3 more days till MS Camp

Emma and I enjoyed time outside today and lunch with a friend. We started the day with physical therapy. The therapist insists she is the best behaved dog they ever have there. What a compliment. Take a bow Emma!! We took a big nap but I am still a bit tired. Emma is sleeping so I guess she was too. We walked in a store in Ridgedale with my friend which was good for me. Emma did well.

My granddaughters should be here soon and we will play outside if they want to do so. We are grilling hamburgers for them for supper - they think Grandpa makes the best hamburgers they tell us. I suspect we will play Barbi since I bought a new vehicle for Barbi and watch a video depending on how late Mike and Tia will be out tonight.

Saturday we plan to be home all day packing, resting, and reading I hope. I may have to do a few loads of wash also. Sunday i think we are going to the movie "Earth" with a friend. Greg works a lot this weekend. I am excited for camp of course.

At camp it is so nice to greet those you don't see often. Since it is like one big sleep over with activities in the morning, afternoon and evening you feel close to some of the fellow campers...especially those I see almost every year. One person told me she was not going to camp partly because it is so difficult to see those who are worse off than we are or who have declined. Also each year there are a few who have died.

I maintain that is not a drawback. Of course the first year it is shocking to see other with such limited abilities and adjusting to the fact that you have the same disease they have. However, my experience has been that campers such as Mary Helen give me strength. There are so many examples of people who cope and have a good attitude despite the devastating changes they face due to MS. I figure if they can cope I will cope as the disease worsens.

None of us know where the disease will lead us (or other health problems for that matter). Some get worse early after diagnosis of MS, Men typically do worse than women with the disease, and it is tough to see the changes. Yet these people who become camp friends need our friendship even with the changes. I can't ignore them or give up on them since they no longer can walk or other changes. I don't like the changes but i would like to think if it happened to me that others would still be around. I wish the same for my camper friends.

Some of the volunteers have MS which amazes me. Eventually some of them become "campers" rather than volunteers. We all change year to year in one way or another...so the declining health will not keep me from camp. I will be honest though that sometimes the changes are hard to see in just a years time. One camper won't be with us Doug and I will miss him. It turned out he had ALS and MS and he died this past year...so yes we miss those who have passed from MS or other causes.

Think of me having fun. Emma and I get to be outdoors a great deal including our nature walks as I tell her to start the morning and after dinner at night. They have nice paths that are wooded or more grass spots too. She likes the smells and sights. Think of me doing arts and crafts with her at my feet resting. The only time it gets a bit loud for he is when we are all making bird houses or bird feeders...all that pounding. She never complains though ha ha.

Our cabin mates include Kathy who reads this blog, Jan, Wanda, Tonya, and more. We will be there early to pick out the bed we want. We try to get the smaller room that does not ajoin other rooms. Quieter for Emma and me at night especially.
She hops up on the single bed and snuggles at my feet though I do bring a blanket in case she prefers the floor but she doesn't ha ha.

Hope you have a nice weekend--- Mary and Emma both excited about camp