Sunday, November 10, 2013

The Most Common Juicing Mistakes

http://www.youtube.com/v/45XdMtaig1E?autohide=1&version=3&attribution_tag=LrQiJE9An5-i5NJQjgLU0A&autoplay=1&feature=share&autohide=1&showinfo=1

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

I get it!! Do you??

I get it! Do you?
Have you ever watched a TV commercial and literally had your mouth water over a food commercial? did this big desire ever make you go above and beyond to get that exact food?? This was me and my hubby, Jason, before Juicing and our 41 day old Vegan Lifestyle (diet is a dirty word after none of them worked).  I won't talk for Jason, but for me, my emotional ties to food were HUGE and I felt totally out of control and reaching hopeless status super fast. So bad I cried on Day 3 for 5 hours and I mean non-stop. All the while sorting through what I was sad about--was it missing food? was I hungry? was this emotional or physical pain or a combo? 
Everything was so maxed out all over my body that I was super confused and in a detox haze that turned into detox flu a few days later and then lasted for 2 weeks. 

After we started our quest to get healthy in 2010 (after my hubby and I saw photos of ourselves at a family wedding), I got 2 NEW health conditions--In June of 2012, I got unexplained hand rashes that would crack and bleed and water, lotions, my shampoo, etc etc made my hands burn and get worse. My hands turned out to be the catalyst for my deep NEED to find a cure that would allow my body to heal itself. And then in May 2013, I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. Both of these were huge blows to me since I was working on me the whole time!! AND I had no confidence in focusing on me (hadn't done that since teenage years). They say once you become Mom, your focus is on your children and you will never be #1 again. I am living proof that you will NOT be alive if you don't learn to find a way to meet your needs also!!! Its necessary for everyone to take care of themselves and its NOT selfish to love your self and have healthy self esteem and healthy self confidence. Our society and media get it wrong MOST of the time!!! I figure if we get a cut on the outside of our bodies and we leave it alone, our bodies heal themselves. Why can't we also heal the inside with proper nutrition and hydration? Its worked for me and all this will be in my book, but I won't rush to publish until I have the full story. Plus I Won't quit eating only fruits and veggies and juicing daily until my body is back to its healthy self. Even then I will continue to live clean and vegan except on holidays and special occasions as I have learned is very easy to adhere to plus I never get hungry headaches or brain fog anymore. I don't miss cravings, I don't miss the dependence, I don't miss being that out of control and I definitely don't miss the pain!!!!!! 

Love & hugs to ALL my Pain Brothers and Pain Sisters worldwide struggling with pain and illness--Keep up all your hard work!! I know EVERY day is a different kind of challenge you must endlessly re-evaluate and adapt to. Its normal to become weary at just the thought of your pain and feeling your pain is just on top of that weariness, then add emotional stress and physical stress of your pain and all the side effects from any meds you take and any medical conditions caused by the meds or medical conditions caused by the extra stress, and so on and so on.... ad infinitum (spelling in latin? NOT!)! Its taxing to your soul and overwhelming to your body and spirit, but YOU are never alone!!! That's why I made PSS!! 


To connect to all parts of PSS aka Pain Sufferers Speak's FREE Global Community, click here -->  http://xeeme.com/LizHall/


Written by Liz Hall, Founder of PSS
10/15/2013 ©

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Caffe Cares: Canola Oil is NOT Organic... EVER!

Caffe Cares: Canola Oil is NOT Organic... EVER!: Hello my Dear Friend!  This is a quick post to give you something to think about... You know how all the supposed "experts" told...

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Oh My Goodness=Its all been worth it!

I have been SUPER frustrated with my 9.5lbs weight loss in last 30 days of Vegan/Juicing lifestyle as compared to my husband Jason Hall's amazing 27lbs! A friend of Jason's (fellow mechanic) from our Sunday School class passed away & there was a memorial service in his honor on October 6th. Jas & I hesitantly chose to do "closet time". Anyone who has struggled with their weight knows that trying on clothes can be a HUGE blow to self esteem and confidence and this was the cause of our hesitancy. 

30 days ago, Jason wore size 5X shirt and size 60 dress pants. Now he is wearing a size 54 dress pant and 3X shirt!! 30 days ago, I wore a 26/28 (3X or 4X depending on which brand) shirt and size 2X pant. Now I am wearing size 22/24 (1X or 2X again depending on brand) and size Large (passing 1X and XL) pants! Plus my bra went from a 44D to a 40D. Usually I am very careful who knows my sizes, but my willingness to share is born out of knowing there are so many others out there who understand the stigma and humiliation of being overweight. YOU are not alone as I have another 81 lbs to go and Jas has another 135 lbs left to lose! 

I know I have tried EVERY diet there is since age 3 and NONE of them worked consistently! 

Not only have we lost weight, but we feel CLEAN inside and out eating ONLY fruits and vegetables! Initially, we both had a HUGE increase in our pain and symptoms all over our bodies. Including 2 weeks of what turned out to be "detox flu". Its been the BIGGEST challenge in our lives and even had me crying for 5 hours on Day 3 when I let go of all my emotional ties to food. It meant I had to sort out what was really making me cry--was I missing food? was I missing eating? was I hungry? was the BIG pain physical or emotional or both? and so many other questions kept rolling around in my head. By Day 5 all that was gone and then we got sicker than dogs for 2 weeks. That's all in the past now and so are the cravings and we both have lots more energy and zest for life! 

I believe what one person can do, another can do. 

This is NOT bragging. Instead its sharing my BIG pain and BIG challenge and knowing I risk ridicule in the name of giving just one of YOU HOPE that you can turn back the clock also and live your life more whole and with more wellness. Its the baby steps that add up to BIG leaps forward over time! Its a journey we started after seeing pictures of ourselves at a family wedding on June 25, 2010. In July 2010 we began changing our habits and making wellness our goal. We just re-figured and since 2010, I have lost 84 lbs and Jas has lost 105lbs. Only gonna get better from here! 



P.S.
Thank you to all my facebook family (this includes my Pain Brothers and Pain Sisters) + my old & new friends! Without your uplifting and loving responses to this post, I would never have found the courage to go global. My heartfelt gratitude and love goes out to each of you! XOXO 

Written by Liz Hall, Founder of Pain Sufferers Speak
on October 5, 2013 ©

October home-maintenance checklist - MSN Real Estate

October home-maintenance checklist - MSN Real Estate

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Some advice you can take or leave--I love you no matter what!


Stop caring about what others think..its so freeing and will lift weight off your shoulders for less stress and more wellness. Write, Call, and Spend time with the ones you want to write, call and spend time with...those who care about you and show you they deserve YOUR unique and special heart in their life. If they do not value your friendship for YOU and instead choose to value what they can get from you...these people are definitely not worth your sweetness.
I miss many notifications all over the internet and let go of that long ago or I would lose my mind online. Instead, just GIVE FREELY of your heart and yourself to the posts that come to your attention while you are online irregardless of who posts them...just random reading posts and then liking and commenting quick replies only when YOU want. Ultimately, who and what YOU choose to do, have, or become in your life is the sum total of where you FOCUS your precious energy.
Give up the irrelevant stuff and choose carefully what you want to focus on and then frame your life with that NEW perspective. ITS ALL UP TO YOU!
God bless you all as you face your life's challenges! Its never easy, but we can share the load when face it together as a global family! As always, I send out unconditional love, light and blessings worldwide to everyone! I believe LOVE is limitless for all of us.
Its not a new concept, just "love your neighbor as yourself", "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", and choose to RESPECT and show COMPASSION without JUDGEMENT to EVERYONE YOU MEET! Just passing on a smile can make all the difference in someone else's day! YOU can make a difference one person and one day at a time IF you are willing to try!
Some days you will have more to give than others! This is DAY 20 of my juicing and vegan lifestyle and only day 2 without negative symptoms. Its been everything from headache/migraine; dizziness and shakiness; crying jags (one lasted 5 hrs on day 3--I have to figure it was all the tears I have NOT cried over the years as I tried in vain to muscle my way through the emotional stuff I wanted to avoid.); throwing up, diarrhea, flu with sore throat, chest congestion and fever, and more so giving was simply NOT an option I would have had even if my computer had been usable for the last few weeks.
Its not about guilt in this life so drop that junk off, too, and then GIVE as you are able instead of feeling obligated and then guilty you didn't do something. Just wanted to share some truths I have figured out during this painful growth time in my life over the last 20 Days. I sat in my living room several days before juicing DAY 1 and I spoke and eventually screamed out loud to God as soon as I figured out what he wanted me to do next....Juicing fast to reboot my body and reverse all the damage I had done.  I did the crime and now I am doing my time....but instead of this being a negative--its a positive! Without hunger I was sure I would feel and without cravings and all while I am regaining MY CONTROL over my life.
I felt forced to give up and lost so many abilities including 2 careers since age 24 (I will be 41 next month) that I truly believe I was unknowingly committing slow suicide with poor decisions one right after the other. If this strong woman (me) can lose enough to make me THAT sad AND THAT helpless and THAT depressed and retreat from the world like I did for 18 months in 2008-2010, I know chronic illness and chronic pain can take down ANYONE!
#1 Goal--You NEVER have to be alone in pain! With 7 support groups, 3 blogs and availability all over the web, there is something for everyone in Pain Sufferers Speak's FREE Global Community.  If you want more info, See the documentary on Netflix called, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". This was the catalyst for my new venture and just the beginning of loads of research to be included in my book. More details to come as soon as I am able. Make it a meaningful life always! XOXO

Written By: Liz Hall, Founder of PSS
September 24, 2013 ©
To connect to all parts of PSS, click HERE--> http://xeeme.com/LizHall/

Friday, September 20, 2013

Update and Wishing YOU a wonderful weekend!

Been Busy here! Our computer was causing problems for weeks before it finally refused to let us on the internet and crashed the Google Chrome browser on Aug 31st. Hubby Jason knows so much more than me about computers and tried everything he knew--some of which worked but never completely fixed. Took in computer on Sept 1st to Best Buy since we already had a maintenance plan from unrelated computer issues in April & May of this year. For those of you who are techies, here is the list of computer issues found: loads of malware since computer stopped updating virus/fire wall, etc when it refused to let us on internet; fan clogged with dust from last 7 years (they said it literally blocked fan and was causing over heating!), and needed reboot of windows operating system. Scans eliminated malware, Best Buy took apart and cleaned to remove dust and solve over heating issues, and easy fix on reboot since all disks available online for purchase. However, reboot meant we had to reset all settings on computer as if it was just bought from the store so its been frustrating over the last few days as we reset everything, and rediscovered all lost passwords.

During my absence we had 2 family members have a stroke--Jason's step sister, Kym, and my Aunt Mary Kay. The same day both ladies had the stroke--yeppers same exact 24 hours--was our 3rd day on NEW juicing lifestyle! This only served to galvanize our convictions to stay on new juicing plan and continue with swimming, weight lifting, yoga and daily stretching. On day 6, Jason and I both got sick with sore throat, coughing, low grade fever, etc and we thought it was flu. Turned out to be part of detoxing and we both still had symptoms yesterday. Proud to announce that we are on day 16 now and Jason has lost 17 lbs and me 9 lbs. Hate that we women hold onto fat, but it is just one of the inherent differences between the sexes.

FYI--Over the last year, I have quit biting my nails, quit cigarettes, quit milk and milk products, quit meat, and quit sugar. I have lost a total of 86lbs over the last 2 years and it is my ongoing goal to have my life be an example instead of a warning! This new juicing lifestyle is following loads of my own research and my doctor's advice. ***Do not start any NEW diet or exercise plan without consulting your doctor first!***

I have missed my online Pain Sufferers Speak community and all my Dear family and friends! I am back on the computer daily now and will start regular Twitter chats next week on Monday, Sept 23rd at 10pm CST-USA. Love and hugs to all of you! XOXO


Written by: Liz Hall, Founder of Pain Sufferers Speak
9/20/2013 ©

Joe Cross Discusses The Health Benefits of Juicing | Williams-Sonoma

Monday, August 26, 2013

Celebrate Coping Skills!


As disabled folks aka differently challenged individuals, we all know about having a desire to act (can include any activity) or volunteer and our bodies not allowing us to follow through at all or not follow through timely. It’s frustrating enough to make us scream, but coping with that is part of accepting our own limitations that cannot change. 

However, sorting what can and cannot change can be tricky. I had 5 doctors tell me I would be in a wheel chair before age 50 with my deg disk disease (4 herniated disks--2 cervical and 2 lumbar).  Now I look back on that and see how irresponsible those doctors were and how their words attempted to limit me. I fought that and still do each day when I go swimming and workout in my 0 gravity chair. 

I know that not all medical conditions can be changed, but please choose to leave the possibility open to any that you might be able to change. I have accepted my nerve damage in both arms and legs will not change, but increasing my balance has limited my falls and gotten me out of the wheelchair. Being a para- or quadriplegic cannot change and needs to be accepted, but losing strength in any limb that you can move is avoidable and can be worked on gradually to increase your strength. 

I have found that disability taught me lots about promises. I no longer promise my kids I can do something unless I am sure that my body will not break that promise. It broke my heart and theirs many times as I struggled to find balance with my disability and my kids. 

It’s not easy and it’s different for each kid and each family. My daughter learned coping skills that my son thinks are stupid. They work for my daughter and so she needs those. My son has had to find his own coping skills that would work for him. 

**Coping is necessary for every change, every transition and every new situation throughout life.**

Encouraging your kids to find healthy coping is a GIFT that will help them over and over in their life. Never feel guilty or waste your energy feeling guilty about your disability and the way it has impacted your kids, husband and family. Every bit of coping will ease the difficulties they face in their life. Guilt is so negative. Instead, celebrate those new coping skills and try your best to find healthy ones that work for each of your kids considering their age and development. You will arm them for the battles they are guaranteed to face in their life and they will thank you later... I promise!!! 
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Welcome to Pain Sufferers Speak's FREE Global Community

**Our #1 Goal--YOU never have to be alone in pain!** 

Connect to all parts of Pain Sufferers Speak and Share our link with your friends and family who will benefit from an introduction to our 24/7 support. With 7 support groups, 3 blogs, and availability all over the web, there truly is something for everyone! ‪#‎PSS‬ promotes and provides respect and unconditional love with NO judgement everyday to everyone. http://xeeme.com/LizHall/

Sending love & hugs to all my Pain Brothers and Pain Sisters worldwide! Have a wonderful week filled with JOY and as little pain as possible! XOXO

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Happy Birthday!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Pain Sufferers Speak!! Love and hugs to each Pain Brother and Pain Sister worldwide! XOXO

Welcome to Pain Sufferers Speak's FREE Global Community**Our #1 Goal--YOU never have to be alone in pain!** Connect to all parts of Pain Sufferers Speak and Share our link with your friends and family who will benefit from an introduction to our 24/7 support. With 7 support groups, 3 blogs, and availability all over the web, there truly is something for everyone! ‪#‎PSS‬ promotes and provides respect and unconditional love with NO judgement everyday to everyone. http://xeeme.com/LizHall/

Friday, May 10, 2013

TIP OF THE DAY #7 and #8 Plus The Philosophy behind Pain Sufferers Speak

TIP OF THE DAY #7 When your self esteem is strong, then you will not doubt yourself or let others tell you how to feel. Its easy to boost your self esteem. 

I never thought it was easy until I read it in a book and tried it myself. I have been using the technique all week as I faced so many blows to my self esteem. Go to a quiet place, close your eyes and get comfortable in a chair, on the floor, in bed or wherever you are most comfortable. Focus on relaxing from head to toe while you take slow deep breaths allowing extra oxygen to reach every cell of your body. Imagine the stress and tension leaving your body. Then start saying out loud or in your mind one sentence that helps you feel good. Here are some suggestions: I love myself and I am worth reaching all my fitness or life goals. OR I am awesome and I love myself. OR I choose only love and positive things and positive people in my life. OR whatever sentence makes you feel good. Repeat your sentence over and over again while keeping your eyes closed and your body relaxed. If you do this once per day for 5-10 minutes, you will see changes in your perspective and an increase in your self esteem. Its a simple form of meditation and its been taught so many times over thousands of years in cultures all over the world. The language may be different, but basic goal is the same. We are so fast paced now with technology, its easy to lose sight of taking care of ourselves. Everyone can boost their own health by boosting their self esteem, self confidence and self respect. Try It for a week or several times in one day and you will notice the positive change!
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TIP OF THE DAY #8 Do not get into the nasty war of comparing abuse or pain! 

Everyone's pain is felt only by them, and the pain level they feel is coming from their perspective. Even if someone explains with words how they feel, unless you are in their body at the exact moment of their pain--you will never know how they feel and how bad the pain is for them. No one wins and both people increase their pain due to stress. Try to avoid anything or anyone who causes you stress or pain. Its your choice who and what you let into your life. Make a wise choice!
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My philosophy is that all parts of Pain Sufferers Speak's global community provides FREE INFO to everyone, and each of you decides for yourselves (along with your trusted healthcare providers and family) what is best for you and your unique circumstances. ANY POST on Twitter, Facebook, or any other platform across the web is NEVER strategically placed, nor should it be considered to have my endorsement, approval or implied consent in any way. I do not earn money from you clicking my ads and I do not use product placement or any other hidden agendas. 

My goal and the foundation of Pain Sufferers Speak is to be sure no one ever has to be alone with their pain. My deep desire is for everyone to express their pain in a healthy way through painspeaking and journaling. I want to provide each person on the planet not just Pain Sufferers Speak's Community resources, but loads of other resources and locations for you to find "Safe Havens" to communicate all types of pain for all age groups.

I practice unconditional love with no judgment and no criticism plus respect for all religions every day of my life and these are also the founding principles of all parts of PSS. 

Other blogs, websites, and other random resources I choose will ALWAYS be listed and promoted which equals FREE advertising for your businesses, companies, organizations, associations, etc. I provide this service in order to encourage everyone to find their favorite place. If you don't choose to join Pain Sufferers Speak's community, I'm not upset at all as long as you find another way to make the healthiest choice for your overall health--Communicate your pain!! Get the negativity of pain out of you through spoken words, poetry, journaling, join a support group, and find others who share your pain so you don't feel alone. 

I support ALL worthy causes worldwide not through funds I can't afford to pay, but instead through promoting awareness and advocacy to everyone.

There will NEVER be a charge to join any part of Pain Sufferers Speak's Community, because I believe all this information, awareness, advocacy and all these resources NEED to be available to everyone all the time. Through sharing, we can all be wiser, healthier and more able to cope with life's challenges.
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The #1 goal of Pain Sufferers Speak is --YOU never have to be alone in pain! There is an entire global community who are waiting to support you through the good days and bad ones with unconditional love and No judgement. Each part of PSS has different benefits and here are just 2 examples. Do you need 24/7 support? Request to join Pain Sufferers Speak's Support family Facebook Group where 800+ Pain Brothers and Pain Sisters fully understand what it means to live with pain and illness. Do you own a business or run a website? Join Pain Sufferers Speak's LinkedIn Open Networking group where you can make 520+ professional connections and promote your business, your causes and your passions every day. With 4 support groups, 3 blogs, and availability on all major social networks across the internet, there truly is something for everyone.
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Choose how you want to connect to one or all parts of Pain Sufferers Speak's FREE global community and its founder, Liz Hall aka Painspeaks. 
Click Here--> xeeme.com/LizHall/ 

Written by: Liz Hall  
5/10/2013

Fibromyalgia: Living or Coping?

Fibromyalgia: Living or Coping?: Hi All, To start, as usual: Sleep: 5 Pain: 3 Migraine: 1 Fibrofog: 3 IBS: 2 Tiredness: 5 Dee writing this week. I've had a ...

The (Mommy)Kerrie Show: Gardening With Kids: Growing Memories

The (Mommy)Kerrie Show: Gardening With Kids: Growing Memories: I’ll never forget the first time I picked a beautiful, ripe, red tomato that I helped grow. I had watered and weeded the plant with love, ...

The (Mommy)Kerrie Show: Protecting Kids From the Internet

The (Mommy)Kerrie Show: Protecting Kids From the Internet: Do you ever wish you could “un-see” something? Maybe you’ve driven by a violent car accident and glanced over, catching a horrid vision that...

Road to a Lupus Cure: Developing Clinical Trials for Lupus

Road to a Lupus Cure: Developing Clinical Trials for Lupus: By Dr. Joan T. Merrill Dr. Joan Merrill Clinical trials for lupus have been challenging. The main reason for this is that no two pati...

The Wounded Warrior: Beat Bullying - Ayden’s Law - Help us make a diffe...

The Wounded Warrior: Beat Bullying - Ayden’s Law - Help us make a diffe...: Ayden’s Law   What is Ayden’s Law?   On 14 March 2013,  14 year old Ayden Olson took his own life. He’d been bullied to death. Tr...

The Wounded Warrior: Speaking Up And Speaking Out via @Hidden_Beth #end...

The Wounded Warrior: Speaking Up And Speaking Out via @Hidden_Beth #end...: You know when you feel like the whole World is against you, when you walk down a street you feel that everyone’s eyes are on you, and t...

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

TIP OF THE DAY #5 and #6 from Pain Sufferers Speak ™


Here are more helpful tips to live a fulfilling life with pain and illness.

TIP OF THE DAY #5-- Never lose hope for a healthier you! Take baby steps (even just 1) each day towards your personal goals for weight loss, movement or some sort of exercise, making good eating choices, hydrating yourself with 8-10 glasses of water per day, or whatever your goals are! If you don't do it, no one will do it for you! Happy to be your cheerleader through your personal transformation process. Never settle for less than being the best YOU possible. With pain and illness, your best may just be eating choices, but that's a step in the right direction. ALL steps count and lead to a healthier YOU!
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TIP OF THE DAY #6--> BE your own patient advocate!! I will now say the dreaded word.....Medications--Its a sensitive subject for many people who live with pain and illness. However, the #1 regret of today's seniors (according to Reader's Digest) is, "I wish I had taken LESS medication." And #2 is, "I wish I had taken better care of my teeth." I feel this life is about having no regrets or at least limiting the ones you can control. I know I cannot just choose to go off my asthma meds--those are not my choice, and in fact necessary for my life. I happen to be allergic to both Morphine and Codeine (and all their generics) so my choices for pain reduction are very limited. The one drug that worked for me and actually masked most of my pain was Fentanyl Patches. However, I was sleeping my life away plus the Fentanyl built up in my body to a toxic level in less than 6 weeks. It also caused a false positive on a drug test due to extreme levels. I was told by my current doctor that everyone's body metabolizes meds differently and even if one med worked for you when you were say, age 20, it might not work for you at age 35. Due to your body changing as you age, hormone levels, diet, and so many other factors. If you are on 25 meds each day (and I am pulling this number out of the air) how can you or your doctor truly know what side effects are from a med or a combo of your meds?? are you taking certain meds just to fight side effects of other meds? There is really no responsible doctor who puts any one person on that many meds IN MY HUMBLE OPINION. If I have upset you, please do your own research and you will find the pharmaceutical industry is responsible for many deaths per year. I recommend you be your own patient advocate and do the research about each med any doc prescribes, any treatment that is suggested and even research the doctor to be sure his/her medical license is current and he/she has no outstanding malpractice suits or restrictions. YOU only have one body and YOU have to live with it for the rest of your life. Be wise and educated through research as you make any choices that will impact your body. Have you noticed the huge increase in commercials on TV about lawsuits over drugs that have damaged or killed people? Have you noticed the huge increase in magazine ads about lawsuits over drugs that have damaged or killed people? This is just my opinion and you have every right to disagree!! I love you all and want you to have the best quality of life possible so even if it makes you mad, I feel it has to be said. Decide with a trusted doctor what is best for you!! If you do not trust your doctor or feel you cannot talk to them, how and why would you trust them to decide what goes into your precious body????? Love yourself enough to be educated, informed, and careful!
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The #1 goal of Pain Sufferers Speak is --YOU never have to be alone in pain! There is an entire global community who are waiting to support you through the good days and bad ones with unconditional love and No judgement. Each part of PSS has different benefits and here are just 2 examples. Do you need 24/7 support? Request to join Pain Sufferers Speak's Support family Facebook Group where 800+ Pain Brothers and Pain Sisters fully understand what it means to live with pain and illness. Do you own a business or run a website? Join Pain Sufferers Speak's LinkedIn Open Networking group where you can make 480+ professional connections and promote your business, your causes and your passions every day. With 4 support groups, 3 blogs, and availability on all major social networks across the internet, there truly is something for everyone.
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Choose how you want to connect to one or all parts of Pain Sufferers Speak's FREE global community and its founder, Liz Hall aka Painspeaks. Click Here--> http://xeeme.com/LizHall/

Written by: Liz Hall © 2013
Pain Sufferers Speak ™

Friday, February 1, 2013

"My Pets" Written By: Liz Hall, Founder of Pain Sufferers Speak



These are my family's furry babies! Our Beagle is named Daisy May, and we call her May May or Baby May as she is a perpetual baby girl who loves to snuggle under blankets and be a lap dog. She is shy with all strangers and very gentle with everyone. Zippy B, or BB Boy (Zippy Billy Badass is his complete name, but I can't very well go around yelling that at the park!) is a super energetic mutt who loves to zip around our backyard and makes friends with everyone he meets.  If you are well liked by Zippy, then he will offer you his "paw of friendship".  If you are one of the chosen few, you should feel very special as this "paw of friendship" is usually reserved for only the four of us who live with him. Both are "rescue" dogs in their own special way.

Daisy was a Christmas present "gone bad" as Texans like to say. When we picked her up from a farm, she was sick, had been diagnosed with failure to thrive, and was clearly the runt of her litter with her puny size. In my husband's car, she remained still and quiet in my arms and fell asleep as we drove back into town. When we stopped to pick up my car, Daisy remained still and quiet in my daughter's arms until we arrived at our house. She has remained small and is only 19 pounds today. Our vet says she is the smallest full grown Beagle he has ever seen. A woman had ordered Daisy from a breeder who was expecting a litter of pups. She wanted the cheapest one as a surprise companion and Christmas gift for her son. According to the woman, she chose "Daisy" for her name after her son never bonded with Daisy and refused to name her.  She also admitted that her son left Daisy out in the rain and cold with no available dog house. Daisy was fed with all their other farm animals including other dogs, and, clearly, she had missed some meals. She had apparently been kicked as we could not touch her sides for a several days without hearing her yelp in pain. Within 2 weeks of moving in with us, she had almost doubled her weight and was a happy, healthy and playful puppy! Daisy was super easy to train since she was so eager to please us. She never outgrew her bad habit of woofing down food without chewing so we say, "Daisy May has an unhealthy relationship with food."  Daisy came into our lives when she was only 12 weeks old and now she is 10 years old.

We were Zippy's 5th home in his first 2 years of life. He literally whined by our front window for 3+ hours after the woman left him with us. He was 15 lbs underweight and had been forced to live in a cage for 12-15 hrs per day. This resulted in him never learning self control. He came to us mysteriously afraid of loud noises.  A starter gun went off near a park we visited once, and he ran to hide behind my legs and started shaking all over.  He is also "not okay" with fireworks. They still make him so nervous, he literally hides behind our back porch love-seat rocker and presses himself into the wall of our home directly behind the rocker. He will only agree to move when we open the backdoor so he can run immediately inside.  He also came to us with an another mysterious "issue" that our vet explained during his first visit. Zippy would not let us touch or even pet him near his hips and hind quarters. If our hands got anywhere near his tail, he would warn us with one loud huffy bark and run away. The vet said he was castrated by binding or cutting off his testicles which is a common practice, unfortunately, and extremely painful. It took him nearly 2 years to quit caring what we did with his hind end. Now he never huffs or barks at anyone and seems to have completely gotten over whatever happened to him. Zippy came to us wild and hyper and jumping on us and everyone he met. Now he is quite the gentlemen in his "tux".  His markings, and their color and placement on his coat, make him look all dressed up in formal wear. He is the only dog I have ever met who does not eat the very moment you put food in front of him. In fact, sometimes he eats a little at a time all day long. Since Daisy is a gifted thief, Zippy has to guard his food bowl, but this is natural for our stately sentinel. He guards the backyard as if on duty and paces back and forth on our back porch carefully watching and listening for any small movement or sound from the yard. It rarely snows in Austin, Texas but the one time it did with Zippy here, he bit the snowflakes before they could hit the ground as if he was dealing with an invasion from the sky. He never jumps on anyone anymore and has learned and mastered his own self control. Zippy was a 2 year old teenager when he trotted into our home, and is a full grown dog now at 6 years.

Both dogs have their own beds and do not sleep with any of us. However, whenever I have been on bed rest recovering from surgery or having a bad pain flare, my furry babies snuggle with me and sleep right next to me on my side of the bed. My husband and I only had one dog at a time while we were growing up. After watching Zippy get Daisy in better shape while they chase each other playfully around the yard, we will always own 2 dogs at once. This way they can be buddies and always be there to keep each other company whenever we leave our home.