Service Pup

My dog - who is not a service dog - has been my personal service dog since I got him.
He is just a regular rescue pup who is amazing and smart and totally adorable, and his friendship has helped me through more than I can explain.
We are now connected in an inexplicable way and he intuitively knows what I need.

Last week when RJ was away for work, I was trying to do as much as I possibly could around the house.
That day I had done the stairs one too many times... and I wasn't sure how or IF I would make it back up the stairs without either help or a really long break.
If I needed a break, it was no big deal - we have lots of entertainment in the basement and filing and other small projects if need be, but I wanted to get back upstairs.
I needed help.
Rj wasn't home.
So... what could I do??

Well, I whistled for Dex to meet me on the stairs. Once he got down near the bottom to me, I grabbed onto his collar.
He instinctively knew. (We had also done this before while camping if we has to get up a steep hill). So, he turned back around and went up the stairs with all his might. I still had a little energy, of course, so it wasn't like I was 'dead weight', but I definitely held on and needed him to basically drag me up those stairs.

He will likely never be classified as a service dog... at least not for anything above psychological help, but to me he knows what I need and when I need it. He knows me.
I am lucky to have RJ.
I am lucky to have Decker.
I am even luckier to have both of them.

Springtime Excitement

6Well - even though there is still a lot of snow on the ground - I can feeeeeeel Spring weather coming.
Of course, a big weather change usually includes a big flare-up of at least one of my illnesses, and some clusters of migraines, but it also includes some anticipation for activities I can still manage. I may feel ill 100% of the time, I may have pain 100% of the time, and illness might put a damper on every one of these activities, but I am just as excited despite knowing that illness will pervade every moment.

I am excited to go for drives out to the mountains to go for a walk or let Decker swim in the lake.
I am excited to go camping and spend nights beside a campfire under the stars, surrounded by the sweet smell of pine trees and the sound of creek water.
I am excited to bring my bike down from the roof of the garage (okay RJ will be the one getting it down for me).
I am excited to take out my rollerblades from storage and see if I can manage that activity.
I am excited to take out Decker's floating water toys for him to fetch.
I am excited to swim in a lake.
I am excited to go for a kayak.
I am excited to have bonfires in the backyard and barbequed anything.
I am super excited to plant and take care of our garden, to enjoy fresh flowers all the time, to taste freshly grown produce from our own backyard.
I am excited to bring my yoga mat outside.
I am excited to attend the weddings of frienda.
I am excited for more of our own wedding planning, for more sunshine, for more time spent outside, for iced herbal teas and reading on the deck.

There is so much to look forward to.

My Best Friend Decker-The-Dog

You know, today has been a pretty good day. This week has been a little difficult..  I'm not feeling horrendous, but my sleep has been really sporadic and restless, my intestines have been retaliating against me every day, and overall I'm just not feeling up-to-par... BUT I have had some improved energy levels at random points during the day and I have been able to do a little more stretching this week as well as putting together a new list of daily goals to try and follow.

But no matter what - NO MATTER WHAT - if I have any playtime with my puppy, he immediately uplifts my mood. If all I can do is sit or lie in bed and play with his paws, that's all he needs for his tail to go berserk, and that is all that I need to forget (for a little while) how sick I feel.
With fun and growling and giggling and full-on belly laughs, the fun we have can change my outlook on the day in an instant.

I finally got some pretty decent video of our cherished daily playtime. It may not seem like much, but just a few minutes of this every single day helps me in immeasurable ways.

If you want to see video, check out my Instagram page.

Always Cuddle Time

Decker and I have a daily routine.
When RJ leaves the house, Dex jumps up onto the bed and we get to nap together. He cuddles up to me as we sleep for a while or watch tv - he even watches with me.
He endures my incessant need to take selfies and show everybody on Instagram how handsome he is and that he is SUCH a good boy.

He is so patient.

Then I feed him at specific intervals, and I'll throw the ball for him outside (in the snow right now). I sit on the edge of the deck in the Winter or on our wooden bench in the Summer and he fetches the tennis ball and runs it back to me (most days anyways). He drops it in my hand or at my feet. We play for a few minutes and then go back inside. Sometimes we will play tug-o-war in the house and even on the bed, and basically we are just best buds.
He is my best puppy buddy.
Ever.

Plus, the sicker I am, the cuddlier he gets.
At least most of the time. Sometimes he just gets mad that I am so boring.

The Lighter Side of Medicine - daily puppy cuddles.