Tag: pain

Sleep. Bark. Hike.

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Alfie Stories

I know I haven’t been on in a while but Mom started a new job.. again. This time she’s working 12 hour night shifts. Seriously. The woman is insane. But now either her or dad is home ALL THE TIME! I loooove it. Except when they should be home but go out together without us. Like why, why wouldn’t you bring us every single place you go ever?! I live for walks and car rides!

Speaking of walks and car rides, we got to go on one the other day! We went to this place called the Erie Canal and walked along this awesome long water. So many fish and birds and sticks! I tried to jump in a few times but Mom was seriously against it. I wanted to keep coming back so I listened like a good girl.

And speaking of being a good girl: Mom sleeps during the day now. Like allll day. Well I, being the good girl I am, cuddle right up next to her in bed and sleep my days away. Sometimes I get bored so I’ll go out in the living room and watch the field but I’m always quiet. Zuc on the other hand enjoys barking at stuff and pissing mom off. She gets upset so I bark and then nobody is happy! That’s when we stop and sleep again. It’s a weird life but we’re adjusting!

The Demise of Nursing School

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Alfie Stories

I hated nursing school. Why did mom have to go there and spend forever hours away from me just to come home and ignore me for this stupid computer and books? It was the worst. I guess during Fall semester mom finally saw that too. She was working at both The Dog Lodge and going to school. She looked like crap. I could smell the stress on her. This is mostly why I hated nursing school I think. Mom and dad couldn’t tell but Zuc and I could. She was killing herself. Her stress smells were out of this world. She wasn’t sleeping well because of it. I could sense and smell the pain she was in too. It was worse than normal but she would act like it was nothing.

I made sure to sleep on her every chance I got. It helped to reduce her restlessness when she slept but it also decreased her stress smells.

Then, mom ran out of medicines. She was so busy she didn’t have time to make her yearly appointment with her rheumatologist. He’s like 6 hours away so it’s almost impossible. The panic attacks started but this time they didn’t go away. Then,

Depression.

I wouldn’t leave her side. She would only get out of bed to take us out to go potty. She started to see a therapist thank goodness. I was so scared for her. We all were. The stress smells got worse, along with the bad smells. Grandmom came down to check on her and made her take a shower for the first time in TWO weeks. Grandmom stayed for a couple days and made her get out of bed. Dad was at his wits end. His stress smells were overwhelming. I knew he didn’t know what to do so Zuc and I tried our best to take care of mom for him. After that the therapist appointments were more frequent.

Zuc curling up with Mom.

All of a sudden, mom rearranged the entire apartment. Everything was taken out of the cupboards and all kinds of things were moved! There was so much stuff to get into! We both had fun. I made sure to get into things and look silly so mom would smile at me. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see her smile or show positive body language again! Her break from work was ending and she actually went in! I was so proud of her and so excited for all of the new dog smells that came back on her clothes.

She did not go back to school. She still hasn’t gone back to school. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to be a nurse anymore. I know she would still be a great one if it didn’t take so much from her. She’s so happy now. The Dog Lodge fills her up where nursing empties her. This is a better choice for everyone. I get all the smells and a new place to run around sometimes. Plus, she’s learning how to do dog training now and guess who gets to be the guinea pig! SO MUCH MOM AND ALFIE TIME!!!

Holy. Moly.

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Alfie Stories

Okay, I haven’t been on in quite a while but mom has been suuuuper busy so I haven’t been allowed to use the computer. We’ve been back and forth to grandmom’s house and home and Aunt Stephenie’s so much! I love car rides but sometimes you just gotta be able to lay on the cool hardwood floor of home.

Mom got me a new headrest.
I’m suuuuper dog!
Sometimes the couch is as good as the floor.

Grandmom is doing great now! There were some complications and its been a long road to recovery but my mom is going to be a great nurse. She goes back to school in a couple weeks so it was good practice for her. I just wish that with her doing such a great job in nursing that she could nurse herself. She had been doing really well for a while but now that things have been crazy she’s been having a lot of migraines and fibro flares. Just this morning another one hit, but it was like a baby flare so she was still able to function all day. Which was a reeeeally good thing since she had a working interview at The Dog Lodge! She came home smelling of all kinds of good stuffs! So many fun pups I wish I could meet. Who knows, maybe someday I will! I haven’t seen mom so happy to leave us and still happy when she got home in a long time. It’ll be good for her. Zuc and I however, we aren’t happy about it one bit.

Back At It! 

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Alfie Stories

Mom brought us back home on Saturday. We were all ready to be home and back to normal again. Especially Zuc, he was starting to freak out a little bit being away from dad for so long. I missed dad too. Mom and her mom and dad, along with Auntie and her boyfriend, Uncle and his girlfriend all left as soon as we got back! It was okay though, Zuc and I got to cuddle with dad alllll night! When they all came home it was really late. I could smell Aunt Steph on them. I could also smell foods, delicious alcohol, and a yummy plant smell that sometimes wafts in from the neighbor’s house. 


Mom neverrrrr stays out late. The next morning I could tell she felt bad but she was happy. It was weird. She stayed in bed almost all day! We did address a whole pile of wedding invitations but even just doing that she had to take rests. Monday she was still sore. We went for our walk but barely. She took all kinds of medicines but we still didn’t do much. Hopefully today will be different and she’ll be okay enough to play! Then again, I’ve been recovering from playing so hard with Flash, Sampson, and Bandit I haven’t done much other than sleep too! 

Help! Fireworks! 

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Alfie Stories

Today was almost the best day ever. I mean it was a pretty good day just waking up because it’s Friday. That means dad stays home with us tomorrow! On our walk this morning it was suuuuper hot so mom let me jump in the stream and chase the little waterfalls. It’s my favorite thing to do on hot days! Sometimes I just lay down and roll around in the nice, cool stream. I got a little too excited this morning and may have pulled mom in a little bit. Oops! 

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When we got home mom gave us treats even though we already had breakfast! Mom did yoga in the sun while I watched (and kinda got in the way). Then I got to chase the broom around! Mom said she was “cleaning” and to “get out of the way” a lot but I think that’s just part of the game. We all took naps until dad got home. 


That’s when the best part happened! We went to the big dog park!! The one where we have to ride in the car first and there’s always a whole bunch of friends to make! I even met the dog gods. They’re these great big dogs. Not to brag, but they totally accepted me. Mom ran around with us too. She picked up her increased dose of Cymbalta the other day and I think she’s ajusting to it well so far! 


After the dog park we went to dad’s brother’s apartment for dinner where I got to play with squeaky toys. And then we got ice cream on the way home!! Zuc loooooves ice cream so we battled the whole way home to get more than the other. It’s fun but mom and dad make us keep it fair. 

Now after that perfect day, there were fireworks. A LOT OF FIREWORKS. I was trembling scared. I even yelled at them to go away a few times. Mom had to hold me and cover me up in a blanket so I’d feel safe. It kinda worked. 

Dogter Zuc

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Dogter Zuc

Hello, I am Alfie’s older (and smarter) brother. I help mom do research and cool things like that online. Yesterday we spent a few hours looking things up about fibromyalgia. First I would like to explain what fibromyalgia is because I know some people don’t really understand.

Fibromyalgia is described as widespread pain. That’s a simple way to just sum it all up. It’s really a very broad and somewhat scary diagnosis, especially since humans don’t know what causes it or how to help those affected by it. Have you ever grabbed a fiberglass stick and immediately regretted it because your mouth stung like a million little bees were in it trying to escape? I think it feels like that in your muscles, all over, all the time- that’s what I’ve gathered from mom’s experiences anyway. So a fibro person suffers all day long in pain- that pain can only be tolerated for so long before it starts to effect other parts of the body. “Fibro fog” is a state where you just feel like you’re not with it. There’s like a haziness to your brain. You can’t remember where you hid your bone, or even if you hid your bone already. This happens from the fatigue. When you’re in pain your body has to compensate for that. It’s working in overdrive and before long you run out of the energy to do other things because your body has to focus on that darn pain and trying to get rid of it. Along with the pain and mental impairment things like anxiety and depression may manifest. We also see IBS, restless leg, and other types of syndromes. People with FMS have these tender points on their bodies- if you so much as touch these spots sometimes the person will yell out in pain. I always forget where they are and step on mom’s. It is not a good day when that happens.

Overall fibromyalgia is not an illness we can see. If we pay close enough attention we can see these people suffering and that is how we know for sure it is a real thing. There are so many people out there suffering, we need to help. I will help by making sure to always notice when mom is in pain and doing what I can to help her. We will also continue our home research and maybe someday we will be able to take it to the next level.

I Keep Getting Locked Up!

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Alfie Stories

So, on Tuesday, Mom and Brooke wanted to do something fun. It was raining. A nice, sloshy, drizzly rain that I loooove to go play in. Side note: guess who didn’t get to go play in it. Yup, me. Anyway, they decided to go to the mall to get pedicures and watch movies. (Uh, hello, you can do that here and still let me run in the rain!) Mom wanted to see Baywatch and Snatched. They both sound super boring to me. Brooke decided they would see Baywatch first and then Snatched all in the same day, but had to give up their pedicures because Brooke had to go home for work on Wednesday. They locked us up and went on their way. I obviously need to work on my puppy-dog eyes. They don’t seem to be working! I keep getting locked up!

Dad got home before them. Mom came running in from the wrong side of the house! I thought something bad was happening so I got up and ran to meet her. My fur was standing straight up! She started giggling and I knew it was okay so I tried to play with her. She loved it. She told dad she was trying to beat his friend to the door because she realized he was following her and drove super slow. Mom can be a meany sometimes. Brooke came in huffing behind her. She had lots of bags that smelled amazing. So many different smells! I shoved my head right in to poke around and got a swat on the butt. This always happens but I can’t stop myself. Brooke started complaining about how mom couldn’t tolerate sitting in those movie theater chairs for two whole movies so they only ended up seeing Baywatch. Mom smelled a little sick. I could tell her tummy hurt and she was stiff now that all of the excitement was over.

Mom and I cuddling
Dumb Baseball Games

Brooke had to leave right away so she would be home in time for sleeps since she had to work the next day. I was sad and waited at the window for her to come back in for a little while. Mom kept telling me she’d be back but not for now. So we went and made food for dad and his friends- his brother came over too. All they did was play dumb baseball video games. I wish they would go outside and play real baseball. The kind where I chase them is my favorite. But while dad, his friend, and his brother all ate mom didn’t. Her tummy was too upset and she was sore all over. So we crawled into bed and watched Chopped until dad and Zuc came in for sleeps.

Please! Increase the dose! 

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Alfie Stories

Mom’s friend Brooke came to stay for a couple days. Zuc and I went sleeps before she arrived on Sunday so we didn’t even know she was here! When the bedroom door opened I burst out into the living room and rubbed my wet little nose allll over her! She smelled like my friend Briley and all kinds of yummy restaurant food! (She works at one) Brooke is fun. I like her. The four of us went for a walk and Mom seemed to be doing pretty good today. But then when we got back they locked us up and left! I could not believe it! 

When mom and Brooke came back they smelled like diner food. DINER FOOD! And they didn’t even bring me any back! I pouted for a long time. They didn’t even care though. They both took a nap! When mom woke up I heard her call the doctor and ask them to increase her dose of Cymbalta. I hope it doesn’t make her too drowsy. When dad got home from work he made them go away. I think he knew I was upset with them. They came back with all of those plastic bags filled with food- none of it was for me though. 

Mom’s groceries compared to Brooke’s beer. She found a lot of kinds that she can’t get at home!

After that, they all left again, even dad!! I couldn’t believe it. I did notice Mom took some Ibuprofen before going outside though. 

Mom and her friend Brooke going to dinner

They did leave us bones and a Kong toy but those just aren’t good enough for me. I wandered around and found those dumb sticks that Mom puts in our mouths to clean our teeth. Zuc and I both HATE those sticks. So, I did what any puppy would do with a stick, I chewed it! I chewed ALL OF THEM. My breath can stink all it wants. I was proud. Of course, then they all got home and Mom found them and laughed. That is not a good sign. That means she has more of them. Then she did the most surprising thing everrrrr, she gave me her left over steak fat! Maybe I should chew those sticks up every time! 

Stick #1 I made sure those bristle things wouldn’t work.

Mom and Brooke sat down on the couch and fell asleep again. I was so disappointed. I hope the doctor does what Mom needs so she can keep up with everything again soon. 

Leading up to Rainy Days

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Alfie Stories

It’s a sleepy, rainy day. I haven’t been on for the past couple of days because mom has been in some serious pain. While she did get on WordPress, she just couldn’t fight through her flare and fibro fog to get anything written down and published! She takes Cymbalta for the nerve pain, Provigil for the EDS (and narcolepsy), and some supplements like vitamin D and B12 (recommended by her doctor). Most days she takes these and feels like a new lady. When she took them on Friday they sorta helped for a little while. Saturday was a whole new realm of pain though. Those medicines she’s been taking for almost a year now did absolutely nothing.

Vitamin D
Vitamin B12

Now while I felt horrible for my mom I still need to go for walks and play. I’m a puppy. I can’t help it. On Friday mom took us to the park but didn’t play with us again. I couldn’t figure out why since it was so BEAUTIFUL out. We cuddled on the couch for a long time but let’s face it I can only cuddle so many days in a row. I brought her my ball and she threw it across the living room. We did that for a while until she couldn’t throw well. That’s when my nose started to search around. Remember, I’m a puppy. I can’t help it. My nose found the garbage and I found a swat. It took mom a couple minutes to get up and over to me though so I did score some pretty tasty leftovers. I felt bad I made mom get up so I cuddled back up with her despite my urge to run around like a crazy-head. Mom did a lot of napping.

Saturday is mine and Zuc’s favorite day of the whole week! Dad stays home with us! He took us for our walk and mom came along. It was another BEAUTIFUL day outside! But she still didn’t play with us much. Once we got home she didn’t move for the rest of the day it seemed. She took Excedrine like it was Beggin’ Strips (I love those things). Dad got her big white thing that’s filled with rocks I think. It smells pretty, like lavender, and he heats up hot. Mom spent the day having dad heat it up and then putting it all over her body, mostly on her neck. The only time I think she got up was when we ran a bath with Camomile Epsom Salts. She soaked for a loooong time while I stood outside the tub lifeguarding. I also attacked some bubbles when she wasn’t paying attention. After that we curled up in bed until dad came in for sleeps. That was when I had to get on my own mattress and mom cuddled with dad instead.

This morning was totally different! Even the weather was different- grey, cool, and rainy. These are the days mom usually seems to feel bad but this morning she felt better than she did yesterday! We did yoga after we woke up. We do this most days except when it hurts her to do. Then mom had to clean the kitchen because dad left such a mess from having to cook for himself yesterday. I like it when dad cooks. I get all kinds of stuff that falls on the floor and then even more the next day when mom cleans. He leaves stuff everywhere on the counters! It’s the best! Now we’re just resting since it’s such a gloomy and wet day. I would looooove to splash in some puddles but mom and dad won’t let me! Maybe I can convince them later on.

Rainy Days TB
This is Tiger Balm. I hate this stuff SO much. I even tried to get rid of it once. Mom LOOOOVES it. On Saturday when she felt so bad she was covered in it. Cuddling with her was difficult. 

 

Fibro Flares Can Hit Hard 

by Alfredsson Jane, posted in Alfie Stories

Mom couldn’t get out of bed again today. I didn’t even try to help her wake up. She was a hot mess even while she was asleep. After dad left for work I did my best to cuddle up close to her and keep her from moving around too much. Zuc was too nervous to stay on the big bed with us so he curled up on our smaller dog mattress (yes we are totally spoiled). When she did finally wake up Zuc came back to the big bed and we both tried to make mom feel better with kisses and cuddles. I had to go bring medicine to her. After a little while she was ready to get moving. It was a late morning and I reeeeeaaaallllyy had to pee. As soon as mom opened the door I didn’t think and darted for the grass, pulling on my leash. Unfortunately mom was still in a lot of pain and I hurt her more. She cried out and I stopped dead in my tracks. She looked at me with such a mean face I was sure I’d be in trouble but instead she just walked into the grass with me and waited while I peed. Then we went for a walk. At the dog park she didn’t play with me like usual. She just occasionally threw the ball and waited by the gate. It makes me sad when mom can’t play with us.

The rest of our day was spent on the couch or laying on a blanket in the sun. I wanted to run around and sniff things but I knew mom needed me. Most of the day I laid on her legs and feet. It’s a boring life but I’ll never pass up a nice nap!


Around dinner time mom took some excedrine- surprisingly it helps sometimes. It gave her enough energy to make dinner and eat! I’m not sure she was able to pack it all up and clean though. We laid down on the couch again to cuddle. I doubt we’ll do much else today. Poor mom, if only kisses made it better.