My oh my what a beautiful day we are having! I hope y’all have been continuing your homework on proper breathing. I’ve sure had to use a bit more concentration a couple of times this week. The first time was at the Dermatology office where the assistant wasn’t listening and the third time I had to correct her on which medication the rheumatologist ordered for my DM flare up got me a bit riled up. So I stopped, did 4 or 5 mindful breathes and told her again. My words were pretty strong but no profanity. BH thought I was going to go off on her so I learned when we got back to the car. BH said they were angry as well but was pleased at how I handled it. Yay for relaxation breathing!
Then last night, not late, just dusk around 2000 hours, the girls got them a squirrel. I told BH I don’t do dead. BH knows this fact about me. I can take any living animal and get it out of the house when Trouble used to bring them in but dead ones are in BH’s realm as BH won’t catch the live ones. Baby rabbits were her forte, especially this time of year. Occasionally she would bring in a toad, and once a ribbon snake aka garden snake. We often were able to catch her when her muzzle was a bit blown out and she wouldn’t open her mouth. She learned the command drop it quickly. Interestingly since we moved in this house I have had to deal with the dead critters. I just got the mouse they got on Friday to the trash. We had to take the week’s trash to the convenience site, worked out well. We will be making another run with the squirrel. I thought it was an adult and calling for its mate when they trapped it. Nina came when called, Ohana with her neurological issues and hearing issues took another louder command. BH doesn’t have a commanding voice like I do most times. It doesn’t sound as serious if you know what I mean. But BH hasn’t been with them as much as I do, BH was at work and I wasn’t so there’s that. With both girls in the house we discussed how to finish it off, part of living in an area where there’s wild animals.
We discussed getting the gun out but I was nixing it as I didn’t want to shoot the gazebo floor, nor did I want to add yet another chore when I have more than I can handle right now. Same with the idea of the shovel, which is relegated to copperheads not mammals, yuck.
But goodness knows why their amygdala’s are in overdrive. Is it something to do with Spring or something overstimulating that part of their brains? I will have to ask our Vet. Nina has always been a hunter of small animals since the day Mom adopted her. Abuse does that, when Mom adopted her she would back off her food bowl if one was five steps away, wouldn’t drink water out of a bowl until she saw Ohana do it, wouldn’t go lay in the sun and get upset when Ohana did, lots of things she didn’t know how to do or was too scared to do it. She could hunt and she could hunt well. She taught Ohana how to catch voles and moles at my parents house which was a good thing as the yard was getting a bit soft under foot. Quite the site to see as they came from either end of the critter’s tunnel digging furiously until they got it and killed it. No interest in eating them, they were just enjoying the hunt. Nina would skin rabbits and try to add fresh meat to her diet. I had to bury a few. Always used lime on top so other critters wouldn’t be attracted to it. Until ADK said it’s not good to do that, just dispose of them in the garbage.
What is the amygdala and where is it in our brains? Well it’s this little almond shaped thing that has a lot of function What Is The Amygdala: Function & Brain Location There’s also this Vascularization of the Cerebral Amygdala | Radiology Key which explains to me at least how a SAH can effect a part of our memory, fight or flight response, and other emotions. Let’s not forget PTSD as it does effect some of us Neurologic Injury-Related Predisposing Factors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Critical Examination - PMC
It’s amazing how the death of a young squirrel lead me down the amygdala well. It has also given me some questions on the hippocampus and my SAH for the nerurosurgeon. She might be able to explain why I had no affect for so long. On to our welcomes!
@beabarron is over in Arizona. Ramona has had no treatment as yet as she’s waiting on her neurology appointment. She’s been recently diagnosed and is trying to look at this as a blessing. She’s also the mother of two boys.
@Bonnie6 is up in the Northeast. She also has a diagnosis but not treatment as yet. Bonnie shares she’s had migraine since childhood. An MRI revealed 2 supraclinoid aneurysms with the with the largest at 7mm. (Found this article Unruptured bilateral supra-clinoid internal carotid artery aneurysms: A case report - PMC ) Bonnie’s recent MRI of her neck showed 2 additional smaller aneurysms with possible fibromuscular displasia https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/fibromuscular-dysplasia-fmd
That’s our newest members this week folks! I can’t wait for them to start a new topic (General tab click on "+ Add New Topic, give it a title and let us know how we can help in the box). You can also jump in and reply to a topic already existing if you’ve a mind to. All experiences are welcomed!
A big shout out to all who helped with our members by sharing their experiences, you know I love it when you do! Without you, we cannot be a support group. It should never be just one or two people doing the work, we need all y’all. I am so proud of everyone of you that has jumped in and shared, I definitely did a happy dance!
I’m off to blow the oak worms aka catkins off everything we walk on. Dr Tye was incorrect when he said they were done for the year or our oaks didn’t listen to him. And of course dealing with the deceased squirrel. Hope your week goes well and you take time to smell the roses. Everyday we have, I really feel we need to see the beauty in it. Take a break from the stressors, give your amygdala a chance to slow down and breathe! You are doing your relaxation breathing multiple times a day, right? It and proper hydration along with a healthy diet is a good way to stay on top of things.