[QUOTE=Susan123;1923602]I don't want to hijack this thread, but I can see it takes so much hard work. I have kids 8 and 15. I also have fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. With that said, I'm having to give serious thought as to when I can actually pursue my dream. I have enough energy for my family and yorkies at this point. It's really hard, but fun and rewarding.
There are 2 people in my area that show from power wheel chairs. One of them show a big breed. It is the most amazing sight to seem them flying around the ring. It is a nice dog and she wins a lot. There is one lady that uses a scooter to get around because of her disability. She drives the scooter up to ringside, gets out shows her dog and then gets right back in. I have had 4 back surgeries and it is sometimes hard for me to get on the ground so I have trained my dogs to free stack. When I am having a bad day, I let them do all the work. When I know that I am not going to be able to get down to stack my dog, I tell the ring steward and she tells the judge. I have a cart that I use to carry my gear and crates and I use a lightweight table instead of a heavy ringside table. A handicap tag also helps because the clubs often uses parking that is close to the building for club members and judges. It can be a long walk from your car to ringside.
My right hand was paralyzed for a while and I still showed my dogs. I was very slow setting my dog up on the table but the judges were very patient.
I even learned to do a topknot with one hand. I can look back at pictures and see that it wasn't the best topknot in the world but it was good enough.
Having said all that, I have to tell you that the adeneline rush is so high that pain goes away. I concentrate so hard on my dogs and getting them ready. For those few hours nothing else enters my mind. |