Wed and wishing you a good night

wow I was tired again today. We were out and about in the morning but napped from 1-5. Emma's tummy was the alarm clock this time. I even slept through some phone calls and that is not like me.

We are having a warmer spell of weather so Emma is enjoying the outside yard a lot. I go out with her but then end up sitting down inside (watching her) as she lasts longer than I do. When we need her to go in a hurry she will but how I love days like this when she can be out longer and explore the smells and so on. Like a women on the news said you feel like spring fever when it is about zero again. But it will be cooler again by the weekend. I think these weather reminds us that it won't be cold forever. W
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We hope to grill tomorrow night. We have water exercise and a nap planned. Hopefully not such a long nap. I have some things I want to do including reading. I just read "Still Alice" and am starting "Look Again". Both of them book club books.

I am out of ampyra the medication that helps MS patients with walking. It does not work for all of them. It helps me walk a further distance, faster, and be stronger. That means I can lift my leg easier so I do steps better also. I really appreciate how it helped me now that I am off it. UGH. Like in target with it I can walk with a cart some distance (varies by how tired I am). Without it I have to use an electric cart for every part of it or just sit somewhere and wait for Greg to shop. That is how much difference it made for me.

On my insurance I have to be reviewed every three months for my progress by the doctor. They observe and docuement my walking and I don't know what else they complete on the form. Well I didn't know that and ran out. Then it takes awhile for all of the paperwork to go through and it to be reviewed again by insurance. I have been without it at least two weeks. I hope this does not happen every three weeks. We are working with insurance and the pharmacy to see if we can move things faster next time. It will involve extra dr appts which is okay because they want to observe other things now too. I have another MRI in April too . MS is never dull.

I believe with the Ampyra and time to build myself up that in the summer I will be actually able to "walk" myself when I "walk" Emma. The heat and living on a hill will make an impact. But some summers I can't walk to my neighbors very easily even with a walker. I am optimistic that though not a "cure for MS" this medicine will help us get out in the yard more, visit neighbors more etc. And participate in more outdoor things. Again HEat is an issue and very cold for me too. But anything that helps you hope and dream is good for me.

I also can stand longer so playing with Emma in the yard might mean I can stand more and not just sit in the chait! I will still need her to pick up things, help retrieving, taking off socks and so much more. I saw a cute video on u tube about what a small dog was trained to do to help the owner. I will try to post it. So much of it Emma can do but some depends on her size. The little dog can pull the chain on a table lamp to turn it off. Emma would pull it off the table and I don't have that type of lamp anyway.


I am so use to Emma that I am amazed when I see such clips of how unusual the tasks are for a dog to complete. With Emma part of my routing. I don't always recall how cute, surprising and interesting it is to others. I know with blog readers some see Emma or read all the time so am not always aware to include what she can do. I will try to incoperate that into my writings.

Emma needs to go outside for the last time tonight. At this hour I watch from the patio door. In the summer though I usually sit outside watching her.

Thanks for reading the blog. Emma is a wonderful dog. I am thrilled if they renew the medication and it helps me in my care of her. It is not a miracle - I won't walk miles - but being steadier on my feet is a great thing.

Mary and Emma