Hi to All,

Emma and I are taking a break and relaxing today. We also are going to the movie Water for Elephants tonight with Greg. We are celebrating our anniversary today.

I just got a cooling vest. It looks a bit life a life jacket but not quite as thick. It is common for people with MS to have them. The doctor has urged me to get one for a few years now. You place these thin packets into the freezer and then into the vest. Kind of the opposite of a heating pad. You wear ice packs. It should make it possible to go outside more in the summer.

I will be able to go to outdoor activities with my grandchildren. Take more outdoor time with Emma and so on. I am excited. I found out through a friend I can go to a Twins Game in June. The games are sold out. So if it is a hot day I can use the vest then too. So excited to go to the Twins. Those going all have MS and the tickets are right at the place where the bus will stop. So just a bit of walking to our seats. Yeah for that.

Off to a movie...Mary
Two weeks till MS Camp

April 29th, 2001 A Day of Celebration

My 33rd wedding anniversary. Hurray. Greg has to work day into evening so we will celebrate another day.

My Aunt's 87th birthday.

The Royal Wedding! My Aunt is so excited that the date is her birthday. Arrangements have been made where she is staying for medical reasons to arrange for her to watch it. She even got her wish and they did her hair. She told me "Well I want to look my best for the Wedding". She has followed the shows about the upcoming event and is so darn excited.

Emma and I will go down to visit and wish her a Happy Birthday.

Also 15 Days till MS Camp/resort.

Hope you have a wonderful day.

Mary and Emma

Emma and I have been busy. My Aunt is ill and has no children. We have been at the hospital alot and I also am medical power of attorney. Was there a long day today to help meet with people and arrange things for her.

Three weeks from today we will be at camp/MS resort. I know that will be a great break for us.

We expect that this full week at least we will be involved with my Aunt so don't worry if I don't write too much. But don't give up on us and keep checking. Greg took some great pictures of Emma on EAster and i will be writing again soon.

Mary and Emma

GOOD FRIDAY

A Very quiet day for Emma and I which was good for both of us. Very grey and cool here. Waiting for the Sun that they think will come out for Easter Sunday. Did not get a lot done but a bit of preparation for Easter. Rosie sleeps over Saturday night so that will be fun too. She is going to help us cook and also play. Can't wait till Sunday.

I know so many people struggling with health issues some minor and some major. Here in MN I think we need warm weather to air out our homes, spring clean and get the germs out.

Wearing sunglasses all the time in the house too and the eye drops helped me be a bit more comfortable today so that was nice. Emma has been great all day also. We took two naps and one was late so are still up.

Happy Spring and Happy Easter to all. Emma and I wish you good health. On Sunday it will be just three more weeks till camp.
Hope it warms up but it will be great!! I am determined to go and can go even if the healh is a bit of an issue. They have a nurse for each cabin. My own MS Doctor is the camp Dr who consults by phone as needed. It will be good for us.

Found out my county library provides free ebooks. These are books I can download for free on my computer or ipad. I did down load some children's books to share with Rosa when she is here. Fun. I have books here but this will give us some variety. Very neat service and they can be used for 7 -21 days depending on the book. They have adult titles too but this is new so they are just adding books now. Anyway very nice service.

Happy Easter, Mary and Emma

Thursday Night

Hello. Emma and I are tired. I have my pajamas on already it is just after 7 pm here. We had a busy day. I also had such trouble sleeping last night. No time to nap today so probably sleep good tonight.

NURSE EMMA did it again. I literally dragged myself to water exercise and had to take it much easier than normal but made it hte full hour. I rushed when I got dressed and we left.

On Thursday the gang goes for a leisurely lunch any who can make. We went Italian and took our time. We went to Marcellos for those in town. It is in New Hope? Right off 169 and very inexpensive for lunch menu. We sat and talked. My Dr appointment wasn't till 3:30 I found out so we stayed long and talk. Then I killed some time with my friend Karen who kindly drove me to the eye Dr here in Maple Grove. She is always a sweetheart to give me rides.

I got there at 3 but wasn't headed home till 5. First issue was Emma would not relax in the waiting room. She would not drop (unlike her) or even sit. She stood and kept digging in my bag. She seemed agitated. She is smart I am not. Even a lady there said your dog seems nervous. She just wouldn't leave the bag alone and was poking at me. I couldn't figure it out but maybe you already did.

YEP it was the insulin pump issue again. For the first time ever after swimming I forgot to put it back on me. I even ate and did not realize it though I should have taken my blood sugar at lunch and given myself more insulin. I finally figured it out. She calmed right down and layed down as I asked her to. We were in the actual Drs room a long time too and she just curled up in a corner and I think slept. She is so smart. Wish I could get her to help me remember other things I forget!!

I have eye inflamation again and they are consulting another Dr too. They are trying steroid drops again but not sure that will fit the bill. I have to take it day by day. They may need to put me on steroids for my whole body (systemic) but not sure.
This is the first step.

I went due to a bump on my eye but he does NOT think it is cancerous though it grew big kind of fast. He can't remove it with my eye inflamed so will see him in May for that. I was relieved he thinks it is a fluid cyst.

Had hoped to go to Holy Thursday Church Services today but am home instead. My eyes hurt a lot and I have a headache...aren't you sick of hearing that. I mention it because those of you with MS should know headaches might be due to eye issues too. Could be true for anyone but especially due to MS issues. I might have optic neuritis which wouldn't be helped much by just drops. Luckily there office is very close to my home so they will work me in if I need to see them sooner due to problems. Emma was just great there once we got the insulin issue resolved. She is so darn smart.

Hope you have a good day. I think I am write that new graduates just got to take their service dogs home for the first time this week. I imagine those first days they were exciting but I was so worried if Emma would bond with me. I worried she would be bored with me. After more than 5 years I can say I should not have worried so much.

I think warmer temps are coming and I sure hope so. I need to close my eyes so will listen to the Twins game or Audio book. Trying not to go to bed too early as I really want to sleep through the night.

I know some people have Good Friday off or work half day. Though my kids say that is not as true anymore. I hope your weekend goes great. I will think of you in prayer and thoughts this Holy Time. Happy Easter to all.

Mary and Emma

Can't sleep at 2:38 am! MS discomfort and a headache and eye pain. Yeah Dr appt today.

Anyway wrote to mention a friend with MS is having the same issue with not being able to sleep. We are playing online scrabble. Isn't it interesting both up at this hour and on the computer.

Emma thinks since she is up she needs a snack and some petting. Time to try to sleep again.

I have this issue even when i don't nap in the day but this time I did sleep a lot in the day.

Emma sleeping at MS Camp/resort. 4 weeks from now we will be there. Wont be hard to sleep there I don't think..they wear us out in a good way.

Hope you are snoozing as I write this.

DIFFICULT NIGHT WITHOUT EMMA

Emma is fine and I am fine. Tuesday night I made a super big big mistake. I had a sleep study and did NOT bring Emma. Now my Dr. who refered me said I could bring Emma. This was not my first sleep study but my first time at this lab. I was worried that since they wire you all up for the study at like 7:30

how would I take her out to go potty?
what if it bothered her when they talk to you now and then over a speaker from the other room?
what about when they come in to adjust the machine and things?
what if she shed on the bed?
that and other worries?

I imagined she would be happier at home in the bed she was use to!
I knew she likes Greg and thought she would do just fine.

Well gosh next time I will definitely bring her! This is how it went at the North Memorial Sleep Lab in Maple Grove.

It was a nice setting so close to my home too. They gave me the largest room and thought I was bringing the dog.
The professional that helped me said YES she would have happily taken her out as needed. Unlike other sleep study rooms I have been it (due to different providers) it was very large and comfortable. YES they encourage people to bring their service dogs (I didn't know that) because it helps patients relax and have a more normal routine.

I called Greg but he had just gotten home. He took Emma grocery shopping and did review some skills too. She was doing great at that point in the night. She was watching tv with him sitting on my spot on the love seat with the blanket she and I share. Doing great. So I didn't ask him to bring her up. It was icky out and I was heading to bed soon and thought it would be fine for both of us.

Well turns out even with the sleeping pills they gave me I missed her. They had to remind me at times to try to relax (you don't normally sleep all wired up with someone also watching you from another room ha) and I did go to sleep. But as I woke up off and on i sure missed her snuggling next to me.

Meanwhile on the home front Greg said Emma was not a happy camper. As the evening went on she was looking for me. She kept going through the house I guess to see if I was in the other room. After she went out for her last potty outing Greg said she began pacing. Then she would stop and lay by the front door looking out the window for me. Then pace again. Greg thought it was about 2 am before she finally would lay in bed with him and relax and go to sleep for the night.

I was silly not to bring her. I kept thinking she would be happier at home??? Why didn't I realize how much we would miss each other? In over 5 years we have slept together except for a few nights when I was in the hospital. And those nights she also wouldn't sleep and paced and I missed her. I also thought with the heavy sleeping pills I took just for the study that I wouldn't really miss her that much. WRONG on that also.

In the morning the technician told me, when you have this done again (I do every so many years) be sure to bring your dog. It would be good to see if that helped you sleep better and relax more. Hope Helping Paws staff see this and encourage others with service dogs to consider bringing them if they have sleep studies.

I will find out the results from my Lung Specialists who also deals with Sleep Issues in May. I already use a bipap machine so this was to see how i am doing, if the machine needs adjustments and so on. They did tell me my legs moved all night even though I thought I took the medication for that and the one for MS spasms at night. They also noted I seemed to have a lot of pain (I did). She said she could see my legs moving like I ran a marathon all night. She was not surprised that I was tired in the morning and woke up a lot at night. So hopefully things will improve. They had super staff there.

Emma was so excited when I got home to her. Shel has been so close to me all day. I was so tired I had to take two naps today. I am still up due to a late nap. I did double check tonight that I took all medications. Emma and I are so meant for each other. Someone reminded me the other day of how long labs live. Gosh I hope I have her many more years. The Vet says I take good care of her and all looks good at this point. She means so much to me.

PS. My husband missed me too and I missed him too. But Emma lays closer to me than he does ha ha.

ALSO we woke up to more SNOW. Just a few inches and it melted fast but gosh are we sick of it. It was raining part of the day. We are waiting for sunshine.

Wishing you a good week and Happy Easter too.

Love Mary and Emma