we manage…mocha and me

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These last few months have been touch and go for my pal Mocha. Old age has been complicated by the debilitating effects of sciatica. Hobbling around, her right paw can bend backwards and send her tumbling forward onto bended knees. Not one to be dissuaded from what she is about, Mocha picks herself up, dusts herself off, and goes about her business.

Observing Mocha makes me sympathetic to the plight of older folks. It’s no fun when body parts don’t work anymore. Life seems consumed with just the basics…eating, peeing and pooping.

“Wwwhhhaaa happened? Where’d all the fun go?” That’s what Mocha’s eyes seem to say as she watches me move about the room. On medication for a heart murmur, sciatica, and now a urinary tract infection, what’s a dog to do? Not much, except lie around.

These last few days I’ve been outdoors prepping the garden for the hibernating months ahead. While back-breaking for me and my arthritic lumbar, Mocha’s been lazing about on the freshly mowed grass, drinking in the sunshine. I’m certain we’ve both felt like switching places.

Being half-beagle, Mocha would love to make like a mole and dig tunnels in the dirt. Me? I’d be content with stretching out on the warm, green lawn, staring up at the billowy, white clouds floating serenely across the baby blue sky.

And yet we make the best of it, Mocha and me. On good days, she’s a little sprightlier. We both are. On days when it takes a little more effort to get going, we take our time.

We don’t wallow in “what ifs,” we just tweak our plans a little. If I’m not up to weeding and pruning, then I’ll do some laundry and vacuum. As for Mocha, if she can’t wander about in search of a new place to lie, then she’ll stay put in her comfy bed all day.

Older age. It’s about doing what we can do, and not fretting about what we can’t do. Of course, doing what we can to keep our bodies humming along is imperative…stretching, exercising, and minimizing our intake of unhealthy carbs.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgo potato chips, candy, and soda. Although I have managed to limit them to…once-in-awhile.

Because of global warming we’re suppose to get a break from the cold, dank, dark weather that normally smothers the Pacific Northwest like an unwanted blanket. According to local forecasters, the lows should hover around the 50s. So far the prediction seems to be panning out. The sun is still with us.

Hallelujah!!!

…mocha and I don’t feel so old…when our bones are warm! Xmas 2010 2 00000

………hugmamma.

 

16 thoughts on “we manage…mocha and me”

  2. Oh, how this post speaks to me! I’ve been suffering pain for a while now and blamed it on an accident. I’ve been waiting for it to get better with time but a recent X~Ray showed that I have osteo~arthritis and cervical spondylosis, slipped discs in my neck and they aren’t going to go away. So I’m in a phase of adjustment, discovering what works for me and eliminating those things that aren’t too helpful. And warmth is definitely comforting, so I’ve sorted out my Winter woollies for when the cold weather hits these shores! Take care of yourself ~ and Mocha! 🙂

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    • I pray you find whatever can help you retain quality of life…as much as possible, given your condition. It definitely sounds more serious than my fibromyalgia and arthritic lumbar. Of help to me are…daily stretches(morning and night)…monthly massages…supplements (vitamin D, fish oil, turmeric and meriva…a homeopathic pain-killer). I’ve also been downing a morning cup filled with 1/2 hot water, 1/2 cold water, juice of 1 lemon and almost a 1/4 tsp of ground cayenne pepper. This helps with inflammation. As for exercise, I do what I can when I can. Otherwise, I’m constantly doing things around the house. I rarely sit except to blog. When I need some extra tweaking, I see my chiropractor. Every couple of months I visit a myofascia massage therapist. The naturopath I see prescribed a thyroid supplement which made all the difference with the fatigue I’d been experiencing. And the hormone replacements that I use seem to give me an underlying energy to keep on going. I share my regimen in case any of it can be of assistance to you. One thing I feel we already have in common is a positive attitude, and a sense of humor. Both are uber-important to living our best lives. hugs for feeling tons better… 🙂

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  3. My graceful (ha) move into getting older dances between hot flashes and the freezies. I miss the days I used to hide under the blankets and keep toasty warm. Now I’m the only one in the office with my fan going in the middle of winter. And I do so love the warmth of the sun. Makes my bones feel better. My doggies, too. Guess I’ll have to just stick my legs in the sun and keep the fan on my torso!

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    • Wish I could have taken Mocha with us to Hawaii this summer. She would’ve loved frolicking in the sand…as best she could, that is. At least I have that, and it will hold me over until summer returns to the Pacific Northwest. hugs…

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  6. I love your attitude toward growing older. We can’t prevent it. The best we can do is take care of ourselves so we get the most out of our days. Nice that you and Mocha share the changes together. 🙂

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hugs for sharing some brief thoughts...and keeping them positive

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