MS and Marijuana. Does it Help or Not? Part 2

Please Click the Title Name Above.
It will Direct you to the Article "MS and Marijuana. Does it Help or Not? Part 2

Marijuana.. Does it Help or Not

CLICK THE (LINK) TITLE NAME ABOVE

How an Animal Can Affect Your Life Forever

To My Baby "SHEBA"
I, not long after having a baby and getting married, had the desire to have a dog. I am an impulse person... Need I say more?In 1992 we saw an add in the paper just saying that a farmer's dog had puppies and was selling them for $50.00. We drove out there to see the puppies. All I knew was that the Mom was a Golden Retriever and Dad was a Labrador Retriever. Mom had a big liter and I think there were 3 left. 2 really playful and out going and cute and so tiny and 1 that looked to be about 4 or 5 months old. Come to find out she was the biggest of the liter and nobody would take her because she was so big.

So, that is who I focused my eyes on and chose to take home. She was big and fluffy haired and dark black. She was my baby... She was there for me for 14 years. Through 3 houses, 2 more babies born, my sick son's, when I was tired, sick, alone in the house, etc... She grew over the years and ended up being 110 pounds and the height of a kitchen table. My daughter would ride on her back when they were both younger. The Vet had told me that Sheba is so big but reminded me of the fact that she probably would not expect more than 8 or 9 years. Apparently the size of a dog matters on life.

In 2006, I became sick. I was so busy with life and my new job as a Realtor that I didn't take the time to go see a Doctor. As the year went on, I became sicker and more symptoms. Sleeping 18-20 hours, struggling to walk, in so much pain. Sheba would spend all day and night by my side. The Arthritis in Sheba had gotten so bad that she could no longer go up the stairs to my room. In late 2007 after being Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Fibromyalgia, I had an MS exacerbation. I was stuck on the couch bed down stairs for a little over a month. Sheba was in heaven. She slept next to me every night. I finally started feeling better and decided it was time to go back upstairs to my bedroom.

There, was a really bad storm that night. The very first night back in my bedroom. Sheba was always terrified of storms. It never dawned on me, all I could think of was sleeping in my comfy bed. All Sheba could think of was sleeping next to me. Sheba climbed the 13 stairs and lost her balance.she fell all the way down. I went running to her, and saw that she was not able to walk. I think she broke her hip. Anyways, I wasn't strong enough to move her so we made a bed right at the bottom of the stairs. I stayed with her, crying and apologizing to her. I had gotten up a few times and she would try to follow. I would lay back down with her... thinking.

I had asked my, at the time, best and longest friend, "How will I know when it is Sheba's time? What are the chances she will just fall asleep and never wake up? She always said... Tara, you will know when the time comes. I prayed all night that she would just go to sleep. I looked her in the eyes, and she put her paw on my leg and I could see it in her eyes. It was time. We took her to the vet and.....

My baby "Sheba" and I laid together. Her head in my hands and our noses touching as she fell asleep. As sad as this day, month, year, 4 years has been. I made a promise to her when that Vet told me years earlier.. "Sheba, you have stood by me every moment and been there for me when I have needed you. I will do the same for you. I miss Sheba terribly, but deep inside, I kept my promise to her as Dogs tend to promise their owners from day one.

R.I.P. Sheba 08/07

Attacking the Aftermath from all the Holidays and also organizing life. Especially when there are a lot of Flare Ups going on

~

The Holidays are over!

Holidays/Vacations bring on good & bad stress. Good stress can be just as hard on us as bad stress's. I, like quite a few of you, have been fighting the MS and Flu's since Christmas. All the Chaos and build up needs to start being tackled. I strongly believe in baby steps and being proud of what you accomplish each day. I have chosen 1 thing to tackle a day. I am reaching that goal. Reaching that goal makes me feel part of this family and able to have some control but also achievement.

Yesterday for instance - I knew I wasn't going to be able to do physical stuff but I had to fill out the packet for Disability.. So, I did it and had my daughter mail it. -Completed Task

Today - Tackled dishes, and organized papers and bills sitting around everywhere. Can't afford to pay them but I now have them all together and ready to go. - Task Completed

These tasks are by no means HUGE but they have to get done and by doing each one of these, it is slowly organizing and cleaning out areas but also organizing my brain a little.

Besides the Holidays just ending, we are getting deeper into the Winter "wintertime blues", tax time, cleaning, hobbies,weight loss plans, all the New Year Resolutions that we already probably have stopped, etc... we still have a lot on our plates.

Keep an open mind and break things down to ONE thing at a time (Baby Steps)
Depending on the day and how you feel, hit the harder tasks on the good days and not so hard on the worse days.

~~Be PROUD of each accomplishment.~~


HINTS Tips and tricks...

*Use a journal to keep track of what you need to do and how/when you will attack that goal. When you have completed it.... mark it off the list. - sometimes just seeing it marked off, makes you feel achieved. (If it is a big goal, break it down into steps)

*If cognitive is an issue, use a voice recorder or a calendar

*I tend to break dishes every time I wash them.... TRICK - I bought Gardening gloves that had nubbies on the fingertips. It allows me to grasp better and not drop them.

*Putting Away Christmas Decor.. Get rid of the old stuff that you never use. Take it to Goodwill or Amvets. We all have one or two of those boxes we bring up every year to decorate and we never use that same stuff. Let someone else use it and enjoy it and that empties an area out of your home. (And it is a write off for your taxes)

*Did I mention Tax time???? - For a lot of us, that alone brings on stress. Start putting stuff together in one binder or folder. For some of us, it means tax rebates - Work fast to get your stuff together and taxes done as early as you can. The sooner you turn them in, the faster you get your money. For those of us that have to pay our taxes...... Take a break, we have til April 15.. LOL

I can't STRESS it enough...... BABY STEPS!!!! We can all do this and we will all make it through this