When does a mission become an obsession? Well, when your actual birthday falls within a week, either way, of the Smiling Warrior's Crazy Sock Day and you're more excited about CSD than you are about your own birthday, you have joined in the ranks of the obsessed with Houdini and myself!! Real quick, I would like to give a huge shout out to the birthday boy, my brother, Houdini!! I would also like to thank him for not wearing his Crazy Socks today, like he had wanted!! I had to bribe him to hold off!! So today he will be sporting a Superman t-shirt under his button-up Oxford. He called me this morning to tell me that he's been practicing ripping his shirt open like Clark Kent. In my eyes, this just means, "mischief managed." In other words, crisis averted and socks saved for a day!!
It is true though. Houdini came over last night to get his bribery birthday gift and we had a long talk about getting older. For exactly 1 week out of every year, I am only 13 years older than him. So when he talks about "getting older," I laugh at him. Not with him, at him!! Or at least I used to. Today he turns 30 and he has finally realized that age is just a number. As he was leaving last night, he turned to me and asked, "Is it wrong that I'm more excited about Crazy Sock Day than I am about my own birthday?" I told him, "Nope, it's not wrong. It's in your makeup." With that, he nodded in agreement, said, "Well, I am my sisters' brother," and he closed the door behind him.
The 3 of us (including our sister, the Bombshell) live for being behind the scenes. We love to coach, teach, encourage, promote, and support the greatness of others. We don't want the spotlight for ourselves, but we want to know that we played a large part in getting someone else there who deserves it. I guess you could categorize this as "learned behavior." (Thanks Mom and Dad!!) The Bombshell has the Munchkins and her kindergartners, Houdini has his 5th graders and his volleyball girls, and I have all of the above (by proxy) and ... raising awareness with The Smiling Warrior!!
With that being said, tomorrow is the 3rd Annual Crazy Sock Day!!!!! This is the day that we all show our support and love for the Smiling Warrior and raise awareness for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and GastroParesis by wearing the craziest socks we can find and posting the pictures to Facebook. As of this morning, 1867 people have joined the event page!! Keep in mind that this number does not include all of the schools, offices, and other non-Facebookers that are participating tomorrow. If you haven't joined already, now is a great time to become a part of history ... The largest social media awareness event to date!!
Go here to join:
https://www.facebook.com/events/102271203267678/
We have also created a community page where everyone can post their sock pictures tomorrow. Go here and give us a "Like" and be a part of blowing up FB with crazy sock pics:
https://www.facebook.com/CrazySockDay
If you're still not sure what to do or why you're doing it, check out this video from last year's event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHYFugf_UU4
If you're a Twit-terer ;) you can use the hashtags #CSD3 #RSD/CRPS
I have faith that Houdini will have a great birthday, now that he has his new t-shirt as a distraction. I have faith that I will rest up and save my spoons today so that I am ready and raring to go bright (dark) and early in the morning for CSD3!! I have faith that we will all pool our efforts to give the Smiling Warrior something to really smile about tomorrow!! RSD and GP aren't contagious, Awareness is!! Help us infect the world with knowledge and understanding of these debilitating diseases!!
Raising Awareness for RSD (and Ziggi's)
The Power of Orange
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Celebrating (and Respecting) The Days
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." (What?? It's MLKJ Day, thought I wouldn't quote that genius of a man??) The same can be said and/or applied to the life of an RSDer. Chronic pain is a large and all-consuming beast. But it doesn't have to be all-consuming, it can be used as a springboard to a brighter way of life if the sufferer can make the conscious decision to step outside of their little box and see that Earth does not revolve around them. I am so incredibly proud of the RSD community dwellers that have done just that!! The sufferers that turn their negatives into positives continue to refuel my hope in a brighter future for all RSDers.
I am noticing more and more RSDers turning their fateful day of contraction into something that deserves to be acknowledged and celebrated. This elates me!! I joined Facebook in 2009, and since then I have met numerous RSDers. Some give me hope; some inspire me to be a better person; some make me crinkle my eye brows and shake my head; some piss me off with their lies, negativity, and selfishness; and some, very few in fact, put other RSDers ahead of themselves and strive to better the "whole" and not just their "one." The same can be said of RSD caretakers and family members. Some Normies get so wrapped up in their own RSDer that they forget about the feelings of others, RSDers and Normies alike. Everyone deserves to handle their Date of "Injury" as they see fit. It's called Free Will. But those who choose to celebrate their anniversary, deserve to have that day recognized, more-so even than an actual birthday. It's the day we began to survive!! Almost everyone gets a shot at "birth" but not everyone gets a true "survival story." Our anniversaries are our soapboxes for our individual survival stories.
When RSDers have made the conscious decision to fight back, I have made the conscious decision to participate. Over these last few years I have participated in a Superhero Day, a Comfort Food Day, an Ice Cream Day, a Dress Your Animal in Orange Day (FURSDay ... yep, that one's mine), an Orange Mani/Pedi Day, and, of course, Crazy Sock Day. If you or your RSDer have a way to celebrate your/their day, let me know and I will participate in that one too!! Just know this when asking me to join in your fun, I participate out of my respect for survivors. Everyone deserves for their day to be special and just about them. When someone tries to promote their day, event, or RSDer on someone else's day or at someone else's event, I take offense and begin contemplating withdrawing my participation from the infiltrator's day. In my opinion that is selfish coattail surfing. If you want to have friends and supporters, you must first be a friend and supporter. Just because we have RSD does not mean that we are entitled to everyone's support, nor does it give us carte blanche to demand their support. So if you do have a Special Day, be respectful about it, please. The more UNselfish we are, the more the world opens up and supports us.
Last year, The Warrior Mama asked me, personally, to spearhead Crazy Sock Day because they, as a family, were preparing for the Smiling Warrior's GP surgery. This was one of the greatest "yes's" I have ever given!! I stepped outside of myself to help another RSDer and the cause became a mission ... and then it became my "job." This is how I get out and help someone other that myself. This is my unselfish act. This is my ambition. No one asks for money or donations of any kind. It's just awareness, pure and simple. And promoting awareness is my life!! This year I get to work hand-in-hand with the Florida Warrior Family as a co-administrator, along with our Spunky Warrior from Mass. I am blessed with people in my life that have the same goal as I do, Awareness, nothing more, nothing less.
I have faith that these next 3 days will fly by and that, by Thursday, The Crazy Sock Clan will join forces for the greatest awareness event of the year!! I have faith that more RSDers will start seeing their onset of RSD as a reason to celebrate their survival. I have faith that I will continue to participate in other RSDer's Days when I am asked. We all deserve our own Day, because we are all still here to tell our stories. Please tell your story, but remember to do it with respect!!
3 DAY UNTIL CRAZY SOCK DAY 3!!! ARE ... YOU ... READY??????
I am noticing more and more RSDers turning their fateful day of contraction into something that deserves to be acknowledged and celebrated. This elates me!! I joined Facebook in 2009, and since then I have met numerous RSDers. Some give me hope; some inspire me to be a better person; some make me crinkle my eye brows and shake my head; some piss me off with their lies, negativity, and selfishness; and some, very few in fact, put other RSDers ahead of themselves and strive to better the "whole" and not just their "one." The same can be said of RSD caretakers and family members. Some Normies get so wrapped up in their own RSDer that they forget about the feelings of others, RSDers and Normies alike. Everyone deserves to handle their Date of "Injury" as they see fit. It's called Free Will. But those who choose to celebrate their anniversary, deserve to have that day recognized, more-so even than an actual birthday. It's the day we began to survive!! Almost everyone gets a shot at "birth" but not everyone gets a true "survival story." Our anniversaries are our soapboxes for our individual survival stories.
When RSDers have made the conscious decision to fight back, I have made the conscious decision to participate. Over these last few years I have participated in a Superhero Day, a Comfort Food Day, an Ice Cream Day, a Dress Your Animal in Orange Day (FURSDay ... yep, that one's mine), an Orange Mani/Pedi Day, and, of course, Crazy Sock Day. If you or your RSDer have a way to celebrate your/their day, let me know and I will participate in that one too!! Just know this when asking me to join in your fun, I participate out of my respect for survivors. Everyone deserves for their day to be special and just about them. When someone tries to promote their day, event, or RSDer on someone else's day or at someone else's event, I take offense and begin contemplating withdrawing my participation from the infiltrator's day. In my opinion that is selfish coattail surfing. If you want to have friends and supporters, you must first be a friend and supporter. Just because we have RSD does not mean that we are entitled to everyone's support, nor does it give us carte blanche to demand their support. So if you do have a Special Day, be respectful about it, please. The more UNselfish we are, the more the world opens up and supports us.
Last year, The Warrior Mama asked me, personally, to spearhead Crazy Sock Day because they, as a family, were preparing for the Smiling Warrior's GP surgery. This was one of the greatest "yes's" I have ever given!! I stepped outside of myself to help another RSDer and the cause became a mission ... and then it became my "job." This is how I get out and help someone other that myself. This is my unselfish act. This is my ambition. No one asks for money or donations of any kind. It's just awareness, pure and simple. And promoting awareness is my life!! This year I get to work hand-in-hand with the Florida Warrior Family as a co-administrator, along with our Spunky Warrior from Mass. I am blessed with people in my life that have the same goal as I do, Awareness, nothing more, nothing less.
I have faith that these next 3 days will fly by and that, by Thursday, The Crazy Sock Clan will join forces for the greatest awareness event of the year!! I have faith that more RSDers will start seeing their onset of RSD as a reason to celebrate their survival. I have faith that I will continue to participate in other RSDer's Days when I am asked. We all deserve our own Day, because we are all still here to tell our stories. Please tell your story, but remember to do it with respect!!
3 DAY UNTIL CRAZY SOCK DAY 3!!! ARE ... YOU ... READY??????
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Crunch Time
We are officially 1 week away from the 3rd Annual Crazy Sock Day!! Or, as we promoters like to call it, Crunch Time!! Time to put the event out there for more than just the networking sites!! It's time to get prepared!! It's time to get the visuals into the hands of the media, the schools, hospitals, medical offices, law offices, insurance offices, civil servants, favorite restaurants and bars, ANYWHERE that we can get word out about CSD3, now is the time!!
It's also the time for me to step outside of my comfort zone in order to make it happen. It means venturing outside the confines of my warm, secure bubble, and doing it solo. It means shaking hands with strangers who aren't aware of how painful a handshake can be while still smiling and spreading awareness. It means putting on my bravest face amid high anxieties. It means heeding the pain, but forcing myself to fight through it for the good of the cause. It means having a constant supply of nausea pills and crumbled up Ritz crackers stashed in my purse. It means getting meals cooked, put together, and frozen so that I can eat next Thursday, Friday, and possibly Saturday (Fri. and Sat. being potential recovery days). It means getting my house organized so that I have all of my CSD3 stuff in the same place, while still being able to either sit or lie down comfortably. It means making sure that I get my normal 4-5 hours of interrupted sleep every night so that by next Thursday I have a plethora of spoons in my arsenal. It means getting creative and going shopping for Houdini's birthday present this weekend (his b-day is the 23rd, and it's a big'un). I was supposed to travel to KC this week too, but my little "cold" has kept me quarantined and I have a lot of catching up to do.
Why do I do this to myself? Because I learned my lesson last year!! I did not get up from the kitchen table for 5 hours at one point (that's where my laptop is). The Smiling Warrior was in surgery and I was hellbent on making sure that every pair of socks that crossed my computer screen were sent her way. And that was with approximately 500 participants. We're already at 1300+ for this year, and I don't want to miss a sock!! I will be transferring every picture that comes my way onto a flash drive for safe keeping so that I won't miss anybody's socks this year when I make the 2013 slideshow. This is the event/star to which I've hitched my awareness raising wagon and this is the event that I will fight for, tooth and (broken) nail.
At this point, I'm relying on my autopilot to kick in during the afternoons and evenings. I can keep myself distracted for the better part of the day, but when the fatigue starts to set in, I'm screwed. Unless I have someone present to talk and laugh with me and help me keep my focus, it is almost impossible for me to distract my brain away from the pain and aches of RSD at night.
I have faith that I will get through this next week and CSD3 will be a success!! I have faith that I'll set aside time to recover from the event before my ColoAngel takes me up into the mountains to play in the snow for my birthday weekend. I have faith that this will be THE awareness event of 2013!!! Move over pink and red, here come ORANGE AND GREEN!!!! Got your socks yet??
Monday, January 14, 2013
Blame Game
For 2 weeks I thought I was successfully battling allergies and sinus congestion. But ... um ... I failed. Yes, I am sick, and not just in the brain. I tried to blame the Munchkins, but seriously, who wants to willing hold those adorable 3 year old faces accountable for my weakened immune system? Not me!! I tried to blame the volleyball girls, but I honestly haven't been around them consistently enough for them to have caused this. I tried to blame Houdini for bringing his 5th graders germs into my house, but that guy needs a break, so I'll find something else for which to blame him when the timing is better ... it's what sister's do for their little brothers. I've also tried blaming the Fun Folk, my Porno (hat) Dealer, my dog, the Broncos losing, and my ColoAngel. The sad but true fact is that I am to blame this time. It is my fault, and mine alone. I am sick, and I have no one to beat up but myself ... <sigh> ... dammit!!
A couple of weeks ago I noticed a draft emanating from the window above my bed ... and I did nothing about it except turn my electric mattress pad up to 7 from it's usual nighttime standard of 4. It did not occur to me, at the time, that that slight of a draft would be a problem. Well played, Karma. Well played.
So now that the window is sealed up with towels and plastic shrink-wrap stuff, I sit here, coughing ... and coughing ... and blowing my nose ... and coughing. The thing about my coughs this time are that every time I have a fit, my sweat glands open up like Niagara Falls, I see a parade of Tweety Birds behind my eyelids, and my tender gag reflex (thanks to all of the nausea lately) is bringing up the stuff that is supposed to be making me better ... and my coffee!! Thanks to my fever breaking last night, I'm washing all of my bedding today and I have a feeling that's going to use up my spoon supply for the day. The trash that needs to go out, the dishes that are multiplying like rabbits in my sink (mostly cups and glasses, but I really am trying to eat too), and the dog hair that is coating my couch and carpets will just have to wait another day ... or 2. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying!! It's my fault, I'll begrudgingly get to it when I have the energy/spoons.
As for the rest of the day, I will continue to sip on my orange juice and hot tea, suck on Hall's Defense lozenges, take a chance on downing some cough pearls and a nausea pill, hopefully be able to stomach some of the homemade soup that Mom brought over yesterday, increase my K-Spray pumpage to 2 pumps every hour (as per the doc's instructions ... and as opposed to my regular 2 pumps every 2 hours), and refrain from exiting my bubble until, at least, Wednesday. (Today's high in Longmont is supposed to be 10 ... mid 40's by Wed.) The cold makes the pain worse ... being sick makes the pain worse ... stressing out makes the pain worse. There is only one of those that I control right now, so I'll keep refusing to stress about it and just play Suck It Up and Deal.
I have faith that I will kick this cold before it has a chance to turn into a full blown upper respiratory infection. I have faith that, regardless of my health, I will maintain a pleasant disposition so that I may continue to find the strength to fight. And of course, I have faith that I will place the blame where it's due, on myself, and kick my own ass when I'm feeling better!!
(On a sad and personal note, 37 years ago today, my younger brother, The Angel, succumbed to the flu. He was two days shy of being 10 months old. I was 6, about to be 7. Every year, on his birthday and on the day of his passing, I write him a note. If two siblings were ever soul mates, he was mine. Here is a condensed version of today's note: "37 years ago today you became my Guardian Angel. Since then, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you, shed a tear for you, and smiled because of you. You may have only graced us with your physical presence for less than 10 months, but I feel your tiny hands on my heart every single day.")
A couple of weeks ago I noticed a draft emanating from the window above my bed ... and I did nothing about it except turn my electric mattress pad up to 7 from it's usual nighttime standard of 4. It did not occur to me, at the time, that that slight of a draft would be a problem. Well played, Karma. Well played.
So now that the window is sealed up with towels and plastic shrink-wrap stuff, I sit here, coughing ... and coughing ... and blowing my nose ... and coughing. The thing about my coughs this time are that every time I have a fit, my sweat glands open up like Niagara Falls, I see a parade of Tweety Birds behind my eyelids, and my tender gag reflex (thanks to all of the nausea lately) is bringing up the stuff that is supposed to be making me better ... and my coffee!! Thanks to my fever breaking last night, I'm washing all of my bedding today and I have a feeling that's going to use up my spoon supply for the day. The trash that needs to go out, the dishes that are multiplying like rabbits in my sink (mostly cups and glasses, but I really am trying to eat too), and the dog hair that is coating my couch and carpets will just have to wait another day ... or 2. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying!! It's my fault, I'll begrudgingly get to it when I have the energy/spoons.
As for the rest of the day, I will continue to sip on my orange juice and hot tea, suck on Hall's Defense lozenges, take a chance on downing some cough pearls and a nausea pill, hopefully be able to stomach some of the homemade soup that Mom brought over yesterday, increase my K-Spray pumpage to 2 pumps every hour (as per the doc's instructions ... and as opposed to my regular 2 pumps every 2 hours), and refrain from exiting my bubble until, at least, Wednesday. (Today's high in Longmont is supposed to be 10 ... mid 40's by Wed.) The cold makes the pain worse ... being sick makes the pain worse ... stressing out makes the pain worse. There is only one of those that I control right now, so I'll keep refusing to stress about it and just play Suck It Up and Deal.
I have faith that I will kick this cold before it has a chance to turn into a full blown upper respiratory infection. I have faith that, regardless of my health, I will maintain a pleasant disposition so that I may continue to find the strength to fight. And of course, I have faith that I will place the blame where it's due, on myself, and kick my own ass when I'm feeling better!!
(On a sad and personal note, 37 years ago today, my younger brother, The Angel, succumbed to the flu. He was two days shy of being 10 months old. I was 6, about to be 7. Every year, on his birthday and on the day of his passing, I write him a note. If two siblings were ever soul mates, he was mine. Here is a condensed version of today's note: "37 years ago today you became my Guardian Angel. Since then, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you, shed a tear for you, and smiled because of you. You may have only graced us with your physical presence for less than 10 months, but I feel your tiny hands on my heart every single day.")
Friday, January 11, 2013
Sending Out Some Love ... And Songs
At one point, I wrote that there are 5 stages of grief. Well, guess what?! I was wrong!! There are, in fact, 7 stages of grief. 1. Shock/Denial. 2. Pain/Guilt. 3. Anger/Bargaining. 4. Depression/Reflection/Loneliness. 5. Upward Turn. 6. Reconstruction. 7. Acceptance/Hope. Grief comes in many forms. It can come from the loss of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, receiving bad news, setbacks, poor health, feeling left out, and Empty Nest Syndrome. All of these things have happened to people that I care about since the beginning of the new year. It about kills me to see people that I love so grief-stricken. I know that they're all strong (I don't befriend, nor am I related to, wussies) and I know that they will all get through whatever it is that they're going through, but my heart aches for the them as they go through the first 4 stages of grief. And they are all still in the first 4 stages. For someone as tall and slight as myself, you wouldn't know that my heart is big enough to contain all of the love that I have for so many people, unless you know me, that is.
The good news, despite all of this sadness and hopelessness, is that they all have something in common, even if they don't all know each other. Me. These people know that I'm crazy enough to put my pain-riddled-self out on a limb just to get a smile out of them during their grief. I am that friend that will sympathize, empathize, encourage, and then break out some nonsense in order to create a genuine smile from within. I become their distraction from their grief, which in turn, makes them my distraction from the pain and whatever other crap I'm going through at the time. Just don't be surprised if, while you're crying or venting to me, I suddenly break out in song. For instance: Oh, you caught your boyfriend cheating on you?? I dug my key into the side of his pretty little sooped up 4 wheel drive. Or ... You're experiencing another flare?? You put de lime in de coconut and drink dem both up. Or ... Your house feels like a ghost town after all of your holiday company leaves?? Turn up ... the radio!! But I know, from oodles of personal experience, that once a person has gone through stages 1-3, the sooner they can begin to smile and laugh, the sooner the real healing begins. I will only allow myself to be sad for 1 day. In that 1 day, I completely isolate myself from the world so that I can process stages 1, 2, and 3 (shock/denial, pain, and anger). By the time I get to day 2/stage 4 (depression), I start to allow a few select people back into my bubble (the people who are able to move forward with me instead of dwelling on the ish). These are the people that give me the strength to get through 5, 6, and 7 (upward turn, reconstruction, and acceptance). After I have accepted whatever situation I am in, I open myself back up to the world, so to speak.
Life is full of grief and happiness and tears and confusion and struggles and wins and ... well ... it's Life!! And unless you are a firm believer in reincarnation or are a cat or are Dr. Who, this is the only life that we get. Sure, we're gonna get our proverbial weenies shoved in the dirt from time to time, and there will always be times when we throw our hands in the air and scream, "Sheesh!! Now What??" But after the 1st stage of shock wears off, the healing can begin. It's ok to feel sad and miss people and things. It's natural. It's life!! The important thing is to keep on keeping on. RSD has taught me that!! Every minute that we're alive is a win!! Every morning that our eyes pop open is a win!! Every tear stained smile is a win!! Having spoons, even if it's just 1, is a win!! Having friends with whom you can make plans is a win!! Having a family that supports you is a win!! Battles will be lost. It's true, this is life that we're talking about here. But if you break it down to the tiniest detail, the wins do outweigh the losses.
I have faith that the people whom I love will heal from their grief. I have faith that they will all experience it again, and I have faith that I will be there for them then too. If a face can launch a thousand ships, and a picture is worth a thousand words, then a smile, from within, should be able to erase 1000 losses, dontcha think?? My thoughts, prayers, well wishes, and positive vibes go out to all of you today (you know who you are). And if you need to smile to erase a few losses, <cue another song> Call Me!!!
The good news, despite all of this sadness and hopelessness, is that they all have something in common, even if they don't all know each other. Me. These people know that I'm crazy enough to put my pain-riddled-self out on a limb just to get a smile out of them during their grief. I am that friend that will sympathize, empathize, encourage, and then break out some nonsense in order to create a genuine smile from within. I become their distraction from their grief, which in turn, makes them my distraction from the pain and whatever other crap I'm going through at the time. Just don't be surprised if, while you're crying or venting to me, I suddenly break out in song. For instance: Oh, you caught your boyfriend cheating on you?? I dug my key into the side of his pretty little sooped up 4 wheel drive. Or ... You're experiencing another flare?? You put de lime in de coconut and drink dem both up. Or ... Your house feels like a ghost town after all of your holiday company leaves?? Turn up ... the radio!! But I know, from oodles of personal experience, that once a person has gone through stages 1-3, the sooner they can begin to smile and laugh, the sooner the real healing begins. I will only allow myself to be sad for 1 day. In that 1 day, I completely isolate myself from the world so that I can process stages 1, 2, and 3 (shock/denial, pain, and anger). By the time I get to day 2/stage 4 (depression), I start to allow a few select people back into my bubble (the people who are able to move forward with me instead of dwelling on the ish). These are the people that give me the strength to get through 5, 6, and 7 (upward turn, reconstruction, and acceptance). After I have accepted whatever situation I am in, I open myself back up to the world, so to speak.
Life is full of grief and happiness and tears and confusion and struggles and wins and ... well ... it's Life!! And unless you are a firm believer in reincarnation or are a cat or are Dr. Who, this is the only life that we get. Sure, we're gonna get our proverbial weenies shoved in the dirt from time to time, and there will always be times when we throw our hands in the air and scream, "Sheesh!! Now What??" But after the 1st stage of shock wears off, the healing can begin. It's ok to feel sad and miss people and things. It's natural. It's life!! The important thing is to keep on keeping on. RSD has taught me that!! Every minute that we're alive is a win!! Every morning that our eyes pop open is a win!! Every tear stained smile is a win!! Having spoons, even if it's just 1, is a win!! Having friends with whom you can make plans is a win!! Having a family that supports you is a win!! Battles will be lost. It's true, this is life that we're talking about here. But if you break it down to the tiniest detail, the wins do outweigh the losses.
I have faith that the people whom I love will heal from their grief. I have faith that they will all experience it again, and I have faith that I will be there for them then too. If a face can launch a thousand ships, and a picture is worth a thousand words, then a smile, from within, should be able to erase 1000 losses, dontcha think?? My thoughts, prayers, well wishes, and positive vibes go out to all of you today (you know who you are). And if you need to smile to erase a few losses, <cue another song> Call Me!!!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Ratting Out Mommie
Hi Ho!! Kiva The Dog here!! Did you know that my Mommie is nuts?? If you didn't know that, now you do. If you had suspicions about it, I am here to confirm them. If you already knew this little tidbit of info, let me just tell you now that, "It's gotten worse!!" For 3 days and 2 nights Mommie didn't sleep. She rested a little here and there, but there was zero sleep involved. And what's crazier than that is I honestly can't remember if she ate during all of those awake hours. Oh wait!!! ... she made a four egg omelette yesterday afternoon ... after she finally finished the project that she bled, sweat, cried, and spent spoons on for those 3 days. She ate 3 eggs of it and shared the rest with me ... and then she turned off her phone and slept!! For 11 hours she got her normally interrupted nights' sleep!!
What has Mommie so motivated?? Duh ... Crazy Sock Day 3!! It's exactly 2 weeks away!! Last year Mommie compiled most of the pictures that were posted on Facebook so that she could make a slideshow for the Smiling Warrior and so she'd have something to send out to the schools and media for this year to promote the day and the awareness that needs to be raised. It took her 50 weeks to get that slideshow finalized and published, but she did it!! And the Warrior Mama said that it put a smile on the girl's face!! Considering that she was in the hospital getting an NG tube put in (again), Mommie took that as the greatest compliment ever!! (The rumor is that the Smiling Warrior is being released today ... perfect timing, Mommie!!)
Mommie warned me that the next 2 weeks will be a lot like the last 3 days ... Crunch Time!! Time to get everyone that's involve-able, involved. It's one thing to just take part in the day, it's a completely different thing to garner the needed support to pull the day off with style!! The Smiling Warrior deserves it, RSDers and GPers deserve it, the Medical Community needs it, and the families need to know that their Warrior is not alone, and neither are they!!
I have faith that Mommie will put every spoon in her arsenal to good use for the CSD3 campaign. She's not The Crazy Cripple for nuthin'!! I have faith that she'll rest in February, and I have faith that I will faithfully stay by her side to remind her to eat, sleep, laugh, love, and play ... it's just up to her to recognize my efforts!! Go run your errands, Mommie, before the bad weather sets in ... and then ... It's nap time!!
If you'd like to participate in CSD3, go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/102271203267678/?fref=ts
To see the video that Mommie made, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHYFugf_UU4
Peace out!!! I just found my tennis ball!!!
What has Mommie so motivated?? Duh ... Crazy Sock Day 3!! It's exactly 2 weeks away!! Last year Mommie compiled most of the pictures that were posted on Facebook so that she could make a slideshow for the Smiling Warrior and so she'd have something to send out to the schools and media for this year to promote the day and the awareness that needs to be raised. It took her 50 weeks to get that slideshow finalized and published, but she did it!! And the Warrior Mama said that it put a smile on the girl's face!! Considering that she was in the hospital getting an NG tube put in (again), Mommie took that as the greatest compliment ever!! (The rumor is that the Smiling Warrior is being released today ... perfect timing, Mommie!!)
Mommie warned me that the next 2 weeks will be a lot like the last 3 days ... Crunch Time!! Time to get everyone that's involve-able, involved. It's one thing to just take part in the day, it's a completely different thing to garner the needed support to pull the day off with style!! The Smiling Warrior deserves it, RSDers and GPers deserve it, the Medical Community needs it, and the families need to know that their Warrior is not alone, and neither are they!!
I have faith that Mommie will put every spoon in her arsenal to good use for the CSD3 campaign. She's not The Crazy Cripple for nuthin'!! I have faith that she'll rest in February, and I have faith that I will faithfully stay by her side to remind her to eat, sleep, laugh, love, and play ... it's just up to her to recognize my efforts!! Go run your errands, Mommie, before the bad weather sets in ... and then ... It's nap time!!
If you'd like to participate in CSD3, go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/102271203267678/?fref=ts
To see the video that Mommie made, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHYFugf_UU4
Peace out!!! I just found my tennis ball!!!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Owning 2013 ... So Far
It's Day 4 of the new year and I am totally owning my New Year's Resolutions!! Ask me again in a week, but for now my whole world is looking up!!
Even though I spent part of New Year's Eve babysitting the Munchkins (and having a blast doing it), I ended 2012 kinda bummed out. Before Christmas I had asked God for a sign. Well ... I got His sign, but it wasn't the answer for which I'd been hoping. I allowed the emotions to run their course and by the time I awoke on New Year's Day, I ... had ... a ... plan.
My plan, to find new ways to do things that I used to enjoy before RSD took over my body. Including; but not limited to, spending time in the snowy mountains and traveling. Well guess what?!?! Plans have already been made for both ... and that's just within the next month!!
Sometime in the next couple weeks, I will be traveling to see the Bombshell and the Munchkins in Kansas for a couple days so that I can go to my sister's school to promote Crazy Sock Day 3, which just happens to be in 20 days!! Whether I fly or drive remains to be determined, but awareness must be raised, the Smiling Warrior must have support, and there must be a competition between the Bombshell's elementary school and Houdini's charter school (because in our family, I like to create a little healthy competition).
For the weekend after my 44th birthday, also known as Super Bowl Weekend, my ColoAngel has arranged a place for us to stay so that we can go tubing, in the snow, up by Grand Lake, CO ... and then there's the Super Bowl!! Just the mountains, the snow, football, and me!! (and a few carefully chosen bodyguards that I feel comfortable enough to scream out in pain around ... just in case.) Should I end up hurting a ton, the greatest painkiller would be if the Denver Broncos make it to that Super Bowl and win one for the gimp!!!
And finally, I decided that I would play Suck It Up and Deal by coaching club volleyball for the remainder of the winter and spring. I have been toying with this idea for about 2 months, but I just couldn't bring myself to commit. Yesterday I signed on the dotted line and committed ... now to pass the background check!! HA!! (It's all good, I'm pretty sure I'll pass.)
I have faith that I will stick to my resolutions of 2013. I have faith that, even though I feel hope slipping away, I will cling to what I do have instead of dwelling on what I don't. Painbedamned, I'm off to a great start!! HAPPY 2013, Y'ALL!!!!!!
Even though I spent part of New Year's Eve babysitting the Munchkins (and having a blast doing it), I ended 2012 kinda bummed out. Before Christmas I had asked God for a sign. Well ... I got His sign, but it wasn't the answer for which I'd been hoping. I allowed the emotions to run their course and by the time I awoke on New Year's Day, I ... had ... a ... plan.
My plan, to find new ways to do things that I used to enjoy before RSD took over my body. Including; but not limited to, spending time in the snowy mountains and traveling. Well guess what?!?! Plans have already been made for both ... and that's just within the next month!!
Sometime in the next couple weeks, I will be traveling to see the Bombshell and the Munchkins in Kansas for a couple days so that I can go to my sister's school to promote Crazy Sock Day 3, which just happens to be in 20 days!! Whether I fly or drive remains to be determined, but awareness must be raised, the Smiling Warrior must have support, and there must be a competition between the Bombshell's elementary school and Houdini's charter school (because in our family, I like to create a little healthy competition).
For the weekend after my 44th birthday, also known as Super Bowl Weekend, my ColoAngel has arranged a place for us to stay so that we can go tubing, in the snow, up by Grand Lake, CO ... and then there's the Super Bowl!! Just the mountains, the snow, football, and me!! (and a few carefully chosen bodyguards that I feel comfortable enough to scream out in pain around ... just in case.) Should I end up hurting a ton, the greatest painkiller would be if the Denver Broncos make it to that Super Bowl and win one for the gimp!!!
And finally, I decided that I would play Suck It Up and Deal by coaching club volleyball for the remainder of the winter and spring. I have been toying with this idea for about 2 months, but I just couldn't bring myself to commit. Yesterday I signed on the dotted line and committed ... now to pass the background check!! HA!! (It's all good, I'm pretty sure I'll pass.)
I have faith that I will stick to my resolutions of 2013. I have faith that, even though I feel hope slipping away, I will cling to what I do have instead of dwelling on what I don't. Painbedamned, I'm off to a great start!! HAPPY 2013, Y'ALL!!!!!!
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