I HIDE YARN

Tap...Tap...Is This Thing On?

Is there anyone still reading or looking at my blog for updates?  All you are going to find here are lame excuses and cute dog pics.  If you came for the knitting, you must return my knitting mojo.  Then I promise to show you some knitting pics.

I have been extremely busy these days...

• cuddling with the puppy on the bed
• watching Dish TV until 3 a.m. (so many channels - so little time...so many channels showing Cops, which of course, I only watch for the theme song.)
• getting up around 6-6:30 a.m.
• watching the hair on my legs grow (it's not quite to the totally gross length where people would begin to doubt if I evolved fully - but it's more than it should be.  I will spare you the pics)
• I may be growing the hair on my legs because the hair on my head is till coming out BY THE HANDSFULL!  (When your hair is waist-length,  that's not funny.)
• Cisco has lost his long puppy coat, and has only retained the long hair on his ears, and 4 long hairs on his chest.  He has two balding spots on either side of the white stripe on his head.
• The two of us are considering joining the hair club for men.
• Or, we may attempt a transplant of my leg hair to our heads.
• We are both hoping our long hair returns soon.

Can you feel the excitement?  Yeah.  Me too.

Cisco has turned into a total little love bug.  He whines if I leave him on the bed and move to my computer only a couple of feet away.  If I go out of his sight, he gets frantic.  Yes, I have created a monster.  I wonder how my doctors feel about me packing the pooch in my handbag during medical exams?  Although I appear to have his undying love, I occasionally have to play second fiddle to Remy, who Cicso totally adores with leaping, wild puppy abandon.

Here are some pics of Cisco...

Who wouldn't love that little face?


Here he is admiring himself in the dresser mirror.


Here we are in a stare down. 

When he decides I have spent enough time at the computer, and it's time for me to get back over there and play with him - he gives one sharp bark.  The only time he barks.  Then we stare each other down to see who wins.  Usually he does.  Could you refuse that little face?

In other news, hubby is back to work now in his third week.  He's doing very well.  Basically it's just the dogs and me in the house, after my caregivers leave.  Winston has begrudgingly made his way back to the spot under my computer table at times.  He is afraid of the puppy, and will not get on the bed if Cisco is there.  Winston is quite happy to be held as long as I am away from the puppy, and seeks me out immediately whenever food might be involved.  Sachi and Remy love to play with the puppy. 

So, most of my side effects from the medication have resolved, except for the excessive falling out of the hair and brittle, breaking fingernails. 

And that's all the news that's fit to print.  I don't think the networks will be calling me anytime soon.  However the last time I got on the scale, I'm pretty sure I could hear the circus calling.  Holey moley!  I didn't believe even I could gain that much weight sleeping 18 hours a day for a few weeks.  Apparently my body only required about 12 calories a day, and I didn't get the memo.

While I Was Sleeping...

I have missed a lot of January, and most of February so far.  Pfffft.  Gone.  Technically I was here, but I was sleeping for the most part.  It seems my joy in having no side effects from the Avonex injections for MS were short lived.  Although I still have not had the horrible flu-like symptoms so many endure, this is a partial list of side effects I have muddled through in hopes they would dissipate...

fatigue (as in sleeping about 18 hours a day)
hair loss (coming out by the hands full)
itchy red eyes that feel like I am in a sand storm
blurred vision
two upper respiratory infections (caused by immune system suppression)
daily asthma (something that had been totally under control once I was home all the time)

This seems to be one of those "the cure is worse than the ailment" meds - although technically Avonex is not a cure for MS - it is supposed to lessen progression.  I know you wish you were me - heh.  I still have not knitted a stitch, nor read knitting blogs.  First, because it is hard to do when one is sleeping.  Second, I seem to have no desire to do much of anything.  This is so not me that it is very disconcerting.  I am going to take a couple of weeks off from the injections to see if I regain my normal spunk and attitude.

DH is doing very well.  I believe he is on his next to last leg.  Hee!  Meaning he is on his last training leg, and I believe the next one will be his actual permanent prosthesis.  He has discovered he can drive just fine with it, with no need for adjustments like hand controls.  Soon he will have to retake his CDL (license) so he can get back to work driving the Bookmobile.  I don't know who is more ready for him to back to work...him or me. 

Thankfully Cisco has gotten quite used to playing and napping on the bed with me.  His pad lined litterbox is at one end, and he uses it dutifully.  Last night I rolled over and thought we had a broken bed spring in our fairly new mattress.  I wiggled around trying to get more comfortable, and my butt squeaked.  That's when I discovered it wasn't a broken bed spring I was lying on, but a squeaky toy hot dog.  Hee!

Yes, his name is Cisco (aka The Cisco Kid.)  That has evolved from Bo...Bocephus...and various other names.  I will close with a couple of pics of Cisco.  He is now 12 weeks old. 

Yes, there are still other dogs in this house, but they don't spend much time in here now that Daddy is home all the time and homesteading a recliner in the family room.  Sachi and Remy come in to play with Cisco on occasion.  Winston is still pretending he does not exist.

Checking In

I hate when this blog becomes negative and all about medical issues, but I wanted to check in.

Unfortunately I seem to be in a major progression of the MS, which is causing unbelievable pain for the past 6 weeks or so.  Technically MS causes tiny lesions in the brain and spinal column.  These lesions cause the nerves to misfire, which can cause tingling, numbness, weakness and pain.  In this case, the nerves are sending false signals to the brain to send out the pain signal.  Since MS is a disease of the central nervous system, the brain is sending out the pain message throughout my entire nervous system.  It feels like I have been set on fire.  I cannot sleep more than an hour or so at a time.  This type of pain is very difficult to treat, as it does not respond well to typical narcotic pain relievers.

I am also having major difficulty getting around.  I can no longer walk the few steps at a time, that allowed me more access to my home.  I have been trapped in my bedroom for 2 months. 

We need to do some major remodeling of the home - especially the master bathroom, doorways, outer doors, etc.  It is a very expensive endeavor, and I don't know where we are going to come up with the funds.  The National MS Society will be donating a whopping $400.  Until some remodeling can be done so I can use my wheelchair to access more areas, I will remain trapped in my bedroom.  It is not safe for me to try to shower in our current setup.  They need to remove the huge sunken tub, and put in a 4' x 5' roll in shower.  My bathroom also has a step-up to the shower & bath tub area.  I can no longer negotiate the step.  The bathroom has plenty of floor space to be remodeled for accessibility, we just need to find the funds to do so.

As we are in trial and error with different drugs for the pain, I am experiencing a lot of numb, zombie-like feelings which keep me from knitting or doing much of anything but lying down.

I'll be back with you as soon as I can.

Package of Cheer

Thanks to this humble knitting blog, I have friends in far away places like Malaysia.  Fern, knitter of the beautiful and recently posted Hiawatha Stole, sent me a delightful little package.

All items are made in Malaysia, how cool is that?  The little puppy pouch will be perfect for stitch markers.  The applique iron-ons are so adorable and will be perfect for baby bibs or other baby items (if I can bear to part with them!)  But the one that stole my heart was this one...

An over-sized pic of the little puppy.  He hangs from a little braided cable with loop, so he will hang out around my computer so I can remember my friend Fern, and Lucky who sent a little paw print on the note.  Fern was thanking me for some help with sock advice.

The past few weeks has been a little tough as I am stuck in one room of the house because of pain severely limiting any mobility, and have been able to do so little knitting.  I'm blessed with television, DVD movies, music, books, books on tape and the Internet when I can handle being up. Fern's sweet thoughtfulness cheered me up immensely - thanks Fern!

Thanks to all of you for your lovely comments on posting puppy pics on my knitting blog.  It was the consensus of all that commented or sent emails that I should continue with the puppy pics.  They enjoy them, but either way they much prefer them to blog silence.  To my knitting-only readers - check in periodically - there WILL be knitting again.  Hopefully Bloglines can help everyone recognize my posts that hold no interest for them so they can click on by.

With that said...of course I must post at least one puppy pic...

Remy fast asleep at M's feet.  Winston was sound asleep in her arms, and looking oh-so-cute as well, but for some reason M didn't want her nightie-clad self on the Internet.  Hee!

Last night we had to give Sachi a puppy shot.  DH did the shooting, I did the puppy holding, M stood by in case I collapsed into tears.  Sachi made one tiny yelp, but I cried the real tears.  I know it has to be done, but vaccinations - whether of human babies or fur babies is hard to witness.

I'm going to knit today - oh yes I am!