Re: Re: hello... new here

[Guest guest]

Hi Gracie -

And yet another welcome from a dog person....and a fellow member of the

non-sporting group.

Yep - lupus does change our participation but I have been able to ease back

in to some degree. Two years ago when I was first diagnosed (after a year

of being told by the FORMER PCP that I should just accept growing old and

there was no earthly reason I needed to be running circles around cement

floors and grassy fields with a dog attached!) I just couldn't make it in

the ring myself and had to do as you've been doing. The past year I've been

doing much better - medications finally kicked in and the fatigue is much

less than it was and I was out at least a couple of weekends a month in the

summer and fall (got all but the majors on one girl). And I watch carefully

where I enter - try to enter shows outdoors where I know there is shade or

at indoor sites with natural lighting that I can spend most of the time

other than the few minutes actually in the ring. I don't stay all day like

I used to (though if I were to take Breed, I wouldn't skip the Group even if

someone else took my dog in <g>). I'm more open to using a handler whereas

in the past I've always been an owner-handler - and I'll think twice about

specialing a dog again. I invested in an EZ Up type canopy this year as

well - and have my eyes on screen sides that are available for it - so I

don't have to rely on the show site or friends. Have taken to wearing a

widebrimmed hat and longer sleeves - looked at but haven't purchased the

clothing treated to block out sunrays. Make sure not to stay up all night

everynight at specialties. Dropped agility because I can't handle it - much

to the frstration of two of my girls who were looking very promising. I've

run one through puppy kindergarten and one through Basic Obedience over the

summer and fall - our club has our own building and it has a halogen light

rather than flourescent and it has air conditioning so I lucked out there.

I'm not happy with the major cutback - but if I had planned for me (instead

of just the dogs) as well over the last 30 years as I do now, I might have

had even more success than I did. And I've found other ways to contribute

to the sport that don't require the physical energy or ability (some of my

friends were making comments about having to pick me up after falling flat

on my face multiple times in the ring... teasing me about getting " sympathy

points " from the judge <s>) - on the Board of the Parent Club and for the

last couple of years as editor of our parent club annual JOURNAL. The last

issue took me over 400 hours in front of the computer - so that is 400 hours

I didn't spend behind the wheel of the car and standing behind the grooming

table...

Sue Mechem

visit my website at http://tibetanterriers.freeservers.com

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