I’m not going to lie, I really enjoyed it.
Last Monday’s post (http://newagemrmom.blogspot.com/2013/01/restaurant-games.html ) received more than 300 hits in 12 hours and 500 in 28. I know this is actually a very small number when you consider the vastness of the Internet, but, you have to understand, I can barely get my own wife or friend(s) to listen to me. The trick is chocolate and beer. Don’t offer your friends the chocolate, though; it won’t do any good.
Thank you to anyone who read, shared, commented, or liked the blog in the past. I hope you continue to read, share, comment and enjoy future posts. Tell you what; I’ll continue to enjoy writing if you continue to enjoy reading…deal…great! Now, let’s move forward.
So once I got so many hits, I began to look at other mommy and daddy blogs. I wanted to see what others are doing and how they drive traffic. What topics are they covering that I haven’t considered? The first thing I saw was there are a lot of parents out there better at this than me…A LOT. These people do arts and crafts every day. One guy made his daughter a bird costume for Halloween out of feathers. The world of parenting is either filled with liars or saints, probably both.
The second thing I noticed was that the more popular blogs all had something else going for them. They either worked with a charity or sold something handmade for children. So that made me think, I need to get on the ball.
Allow me to side step a bit here.
My wife, Tammi, runs this house. Glenn constantly reminds me that, “ Mommies the boss!” She is so strong that even hours after she has left for work, her influence can still be felt. She runs our budget, organizes our calendar, and brings us all up to the higher standards she requires of herself. She completed four years of college, a Master’s degree in immunology and completed four years of veterinary school (Go Badgers) and an internship in emergency and critical care. She cares so much for her animals. She started and ran her own charity for dog rescues, although she had to eventually step aside. Aren't husbands and babies a bitch! Who knows how far she would have gone if I hadn't infected her with baby fever? Seriously, the drive that is inside her isn't normal, and I sometimes have to struggle to get her to sit still at all.
She also has MS.
When I was first dating Tami, she took a medication once a week that, as she described, made her feel as if she was getting run over by a Cadillac. It would give her chills, fever, shakes and sent us to the hospital on more than one occasion. It’s probably because my body is not designed to feel stress, but I never really gave it a second thought. I didn't know anything about MS, and I certainly wasn't planning on our relationship getting serious. Ha! When we first met, I was getting ready to move back to Texas.
“Hey, here’s something fun before I leave.”
Six months later I was in a car with four animals, a pregnant wife, and we were moving to Wisconsin. Joke was on me.
Since that time I have learned a lot about MS and how many people it touches. You would be surprised by how many people are impacted. I’m willing to bet that somebody you know knows somebody with MS. I’ll post a full blog on just MS in the future. Otherwise, there are some links and the bottom that provide some good information.
For now, she carries most of that burden herself. She doesn't let people know when she is feeling bad, and she tries very hard to hide the hitch in her giddy up. Mostly she doesn't want others to worry and is terrified that one day she will have to slow down.
There are lots of charities set up for MS, and I would encourage you to visit those pages as well, also listed at the bottom. I thought very hard about working with one of those, but it didn't seem to fit with Tammi or the blog.
I have no idea what I am doing, or where to get started, but I would like to do something that involves both children and MS. I thought to myself what would Tammi do? Well…she would start her own charity, and that is exactly what I intend to do.
Listen, I’m not going to cure MS. But if I can raise $40 to help other children of parents with MS, than I will be happy. Even if all I do is set up a support group or give parents the tools to talk to their children, I’ll be ecstatic. Hell, as lazy as I was BT (Before Tammi) I would be happy with a bake sale. The only thing I do know is that I’m going to need help.
My first thought was maybe a children’s book, explaining why mommy/daddy take a shot every day? I need ideas, and any experience someone might have. Here was my thought: If 500 people read this, and 10 of them have an idea or insightful feedback (how do you start a non-profit?), than I would be that much closer, to…I guess, I would like this to be a gift for Tammi. A small thank you for all she has done for me and my kids.
I post the blog on a wide range of different formats, so please try to comment on the blog itself, so others are able to piggyback on your thoughts, although any feedback is appreciated. I’ll keep you informed, on what direction this goes.
What is MS?
What are the types of MS?
How does MS affect children?
Popular MS charities
Great post Craig. I'm so happy you two found each other.
ReplyDeleteNice post. I came across it via reddit.
ReplyDeleteMy story. I am now a Mr. Mom. I was diagnosed with MS the day before our son was born while permanently losing ~75% of of my vision in my right eye. For months following the diagnosis/birth, my thoughts would always be that my son would see his father as someone in a wheelchair who could barely move, let alone play catch. I felt helpless. My wife was (and still is) the rock and got me through a time when she probably needed more support than I did, but she never sought it out.
Two and a half years later, I would say those concerns are almost the last things I think about. I take a shot every day with supplements. My health has not deteriorated. But neither my wife nor I hide the fact that I'm 'sick' from our son, K.
He knows that I take a shot every night. Take multiple supplements every day. He knows that I have a 'hurt brain' and sometimes it makes me take a short break. While he doesn't know what MS is per se, the idea is that as he grows older he'll get to know more about it. There is no reason for us to 'hide' anything from him, it is just his ability to understand completely is not there yet.
As for better ways to teach children about MS my only thought is to be as open as possible. A book maybe good, as that did help us introduce death to our son.
Children can get MS as well. At the University of Colorado MS Center, they have a pediatric neurologist, Teri L. Schreiner, who specializes in children's MS. Maybe you could contact her and get more ideas on how best to communicate MS to children?
I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I will reach out to Dr. Schreiner, and see what feedback she could provide.
DeleteWhat sort of thngs would be helpful to you, as a stay at home dad, or even something that would improve/increase the time you spend with your kids. Even something as simple as having your house cleaned for you one day? What resources did you look for at the time of your diagnosis? Anything that you didn't find?