Animal therapy

[Guest guest]

YES!!!!!!! I think animals are the best kind of therapy. My cat who I rescued off the highway 4 years ago is such a blessing and I would not be here without him. He's my foot warmer in bed while I sleep and he's constantly by my side or at least close to me when I'm in the house - I'm pretty much his mom since the time we got him at the age of only a month old. I've raised him and turned him into the cat he is today. Every pet I've had throughout the years have been magical in some way or another. My previous cat was a Maine Coon and boy do I miss him - he was like a puppy dog in a cat's body. He died of cancer at the age of 10:( I miss him so much, every single day. But each pet has their own wonderful unique personalities. All of the pets that I pet sit for are so wonderful, especially the two dogs that I walk every week - Goldie is a best friend to me and is very intuitive - she knows how I'm feeling and will actually make me sit down when I'm otherwise pushing myself to exercise. Gracie is also the same but greets me with her tail wagging and happy ears and eyes and lots of kisses and with both of them, the second that I am in their presence, my pain disappears - just for that time but any kind of break is what I need the most. Someday soon, when I have my own place, I plan to get a dog - i want a big Husky type or German Shepard. I may look into getting an assisted therapy dog once I'm on my own again - to help with things like carrying groceries for me and other things when I'm out shopping, and opening doors, letting me know who's at the door, etc. My cat can get along with a dog but not another cat, as he is for the time being, a one woman kitty But he's my baby. I also ride horses and they too are wonderful. I love the smell of horses and just smelling that releases some of my pain. When i go to southern Oregon for xmas this year - leaving next Thursday, there is a Friesian barn there and I know the woman who breeds the horses. The Friesian is my favorite breed and I've been lucky enough to know this woman who lets me go to her barn and climb into their paddocks and just be around the horses. They are like gigantic puppy dogs, very affectionate and all they want is there rumps scratched and their bellies rubbed. They will all get close to me, and I'm standing there in the middle of this group of horses, almost getting squished but not quite. They have these gigantic hooves but would not dare step on me. They are definitely magical to me. And when I ride or am in the presence of horses in that way, I also do not feel my pain. I think too that the horses can sense my pain. I recently discovered that horses can get a very similar condition that is as close to Fibromyalgia that they can get - pretty much Horse Fibromyalgia and so in that sense, I feel a kinship with them too. Like they really do understand me. Since I was very young, I've always had this very unique gift for being around animals. A shy, stray animal will come up to me but no one else and follow me home. I rescued baby birds and nursed them back to health. for the animals I found that were not going to make it, I would sit with them and hold them as they passed on. I bring this special gift into my pet sitting jobs and I take on the hardest cases, with many special needs pets. both goldie and gracie are special needs, as they were both rescued. Goldie was found by a ferry terminal, all ragged and Gracie was a Katrina rescue! Both are so special and every animal I come into contact with holds a very special piece of my heart. I know that this is part of why I am here on this planet and I know that it is my job to make a difference with animals. If I have to go through life with this chronic pain, then I know that I at least get a lot of relief while around animals! Whitney :)On Dec 12, 2007 10:45 PM, christina h. <christina-777@...> wrote:

I HAVE HEARD THAT FMS IS THE RICH MAN'S DISEASE. IN OTHER WORDS YOU HAVE TO BE RICH TO TRY TO GET HELP. LOL. THE BEST THING THAT HELPED ME WAS A THERAPUETIC PET. MINE HAPPENED TO BE A PARROT NAMED DAKOTA. HE DIED ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND I MISS HIM TERRIBLY. I AM WANTING TO GET ANOTHER PARROT ONE DAY SOON AFTER WE MAKE OUR MOVE. WE ALREADY HAVE A DOG GUIDE IN OUR FUTURE FOR MY HUSBAND TO HELP HIM IN THE FUTURE TO GET AROUND CAMPUS ONCE HE RETURNS TO GET HIS MASTER'S DEGREE.

HAVE ANY OF YOU USED THERAPUETIC PETS TO HELP MANAGE STRESS AND PAIN?RAS <rschoof1@...> wrote:

I agree with Whitney. I have read the books (years back) and was all excited and then it dawned on me how impossible this would be for ME. All these women in Phoenix would fly back and forth to meet the

appointment with this doctor (author) and swore by it. I was overwhelmed with all it was going to take me to do (not counting the cost of the air fare!!)...and the fact that I " couldn't " caused me to appear to be the type of person who was difficult or negative or just didn't want to try; or worse yet...maybe I wasn't REALLY sick.....but it takes a whole list of things - the protocol is too difficult for someone who lies in bed 24/7, and that is where I was until just two years ago. I dragged myself to the bathroom, for Pete's sake. And to find a doctor here? I suggested to my own doctor that he read the 'doctor's portion' of this book and he not only refused, but when I explained to him what it was about, he gave me " permission " to take cough syrup if I wanted to do that. He just didn't care and most of them DON'T. Insurance WILL NOT cover it and I am not rich. I have spent much and many dollars - thousands of them -

on different remedies...at first I grabbed at anything with the word fibro attached to it because that word was just not " out there " . I have come to be 'ashamed' of fibro because it seems to be a synonym for lazy or crazy or both.

I do not like telling people I have it. I will admit to most of my other diagnosed illnesses, but fibro is a word I have come to hate. Honestly. Phew! Trying all these things has worn me out; but 'answering to' and 'defending' myself against fellow suffers wears me out even more because it is in our fellow sufferers where we should be finding solace and understanding and NOT be receiving harsh words and intimidation.

We are in this together........ we need to encourage and be encouraged. roseanne

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