What Else is Coming This Year?

While I was down with my fractured ribs we also had to have a biopsy on one if our pups, Snickers.  

 

Last year we had some blood tests run during his annual visit.  They noted some odd numbers with his liver.  But they said things like this can happen with young dogs but they would want to watch it.  So we get the tests done again during this years visit.  Same thing, some not good numbers with his liver.  They said they should do a biopsy ($$) in order to really find out what was going on.  It was an all day affair for the little guy.  While examining him during the biopsy they found his spleen was 4 times the size it should be and it had calcifications.  They had some ideas but really needed the results of the biopsy to be sure,  The results just came back, not good news.  They had guessed Chagas disease along with something else I don't remember.  It turns out that he has hepatitis and this is what affected his spleen and has caused an autoimmune disease.  So he will be taking a couple meds daily until the the inflammation recedes.  It will take some adjusting of meds until they find the right balance.  This will be a lifelong thing for him.  He will be more susceptible to infection.  But the vet is confident that this was the best outcome they could have hoped for.    So we are going with that outlook.  

This year has started out pretty rough.  But 'it ain't no hill for a stepper' as my grandmother used to say.

Happy Trails

4 Weeks

I am up and around a bit more since my fall.  Went to church for the first time in over a month.  That was great and good for my outlook.  Didn't try to make the entire 3 hours, figured that would be way too much for my ribs to tolerate.  The pews, I find, are much too uncomfortable for me normally and certainly would be with a bunch of hurt ribs.  I was able to tolerate the main service pretty well.

While I was in the hospital 'K' was running the show by herself.  Her CRV started dying on her

at every stop light.  It had been running a little rough for awhile and we ignored it.  She didn't even bother me with it.  I guess being in so much pain she knew I couldn't try to work on it and it would just worry me.  So she managed to get it to a garage and get it fixed up.  It wasn't cheap but now it runs like a new car.  While it was there I told her to have them replace the spark plugs that I had tried to do once but passed on when I saw how Honda does them.  Probably spent about half what the car costs but it's paid for and we can keep on driving it without adding a new car expense.  We were looking at a Tacoma until we saw that the dealers are adding 5k to the sticker price.  NOPE!  I can't imagine anyone would pay that.  

I may try to cut the grass in the back yard this week.  The winter grasses (weeds) have exploded with all the rain we have had and it looks pretty nasty.  We almost can't see the dogs when they are out there LOL.  I don't anticipate any trouble doing that with my ribs, they are doing pretty well.  

I don't have much else.

Happy Trails

Three Weeks

Today marks three weeks since I broke myself.  Three weeks of near constant pain.  Pain that is now getting to be much more manageable thankfully.  This morning is the best morning that I have had since I fell.  I even made breakfast for us both but that wore me out.  After being virtually off my feet for those three weeks I have zero stamina.  I hope to start trying to get some of that back this week by walking a bit down the street and back.  Nothing stupid that's for sure.  I may try to get 'K' to drive me around a bit just to get out of the house and see something different than the cieling and the TV.  My appetite is starting to return a little too.  This is all much earlier than the doc preditcted, 4-6 weeks.  I am thankful.  I am not off all pain relievers.  Tylenol and Ibuprofen are around the clock for the most part.  I haven't taken any of the narco stuff in a couple days or more.  I do have a muscle relaxer I take at bedtime and that helps with the sleep.  All in all encouraging progress.

My thoughts have been turning to this blog of late.  Even with all this time on my hands I have struggled to write about anything other than my injury.  I started this blog almost ten years ago to document my for myself my battle with prostate cancer.  I posted nearly every day at the start and now I struggle to get once a week up.  This December will mark the 10th anniversary of my cancer surgery that literally cured me.  I will have another appointment with the urologist this July.  It appears they will release me then.  One less doctor appointment.  But he did caution me to have my PSA checked annually anyway.  Which may seem strange since I have no prostate, why would I need that test?  The cancer also produces whatever that test detects and would signal a possible return of the cancer.  As you can see, even though they say I am cured, they will NOT say it won't return.  It is less likely to this far into the game now and will be less likely each year but never say never.

Oh, and as far as my intentions with the blog.  I will probably cease writing it soon.  No set date, I am still attached to it I guess and can't say goodbye yet but it will probably happen this year.  I will let you know when it does, I won't leave you hanging.  

Happy Trails