Posts

Listen to your body and don’t overdo it

/4 Comments/in /by

My favorite time of year is finally here. My lawn is getting greener and greener due to the rain we’ve been having. It is begging to be cut. I’m actually feeling good enough to run my riding mower and get out in the sun for my adventure of the day but it’s raining again this morning.

I can already tell it’s going to be easier to manage a riding mower without a suprapubic catheter urine bag to lug around. I’m really liking having a urostomy. I think it’s one of the best surgeries I’ve ever had. It’s so freeing for me. I can move about without concern of what’s coming with me. And the pain is finally over. Yippee.

Yesterday I pulled out my weed whacker to edge my driveway and sidewalk to get the grass under control. I was able to cut the time in half from what it took me last year. I moved about better. I use my old powerchair to ride around the property. I call it my powerlawnchair.

There are a lot of projects I want to get done this year but I know I need to be cautious and not try to tackle them all at once. I’m going to take them one at a time and give myself lots of breaks.

That’s the important part. Listen to your body and don’t overdo it. You know your body best. I have to remember to stop before it starts to scream at me. If it screams, I’m done for days and days.

My right side is still giving me difficulties due to increased weakness but I’ve gotten pretty good at doing everything left handed. Even when raking the lawn I actually rake it using my right shoulder and left hand. Odd combination but it works for me. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do… no matter how weird it may look.

One things for sure, you will always find me out in my yard doing something to beautify things. My next project is to replace the solar powered lights around my front entranceway. It always looks so nice all lit up at night. I bought some replacement ones last year all ready for me to get out and tackle the task.

I love living by myself even when days are hard. I love looking out my windows at all of nature that surrounds my house as the deer and bunny rabbits trapes around. I won’t stop loving life regardless of how hard things get or how impossible life becomes. I will always find something to make me smile!

Ready for surgery

/14 Comments/in /by

My bags are packed for a 6 day hospital stay. Not my choice of a resort stay but at least I will be taken care of while recovering from surgery on Monday morning. I have to be at the hospital at 8:00 AM, Feb 6th. Surgery will take about 2 1/2 hours. I will write to keep you updated while in the hospital. Don’t know what day I will post something but hopefully you will hear from my by the 7th.

I have to empty my bowels on Sunday starting at 2 PM. I have to down 4 litters of Gavilyte-G. Lemon flavored… and stay by the toilet so I won’t make a mess rushing to the bathroom. Ugh!

For those who don’t know my urologist has recommended the removal of my bladder and a stoma made with a part of my small intestines to empty my urine into a pouch on the outside of my stomach area. I won’t have any more stones to deal with. No more UTI’s. No catheters to change. Just a urine bag/pouch to change. It’s supposedly not be painful once healed. My urine will just be an open flow outside of my body. Kidneys will work the same. Just no bladder.

I’m a little nervous about it and hope I will heal quickly and learn quickly how to manage dealing with a urostomy bag. I’ve met with the nursing staff that will be teaching my after surgery how to manage everything. They are really nice and have already given me some products to play around with to get a little familiar with what I will be doing.

Keep me in your prayers. I will be doing the same for you. Hugs…

You deserve more and better things in your life

/2 Comments/in /by

You deserve more and better things in your life than you realize even though multiple sclerosis seems to have gotten in the way of you being able to achieve it. You have it within you to be the leader of your own life.

Take a moment and think about how your friends make you feel. Do they lift you up, or do they bring you down? If you feel bad about yourself after hanging out with a certain person, it may be time to say goodbye. Believe in yourself enough to put on your crown and hold your head high. You can’t wear your crown with your head down. Wrong friends will do that to you.

Learn to love yourself. There will be times you will have to apologize and forgive yourself for not being kind to YOU. Sad to say, you are your own worst enemy. Give yourself a pep talk by speaking positively to the situation. Words have power. If you keep thinking you’re a failure, that’s exactly what you’ll become. If you keep telling yourself you’re going to make it, you eventually will. That’s because our perception creates our reality.

Be kind to yourself. Never apologize for living your life your way. To expect no difficulties in life, whether through your own actions or sheer circumstances, is unrealistic. Difficult times happen. Allow yourself time to really look at your situations for what they are. Develop a habit of self-reflection. Try to quiet your mind and get rid of your biases first.

Do you speak to yourself by putting yourself down? Think about it…do you call yourself names out loud? Names like stupid, idiot, or worse? My mom used to say if you don’t have anything nice or useful to say, don’t say it. That includes how you speak to yourself. Try this: before you criticize yourself, think of 3 genuine compliments you can give instead. You’ll start feeling great about yourself. Try to talk to yourself like someone you love.

Prepare for a journey.

I’m fighting a monster called multiple sclerosis

/1 Comment/in , /by

I have learned more about myself than I ever thought possible because of a monster called multiple sclerosis.

I’m braver now even though I didn’t know MS existed in my life until I was in my 40’s. I fought through mind numbing pain, muscle weakness and tears. I fought it daily with a sword in my hand while yelling, “Hiyah!”.

I’m stronger now because I had to be. My choice was fight or give up, but I’m not a quitter. That’s just not a part of my DNA. So fight, I did. I learned how to use a cane, then a walker and now a wheelchair. I learned what foods benefit my body the most and what supplements help me to cope.

I’m happier now because I’ve discovered what really matters most in life. It’s crazy how that happens. You face down a beast like MS and discover a strength that you didn’t even know you had and that many things in life aren’t really that important anymore. Hold onto true friends and family, and let the other things go. You don’t need the extra baggage. It will only weigh you down and hold you back.

I stand taller, figuratively, because I am a survivor. Yes, there will be struggles and pain. There will be times I may be fearful of tomorrow or even of the next step I need to take, but I will push to the end and give it I’ve got.

Remember, you are not alone in this fight. The great Rocky Balboa said, “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”

Come fight with me.