Day #6 HOME with the kids for covid-19: Daddy’s Academy of Gratitude – How I handled MS hug, Exhaustion and dem kids

At SOME point, MS (Multiple Sclerosis) was going to introduce itself to Daddy’s Academy of Gratitude MUTHAFUGGA. I deal with a wide assortment of symptoms on a daily basis but I focus so much on finding, seeing, giving, posting, chronicling Gratitudes that I don’t pay attention. I make adjustments and keep on trucking. Wednesday, March 25, was NOT one of those days. I’d been kinda low on energy, patience and just general feeling bad but on the last Hump Day, I overslept by a strong 30min. For me, stay-at-home-father-of-4-homeschooled-kids? No problem. For me, independent-blogger-author-responsible-for-self-promotion-and-advertisement? 🤷🏾‍♂️ Fugg it, I’ll manage. For the husband that ensures the R.N. wife wakes up for her shift, PROBLEM! 🤐 She recovered quickly and G’ed up through the day. I struggled with exhaustion and other issues from the late start throughout the day. I have options, remedies, routines to hold me down when I’m alone BUT having the kids at home too… *sigh* I can’t punk out tho bc the kids need… What. TF. EVER. Big Homie. The kids need a sane, sensible father capable of participation and attention. Fuck those damn leasons and SURVIVE until my symptoms ease up.

Aight, MS is the freaking PRIORITY!

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the low end, the pain of the MS hug was a 4 or 5. It is most painful on my left side and deep breaths aggravate my condition causing a sharp pain in addition to the burning/crushing. I didn’t know where to start, alleviate the intense exhaustion or find some relief for the hug. It affects my talking, drinking, seating, everything. There are some yoga poses centered on breathing and ‘opening the chest’ that actually help but shhhhhiiiiiiiiid, I was too exhausted to attempt. Normally, I medicate with an indica for the MS hug. I couldn’t today because indicas are sleep aides so I chose a sativa. Sativa improves the energy level and give the stereotypical “happy high”. Perfect for exhaustion, terrible for the MS hug. I made an executive decision and poured an early drink, vodka and tap water. The duo of cannabis and alcohol would have to be enough until I felt comfortable enough to yoga & meditate.

Noooooow, bout dem kids…

I solved MY health issues, cannabis and vodka, felt a LITTLE buzz and turned my attention to running this online homeschool. Call it the inspirational imagination of cannabi-cation but it hit me just before the kids stumbled into the kitchen. I sat and told them a lovely tale of a poor, MS stricken patient, struggling to make ends meet, clean his home, etc. He needed help and they ATE THE STORY UP! 😂😂🤣 The patient was ME! I needed help with the kitchen, making my bed, getting in and out my wheelchair, you get it. Sticking with the patient analogy, I offered community service/Gratitude Assignments for their help and good attitude. They did NOT think it was the least bit comical but like I say, WHAT-eva. They gave me good spirits, good energy and most importantly, HELPED. I was worried that today, suddenly, massive amounts of teacher assignments come in and I knew I didn’t have the strength to pull it all off. Again, the cannabi-cation inspired a fix. They (dem kids) completed an “Academy field trip to do community service”. Nobody does real WORK on school field trip days! Instead, everyone sits together, discusses what is learned and goofs off till final bell. We were going to do that too. Lunch and movie was 2hrs, not one. P.E. was 2hrs, not one. All I focused on was that the kids complete schoolwork. The Math worksheets? I let them check themselves and accepted everyone made the required B grade to stop. I skipped the reading hour because the day was officially over after my schedule changes. Eventually, during the 2p-4p extended P.E., I felt comfortable enough to yoga and meditate for my MS hug which helped. I backdoor’ed with a 2nd round of cannibi-cating immediately following yoga, sativa again, because I was running low on energy and now it was regular, kids-at-home, time. For my final coping trick, I allowed computer games and screentime all the way to bedtime. This was to reinforce their co-operation and lack of whining all day. I have no idea what tomorrow would be like but I am acutely aware that their Gratitude & Attitude is imperative to a successful day.

Link to Day 5: Daddy’s Academy of Gratitude

Link to Day 7