached my ultimate goal, 3rd degree black belt.

The week after receiving my 3rd degree black belt, everything fell apart completely. I was even more sick than I have ever been. My immune system was even worse. I got sick every single time I ate.

I have missed over 30 weeks of school this year. I developed asthma and had to quit taekwondo. (I had to go to the hospital because I had a very severe asthma attack, which was how we discovered that I even had asthma.) We discovered that i have food allergies. I am allergic to 72 things. That's why my immune system doesn't function properly. That's why I have had so many injuries that left me in pain for so much longer than normal. (I was in physical therapy for a year with a thumb injury.) That's why I'm the way I am now. 

For the longest time, people said to me, "Man, it sucks to be you!!! You have to deal with so many crappy things happening to you!!" For the longest time, I agreed with them. I have now realized that we were all wrong. I never understood why It took doctors five years to come up with some kind of diagnosis to my problems. I still don't understand!! But, I am happy. I kept saying that sickness ruined everything for me, and took so much away.  I was wrong. I have gained so much. I now know what it's like to have to fight for something. (I had to visit so many doctors while trying to find out what was wrong, and I ended up diagnosing myself!) I fought to push myself harder and harder so that I could reach 3rd degree. I am having to push myself harder every day to bring myself to do make-up school assignments when I could be having fun with friends! I am now in the process of fighting the abdominal pain to avoid taking my medicines, which pretty much make me as "high as a kite." I am learning more and more every single day.  I know how to push myself to the limit, and that is one of the most valuable things that I've learned!

Although I am still sick all the time, I could not be happier with the outcome. I know that there is always someone who has it worse. And thinking about it, I haven't had it too bad at all. I have the most amazing friends and family ever, my health has improved greatly, and I have learned what it truly means to have strength and willpower.

Until Next Time,

Bk

:)

30 Facts About Me.

1. My full name is Brynn Kaitlin Duncan
2. Some of my friends call me Bk.
3. I am a 3rd degree black belt in TaeKwonDo
4. I danced for 7 years- started when I was three, but quit to focus on TKD
5. I have curly brown hair
6. When I was little I had an afro
7. I have the same initials as my dad, so if one of us writes "BK" on something, no one knows whose it is.
8. I am afraid of heights, but in the moment, depending on who I'm with, I try to act fearless
9. I have a dog named Daisy, she is a diabetic poodle that I love to death.
10. I am allergic to 72 things.
11. I have been sick for 5 years, and finally found out how to make me better.
12. I want to go into the medical field as a nurse specialized in...(?)
13. I have a brother named Garrett
14. I have a sister named Hannah
15. I have the most incredible family that a person could ask for
16. I have the most amazing friends a person could ask for
17. Alex is my BGF- and nobody else knows what that stands for :)
18. I LOVE to take pictures.
20. Scary movies are the best.
21. My room is hot pink- surprised?
22. I am very OCD (literally) about everything
23. My brother wayy smarter than me- he helps me with my homework.
24. I am obsessed over my hair- it hardly ever looks good, but if someone touches it and makes it look different than it did before, I turn OCD and can't stop messing with it. (Ask Alex)
25. My favorite movies as a little kid were Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland (the original cartoon)
26. I am starting to discover who my real friends are. And I am so glad I have them.
27. I have been through a lot since being sick, and with everything that brought me down, I have only came back stronger.
28. I have never been 100% healthy, but I know that I will be soon.
29. I could not be more thankful for the people who have been there for me since day one of all of this nonsense, for the people who put up with me and didn't give up on me.
30. I will start a conversation with anyone, but when I was younger I was shy towards "strangers"

I started off this post with the title of "100 Facts", but I stopped at 30 and couldn't think of anything else. I think I'm an exciting person, and you can always count on something exciting to happen when I'm around-outside of school (unless I was on medicine.. then I could have been exciting). Well, there you have it. 30 facts about myself, that people reading will already know about me anyway. I couldn't think of anything else. I'm sick. I have a good excuse.

Until Next Time,
Bk

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back.

It's amazing how things can change so fast, especially for me. Everyone who knows me knows that maintaining my well being has been a rollercoaster. It is difficult for me to stay well. I go from feeling wonderful, to being sick as a dog. My immune system doesn't work, therefore my body suffers. I am constantly catching viruses, and where one person may catch something and be sick for a day, I am sick for a week.

We may have to extend my homebound. I don't want to. I want to be at school. I want to pass 11th grade. I don't want to be sick anymore. It isn't fun. It's terrible. I don't like living this way. I want to be better. I want to see my friends every day at school. If I had one wish, I would want my immune system to work, for the first time in my life. Even if I would be sick once a month, I would be happy with that.

My goal is to be better. I want to go back to TaeKwonDo. I want to be able to run around and not get tired so fast. I want to be able to eat whatever I want. I want to be at school. (Ironic that someone my age would be saying that, but it's so incredibly true.) I know that one day I will be better. I just hope that it's soon.

The best concert of my life.

A year ago today, I attended the most incredible concert of my life. Thank you Train, the best band ever. I had so much fun at their concert. The concert was held at the Peace Center, which was an amazing place to have such a concert.  Because of the acoustics in the building, Pat Monahan sang one of his songs acapella. Best 4 minutes of my life.  I hope they come back. I have seen Train in concert twice; once at the peace center and when they went on tour with John Mayer.

Well.. for some reason I felt like going on and on about Train.. but for some reason I can't think of anything else. They are just amazing.. because Pat Monahan is an incredible singer!

I am so deprived of Facebook. I keep wanting to update my status.. to remember that I can't. Oh well. Hopefully I will get it back this week.

Until Next Time,
Bk

Nothing But Chaos!!!

Well.. I officially failed the 30 day challenge. Oh well. It is way harder to post everyday than I originally thought! This weekend has been nothing but chaos. Yesterday was good until about 7:00 PM rolled around. Mom and I were on our way home from the Home and Garden Show at the Carolina First Center. My Dad and little brother were going to meet us to go shopping for a new TV... but that didn't happen.

My little brother frantically called Mom and told her that Dad had fallen down the stairs and was hurt badly. We were 30 minutes away from home, and didn't know how bad he was hurt. My brother told us that he hurt his arm and his foot, and Dad told him that he was about to pass out. So.. Long story short- we got home and mom took him to the hospital. Dad was ok. He didn't have any broken bones. And, all of this happens on his first day back in the US from his China trip. Awesome.

- Bk

Good Day!

Ahh. Such a good day! I laughed so much today that it's probably insane. It started off with Mom pulling up to the drive through window at Rite-Aid. She couldn't hear the man talking to her, so she started yelling: "CAN YOU HEAR ME?!?!". When his lips were moving, but no noise was coming out. Mom was turning around in the car to see if the pharmacist was talking to another car. Nope. Turns out mom had the window rolled up the whole time. As soon as she realized that the window was not rolled down, we died. I can honestly say that I have never laughed that hard while at some type of drive-thru. And... the rest of the day was good too. :)

30 Day Challenge: Favorite Television Program
I have two favorite tv programs... both being some kind of medical related show. I absolutely LOVE "House". His jerkiness mixed with his smarts makes for a very interesting... 'Simon Cowell-like" character. I love it. I also love "Mystery Diagnosis".  Maybe it has something to do with understanding what people go through when doctors can't seem to tell you why you are sick.. because I have felt their pain. Or, maybe it's because I like hearing stories of people who were like me at one point, not caring what the outcome was anymore, and then recovering. Just like me. Or, it could have something to do with the fact that i just like medical shows and my interest in the medical field has something to do with it. Anyway, both of these shows are amazing. If you haven't seen them.. check it out!!

Until Next Time!!
-Bk

Another Adventure to the Doctor. Yippie!!!

Well. Today started off fantastic. I woke up, felt good, and got ready for school. During my morning routine, I discovered that I had a pimple on my forehead. TO THE PROACTIV!! I walked into my mother's bathroom, put the proactiv cream on my little spot, and went on with straightening my hair. Shortly after putting on the cream, I noticed the smell was much stronger than I had remembered.

Then it happened. My breathing started getting worse and worse, so I used my inhaler. It didn't work, so I used it again. I didn't really notice a difference, but It was time to leave for school. My sister and I rushed out to my car and proceeded to drive to school. I was having more trouble breathing as I drove to school, but I didnt want to let Hannah know because I didn't want her to panic. I dropped her off and raced home as I talked to my mom on the phone. She dropped my little brother off at school and then came home to get me to the doctor. As time went by, I continued to get worse, but we finally got to the doctor. I was panicked, and as soon as we walked in like three nurses took my mom and I back to a room. As they got the breathing treatment ready, there were another two nurses standing in the doorway and my doctor came to the room. They finally got the breathing treatment ready!! They had to get me a little kid's mask because my breathing was too off to breathe through the little tube thing. But, finally I was better. When we left the doctors office, I had all these people calling out to me, "SO glad you are okay, you scared us!!" and, "Don't you know that it isn't nice to scare your mom like that?!?" haha I am just glad that it is over with!!

It's weird how that kind of thing happens so fast when it seems like you are living in slow motion. I was scared to have my sister in the car with me, because I was lightheaded and scared to be driving. But, the second I dropped her off I was even more scared, because I was alone. It's weird how you don't know what you want when you are scared. Of course, I don't know what I want half the time anyway.

I guess the point of this is... I hate asthma. And when I do something, I do it big, especially with the medical problems and injuries. Well, I hope that my drama for the day-week-month-year(?) is over with. That is all as far as that goes....

For the 30 day challenge...
Favorite Movie:

Elf. I love the movie Elf. It is fantastic. I already love Christmas, but a crazy elf named Buddy makes it amazing. I could quote SO many lines from that movie.


Until next time,
Bk

30 Day Challenge

Well, I decided to do the 30 day challenge. I figured it was the perfect time to start, it being the first day of a new month and what not. So... here it goes.

Your Favorite Song
I have so many favorite songs...

For the First Time- The Script

What Do You Got?- Bon Jovi

Perfect- P!nk

Irrational Anthem- Plain White T's

I Never Told You- Colbie Caillat

Speechless- Lady Gaga

Red Camaro- Rascal Flatts

Glitter in the Air- P!nk

Save Me, San Francisco- Train

Sunshine Song- Jason Mraz

Save the Day- Train

Something Beautiful- Needtobreathe

Higher- Taio Cruz

Well.. Those are some of my favorite songs!!

Until next time,
-Bk

I'm Just Saying.

My name is Brynn. My middle name is Kaitlin. My friends call me BK.

I'm not like most 17 year old girls. The past five years have really influenced the person I am today, and I would not be the same person had I not learned to overcome obstacles thrown my direction.

Five years ago, I caught a virus, along with the rest of my family. I never imagined that this virus would change so many things.  My family was sick for a few days, while my condition worsened. The doctor guessed that my immune system was just having a difficult time fighting off the stomach bug. I couldn't eat anything without feeling worse, so I didn't eat. With each day I felt worse, and the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. After being sick for several weeks, I dropped down to 90 lbs, and couldn't gain weight. I couldn't go to school. I didn't care about anything anymore. After several months, the doctors determined that it was just a severe case of IBS, and we stuck to that diagnosis for 4 years. After being on special medicines, I felt better. We discovered that antibiotics made things worse, so everytime I had an ear or sinus infection, I got extremely painful antibiotic injections instead of the pills. I thought the problem was the antibiotics. I did better for awhile.

This past year, everything fell apart again. But it was so much worse. I got even more sick and had problems attending school. I had gotten to the point where I had no energy, and honestly didn't really care about anything anymore. I had a "screw it" attitude towards everything.

Well.. even longer story short, we discovered that I had extremely severe food allergies. I came back as being allergic to 72 things... every tree, every grass, and so many foods. Turns out my  immune system was attacking itself. Turns out the food allergies caused the problems. Turns out they also would have killed me had it taken a lot longer to find out.

It is so hard to post five years worth in one post, but another long story short: I am doing so much better. Once I found out what was wrong with me, and started to avoid the foods that i was allergic to, I felt better. I woke up one morning and said to my mom: "So, this is what it feels like!!!!!" I can't believe that I forgot what it felt like to not be sick!! Over the past month, things have gotten better for me.  I never would have given myself the chance to get better had I not had my amazing family and friends. I am so thankful for them. I am so thankful to be better. I am so thankful to feel more alive than ever.


Facts About Me

• I have the most amazing family and friends that I could ever ask for.
• I am a 3rd Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo
• I danced for 7 years.
• I want to be a doctor
• My favorite colors are green and blue
• Alex is my BGF, and knows more about me than any of my other friends
• I had an afro when I was a baby.
• I am a brunette who is guilty of acting blonde :/
• I have a brother and a sister
• I am very tall

Until next time.....

-BK