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Pupcakes for a True Blue Pal

30 August 2010 by stillmilestogo

I have a dog. Her name is True. We call her “Trooper,” “Boo boo,” “Truby,” and “True Blue”. Because she is. She’s a True-blue friend. She is a service dog and helps me with everyday tasks.

Yesterday was True’s 6th birthday. That makes her middle-aged in dog years. We are so blessed to have True in our lives so we celebrate doggie birthdays just like we do human birthdays.

For this birthday, I made cupcakes on Saturday night. They were dairy-free, egg-free, chocolate-free, and baked with agave nectar in place of processed sugar (because processed sugar is bad for doggie tummies). And because of this, they were doggie-edible.

We got up early Sunday morning to run errands (something True loves). First on our list was Petsmart. Petsmart is one of the few places we go that we let True be “just a dog.” We leave her service dog jacket in the car and take off her gentle leader. She’s allowed to sniff and greet other dogs and get pets and cookies from people she meets. She loves it. We picked up some new nail clippers for her (our old ones got lost in the move) and some specialty frosted cookies and bones for her birthday. She was in heaven.

Next, we were off to Costco. [For my pharmaceutical-dependent friends out there, Costco Pharmacy ROCKS. They charge at-cost so if your insurance doesn’t completely cover something (for me, Zofran), it’s not that expensive!] Costco was a short trip aimed at picking up a few staples in our home.

Then we were off to Beast’s house. Beast is True’s boyfriend. He’s a 10-month-old, yellow lab service dog. They are best friends:

Beast and True, ready for work


They are hilarious together. They chew on opposite sides of the same bone, swim together, cuddle, and work together. Beast even brings True toys and forces them in her mouth. They are certainly good pals. So was there any better way to celebrate her birthday than by letting her celebrate with her favorite four-legged pal?

After letting True and Beast enjoy the evening together, we headed home so that True could enjoy her allergen-free, puppy-safe cupcakes.

Thank you, True, for being there for me when I need you! Here’s to many more happy birthdays in the future!

___________________________

Today, I had my pre-op consult with the surgical team for my muscle biopsy. It seems like such an ordeal for such a small operation. I found out that the procedure is only done with general anesthesia so even after begging for local it was a no-go. But we were able to set a date for the soonest available day: September 16th. We’re looking forward to getting some more firm answers at this point. Wish us luck!

Posted in At the Doctor's, Birthdays, Dogs, Friends, True | Leave a Comment »

Let’s talk about Butts: Digestive Tract Paralysis

27 August 2010 by stillmilestogo

August 22-29 is Digestive Tract Paralysis (DTP) Awareness Week.

Because I suffer from DTP, I thought I’d share a little about DTP, my story, and the stories of some friends.

I have what’s called “gastroparesis.” That’s gastro– (meaning stomach) and –paresis (meaning partial paralysis). I also have intestinal dysmotility which has resulted in many episodes of intestinal psuedo-obstruction. And that’s intestinal (meaning relating to the small intestines and colon), pseudo- (meaning false), and obstruction (a blockage). Both issues are common with many types of mito.

As a friend with Crohn’s disease has said about GI-tract disorders:

“What are those?” you ask. Butt diseases. Nobody talks about them because butts are embarrassing.

But these are real and serious conditions because the GI (gastrointestinal) system processes your food (which contributes to how well your entire body functions), GI disorders are very serious. They are something that people should talk about because without vital nutrition, your body deteriorates rapidly. There are, however, some medical “solutions” to poor nutrition. Although doctors initially try treatment with medication and diet, they may eventually resort to using TPN (total parenteral nutrition), which is essentially IV nutrition, and/or a GJ (Gastrojejunal) tube, a tube that directly feeds into the small bowel, bypassing the stomach.

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Posted in Friends, Guest stars, Kiddos, mito, Raising Awareness, Sharing is caring, Tummy troubles | 3 Comments »

She is “Sasha Fierce”

26 August 2010 by stillmilestogo

Today, Keith and I went in to Children’s Hospital Boston to visit some friends. The main purpose of our visit was to watch over Sasha while her parents took her brother to an appointment with the metabolism doctor in another wing of the hospital. As you may or may not recall, I mentioned that Sasha was admitted to CHB on Tuesday. She was having bowel issues as well as some bothersome neurological impairments. The staff in the Emergency Department exhausted their options so she was admitted for some pretty big treatments for such a little girl. Keith went in yesterday night to visit and bring Stefani and Ralph some supplies and came back telling of the little girl who was not the Sasha we know and love. As I wrote in my last post, she is a spirited, joyful, engaging, empowering, strong, and inspiring 5-year-old. I admire her fierceness. Last night, however, she was not fierce; she was resigned.

When Keith and I showed up at 10am, Sasha was still asleep. This is particularly odd for Sasha as she rarely sleeps past 7am. We sneaked in and sat down nearby her bed with True. Pretty soon, the metabolism team came around to check on her so I quietly roused her. When she saw us, she perked up immediately and sat up with a grin. When she saw True, that grin turned into a full-on smile. She giggled as True hopped up onto her bed and gave her kisses. The metabolism team was pleased that she was so responsive as she apparently hadn’t been in the previous days. She was able to hop down and perform the tasks the team asked of her with very little prodding. This pleased the metabolism team further. She showed them some of True’s tricks and said “thank you” as they left.

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Posted in Boston, Hospital life, Kiddos, mito | 1 Comment »

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