"Like breathing through a straw"

So about a half-hour ago I (Jonny) ran 3.1 miles outside in 29 minutes. That's pretty slow for me, but there was a reason: I did the whole thing breathing only through a McDonalds straw. There is a reason behind this too, I'm not just crazy despite what more than a few people have told me. When people talk to me about my job or my workouts they always ask "Does your wife do all that stuff with you?". When I tell them that she can't right now because of her CF, I explain to them that for her to exercise it'd be like someone with normal lungs trying to workout while breathing only through a straw. I use this analogy a lot, but until today I had never actually felt what it's like to run with that limited of breathing.

I wore nose plugs to make sure that I only breathed through my mouth. I also brought along two straws to alternate between since they fill up with spit (haha, ok even I think I sound crazy right now). It started out rough trying to find a breathing rhythm, since it actually took force and concentration to exhale and inhale without doing it too fast. After convincing my body that there was no chance of quitting, I zoned out (probably also from oxygen depravation) and kept running. A few times on some hills I really wanted to take it out, but I never did. As soon as I finished the 5k, a crouched down on the grass, threw off the nose plugs and the straw, and said a prayer for Rachel to receive her new lungs. After personally feeling what complications with CF can be like, I want so badly for Rachel to be able to breath easily and someday run with me. And with God's help I know that's possible.

Just the other day I was talking to one of my clients and she was asking me about the transplant. She asked if Rachel would be able to have children of her own. I explained to her that although the doctors don't think it's a great idea, we don't rule out the possibility. She replied "Hey, with God nothing is impossible." I agreed with her, then she looked at me and while laughing said, "You don't know the meaning of the word 'can't' anyway, do you!" She's right...

I don't.
We don't.
And God doesn't either.