Each Day We Must be Positive

I wish every day was like today. I had so much energy; I felt like my old self. I rearranged my living room, watered my plants, cleaned the hamster cage and swept. I admit, tonight I have some sore muscles, but I do know what it is from; today.

What is the magic ingredient I added today to be so active? If I only knew, I could cure everyone. I have no idea. I will have to just be thankful for a good day.

Tomorrow after six long months, I go to the dentist for my final fitting of my false teeth on the bottoms. I spent last year doing the same with the uppers. I will be glad it will be finally over.

For three hours tomorrow I will have no bottom teeth, while the dentist makes that final fitting with a much lighter-fitting plate. I should like that. To be quite honest, I hate both of them. The set still feels like I have something too big in my mouth, but my original teeth were bad. Every time I ate, I had to use floss to pick out every fiber of food or I would be in so much pain.

The gums had been receding for some time and the roots were starting to show. I am thankful for no pain any longer. The most embarrassing thing I endure from these babies, is biting into a sandwich. The  uppers begin to slip and I have to form my muscles around them and hold them in place. ( I can’t stand the gummy stuff to hold dentures in, I gag) Pain in my rear, but better than eating liquids the rest of my life.

Friday, I go to my brother’s neurologist and hopefully, I will be told I do not have MSA; just Parkinson’s. The neuro is very smart about MSA and would you believe he examined my brother once and diagnosed him with MSA?

Multiple System Atrophy is a rare disease that is neurological. It breaks all ties during the illness of nerves going from the brain to action. Eventually you end up with a frozen shell, who is very much alive inside. There is no cure. The life span is an average of seven years.

I teach Hospice groups about MSA and I am an advocate for the disease. On my Facebook page, I am very active with caregivers, patients and families. I so wish I could do more, but at this point I don’t know what. I would give my left arm to be able to afford to go to one of the National meetings MSA holds within the U.S., but it takes money to get there and money to spend the night.  My biggest hope ever is to meet a woman is has this disease, but carries herself high and has been a close friend of mine ever since my brother began his journey with MSA. Her name is Bonnie. I want to meet her so bad. She is from Canada, but does make trips here to the U.S.A. Perhaps someday, my dream will become a reality.

My Gift From God

When we wish upon that star

And we think with all our might

We hope that God or angels

Grant our wish tonight.

 

There is so much to achieve

For me upon this earth

I believe with all my heart

This is my gift since birth.

 

I am poor as poor can be

But helping others dream

Makes me the richest of all man-kind

I actually burst from inner seams.

 

A kind word I can lend

A question answered too

Helps others have less fear

It’s what I’m here to do.

Written by,

Terry Shepherd