One thing that has really helped me in dealing with this illness is my little business of breeding birds. I love birds. They are so curious and comical. I started this by chance, about 20 or so years ago my boss gave me two zebra finch. Since then we have had these interesting birds. Three years ago my daughter wanted to get a larger cage and 3 more pair of finch. It didn't take long for us to have many zebra babies on our hands. My daughter and I would take the babies to the pet store and trade them for birds seed or millet and other supplies. Soon we received cash for the babies.

I started researching about different kinds of finch and decided to buy a pair of owl finch. Then I asked for Gouldian Finch for my Christmas gift. It just seemed to snow ball after that. Now I have about 12 Zebra Finch, 9 golden Finch, 6 Owl Finch, 4 Society Finch, 4 Canaries and 11 baby Zebras ready for the pet store in the indoor aviary my husband built for me. Outside my husband built me 2 aviaries. In one aviary 8 Parakeet, 4 cocktail and 6 Button Quail and 12 baby parakeets waiting to go to the pet shop. In the other aviary I have 9 white wedding doves (homing pigeons) I hope to start a wedding release business with these beautiful birds (but they sure do poop a lot).

The reason I believe this business has helped me so much is...Not only do I have bipolar disorder, I also have fibromylagia and ankaloting spondilitis. Even though I am in remission most of time, I am not able to work outside the home. I, like many bipolar am extremely creative and need an outlet. The birds are my outlet. I am not making any money yet, but it makes me very happy. It gives me a chance to use my talents. Hmmm.....What are my talents you ask? Well, I guess the one that helps me out the most with my birds is I can get anything to breed. My friends are amazed. A friend said I have the gift of giving life. I also love to work with computers and create web pages. I am not that great at it, but I love to put the pages together. My birds site is www.oceansideaviary.com . I love to create diets for my birds. I feed them very well and their feathers are so tight and sleek.

I have to feed my birds no matter how bad I feel. Unless I am really in bad shape and then my husband and daughter feed them. This keeps me from staying in bad and feeling sorry for myself when I am in the depressive stage, because my birds depend on me.

Yesterday I had a baby Gouldian get caught behind the small mop I keep in the aviary. I have figured out that the babies do not fly to well and they hit the wall and slide down. Then they get caught up in things that are against the wall. The baby had been there for awhile and he was all bloody from thrashing about. My husband rescued the baby and he and I cleaned him up fed him hand feed bird food from a syringe. It was pretty weak. We didn't think he would make it. We feed him all yesterday and put him in a small box under a light to keep his body temp up. This morning he was stronger and tonight he was flighing around. He still isn't out of the woods, but he is doing really well.

I am feeling much better today. Meds are kicking in and my birds are keeping me busy. I am so grateful to have such an understanding husband he has been so encouraging with my bird project and mostly just trying to live with this illness. He wasn't always so understanding and that made both of our lives hell. Now it is so much better. Michelle my youngest daughter...the joy of my life. Thank to both of you.