[NEDenise]

Andi...
Have I mentioned lately how much you rock!?
I love the story about your boy! I have a giant black lab who came to us through a rescue. They said no one wanted him. He was only 6 months old and had already been abandoned...then rescued twice and returned because he was too aggressive. When I went to meet him, they warned me. Andi, I am not exaggerating when I say that I sat down on the ground, and this 50 pound pile of gentle love crawled right into my lap. It was absolutely love at first sight. Clearly, someone had been mean to him. He was on guard...but he knew his new "mom" the minute he saw me. His foster parents were amazed! Evidently, he normally growled and avoided new people (even them at first) for days before warming up at all!

Is he protective? Absolutely. When new people come into our home, he has to be crated. But on a walk, or at the vet...he couldn't be friendlier. I tell him constantly how beautiful he is, and he answers to Good Boy as well as his real name! Positive energy, and love...the keys to happiness...and HEALTH I hope!

Now...on to less interesting things... ... fortunately,, I don't have any pain. My only brain swelling symptom is that I lose my balance and my hands shake when the pressure increases. All things considered...things could be much worse. Now...don't get me wrong...I'm no martyr...I'd LOVE not to have any symptoms. But compared to what some of our sisters are dealing with...especially our dear Chrisy...I'm blessed.

You've inspired me to talk to my body as it's healing. I've been narrating the decreased swelling. I do it in my best movie narrator voice. As an elementary teacher, I've grown pretty adept at the whole reading in different voices thing. So inside my head, I sometimes get to chuckling as the narration gets more and more elaborate...but then...laughter is my best medicine!

Right now, the swelling is just a stupid, amorphous blob, that doesn't say much. But, the key players on my team are real hardasses. Yesterday, the lead butt-kicker was a Tony Soprano type guy...with a heart of gold, of course...for me it's really about the accent and the way he talks. Today, perhaps the immune boosting echinacea will have YOUR face as it kicks things into gear! Now that should be entertaining!!

Oh, and please don't ever apologize to me for long posts! I love long posts myself...and if people get bored...they don't have to finish reading. And, I like changing fonts and colors too!

Hope you have a day filled with everything that makes you glow!
Denise