My Coronavirus Journey

Back in March, the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, people didn’t know what to think and waited anxiously to see what would happen next. When we were forced to stay at home and not leave our house, I knew it had to be serious.  I went into this pandemic thinking I would never EVER catch this virus, well I was wrong. Here’s my journey with COVID-19. 

My best friend from Memphis, Danielle, came to visit me and my sister on Friday, June 26th. We had the best weekend. We went paddle boarding, explored Charlotte/Concord, and enjoyed talking by the fire Saturday night. Sunday morning, I woke up and I was sneezing and my nose was running constantly. I didn’t think much of it because I have HORRIBLE allergies that are maintained by weekly shots and two pills a day. I thought to myself, this must be a flare up but it’s weird because I have this whole allergy thing under control now. After we dropped Danielle off at the airport, I went straight back to Kelsey’s and slept for about 3 hours. This is not unusual for me considering I love taking naps. I drove back to Hickory that night and went straight to bed.

Now we are on Monday, June 29th and Tuesday, June 30th. Other than sneezing and blowing my nose every 5 minutes, I was feeling fine, so I went to work both of those days. I even played softball and went out to eat with my friends on Monday night. Tuesday night is when things took a turn for the worst. At 8:09 PM I texted my Aunt Karen and said “I just took my temp and it’s 100.3.” She told me to take Tylenol and check it again in the morning before work. That night I woke up drenched in sweat about 5 times, even took a shower at 3:00 AM. The next morning, July 1st, my temp was 101.6 so I made an appointment to get tested for coronavirus. The next 5 days or so we pure torture, that I would never wish upon my worst enemy.. I had every symptom in the book. 

Sneezing

Lost of taste and smell

Body aches

Headache

Eye Pain

Shortness of Breath

Itching (SO BAD!)

Fever

Chills

Night Sweats

Weight Loss

Cough

On July 6th, I was feeling okay. I didn’t have a fever anymore but I was still having trouble taking a deep breath. This lasted until August 16th. On July 13th (the 12 day mark), I was retested and it came back positive. I was feeling so defeated thinking I would never beat this thing. I was retested again on July 16th (the 15 day mark) and it came back NEGATIVE. I cried real tears because I had beaten COVID-19 and could finally leave my apartment for once and for all.

Although I am not sure where I picked it up from, I urge you, my friends, please be safe and wear your masks when you can’t social distance.

Kristen Leigh Buynar

Graduation

On May 9th, 2015, I will be receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management with a Minor in Marketing from Arkansas State University.

 The past 4 years have flown by….so let’s start from the beginning.

Freshman Year     (University of Central Arkansas)

I was SO excited to finally be out on my own. I got to go to bed when I wanted, eat whatever I wanted, and do whatever I wanted. I quickly learned that those things might not be all they are cracked up to be. I should go to bed at a decent time, I should NOT eat whatever I want, and I should NOT do whatever I want to do. I still needed to listen to mom and dad’s advice over the phone. I still needed to call my sister since this was the first time we were apart in 18 years. Let’s just say I should have taken freshman year more seriously but I did meet some amazing people.

Sophomore Year   (East Arkansas Community College)

I never imagined myself going to a community college but it was the best decision I could have made. I going to be honest, I struggled my freshman year and did not make the grades I needed to. Going to EACC was a reality check for me. I started studying and taking school seriously. I got to live with my grandparents that year and it was amazing getting their advice and encouragement every day. Plus I got to have my gram’s cooking every night. I have my mind set on going back to UCA but God had other plans for me.

Junior Year    (Arkansas State University)

Oh hey, school I should have been at from the beginning ;) I declared my major, Sport Management. I finally found something that I loved to learn about. I enjoyed going to class and interacting with my classmates and professors. Everyone was so nice and welcoming from the beginning. It amazed me how everyone joined together to help each other with assignments. I feel in love with Arkansas State University and finally figured out what I want to do with my life. I also had an awesome job at Discovery Island Learning Center, which was a HUGE blessing in my life.

Senior Year    (Arkansas State University)

The year I had been dreading because I knew the real world was up next. My senior year started out by me getting strep throat (joys of working at a day care). BUT, everything went uphill from there. I was offered an internship with Arkansas State Athletics Marketing. I had the time of my life with this internship because it taught me SO much. Second semester started off bad also. I was in a horrible sledding accident that could have caused me to be paralyzed but the Lord was watching over me that day and I am thankful to be walking. BUT, everything went uphill from there. I finished my internship and my job. It was a busy year, but an amazing one.

Now I would like to make a few shout outs to some people that helped me get here.

Mom- Thank you for always being there to talk when I have had a stressful day. Thank you for helping me move in and out countless times. Thank you for going shopping with me on the weekends and buying me things.  I would not have made it the past four years without with love and constant support.

Dad- Thank you for always make sure my car is in good shape because you know I know nothing about cars. Thanks for asking me “Kristen, how did your test go?” because you always knew my answer was “at least it’s over.” Thank you for brightening my Wednesday’s with hump day posts. Thanks for the endless support these past four years.

Kelsey- When we left for college it was the first time in 18 years that we were separated. I honestly did not know how I was going to survive without you but look we managed. Thanks for letting me keep up with your life over Twitter when we were too busy to call each other. Thanks for being spontaneous with me on school nights. Thanks for letting me vent to you ALL the time. Thanks for everything, twin.

Gram&Pop- Wow where do I begin. Thanks for letting me live with you for a year of college. Thanks for coming up to visit me all the time. Thanks for letting me crash at your house on the weekends and do my laundry. I could not have survived college with y’all. I will miss living an hour from y’all but I will still be visiting as much as possible. Love y’all so much.

There are so many people I could thank but that would take up pages and pages. Thank you everyone for the support and prayers over the past four years. Just know that I could not have made it without you.

As for the future, I am moving to Fayetteville, Arkansas on Tuesday to start an internship with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. I will be there until August. At the end of August, I will begin grad school at the University of Memphis. I am so excited for this next step in my life.

Thanks for the memories stAte. #wolvesup

Kristen Leigh Buynar

Race Recap- Doc Rock and Run Half Marathon

9 days ago, I crossed the finish line at my 3rd half marathon. Say whaaaat? CRAZY TALK!

This race was the Doc Rock and Run Half Marathon and 5K in Jonesboro, Arkansas. I had never ran this race before and I had no idea what the course was going to be like. I imagined a nice, flat course. Boy, was I wrong. More on that later. Let's get to the recap.

On Friday, I went to pick up my packet after I got off work. Ashley and Megan, who also ran, went with me. My sister and her two friends came into town and joined us at the expo. Me and Rebecca went walking around the expo while Kelsey and Sara sat at the cooking show. We got a bunch of free stuff and I picked up my packet. After that, we went to Roma's to load up on some carbs. Personally, I did not like it and it made me feel sick afterwards. Bad mistake. After dinner, I gave them a tour around ASU and then we headed to bed. I had an early wake up call the next morning. 

On Saturday, I woke up around 6 AM. I took a shower and got ready. Then, I met up with Ashley and Megan in front of the quads and we headed to the start line. It was so nice to walk to the start line. I did not have to worry about driving there and finding a parking spot. The race started at 7:30 AM. The first couple of miles were good. I was feeling great and thought I was for sure going to PR. My goal was to run at least 4 miles every hour. I was doing good until the infamous hills started popping up. Holy smokes, I was not prepared for the hills. I did not do hill training, I did flat training. Sadly, I found myself walking the hills because I knew if I ran them, I would not make it to the finish. They had a water station at every mile but honestly those were the only people I saw. There were no people along the course cheering you on. I was disappointed because I feed off of that energy. Boo. This was a good race for me mentally. My running has come a long way since December 2012. Surprisingly, I did keep my goal of at least 4 miles every hour, despite the hills. My fastest mile was mile 1 with a time of 13 minutes and 5 seconds. My slowest mile was mile 13 with a time of 15 minutes and 27 seconds. The time on my tracker was 3 hours 12 minutes and 32 seconds for 13.1 miles. BUT. The course actually went an extra half mile longer so it was 13.6 miles. What the crap. That makes a huge difference and I was so pissed. My actual time was 3 hours 22 minutes and 39 seconds. So, I did not get a PR but that's okay, I will survive. I will probably never run this race again, just because I didn't like it. The next couple of days were rough on my body due to my new diagnoses of asthma. I won't discuss those issues on this particular blog though.    

I would like to give a huge shoutout to those that were waiting for me at the finish line. Mom, who basically carried me to a chair after I crossed the finish. Rebecca, who ran the last little bit with me. I would not have made it without you. Kelsey, Sara, and Natalie, who were cheering me on and texting me throughout the race saying "Run Kristen Run!" Dad, who got to see me cross the finish line at a half marathon for the first time ever. Gram and Pop, who are my biggest supporters when it comes to running. Thank you all so much.

I leave you with some pictures. Enjoy.

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

New Orleans Half Marathon

It has been a little over a month since I ran the Rock'n'Roll New Orleans Half Marathon. I feel like I should blog about it. So here it is ;)

We (Me, mom, Kelsey, Mrs. Patti, & Danielle) drove down to NOLA on January 31st. We left around noon and got to my aunt and uncle's house at 7. It was a very uneventful drive down there unlike the drive we had back, more on that later. When we got to Mandeville, we ate dinner and caught up with Aunt Tracey and Uncle Doug. Yummy Gumbo!! After dinner, we went to Party City and everyone got stuff to cheer me and Danielle on. When we got back to the house, we just chilled and went to bed.

On Saturday, we went to the expo at the Convention Center. The expo was kind of overwhelming at times. There were a lot of booths and a lot of people. After we got all of our race stuff and did a little shopping, we wen to explore the city. Mrs. Patti and Danielle had never been to New Orleans so it was fun showing them around. This same weekend last year, I was at the same place for the Super Bowl. You can read that blog here! After we were done exploring the city, we went back home and had dinner. We loaded up on carbs with Aunt Tracey's spaghetti. Shortly after dinner, I got all my race gear ready and went to bed. 4:00 wake up call the next morning... :(

AHHH SUNDAY! aka RACE DAY! We left Mandeville at 5:00 AM. (Race started at 7:00 AM). I thought it would be a chore to wake Kelsey up but surprising it wasn't. They dropped me and Danielle off a couple blocks away from the start line. We just followed the crowd. We made a stop at the portapottys(?) to use the bathroom first. Then we grabbed some water and made our way to the start line. We were in different corrals. Danielle was in 9 and I was in 16. I wished Danielle luck and headed to my corral. I HATE waiting, haha. Thoughts of things that could go wrong run through my mind. Side note :: The weather was horrible. It was drizzling and it was super foggy. One point during the race I could barely see in front of me. The humidity was PAINFUL. Let's not talk about my hair. ;) Okay, so the race starts and I am doing good. I see my little cheering section right after mile 1. There were so many potholes. Anyways, I ran the first 10 miles without stopping, then I hit a brick wall. The arch of my foot hurt so bad, now I know that it was my shoes. I finished and I PR'd so it was a good day. S/O to my best friend Danielle for finishing her first half marathon super fast with a constant 9 minute mile. You go girl. Here are some pictures from race day. 

After the race we had planned on going out to eat but those plans were changed due to the weather in Memphis. We had to get back ASAP. There was a pending ice storm about to hit Memphis. Let me just say, 7 hours in a car after running 13.1 is painful. We made it back to Arkansas. Mom and Mrs. Patti made it back to Tennessee. Danielle made it back to Mississippi. All safe and sound.

Next Half Marathon is in 38 days....better get running!

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

3 & 1/2 Years Later....

Imagine your life being the best it has ever been then one day it all just crashes down. 

Three and half years ago my life was just about perfect. I was a senior in high school. I had the best family and friends in the world. But in an instant my life & my family's life took a wrong turn.

It was right after Labor Day 2010 when I found out the news. I came home from school because I was not feeling well enough to go to softball workouts that day. My dad came to my room and few hours later and said "your brother has cancer." My immediate response was "Whaaaat..." My dad just left the room. I am a very emotional person so I started crying and pondering a million questions in my head. "Why would this happen to my brother?", "Will my family be able to handle this?". Etc. Etc.

My brother had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Testicular Cancer. The most aggressive type. He had surgery to remove the cancer. That went well and we were all very optimistic. A couple of weeks later, the doctor called and told my family something no family ever wants to hear. The cancer had spread to his lungs. Of course I broke down again, along with my whole family. How were me and my sister supposed to be having the time of my life knowing my brother was so sick?

Jay, Renee (his mom), James (our dad), Terri (my mom, Jay's step-mom) went to Indianapolis to the doctors. My brother had the same cancer as Lance Armstrong. Same hospital, same doctors. I knew he was going to be in good hands. This gave me a peace of mind. Jay is only my half-brother but I see him as a brother, not half. Now that we have that out of the way, back to the point. 

He started chemo,which took a horrible toll on his body. He had many blown veins during his treatments. It made him very very sick. My family spent Thanksgiving 2010 at the hospital while he received treatments. After Thanksgiving, my brother developed pneumonia and pleurisy. This caused my brother to be hospitalized. He got to go home a couple of day before Christmas. In January 2011, he finished his last chemo treatment.

In February 2011, he was told that he was CANCER FREE!!! Yay, one of the best birthday presents I could have asked for. 

While Jay had cancer, I wanted to do something special for him. I made orange and blue bracelets that said Isaiah 41:10 on one side and Jay Buynar on the other side. They were only $1 dollar. I sold so many, this made my heart happy knowing people were praying for my brother. I raised around $350 dollars to give to my brother to help with medical expenses. I know it wasn't much but I'm glad I got to do something for him.

Isaiah 41:10 ::  "So do not fear, for I am with you;  do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." What a powerful verse. 

Today, he found out that he is 3 years cancer free! Thank you Jesus.

I will leave you with some pictures of my brother, sister, and me while he had cancer.

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

Marvelous Monday!

Well most of you are thinking "Monday's are not marvelous". I am right there with you but this Monday is going to be great! It is the last Monday off from school for a long time so I am being lazy while I can. ;)

I am anxious about getting my Marley Lilly package in the mail soon! They had a Pinterest Giveaway and I won. I was so excited because I never win anything. So, I won a $50 gift card! I can't wait to sport my new tote and baseball cap! 

I have 12 days left until the New Orleans Half Marathon. (crap, that approached quickly!) HAHA it will be fun to spend the weekend with my aunt&uncle, Kelsey (my twin), & Danielle (my best friend). We will miss Paige (my other best friend) so much but she will be there in spirit! 

13 days until I turn 21. Nope, I don't want to grow up. *cue Never Grow Up by TSwift* 

I hope you are enjoying this Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

Longest Break Ever

I have been on break from school since December 5th, 2013. OMG, that was almost a month and a half ago. I will start back to school on January 21st. I am definitely not complaining but I am ready to get back into the routine of things.

Let's catch up!!

Past

December 5th-9th :: I was inside for 5 days due to the epic ice storm that Jonesboro had. It was the worst ice storm I have seen in my lifetime. No one could drive anywhere unless you were skilled. Walking was even a challenge for me. (laugh all you want) ;). One of my cousins was super nice and came to pick me up from my dorm and take me to their house. I stayed there for a day or so. There is this super funny video about snow and ice. You can find it here! GOTTA GET THE BREAD AND MILK! haha funny but true.

December 7th :: I was supposed to run the St. Jude half marathon but it got cancelled. Sadly, I wasn't going to be able to make the drive anyway. St. Jude handle this so perfectly. I applaud them for that. Since the race got cancelled we got to transfer our registration to another race. I transferred mine to the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon, which happens to be the day before my 21st birthday. I am super excited and have been training so hard this. If you want more information about the Rock 'n' Roll series you can visit their website here!

December 25th :: I spent an awesome Christmas at my grandparents house in Wynne, Arkansas. My mom, dad, sister, aunt, and uncle were all there, along with my grandparents. It was great to see everyone and enjoy some laughs.

December 28th-29th :: My family went to Jackson, Mississippi to visit my MeMaw and brother. It had been a while since I had seen both of them so it was exciting to see them and catch up.

January 1st :: WOO HOO! NEW YEAR! hahah no. I was so sick on New Year's day and for 9 days after that. Bronchitis is no joke y'all. I had a fever, horrible cough, and body aches. Surprisingly, I did not have the flu (Thank you Jesus for that). But now I am good as new and back to my training.

Future

January 21st :: School starts!

January 31st :: NOLA bound!

February 2nd :: Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon!

February 3rd :: 21st birthday!

FEEDBACK :: What do you want me to blog about? Let me know by leaving a comment!

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

Almost There!

Well, I failed at writing a blog every week until the end of the year. Boo. 

Countdown

Thanksgiving Break - 5 days

St. Jude Half Marathon - 20 days

Christmas Break - 18 days

Running

Speaking of Half Marathon, that is approaching quickly. I am up to around 10 miles right now. I will have my last long run next weekend. Have I mentioned how hard it is to run when you are a full time student, work a part-time job every day, and are involved at ASU? It is very difficult but i'm trying by hardest! 

If love reading my blog (I know you do), you should visit here. One of my very dear friends, Emily Slone, blogs about almost everything. It is a great read. Miss you girl.

I am still raising money for St. Jude. If you would like to donate please click on the link below. Any amount will help the kids at St. Jude. Thanks in advance for any donation you might make.

* Kristen's fundraising page *

School

Well, the semester is coming to a close. (Thank the Lord). It's not that this semester has been difficult, because it hasn't, but because I am just ready to chill and relax. I do not want to have to worry about school for a month or so. I know we have about 2 weeks left of school but my name is going to be on that Dean's List. ;) I have about 3 more semesters of school left then I will be DONE. I have to complete an internship so my projected graduation date will be August 2015. I cannot wait to start my Sports Marketing career. I dream about my future career all the time.

BTW, blogging is a perfect way to procrastinate :)

But I do have 2 group projects to work on today, so I should probably wrap this up.

Hope y'all have a great week & let me know whatcha think about my blog!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

I Need to Blog More

I realize that I have been slacking on my blogging game but bare with me! I am super busy and plan on taking some time to blog every week from now to the end of the year. For now I will just update you on a few things!

1. School is going well. I have awesome grades but I am ready for the semester to be over.
2. Work is great. I love my job and the kids I get to be with every day.
3. Social Life is fantastic. I have met so many wonderful people here at Arkansas State. These friendships will last a lifetime.
4. I love going to the ASU BCM. Great people and great ministry.
5. I am training for my half marathon. It's going......yeah going. ;)
6. I love this season just because of football and baseball.


Stay tuned for my blog next week titled :: Running the Race

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

WOO PIG SOOIE! GO CARDINALS! GUEAX SAINTS!

Milwaukee

It has taken me a while to write this special blog post because I have been super busy. But hey better late than never! I got the privilege of going to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit my cousin, Stephanie. I had the time of my life. I left on July 31st and returned on August 7th. I will tell you what we did day by day! Enjoy!

July 31st

I had a VERY early flight to Atlanta. My flight left Memphis at 6:00 AM. I landed in Atlanta at 8:15. I had a layover, so I had some time to find my next gate and get something to eat. I left Atlanta at 10:30 AM (Atlanta time) and arrived in Milwaukee at 11:33,(Milwaukee time). Confusing I know but it was about a 2 hour flight from Atlanta to Milwaukee. Let me just throw this out there, I hate flying SO much but I seemed to managed on the way there. Stephanie was there to pick me up at the airport. Okay, it was cold up north compared to Memphis. I felt like I needed a coat. We stopped on the way to get some lunch then Stephanie dropped me off at her apartment and she went back to work. I ate lunch and went straight to sleep. 4 hours to be exact. Stephanie got home at 5:30 and we went and got some dinner, came home, and went to bed. End Day 1.

August 1st

I woke up at 11:00. I ate some breakfast and basically just chilled the rest of the day. Not too much happened on this day, except relaxing :) End Day 2.

August 2nd

Ahhhhh Friday! Steph got off at 11:30 so we got to hang out more this day! We just hung around until it was time to go to the Milwaukee Brewers game! SO MUCH FUN. Plus, the stadium was super cool. Sadly, they lost but it was still fun. They gave away $10 dollar vouchers because their star player had just got suspended and I guess they wanted people to come to the game. We got to see Hank Aaron so that was pretty cool. End Day 3.

August 3rd

CHICAGO!!!!! I finally got to go to a big city. Me and Stephanie already planned a trip when me and Kelsey turn 30. All 3 of us are going to New York City. Get ready for Cousins Take New York. Anyways back to the point. It was about a 2 hour drive to Chicago from Milwaukee. We got up early and drove there. I was not prepared for how much walking we would be doing. Yes, I should of listened and took a tour bus like my grandma said. haha. There was a Music Festival going on while we there, so that made it even more crowded. We basically saw all of Chicago in one day. Here are a bunch of pictures describing our experience! If you would like to see all the pictures I took, then look on Facebook. We drove back and couldn't move the next because we were so sore!! End Day 4.

me with the Chicago skyline

American Girl Doll Store

Millennium Park

Me at Trump Tower

Steph at Trump Tower

I wish I could afford this

Wrigley Building

Me and Steph at The Bean

Trump Tower

The 'L'

ESPN Chicago

me and Steph at the bean

August 4th

We planned on going to the Wisconsin Sate Fair but after the soreness we were feeling we did not go. We ended up watching the NASCAR race and napping. That afternoon/night we went to Lake Michigan and had a picnic. We even took Cooper with us. It was chilly and yes, I was wearing a jacket because I'm lame. Then we came back and watched all of our shows!! End Day 5.

August 5th

Boo the weekend was over, for Stephanie at least. I didn't do much on this day except I cleaned Stephanie's living room and kitchen. When Stephanie got home from work, we went out and ate Mexican food. End Day 6.

August 6th

Well it was my last day in Wisconsin and I was kinda sad. I didn't want my vacation to end. I didn't want to go back to the real world. But I had to. I made the most of my last day and went to a new yogurt place that had just opened. I also walked to a local restaurant and had lunch. I wish Stephanie could of gone with me but she was at work. We went to Applebee's for dinner and it was delicious. When we got home we went straight to sleep because my flight back to Memphis was super early the next morning. End Day 7.

August 7th

My alarm was set for 2 AM. Yes, you read that right. My flight left Milwaukee at 5:10 AM. It was the cheapest flight so I felt like I could manage. I was the first one to go through security at the Milwaukee airport. Check that off the bucket list. hahah just kidding. This flight had really bad turbulence. I literally thought my death was near. The plane was rocking back and forth and shaking. I was basically holding on for dear life. Anyways, I arrived SAFELY in Atlanta, GA at 8:05 AM (Atlanta time). I had a 2 hour layover so I got a bite to eat and found my gate. My plane was supposed to leave at 10:10 AM (Atlanta time) but we did not end up leaving till after 11:00 AM. Out of nowhere came a storm and they shut all flights out of the Atlanta airport down. Great, just what I want to hear. We were literally on the runway for an hour before we left. I FINALLY arrived in Memphis, Tennessee at 11:30 AM (Memphis time). Dad and Kelsey picked me up from the airport and we went to have lunch with Mom. I was not feeling well, so when we got home I slept for a good 6 hours. My trip was over. End Day 8.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip. I had so much fun. Stayed tuned within the next few weeks for a blog named 3 years later. You don't want to miss it. 

Thanks for reading :)

Kristen Leigh Buynar