In previous blogs, I’ve discussed our two dogs, both of which we’ve adopted as rescues. Oakley is a 3-year-old brown standard poodle with a white marking on his chest shaped like the letter “Y”. We call it his Yellowstone Brand. For those of you who don’t watch the show “Yellowstone”, ranch hands that commit to the ranch often receive a “Y” branded onto their chest to demonstrate their loyalty. Teeter is our newest addition. She just turned a year old. She is also a standard poodle and is Cafe au Lait in color, which means she is tan with brown and grey mixed in.
When we got Teeter, her name was “Tea”, but that didn’t really fit her. She had a spunky attitude and “Tea” seemed too aristocratic and formal. So, in staying with our “Yellowstone” theme, we renamed her Teeter after the character named Teeter on the show. The “Yellowstone” character Teeter is played by Jennifer Langdon, the daughter of the late Michael Landon, and she’s quite spunky, just like our Teeter.
Teeter was only a month old during her first 4th of July and who knows if she had ever been exposed to the sounds of fireworks. On the 4th earlier this week, she experienced fireworks for probably the first time and she became quite unsettled. She crawled up next to me, laid down at my feet and trembled. We put a Thundershirt on her that we had for one of our previous dogs. A Thundershirt is like a doggy coat made of light-weight stretchable fabric. When placed on a dog, the dog feels snuggled and therefore protected. In our case, it helped Teeter, but didn’t calm all of her anxiety. We also had a Thundershirt for Oakley and it helped him a bunch.
Dogs have tremendous hearing and the loud booms of the fireworks may hurt their ears, but I think the worst part for dogs is they don’t know if they’re safe or not.
I took both Teeter and Oakley into a room in our house away from the fireworks. Oakley laid on his pillow while Teeter cuddled up on my lap and we watched tv. She still shook a little, but it was much better and it helped her get through the fireworks until they stopped.
That made me think about how Myasthenia Gravis is like fireworks to those of us who have it. We’re not quite sure how it’s going to affect us and whether or not we are safe. Left alone and feeling totally vulnerable, we don’t feel safe, so we curl up in a ball and tremble.
I don’t think they make Thundershirts for humans. Maybe they should. In our case, the Thundershirts helped Oakley and Teeter, but it didn’t remove all of Teeter’s anxiety. What helped the most was getting her mind off of the fireworks, allowing her to cuddle in my lap where she felt safe and secure, and letting her know she was loved.
The next time you have a fireworks moment, don’t curl up in a ball and tremble. First, try getting your mind off MG and focus on something else. Lose yourself in a good book or watch your favorite movie. If that doesn’t work, go to the person who loves you the most. I’m not suggesting you cuddle in their lap, but if that’s what you want to do and that person is accommodating, then go for it. The most important thing is to absorb the love that person is sharing with you.
We can do amazing things when we feel safe, secure and loved. It’s our go-to place. It helps us through the fireworks of life. Don’t be afraid to use it. And when you’re done, remember to show that person how much you appreciate their care and support, especially during those times of your life when you need them the most. It can be a scary time for us. It can be scary for them too, when they see us unsettled and trembling, but love is the great healer. Love conquers all. Together you’ll get through it.