For family here in Canada, I guess they get used to my condition. To me, I'm so used to it but I do feel worsening very slowly. But then again I look a year back, and I'm pretty much still doing the same things. Maybe I slowly adapt, as my family does too.
It doesn't face my children to see me hanging for dear life on the stair railings at night, just so I can get upstairs.
For my family and friends in Chile it must be different though. They don't see the day to day. They don't have time to prepare. I just go into their lifes again every year if I'm lucky. More every two years. I'm sure they can see the changes. I went there two years ago to spend Christmas and I was using a cane already. Funny story : a dear friend let us use her beautiful house at the beach for a week and I totally forgot to bring my cane with me. You want to guess what I used instead ? yes, my husband found the perfect alternative. We unscrewed the brush part and I was using the long stick .. hahahhaa. A bit too long, but there was going to be some beach walking so I needed something. I'm sure some people turned around to see this makeshift cane. But as you know, I entered the 'I don't give a damn' stage a couple of years ago.
This year when I briefly went in August, I was still using a cane. But I noticed I welcomed any help. Well, that could also be that my nieces and nephews are almost all taller than me by now, and they are all adorable. And holding their arm is at the same time help and their way of showing me I can rely on them. And I show them I need them and appreciate their help. I love you all. Just don't make me laugh when we're walking or I cannot give one more step .. hahhaha.
I learnt a while ago that it is ok to accept help. To accept you need that help. It's ok to accept someone's arm to walk beside them. It makes both of us feel good. Many hands help me here at home too. As you know winters in Canada can be pretty tricky for people like me. I always welcome a hand to walk on the icy paths or house entrances. Better be safe than sorry. And my husband's family are awesome at that. Always lending a hand, an arm, a full body embrace if necessary .. hahaha. Of course I wish I didn't need it and I'd be free as a bird. But that's life. That's how I can cope now. And I'll take it. I've accepted it.
So, my day to day goes like this.
Early wake up at about 6.12 am. Well, the tv goes on at that time .. I finally get out of bed after 6.30. Get ready, look at my grayhair .. need to get it done this week. Turn everyone's light on, so they start their day. Make sure beds are made, complain when I have to help with some bed making except for mine, help with some colour combinations on the clothing .. lol ... get the little one dressed. If I were her I would just stay in bed, in pjs all morning, but she insists .. lol.
Then we come downstairs. Pups get out of their cages, get a treat, go out to pee (the pups, not us .. we do have bathrooms ... haha). Breakfasts ... most of the time they make their own and help little one with hers. I'm preparing their lunchboxes. And watching the news ... and drinking my coffee.
Out to the bus. We walk our long, very long driveway and then to the road to wait for the bus. They leave, and I walk back. In days like today, I shovel the snow from our front steps and clear the car. And wish my husband were home so he can take over this task. I think 'frack' !! How deep in snow will we be when we can put the Christmas lights out ?? and I keep shoveling snow. Meanwhile little one wants to help. But her mitts aren't the right ones, so I go in to get her the others. Then she wants her shovel ... negotiate and give her the brush to clean the snow off the car. Nope, she still want's the little shovel and decides to takes the mitts off. She want's to make a snowman. I keep shoveling.
Come in the house. I have breakfast.
Catch up on mails and Facebook.
Clear the kitchen.
Go upstairs to give the little one a bath and work on projects .. hey gotta be efficient and use my time upstairs .. won't be going again until the afternoon .. lol.
We come down again and have lunch. Mondays are grocery shopping day so that's what we do. Tuesdays and Thursdays I take her to Nursery School.
Come back home.
Get ready to go wait for the bus.
Get the children.
Help them do school stuff. Sign agendas, do homework, practice spelling or reading, look at their art, say it's beautiful, decide if the art work is a keeper or goes in the recycling. Tell the oldest one to go practice piano. Can someone open the door for the pups ? Empty lunchboxes, ask why they didn't eat their lunch. Eat their lunch leftovers. Fill up their water bottles and put them back in the fridge. Can someone open the door for the pups again ?
Start thinking about dinner ... decide today I don't feel like cooking. Who wants noodle soup ?? hahhaha .. hotdogs ... kraft dinner ?? C'mon, something easy please !!
Start with dinner. I've learnt that having an early dinner is better than saying no 100 times when they ask to have a Halloween treat. At least I can put some good food before and they won't ask for too many.
Then, depending on the day of the week, we can just hang out here. Some others we have to go out to extra curriculum activities .. that would be Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and most Sundays. Remember I have four children .. lol.
Then we come back. Put the pups to bed for the night. Then our joke is that we race upstairs .. them jumping every two steps .. me, dragging myself trying to tackle someone's leg so I can try to win this time. Nope, not gonna happen, no matter what I try. Get ready for showers, get their clothes ready for the next day, pjs, book reading, turn lights off, cuddle, give kisses ... get some stuffies.
And now ... (drum roll please !!) Best time of the day for me. Get into bed. Ahhhh !!
To all this you have to add a bit of cleaning. Yes, I do clean the house .. mostly baths and kitchen. And change sheets, that's a job in its own. And now add Christmas decorations. And some odd painting/decorating jobs. Add shoveling snow in the winter. Thinking I should have cleaned the windows (from outside) while the weather was still mild).
Oh well ... as you can see, my days are pretty normal and they go by quickly. I walk slower, but I can still get the basics done. For that I'm grateful. I'm usually spent at night, but each day is worth it. Yes, I could pack more in, but I can't. And I can live with that. I am alive, I have a beautiful family, I am healthy-ish and in no pain. I look at four adorable faces everyday that still think I'm awesome. With all my faults. I'm still beautiful to them. I still know things, and can give them all sorts of answers.
My requests for wristbands keep coming slowly. Slowly but surely. The box is getting lighter .. lol. Here's some new pictures of my latest supporters :
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| Emma, Marc, Ruthie and Tessa - Canada |
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| Mary - Texas |
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| Mindy - England |
So happy to see my wristbands are slowly going everywhere. We're flipping the {bird} to MS from all over !! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to each one of you. If you're reading this blog for the first time, please feel free to send me an email to : xxiimmee@hotmail.com with the word 'flip it' on the reference. Let me know how many do you want and your address. The only cost I'm asking for you to pay is my shipping cost. You can find the 'Donate' button on this page.
Thanks again so much. Please feel free to comment on here, I love to hear feedbacks.
Have a great week !!
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