Pinky Talk

For those who have asked after Pinky, she is doing well. She is a terrific and smart little pup. She'll be 7 months old on the 24th of April and she's grown so fast. She moves with a swiftness for such a small puppy that I should have named her "swift lightening"!

She eats well and enjoys treats, especially those given for good behavior (with head rubs). I'm amazed everyday at how smart this little animal is. If anyone had told me that their dog was smart, I probably would have shrugged it off, if it weren't for Pinky showing me the error of my ways.

She started out as a little ball that I could hold in the palm of my hand. I now need both hands to hold her, she's gotten heavier and longer over the last 3 1/2 months in my care. The funniest thing to see, is her standing by the refrigerator in my bedroom, to let me know she wants a snack. Sometimes, she'll come close to me and bark, then point her little head in the direction of the refrigerator. Other times, she'll come by me, bark for attention but when I reach for her, she runs to the refrigerator instead of letting me pick her up.

Another of her funniest moments, is to have me call out her name while she's hiding behind some object or the in the hallway. When she's caught, she has this look of the kid who stole the cookie out the cookie jar, it's hilarious!!!

She's very protective of me, especially when I'm in distress from excruciating pain or severe tremors. She doesn't want to let anyone near me and if they try, she'll bark at them in this real high pitched bark. She's so small that she doesn't intimidate anyone, but it's endearing (and funny) to watch.

She's helpful and comforting when I'm at my worst. She's afraid of the leg tremors and will bark at my legs. However, when the arm tremors start, she'll thrash her body across my arm in an attempt to stop the tremors. When they stop, she'll lick my arm and then go back to her business. If I'm crying, she'll immediately come to my side and sometimes she'll try to lick my tears away. It's amazing how she just knows when to "just be". She'll just come to sit beside me as if to let me know she's there if I need her. It's all something to observe when I'm having a bad/rough time, or day.

She's great with the kids. I know the warning about having young children around these small puppies/dogs. However, she's great with my grandson and granddaughter. She knows when they are in the house and barks to either be put down to get to them, or to let them know she's waiting. It's so adorable!

I still don't have photos to post but hopefully soon.

Take care, I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

What's going on?

I've been doing the same with some days rougher than others, yet I manage to keep a smile on my face most days. I can't help but believe that a positive attitude can only make the situation better, even with family and friends. No one wants to be around a person who spends their days being miserable. That old saying "misery loves company" does not reside in my home. Instead, I believe that my being miserable has nothing to do with those around me. I might be having a horrible day but I don't have to impose that on everyone else.

Those horrible back and leg spasms are still a constant in my life. They have yet to resolve and we (PM doc and I) have not found the right muscle relaxer to help provide some relief. I already knew Flexiril was out, from prior experience.

Recently, I've tried a month of Skelaxin that caused an enormous increase in body swelling. Last month I was switched to Soma that caused an increase in these horrible headaches at the base of my skull. I can tolerate a few headaches a month, but when it changes to 3 or 4 a week, it becomes intolerable. On the 30th of March, I was switched to Baclofen. Mickey picked it up from the pharmacy yesterday and I started it this morning. I hope this is the one that does the trick. If not, that's it for me. I told the PM doctor that I can not continue to deal with the spasms (that feel like charlie horse's) and whatever side effect these muscle relaxers are causing.

Thankfully, I have not experienced any new, or increasing, symptoms since the spasms. Well, not any related to SM. Only those that were caused by the muscle relaxers, but I'm hoping that the "3rd times the charm"!

The members, and caregivers, at ASAP (www.asap.org) need your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate everyone who passes their good wishes along to my ASAP family.

I hope everyone has a pleasant day!!