Amy's Axons

August 2021

Breath In, Breath Out

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021by amysaxons2 Comments

Sometimes I’m really proud of myself for being able to keep the rhythm of breathing going, such is the joy of MS fatigue.

In my last post I said I would try to write something about my MS, so here it is. Whew, this summer has been a challenge! I have had a smattering of a few good days here and there and even a few strung together in sequence, but more often than not I’ve been under the thumb of pervasive, domineering MS lethargy. Nope, it’s not the kind of tired that needs a nap and sitting to rest for a spell doesn’t shift it at all. Like having a bone dry fuel tank, no matter how hard you try to go, you end up getting absolutely nowhere. The engine won’t start, the wheels won’t go anywhere, the brakes won’t compress, the electric windows won’t budge… technically it’s a car, but it’s good for nothing. I still look like Amy on the outside but there’s no juice to animate me. The electrical wires of my nerves are stripped and the signals my brain tries to send to make my body move either can’t or only partially get through. As a result, I don’t walk right, my hands don’t work the way they’re supposed to, my bladder doesn’t know if it’s holding or letting go, my thoughts struggle to be strung into words, and my balance is all over the place making me stagger around like I’m drunk. Normal things like showering, getting dressed, eating, and even sitting up use inordinate amounts of energy because my nervous system is having to work 1,000 times harder than yours just to get the signals through. Some days, for some inexplicable reason, I spontaneously recharge fairly quickly and I get to do things other than basic human functions – these are my good days. Other days, most days if I’m honest, time passes from my favorite chair or lying in bed. I read, listen to audiobooks, put puzzles together on an app, watch TV, and snuggle with our cats.

MS and heat don’t mix, it makes all symptoms worsen, so I haven’t been on the patio taking pictures much the past few weeks. However, the past couple of days have been milder allowing me to snap a few pics of my feathered friends.

I’ve learned to love bluejays and all the sounds they make.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, cardinals are one of the most beautiful birds of all!

Mourning doves are another personal fav.

The butterfly bushes we planted in the spring have more than doubled in size and smell wonderful!

There have been 5-10 hummingbird moths around the butterfly bushes all summer.

Hubby has just a couple more days before he heads back to work. This chore has been on his list and he’s glad to have it done. It’s still hard to believe God has blessed me with such a perfect guy ❣️

May God be with you! ❤️, Amy

August 2021

Quiet Days

August 3, 2021by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

It’s been a month of MS fatigue and quiet living. I’ve ridden my scooter a few times to the lake in our neighborhood and enjoyed the dragonflies and flowers always present. Here are a few of my favorites.

One of these days I’ll write more. God be with you! ❤️, Amy

July 2021

Under the Birches

July 12, 2021by amysaxons1 Comment

Hello! The weather has been beautiful the last couple of days so I’ve been soaking up the unseasonal coolness by bird watching on the patio.

I got a couple of new feeders, they work a treat!

I think this pair of House Wrens is moving in!

I’ve named this little Chipping Sparrow “Chippy”, he is particularly friendly and let’s me get close to him.

I’ve been learning how to get action shots. This one didn’t turn out too badly.

Blue Jays are very skittish but I can occasionally get a good portrait shot.

This is just a funny pic of Pip riding around the house with me while I’m on my scooter. I haven’t written much about my MS lately. Maybe I’ll do that some time soon. The abbreviated version is, yep, I still have it.

I hope you have a wonderful week. God be with you! ❤️, Amy

July 2021

Rescinded and I’m Sorry

July 7, 2021July 7, 2021by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

Have you ever done something that you look back on a bit further down the road and wonder just how you could have been so oblivious? Well, I’m there. I shot straight up at 4:38 this morning and thought, “Copyright! I’ve broken copyright to Merrill C. Tenney’s The Genius of the Gospels“! I was going to post the notes I took on John today, but instead I took down my previous posts on the first three Gospels. Perhaps you were quicker on the uptake than I was. All I can say is I’m really sorry. It was such a good study, I got carried away and shared before thinking things through all the way.

So, back to the regularly scheduled programming…

My nephew came and stayed with us for a while last month. He made his Aunt very happy when he took my camera and, with his artistic eye, took pictures like a pro. Just look at his gallery!

Pretty impressive, eh?!

Here’s the young man himself.

Playing some Thin Lizzy with Uncle Todd.

The weather has been somewhat mild for our area this time of year so I’ve been able to get outside and take a few snaps. Heat and MS don’t mix so summer photo sessions are usually few and far between.

Female cardinal, almost fully adult (I think).

Juvenile female cardinal. Can you spot the differences between the adult in the picture above and this juvenile here?

I went to the lake yesterday for about 20 minutes before tiring out. It was super busy!

The fire department showed up with lights flashing for a water rescue.

This common whitetail dragonfly watched the rescue crew at work too.

AND, I got to see a purple martin being fed!

Meanwhile, inside, Pip has learned to appreciate birds as much as I do 😉.

Laudy, as ever, knows how to snuggle and relax better than anyone.

All my best to you and may God be with you! ❤️, Amy

May 2021

May Marvels

May 31, 2021May 31, 2021by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

Behold, May is about to close her shades while June prepares for her debut.

There were bees everywhere among the foxglove at the lake park this past Wednesday, a sure sign that summer is nearly here.

There were several dozen purple martins in the boxes at the lake. Their eyes and beaks remind me of Muppets.

A little house wren decided to make a nest in one of our birdhouses to attract a mate. This tiny fellow wrote the book on hard work and perseverance.

This sweet little catbird came and stayed for a couple of days earlier in the month, a birding first for me.

Such a tiny little tongue this female cardinal has!

I never tire of seeing cardinals, they have got to be one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

This red-bellied woodpecker got his dinner by hook or crook.

This is the tail end of the post. May God be with you! ❤️, Amy

May 2021

A Bumpy Ride on the MS Bus

May 7, 2021May 7, 2021by amysaxons1 Comment

Hello, friends, it’s been a while. I’ve tried to write a few times but my thoughts have been all over the place. It’s hard to write intelligibly when you’re being jostled every which way riding at the back of the MS Bus over rough terrain. I’ve had some smooth spots here and there but there have been plenty of pothole infested gravel roads that have caused the wheels to come completely off.

I think the worst day was when I had wandered out onto the patio to watch the birds and got stranded for close to three hours. I was home alone and knew I was tired but misjudged the severity of it and entered a sort of locked-in state unable to move and get back into the house. There were birds a plenty at the feeders that day to keep me company, as well as butterflies and bees visiting the then blooming lilac bushes. However, as I rounded into the second hour, my bladder started to send a signal that became a blur of non-stop, unbearable …—… It was a true cliffhanger! Would my legs recover enough to get me inside before I lost control of my bladder?!? I’m happy to report that thirty minutes later, at the end of my bladder’s tether, my legs kicked in and saved the day!

Per usual, I’ve been snapping a few pics of the birds around the house. I was finally able to put the feeders up again about two weeks ago with no signs of sick birdies. I sure missed my little feathered friends! A pair of house finches made their nest on the wreath on the front door. Their brood of six have all made it so far, as you can see below. Mom and Dad have been keeping the nest floor clean by putting the little nippers’ poo on the edges of the nest. That will be fun to clean up 😝.

Here are a few of my favorites from the backyard.

Thanks to many of you, I am thrilled to report that I came in first among the local MS Walk fundraisers! From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful.

The ride is getting bumbier all of a sudden and I am going fuzzy again. I hope you are doing well and enjoying the beauties God has made all around you. ❤️, Amy

April 2021

April Showers of Blessings

April 13, 2021April 13, 2021by amysaxons1 Comment

If you’ll remember, we’ve had some sick birds at our feeders. I submitted photos and information to the Missouri Dept of Conservation and they told me they think it is *salmonellosis*, a common problem among birds at feeders this year. Our feeders are still down but my feathered friends are still coming by to visit, which makes me happy 😊.

A couple of weeks ago I went to the lake near our house and enjoyed watching the pelicans and purple martins. The martins were very chatty and were all paired off into couples and busy making nests in the boxes. I have no idea who the kayaker is but she took a good picture.

I could hear the squirrel nibbling on the nut before I spied him on the fence near the blooming bushes and flowers. A pair of house finches have built their nest on top of our front door wreath. We can hear them chirping and chirring at all hours.

A carolina chickadee built a nest in one of our boxes for his lady love’s approval but, sadly for me, she chose another one of his offerings in the woods across the street.

Our skink is back! He’s been sunning himself a lot on the grill cover where he has been hanging out on warm, sunny days.

I am so grateful my Dad is still in good health and is able to go and do whatever he wants. We went to Austin to visit my sister and her family for a few days. Matter of fact, he’s driving us home as I write this. One of dad’s friends has a golf buddy in Georgetown so he rode down and back with us. It’s great for this bladder troubled MS gal to take road trips with a couple of old guys, they need the loo as often as I do 😉. My nephew Andrew is so grown up at nearly 16. He loves photography too!

My sister got a cake for all of the April bdays in the family. Hubby wasn’t able to come down with us to celebrate his special day so we each ate an extra piece of cake in his honor 🥳.

The wildflowers were in full bloom in Texas! What a beautiful and wonderful lasting legacy to Lady Bird Johnson, wife of the 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson. Evening primrose, bluebonnets, prairie verbena, and Texas thistle.

The grasshopper was a lucky shot but this scissor-tail flycatcher was a permanent fixture on the wire in my sister’s backyard. I saw him gracefully swoop down, catch an insect, and then resettle on the wire countless times. ✌️

My first Northern Mockingbird! He sang every song in the book all day every day of our visit and made incredible displays to attract a mate. Wow, he was cool to watch and hear!! I saw another mockingbird with him the last evening we were there. I hope he found “the one”. My sister took this pic of me being “such a nerd”.

I’ve always wanted to try bubble tea and now I can say I have. I don’t need to have that experience again 😝.

The chewy tapioca balls were… interesting. Fun fact: I bit my tongue off when I was in a car accident in 1987. Can you see any of the suture scars?

My sister is a master of smoked meats, especially pork butt. Hubby requested some of her pork to bring back. So what did she do? Made a whole one just for him 😋❤️!

Doesn’t everyone have shooting tourneys in the kitchen?

Thanks for following along to the end of this post. May you go with God!

March 2021

Through My Lens

March 20, 2021March 20, 2021by amysaxons3 Comments

It’s a purple finch! It’s a purple finch! It’s a purple finch! Finally!! We had a purple finch for a couple of days earlier in the week, the first time ever. I thought we had one last year but I was wrong. I wondered if I would be able to tell if one ever came, I had a hard time telling them apart from house finches looking at them in a book. It was much easier to see the differences in person. Purple finches are more raspberry colored than house finches and don’t have brown streaks down their belly, the red goes farther down their abdomen too, and they have more red on their backs.

This gorgeous fella stayed for a good 20 minutes.

Heartbreaking 💔. This little goldfinch had avian conjunctivitis causing her to go blind and slowly die. She let me get within two feet of her for this picture. It’s easily spread at feeders between finches. I had to take the feeders down, sanitize them with 1/9 parts bleach to water, wash them with soapy water, and leave them down for a couple of weeks. I also raked up all the seed debris under the feeders and cleaned the area up. I am keeping a close eye on all the birds at the feeders now to make sure no one else has it. If you have feeders, please keep your eye out for the symptoms. I’ve included the link below for you to learn more. Feel free to contact me if you need more information. https://feederwatch.org/learn/house-finch-eye-disease/

Feeders down, getting ready to rake up the debris underneath.

We took care of my Dad’s dog for a couple of days this week while he was out of town. She’s a sweet pup. I circled her favorite toy, a pair of socks tied together.

With my feeders down I needed a bird fix. I went to the park at the lake near our house and sat watching the birds and geese. It was a bit cold but I found some flowers blooming!

Today is March 20th, the first day of spring, and that means my Grandpa Frank would have been 129 years old today. Happy birthday, Grandpa ❤️!!

I hope you have a wonderful day and get out to enjoy a bit of nature wherever you are. God be with you! ❤️, Amy

March 2021

Sunshine and Signs of Spring

March 8, 2021by amysaxons4 Comments

It was 70*F this afternoon! I decided to lie on the grass and watch the clouds pass between the budding limbs of our river birch and the neighbor’s trees. The warm rays felt so good, I felt winter melting away!

The birds are getting used to me being outside again and have been coming closer. I wish I could describe the glorious yellow of the goldfinches sitting in the trees and visiting the feeders. I can’t stop taking photos of them. Their color reminds me of rich, farm fresh, creamy butter.

If you look closely, can you see the number 2 on this bird’s head or is it just my imagination??

Not to be outdone, the cardinals have been showy and coming to the yard a lot. It’s incredible that one bird can have so many shades of red. Some of their breast feathers seem shimmery, as if tipped with frost when the sun hits them just right.

Since taking up photography two years ago, I have tried to get a good picture of a carolina chickadee. Somehow their glimmering black eyes always manage to get lost and blend in with the strip of black feathers on their heads. Well, today I found success! I’m right well pleased with this picture.

Trees, shrubs, and flowers are coming alive and it won’t be long until hubby can add a bit of landscaping to the backyard. I can’t wait to get some flowers planted that will attract not only birds but butterflies too.

My only connection to the world beyond our front door. I’m homebound for a month after my Ocrevus infusion (see the previous post for more information).

Thanks for stopping by. May God be with you. ❤️, Amy

March 2021

The Day After I Toothed My Brush

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021by amysaxons3 Comments

I was wiped out after 8 1/2 hours at the hospital getting my 4th Ocrevus infusion yesterday. The first three hours were spent waiting for the pharmacy to compound the drug and get it up to the unit for me to take. At a whopping $100,000 a pop they won’t start getting it ready until the nurses call and say they see the whites of my eyes.

Dangling an IV, waiting for the Ocrevus.

My head ached all afternoon and evening and I struggled to make sense. My favorite was when I told hubby I had “toothed my brush”and was ready for bed…at 8:30. I slept pretty good until about 4:40 this morning. – thanks, steroids I laid in bed daydreaming while snuggling Laudy and finally gave up and got out of bed around 5:40. I’d had three cups of coffee, eaten breakfast, read the news, showered, and was dressed all before I normally get up.

It’s been a long, slow day of flushing from the steroids and a still relentless headache as a side effect of the Ocrevus. It usually takes about 3-4 days to feel normal again. In the meantime, my arms are full of cats and there are plenty of birds at the feeders to entertain us.

The steroids are seeping out but the company is good.

I’ve pasted a link to my personal Walk MS page. Please consider making a donation, it would mean so much to me ☺️. I’m already a little more than halfway to meeting my $1000 goal. It’s way past time to find a cure! https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/KSGWalkEvents?px=18236733&pg=personal&fr_id=31565

Thanks for stopping by. May God be with you! ❤️, Amy