Bentley Crossed the Rainbow Bridge Today...

In several earlier posts, I've mentioned our pup Bentley, aka Mr. B.  Today I have some sad news....

Bentley has fought an illness known as Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia for a long while....coincidentally, he was diagnosed four months ago today.  With this disease, the body's immune system attacks its own red blood cells.  He was on several medications, and required blood work to be done every few days to check his levels. 

Over the last few days, it became obvious that Bentley wasn't feeling well at all.  Today was our third trip to the vet this week.  We did our blood tests,  and his numbers today had fallen drastically.   We got our specialist on the phone, and he held out little hope.  The decision pet owners dread had to be made.  And my heart broke.   

Today was a beautiful October day here in south Louisiana.  Our little pup Bentley crossed the Rainbow Bridge around noon, held in my arms while we sat in the green grass outside the vet office, under a crystal blue sky.   It was peaceful, and it was the best thing for him.  

 Mr. B was a sweet, sweet boy, and I will miss him terribly. But I know my Lucky has met Mr. B at the Bridge, and they are running together right now.   And I know from experience that the hurt will ease a bit over time, and I will be able to remember the special things about Bentley and smile....how he barked to tattle on his brother and sister, how he wagged his little pom-pom tail, how he turned circles to ask for something, and the funny piggy-like noises he made.  And I'll remember the puppy kisses and smile....

But for today, I cry.....

Run free, my sweet, sweet boy.....

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

Back again....

Hi....I guess you were thinking I wouldn't be back again...that is, if you're still even reading this blog.  Life has kind of gotten in the way of my blogging lately, but I am determined to do a better job at it, I promise.

My kids are visiting this weekend, so it will be busy, noisy, and fun....while I will hurt and ache, I will also laugh and smile at them.   At the same time, I am crying inside right now, as Mr. Bentley is not doing too well.  His fight against IMHA is a hard one, and he is a sick puppy at the moment.

In fibro news, I have found, through careful study, one of Keegan's favorite foods....one that he has used to wage war against me.  This discovery is making a tremendous difference.   I'll fill you in next time.

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

Time Flies....

Wow......it has been so long since I posted here.  And it has left a hole.  But life has been somewhat, shall we say, crazy around here lately.  Family illness, on top of Mr. B's illness, have had Dijon and I visiting the human hospital as well as the animal hospital!  I think we are finally at a better point, and I'm hoping I can get back to blogging again :)

Good news....Mr. B is in remission!!  He still has some fights ahead, but this is a big step in the right direction.

Right now, its Sally 0 and Keegan 10......seriously, I have been on the couch, asleep, for two solid days.  This is a pretty bad flare, and I am trying to crawl my way out of it.  My dear dragon is beating me down for all he is worth.  He can be such a mean little thing!   Say a prayer if you will for me....we have a full weekend ahead.

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

Roller Coasters....Fun or Not So Much??

Dijon and I have two daughters, who are totally opposite in personality....always have been, since they were tiny little things.  One was a very prim and proper little princess, who enjoyed playing quietly with her dolls.  The other, the younger, was a tomboy who loved all things wild and exciting!  So while my oldest gravitated toward calmer rides during our outings to theme parks, my baby girl always longed for lots of rides on the wildest of the roller coasters.   She would have LOVED the one in the picture above, and luckily for me, Dijon would have been happy to accompany her on the ride!

I'm reminded of these theme part adventures lately.....I feel like I'm on two roller coasters in my life right now.  As I've mentioned, our pup has IMHA, and it is an autoimmune illness with lots of ups and downs.  In fact, it is much like AI illnesses humans suffer from, according to my rheumatologist.  As a result of his illness and the side effects of his medications, he is often up during the night, and our sleep is spotty at best.  We visit the vet often, and I must keep an ever-watchful eye on him.

So the stress from that roller coaster adds to the "excitement" of the roller coaster that I already live on.....my fibro has been "off the charts" lately.  Imagine the fibro roller coaster as having HUGE climbs, ENORMOUS falls, and TWISTING curves.   Far from keeping symptoms under control, I am suffering a horrific flare right now.   The fatigue is back to bone-crushing levels, literally.  And the pain grows each day as well.   Keegan rides with me, breathing fire.

The main thing I do in times like this is try to give myself all the extra rest and sleep I can.  I nap as often as possible.  Some people argue against that, saying it will disrupt your night sleep.  When I am in a flare, I don't find that to be true for me.  I find that I can nap, and sleep all night as well. (But remember, everyone has to find what works for them.)

In time,  I know things will improve.  The roller coasters will smooth out...Keegan will go back to sleep, eventually... life will settle a bit.  I just need to wait this out.  And rest.

Soooo, are you a roller coaster fan??  I confess, the real ones scare me a bit!!!

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

I've Missed My Blog, and Stress

Wow....its been so long since I've been here, and I've missed it.  Please forgive my absence... life in my house has been very hectic.   But I have realized that this blog helps give me a place to voice feelings, to share frustrations, and to regroup in my day to day battle with Keegan.  And it truly is a day to day battle.

So, our pup Mr. B is still very ill.  His lab work shows the meds he is on have not yet suppressed his immune system enough to stop the destruction of his red blood cells.  So the fight continues, and I am his nurse :)   I give the many meds and take him to his vet appointments.  We're hoping and praying he can beat this illness.

All this extra activity and worry means STRESS....and for those of you new to fibromyalgia, stress of any kind, whether physical or emotional, causes fibro symptoms to increase.   I fully expected a flare, and that's exactly what has happened.  So my plan to REALLY work on managing symptoms has had to take a back seat for the last couple of weeks.  Right now, my focus is giving my body the extra rest it needs to overcome the flare.

Moral of this story:  Life happens, and when life becomes very stressful and busy, it isn't always easy to keep the fibro dragon asleep.  Keegan is breathing fire right now....I can't push through and ignore the signals.  And even after all this time, I am still bad about that!

I'm making a list of some ingredients for a new daily smoothie....it'll incorporate several things I've found that seem to help me feel better.  I'm thinking if I can lump then into one drink, it'll be easier to make sure I get them all in each day.  I'm trying it tomorrow morning, and I'll let you know how it goes...hopefully, it'll taste yummy, and I'll post the recipe!

Oh, and Mr. B says hello....please say a prayer for him :)

See ya soon,

~~~~Sally~~~~~

ZZZZZZZZZZ......

Just like many other couples, Dijon and I have differing opinions on many topics.  Like just how many pairs of shoes I really need, whether to rent or buy the latest DVD, should you eat a Moon Pie for breakfast (yes, he does that...I know, he is danger of going into sugar shock!)....you know, stuff like that.

But an important one has been how soft/firm our mattress should be.  He likes a very firm mattress....like sleeping on boards topped with a sheet.  Not this kid....I want to feel like I'm in the middle of a cloud bank, or snuggled into a huge wad of cotton balls.

Here's the important thing...........I have realized that sleeping on a VERY soft mattress, and using amazing cotton sheets of very high thread count helps reduce my morning fibro stiffness and pain.

We recently went on a short trip, and the hotel had just such a bed, with the huge pillowtop, and fabulous sheets, and ginormous, soft pillows.  I just sunk into that bed at night, and for naps, and woke up pain-free and feeling great each time!!!

So I immediately came home and put a feather mattress topper on our bed and added some amazing sheets.  I already had my "special pillow", and now I am sleeping better, and waking much less stiff and sore.   And Dijon happily sacrificed his love of a firm bed so that I can feel better....thank you, hon!

Moral of the Day:  Don't ignore the bed.....we spend lots of our life there.  Get whatever you need to make yourself comfortable when you sleep....extra pillows, better quality sheets, soft covers, feather quilts, etc.  A good night's sleep is CRITICAL for fibromites to feel and function well.  This has made a huge difference to me :)

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

IMHA.....Scary Letters

This post has nothing to do with fibromyalgia at all....instead, it has to do with IMHA.  I've just learned about IMHA, some very scary letters.  IMHA stands for Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia, and it is a very serious condition that strikes dogs and cats.  Unfortunately, I HAD to learn about it because our dear Mr. Bentley has become a victim of this awful condition.

The short version of IMHA is that Bentley's immune system is attacking his red blood cells and destroying them.  Something triggered this change in his body....the vets don't know what.  It could have been his knee surgery, a medication, a tick bite, anything.  Often, the cause of the onset of IMHA is never known.  Two weeks ago, Mr. B began fainting, or having episodes of syncope.  A trip to the vet and blood work showed his anemia.  He needed a blood transfusion, bone marrow aspiration, and two days in the LSU Veterinary School Hospital.  

Now he is on strong medications to suppress his immune system.  Hopefully his little body will begin to replenish his red blood cell supply, and his "numbers" will start to look better. ( I'm becoming pretty good at reading lab reports.)   So far, he is stable, but not really improved.  If he survives the initial crisis, he may have to be on meds for several months, if not the rest of his life.

Approximately 30-40% of dogs that develop IMHA do not survive.   We are hoping and praying that Mr. B will be one of the lucky ones.  

If you have pets, please watch for the following:  lethargy, being tired, not eating, just not being themselves, sleeping alot, rapid breathing....these are all symptoms of anemia.  If you see any of these, please take your pet to the vet as soon as you can for a simple blood test to check for anemia.  IMHA strikes silently, and can be devastating very quickly.  

Mr. B says hi, and we hope you'll say a prayer for him.  He's a very sweet boy :)  

 See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~