Memorial Day Rememberances and Salutes!!

Military Working Dog National Monument, Lackland AFB, TX.

💖  Honoring our Military Service Personnel

Memorial Day is generally thought of as the un-official start of summer!  When I was a kid it meant the start of grilling season and opening of the local swimming pools.  And, as I grew older it became symbolic for being a Federal Holiday and having a day off work, barbecues and spending time with family and friends.

But, it also represents a much larger meaning for me.  I grew up in the suburbs of Northern Virginia just outside of Washington, D.C.  A unique environment where your local,  national and international news become blended and often are one in the same.  I was raised with a strong sense of serving my community and my country.  My family members have served in the navy, army and national guard. And as you know from my blog, I served as a Special Agent with the FBI.  And my dog, Giggles, served at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

Let's celebrate our freedom with family, friends and neighbors.  Enjoy the parks, beaches, city and the mountains; but, let's also remember how our freedom was acquired and the human toll it took and continues to take for that freedom.

Ways to Honor Our Fallen Veterans

No matter where you are today, please take a moment to pause and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

There are many ways to honor our fallen Veterans:  visit a local veterans memorial or cemetary, participate in laying flags for our veterans, make a donation to a veterans foundation, attend a memorial day concert, spend time with a family member or friend who lost someone, etc.

Here are just a few:  www.blogs.va.gov (the Official Blog of the U.S. Dept of Veteran Affairs)
                                 www.k9sforwarriors.org
                                 www.uswardogs.org
                                 www.tourofhonor.com

And don't forget to honor our 4 legged warriors as well!!

🐾   Please visit my FaceBook page for "Giggles the Malinois" where my pup, a retired MWD (Military Working Dog) salutes America's Military Personnel (4 legged and 2 legged).

Giggles found this flag buried in the sand, post-Hurricane Michael.

Thriving Benlysta Warrior!

Infusion #4 - Completed!

This week I completed the "loading phase" for Benlysta IV infusions and am feeling quite a sense of accomplishment!

This week was my 4th infusion and going forward will be on a monthly schedule, instead of every 2 weeks.

Notable - for the first time in a long time I wasn't limping on my left foot/ankle/leg/hip!  The usual stiffness and pain is still present, but not the added layer of discomfort.  Pain is like a cake …. the inside cake-like section is there, but then you add the frosting, a second layer of cake and frosting on top of that!  Layers of pain are similar to layers of cake …. I continually adjust to a base level of pain that I live with on a daily basis.  But, when flares occur or inflammation increases in various joints, it adds a "layer of frosting" on top of the base layer of cake. You never know when the layer of frosting will go away or if another layer of cake and more frosting will be piled on top.

I use the analogy of cake because I love dessert and have a major sweet tooth!  I'm always thinking about my next trip to Bruester's for ice cream.  Mind you, everything in moderation is a good thing and try not to let your occasional treats and indulgences become obsessions … or, you'll be dealing with another problem! LOL!

So, back to my "notable" comment about feeling less pain when walking on left foot.  It could be the direct result of my recent steroid injection a few weeks ago, or it could be the start of the Benlysta taking affect.  It's never a black and white conclusion, so I make a mental note of the improvement in pain levels and document it in my Benlysta symptom tracker.

When you live with a chronic illness it's important to keep track of your pain levels and any corresponding symptoms.  That way you can report to your rheumatologist or pain management specialist and adjust your meds accordingly.

Post Infusion #4

This was the first infusion without administering a steroid intravenously.  As I previously mentioned, the first 3 infusions contained a steroid just in case there was a reaction to the Benlysta.  I'm very pleased and blessed that I haven't had any major side effects, thus far!

I've experienced a few minor side effects; such as, a slight achiness in the infusion arm, some achiness in the calf & knee/leg area that dissipated after few weeks and fatigue/sleepiness after the infusion.

This week, I did experience some extra fatigue post infusion.  So, instead of ignoring it I came home and curled up on the couch with my pup, Giggles …. when she's with me, everything just seems better!!

Giggles on Mexico Beach!