The Loss of a Pet

In a topic within this blog, Man's Best Friend, I shared the benefits to having pets. Before discussing how I coped with the loss of my pet, I will still advocate always having them as long as your are able to care for them in a responsible manner. Caring for a pet is a way for us to extend ourselves as humane human beings. In many cases pets are a sole source of companionship.

About a year ago my dog Roscoe became very ill as we noticed he was quite bloated. His pancreas was inflamed leading the vet to believe he ate something he shouldn't have or worse, cancer. If it was a food illness, he would eventually get better, but the vet was not optimistic this was the case and hinted there were other signs of pancreatic cancer. We drained him for the bloating in order to make him more comfortable, but the effects only lasted a week and he became bloated once again. Our mission now was to make him as comfortable as possible. Mysteriously a month later his bloating disappeared and he was acting his normal self. This too was short lived as the bloating returned for what was to be his last days.

The hard part about losing an animal this way is simply because their mind is fully intact yet their body is shutting down. Their loyalty is with you every step of the way. Had I not been a dog person before this experience, I am now.

In Roscoe's final hours it became very clear to me this was going to hit me in a very special but hard way. All his personalities would be gone soon. His distinctive bark will be no more. If this was not hard enough, his last breath was what broke my heart because the reality of him being gone had arrived. Comparing losing Roscoe vs. losing my dad, losing Roscoe was so much harder. After almost a year later, the pain of my loss is still very much here.

Sharing this experience is not to be an example of what to expect if you have a pet. As heart wrenching it may seem, the time I shared with my pet was beautiful from beginning to the end. This experience showed me what kind of person I really am. This also taught me the value of having a pet in my life. As long as I can provide a responsible home for a pet, I will always share my life with one. This past August we welcomed our baby puppy Emily to our home.

Dermal Elasticity

A commonly obvious sign of our aging process we notice most is our skins viability. In our mid to late 40s we notice changes to our skin by its elasticity loss or evidence of wrinkles start to appear, almost what seems, daily. This is when we make the mistake by telling ourselves we wish we did more when we were younger to prevent what is happening now. "Mistake" I say because you can decelerate this process with proper hydration and using very affordable moisturizers.

The fact remains - we're all gonna grow old. The sooner we can accept the fact the better we can live a non-stressful existence, thus in itself, causing the aging process to be compliment rather than penalty. However accepting the fact is not a reason to stop taking care of yourself. This is the case in regard to mobility, your mindset and taking care of your skin.

Think about what our skin goes through in a one years time. Winter: No sun to heat body enabling moisture to be brought to surface in form of sweat which hydrates skin. The side effect can be an ashen appearance. Summer: Too much sun causing skin to redden and burn or dry out because we are not drinking enough water. Not to forget social habits like drinking and smoking which create an all out war on our internal organs as well as the largest organ of all - our skin.

Proper nutrition and preventative actions can protect our skin from harsh elements as well as exercising moderation when in festive moods and most of all, if you are a smoker, quit! Furthermore, the biggest misconception about moisturizers is people believe they must spend a fortune on these types of products. Be warned TV infomercials are the biggest scams when it comes to what products are good for your skin. You can protect your skin with economical products sold at Target, Walmart or membership clubs like Costco and Sams Club.

Applying these products doesn't need to be hard either. The best time to apply moisturizers are right after a showers or baths. This is when the skin is moist enabling a smoother application and pores are open allowing your skin to absorb product.

It's never too late to start taking care of our skin because the truth of the matter is we're only going age and there's no stopping this process. Wrinkles should be warn like a badge of honor, but they need relief and by providing them with moisture will allow them look healthy and glow making them more of a compliment to your appearance - in a mans case, more distinguished.