Aren't Good Friends Wonderful?

Today I had such a wonderful time visiting with Ellen(and Maggie), and Karin(and Lucky). They are 2 of the 3 other individuals who trained with me at NEADS when I received Alli. We hit it off right away, and we continue to get together for friendship, support,......and always great food! We were talking about how people who don't have dogs(or other pets as well), don't get it. This was prompted by our conversation about Alli and giving her a new life. Of course, I cried, we all cried! Ellen spoke of the dog they had had, Bear, and needed to give up because he was a little too active and injured Ellen after one of her surgeries to help stabilize her leg. With Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, it doesn't take much to cause great harm to her body. Of course we cried with her on that note. Then we spoke about Lucky's illness not long after we came home with our partners. Karin didn't know if he'd pull through, and, couldn't move on until she knew his fate. Luckily(pardon the pun!) Lucky pulled through and is doing great....as is Karin.

We also spoke about others not "getting" our situations. That is, unless someone has a chronic illness, they can't possibly understand our true emotions. When we get together, we have support in one another and can freely discuss our "ailments" without worrying that each of us doesn't care....WE DO!!!! Today Karin was feeling the effects of an infection that the antibiotic just hadn't gotten to yet. Ellen is still recuperating from a surgery to stabilize her clavicle that she had 3 months ago and is preparing for yet another surgery in May to once again help with one of her legs. I have been wrestling with so many emotions. My pain is never below a 5 or 6 on a scale of 10, and is usually around 8-9. My balance has become a major issue and I am now using 2 "Canadian crutches" most of the time. Since Alli hasn't been around to alert me to an impending migraine, I'm back to several a month, I don't usually know to take my med until it's too late. I still have no sense of that "aura" my docs talk about. And, my tremors are increasing and it's becoming increasingly difficult to type without constantly back spacing to make corrections...otherwise every word would have multiple "double" letters. Now, if that's not enough I'm so excited about receiving Tippy in mid February and yet I've been struggling with feelings of guilt. The guilt is due to my excitement at the prospect of loving another dog while Alli is still "with us"....with Elizabeth and Andy. In one of Elizabeth's notes to me after I let her know I was getting a new "partner", she said she was so happy for me,........and that she told Alli the news. She said she wanted Alli to know that I'd be okay and that I would have a new companion to help with my needs. She said that she knew it was important for Alli to know this. It still makes me cry to think of that. That's just one of the many reasons I know that Alli is in the best home possible with wonderful people that love her like I do.

Because of that, I know I'll be able to love Tippy unconditionally.....but boy am I going to have one heck of a good cry when I meet him.......

I don't think I'll put any more pictures up until I have my own new ones of Tippy. But I will, from time to time(like tonight) post a recent picture of Alli enjoying the
"good life".......

Have a good evening, everyone,
Wendy