Dog Show

[amexdm]

Hello all:

Wanted to share a little something with BTG'ers as many have dogs and are dog lovers. Our annual Detroit AKC Club dog show is Sunday. My wife and I have gone almost every year for the last ten. We didnt go last year due to my SAH recovery. I don't really feel much better a year later.

It used to be our thing. We would go, see our favorite Shetland Sheepdogs, ( and others) and watch the show and events. they have herding, police tracking and other exhibits. They have collies that herd ducks and really cool! We would also meet breeders and be looking to make contacts. Have a nice dinner afterwards downtown.

But the enormity of it all just would exhaust me I think. You have to park and walk a long way to the Centre. It is alot of walking and standing. It tired me out when healthy. I would like to go but not even sure if wife wants me to risk it. If I insisted I was ok to go, she would probably go. I'd be lying though. But I hate to deny her this joy after all she does for me.

I know if I go, it wouldn't kill me but I do have to work Monday. There's no real way to pop in and out as i said parking is far and it is a big Convention Center. Heart says yes but mind says no. I know there will be other ones but we can't take time for granted now can we?

I know you guys will understand. How do you plan for two days from now when you don't know how you'll feel?

Any suggestions? I'm leaning towards suprising wife and seeing if we can for a short jaunt. She may say we're even crazy to try. We'll see.

Penny- Can I borrow your wheelchair? haha

Thanks,

David

[Sandi K]

David, my guy and I are attending an event at the Victoria conference centre in this month. Here's how I plan to do it.

We are booking a hotel room a half a block from the conf centre. This way I can go there after volunteering and check in and have some quiet time. When Peter gets there we will join our group and go to the event. It's a chefs tasting event. You go from table to table tasting wee yummy morsels. I will duck outside when I need a break from the noise. I'll also have earplugs with me.

Afterward it's only a short walk to my bed. The next day I'm not volunteering. Peter is thinking of taking the day off but he might go to work from the hotel. I'll have a slow morning and gradually make my way home.

Sandi K.

[Lin-lin]

Yeah, all this is pretty familiar to me. I get it totally. I know you want to go to the show; but because of the fatigue you know you won’t manage it easily.

I’ve had moments like this; when I’ve really wanted to do something but am aware that the fatigue ‘hangover’ will be massive.

You can’t take the brain injury away I’m afraid, but there are some ways to off -set the worse elements, but it takes planning. I don’t know if I am going to suggest things which are feasible because I don’t know your precise circumstances, but these are some things for you to consider.

One thing that would make a huge difference is if you cancelled work on Monday, (easier said than done I know.) But if you had no work on Monday, it would really help with your ‘fatigue hangover’ because it would give you longer to rest.

If you can’t cancel work on Monday; remember this predicament to help you plan future events. In future, if you know you’ve an event coming up that you would really like to go to, make the necessary arrangements with work months in advance. I.e. When you know the date of the next dog show in 2014 – make sure you take Monday and even the Tuesday off work afterwards. Planning in advance is fatigue’s best friend!

With regards to travelling to the show, you will be in further energy deficit if you drive there and back. Ideally you will need to rest on the journey; can your wife drive?

When I’m out and about, I always take healthy energy foods with me to avoid blood/sugar dips. I basically graze all day. The correct type of food gives energy and it can help with fatigue.

If you go to the show, Saturday is uber rest day! You must not do anything on Saturday, because it will detract from your energy on Sunday.

If you go, you may have to forfeit your dinner afterwards. It may be too much for you; but only you can answer this one.

In large events such as this, it is sensible to take some ‘time out,’ and find a quieter place so that you can spend a moment away from the hustle and bustle.

If you think it is genuinely impossible for you to attend this year; consider how you could make it extra special next year. I.e. take time off work, (even taking the Friday before the weekend off so you can rest lots in advance); and limit travelling time – if the show is far away, stay in a hotel nearby. Done this way, you could possibly go for dinner afterwards too.

The main dilemma I see here is not so much the fatigue, but rather that the show is on this Sunday. It is possible to do things with fatigue, but not at short notice; and not without rearranging other commitments.

[Daffodil]

David , I feel your pain. No really I do today because I braved the school quiz last night and I am paying for it today. but I am glad I went. Hubby has taken kids off now so I can rest...well I'm talking to you lot actually!

I think that if physically you can cope with the trip then chuck your spoons out there but find a way to either build up some energy reserves first or after. So plan a week of really early nights and brain pampering at home, so that you have more to draw on when the time comes.

In all seriousness can they offer you a wheelchair at the show? We have mobility schemes here that offer this frequently for larger events. Definatly wear sunglasses and ear plugs, you can pretend to be a celebrity!

Lastly, just pick the bits of the show you really want to see, don't cram in as much. Stop longer in one place, take a little chair and just let the world pass you by, you might find you see a different side to the show.

Sounds a great event.

[Winb143]

David,

Listen to Win lol Noo BTG shouts.

You go to show and wifey drops you off in refreshment area, you eat and drink and make small talk, until a

doggie wee's up your leg, the you have excuse for leaving.

Seriously you might enjoy it but you will never know if you do not go?

Whatever you decide enjoy yourself xx The Pair of You xx

Best of Luck

WinB143 xx xx alias TheWifeWhosaid no to Trip to Wales xx

[DawnS]

Hi David,

I hadn't actually attended any kind of an event until last night. Yesterday, we had to pick Andy's car up from the garage and visit his parents as they live in the same town. We did a little shopping and then spent a couple of quiet hours at home in the afternoon. In the evening, we had a 60th party to go to.

Originally, the plan was to drop Andy off and then come home but a lot of his work colleagues were going to be there and I haven't seen them all since moving up to the call centre in December so I thought it would be nice to pop in and see everybody as they are always sending messages home with Andy inquiring about my new role. I have to confess to thinking that a 60th would be quiet and dull and not hard to handle, but boy was I wrong!

It's a good job that I have earplugs hanging around in every bag I own because if I had not had them with me, I wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes. The noise was overwhelming! There was a group of about 20 of us together and about 200 people at the party. Every now and then, I went outside to the smoking area (it was well lit and had heating and seats) for some silence and a time-out.

I managed 3 hours and then we had to come home. I found driving difficult as I was very tired by that time. Despite getting to bed way past my usual bedtime, my post-sah inability to sleep past 07:00 means I have had less than 7 hours sleep which just isn't enough for me. I am glad I went to the do, but if I'd known how loud and challenging it would be, I'd have done less in the morning. That'll teach me not to be ageist! I am also very conscious that I have work tomorrow and I do not feel at all rested or ready for it. We have a very busy day on a Monday and I also have to work 30 minutes longer.

Like everyone else has already said, if you do go, make sure you find somewhere quiet for a time-out whenever you need one. Don't wait until you need one, have a time-out every now and then anyway to keep your reserves topped up. Most of all, if you go - enjoy it! You are making new memories, even if you only manage a few hours.

[Skippy]

Hey David

It's Sunday here now so I hope you managed to get to the dog show.

We've always been really into the MOTOGP (Motorbikes) and have always gone to the British GP. It was at Donington park (which is about 12 miles away from us), now its at Silverstone which is about 70 miles away. We do the whole weekend and camp - get there Friday and come home Sunday evening. After my SAH it was a huge thing for me - thousands of people and lots of noise - so I just decided to bite the bullet as it were and not let the SAH stop me doing what I loved doing. this year it's concerning me as it's the weekend before Igo back to work after the summer break (6weeks) - I know it'll mean getting up at stupid o clock on Sunday to make sure that we have good seats - then packing the tents etc back into the car, driving home again, emptying the care, collecting the dog from step daughter's and then having to go to work in the morning and it being the first day of the new academic year!!! Do I do it - don't I?

I don't think you can plan for something like this - you just have to make sure that you are prepared for anything. Somewhere to rest if you need to sit down, plenty of fluids with you, not too tired to drive back or let your wife drive back - whatever you do/ did I hope that you didn't let the SAH stop you completely. I hope that you managed to get there even if it was for a couple of hours rather than all day.

[amexdm]

Hello all:

Sorry to say we didn't make it. My heart said yes but my head said no. Feel bad. But wife worked all day Saturday doing hair and she was tired too.

When working all week, running errands Saturday, Sunday is my ONE day of rest. And I can't afford to give it up right now. It is the dreaded fear of "fatigue hangover" as Lin said that I think would have done me in. I didnt feel all that well today anyway in Day 9 of cold. It would have needed better planning with perhaps a Monday off.

If I went, I truly would have needed and USED a wheelchair cause it is much getting around. But that fatigue hangover can often last days or even weeks right? It would have been a large mountain to climb.

It's ok, I may have to settle for shorter and smaller events for now as this would have just been impossible.

Thanks to all who responded, there were great suggestions and I will use them in the future.

Gnite,

David