Its been a while...

Haven't posted in such a long time, but I thought its time to start blogging again especially to document the road I am going down with my sweet Lupe.

After about 3 weeks of vet visits, we finally have a diagnosis, synovial cell sarcoma, cancer of the joint in her right front leg.  She is a good candidate for amputation as her chest x-rays were clear.  She is having blood work and an abdomnial ultrasound today which will further clarify if surgery is an option.  If it is, it becomes my decision, if it is not, the decision is made...either way, I cherish every day I have with her.  I need to go back and really put down the beginning of this journey, but I'm not ready for that just yet...maybe later today, maybe over the weekend.  For now, I wait and ponder what to do.  Oh and share some awesome pics of her :)

Post-Op Update

Just a quick post to let you all know that Lupe is doing okay. Her face is swollen, red and a little bruised, but she doesn't look nearly as horrible as I thought she would.

She's got a good appetite, is drinking well and has had no bathroom issues. She even pooped today!!! There is some whining, especially when its time to go to sleep or if she gets "lost" because of the cone of shame. She's not tolerating the cold compress on her face, so I've given up on that. She even just walked up and down a couple of stairs!

Keeping fingers crossed that her recovery keeps going well!

Sad day

Today is Lupe's surgery. I had to drop her off at 7 am at the vet. I've been pretty good about keeping it together about this whole thing. I did take lots of pictures of her the last few days and she got tons of belly rubs, butt scratches, etc. When the vet tech came to talk to me and take her, I just started to cry. Got one last good look at her face, hugged her and left. She should only be in surgery for about an hour and then they will give her about an hour and a half to come out of the drugs. At that point, they will call me with an update. Vet tech told me that she will feel so much better when this is all done and that she has 2 animals with only 1 eye. I'm just going to miss those expressive eyes. But I will have a dog that feels so much better and once the hair grows back in (they told me that will be the biggest shock, to see half of her face shaved) I think she'll look just fine.

Be strong my sweet Lupe-dog!!!

Drive by...

Just a quick post as I eat my breakfast and focus on how to tackle the day. I took Lupe to an opthomologist yesterday to have her further look into Lupe's left eye. The vet confirmed Lupe's primary vet's diagnosis, glaucoma. The pressure in her eye is quite high and causing a lot of pain. Was told she should have been on medication for the cataract all along to help prevent inflamation. Nothing I can do about that now though. The vet got all the medication ready and started to explain the disease. Basically, they can try to treat it medically, but the medicines on the market don't work well in animals and eventually they will stop working and Lupe will have to have the eye removed. The eye is blind and has been because of the advanced cataract and if it wasn't, it would be now because of the glaucoma. Vet said she was willing to try mediciation to see if it worked and we would know in a couple of weeks what was going on. So I asked what are we trying to save with a blind eye that is causing a lot of pain and the vet honestly answered me with "Nothing". The decision was made (actually I made this decision before I went in) that since there is no sight and Lupe is in pain, the eye has to come out.

Lupe won't notice the difference, except that once she recovers from surgery that she feel better. Me? I have some coping to do. I have the option of putting in a false eye which would move like a normal eye, but there are complications with that and if there were complications, that would mean a second surgery on a 14 year old dog. Still trying to convince myself that not putting in a false eye is the right decision, but the I either look at her, see a picture of her or think of her and I lose it. She's got such beautiful, expressive eyes and the change to her face is going to be drastic. I don't need to make the decision until the day of surgery (which is next Wednesday).

For now, Lu is on eye drops and pain meds to control things until surgery. I'm trying to remain calm and not over think this...but its hard.

Oh and I'm a couple of days late, but HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET LUPE!!!

Happy Birthday Lupe-Dog!

So today is my sweet girl's 14th birthday! Can't believe it! Through thick and thin she and I have managed to keep moving forward. I'm just amazed at how lucky I have been to have her in my life. There are some concerning things going on with her health-wise, but I don't want to post about that now...will when I have more information. So for today, its all good!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUPE-DOG!!!

Can't think of one

Honestly, I'm drawing a blank on a title to the post...so this one won't have one :)

Been an interesting couple of days...

Let me start out with a belated birthday shout out to Bri and Alex. They both turned 6 on Tuesday. I'm lucky enough to be close to NH that I will be going to Bri's birthday party. I was at her first as Dad and I had found a ring that we knew Mom had bought for her before she passed away. I wanted to be there when Randi opened it. Beautiful and strong memory for me.

Yesterday I got a great compliment at work. I finished the first part of a multi-agreement project and my boss told me that it was great to see me growing in my role as a CS. WOW!!! I did a victory dance with Lupe last night :)

Speaking of Miss L, she and I spotted a coyote in the neighborhood yesterday morning. It was unnerving and a little tense, but I was able to pick her up and we headed straight home. Both the coyote and Lupe were totally fascinated by each other, but everyone kept their distance. I live in an area that has been developed for a LONG time and there really aren't any parks or overly wooded areas nearby. I'm also really close to the Mass Pike so to see a coyote in the area is strange. Hopefully it was just passing through and won't come back again. I worry about dogs and the bunny family (who lives in our backyard).

Training/working out is going really well. My trainer is really pushing me out of my comfort zone and I actually like it. I have another 13 miles to run this week (4 tomorrow and 9 Saturday) and I'm looking forward to both of them. Actually, I really am looking forward to my 10 mile run in a couple of weeks as that will be my longest run yet.

Weekend is going to be crazy and amazing. My brother is coming into town on Friday. He's going to see a college friend of his and will be picking me up on Saturday to head to NH for Bri's party. Sunday we have Jake's (cousin Brett's son) party and then Jay heads back to DC. I can't wait!!!

Happy Thursday all!!!

Must get some...

SLEEP!!! Haven't slept through the night since Friday. Lupe keeps waking me up. I'm thinking she may have another UTI. Debating on taking her to the vet today. We have a quarterly meeting at work (although nothing has really happened except an awesome dinner last night) and a snow storm (yet another one) is coming tonight. Last night I decided to take her out at 1 am and she had me up at 12, 1, 3 and 4 (not outside, she just woke me up). She right back to sleep, I couldn't.

I did make it to the gym this morning. 3 miles on the treadmill at 28:50 which is my fastest yet. I need to push these short runs because my long ones are getting longer and need to be run at a slower pace. Trying to figure out when my 1st road race of 2011 will be...will keep you posted.

Amazing Monday

Did I really just write that? Guess I did! Why was my Monday so amazing? A few different reasons...

1. I'm getting my first "official" client at work. I will slowly begin transitioning to be the main point of contact for one of the firm's clients. I've been working with them for a while and it seems like the natural progression. I'm already "unofficially" the point of contact for another client, but not sure if that will be made "official" or if it already is.

2. I was invited to a client lunch in a couple of weeks with one of the senior attorneys at the suggestion of one of the principals. My boss can't make it that day, so they thought it would be a good idea to introduce me as a new employee and a potential resource for them.

3. Lupe had another great day at day care. I picked her up and she was limping a little, same issue with her paw as she has had for over a year, but she got over it quickly. I brought her home and figured that she would just be exhausted. She was WIRED! I was in the other room and I could hear her running around and barking. Day care seems to be really good for her.

4. I found a really good sushi place nearby and I got to go there with a friend from Albany who was in the area for business. Good food and good company.

Guess that's it...not to thrilling but I like to find happiness in little things sometimes!!! YEAH!!!

Sad Tuesday

So if the day before lent is Fat Tuesday, today is a Sad Tuesday for me.

Lupe got her last bath and haircut today. I had the groomer shave her down to Chicken Dog because I don't know the next time I will be able to get her groomed. Sue and her family have been so kind to me over the years, fitting us in when they could and always boarding Lupe when I was away (most of the time at Janice's house).

Then we went to the vet to get vaccination records and to sign the release to get her records. I found out that two of the vets are gone. I guess it was a difference of opinions on how things were run but its sad not to be able to say good bye to them. Lupe was a little nervous about being there, but when she realized that there were no shots, no blood draws, no temperature checks she was happy. Yummies help too!

Next I brought her over to meet and say good bye to a couple of people at work. She was adorable and friendly as always. I know none of that sounds too sad, here comes the big one...

MB is out of the office for the rest of the week, so our good bye happened today. We were both crying (and she's not a crier) and couldn't talk. What do you say to a good friend as you leave? Well, she told me she was so proud and happy for me and that she was going to miss me so much. I have some amazing friends here and I'm truly blessed. But saying good bye until you see them again isn't easy. So to MB, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done for me personally and professionally. I wish you all the best in life. G-d bless you, Ron, Sarah and Sydney along with the rest of your family. I will never forget you!

Not a strong point...

Patience, something that is definitely not a strength of mine. I know I need to be patient but I'm eagerly watching my phone for either an email or a call as a follow up to last Thursday. Its only been a couple of days, I realize that, but this is something I just need to know NOW! Okay, there is my temper tantrum...maybe a little cryptic, but that's on purpose.

I want to know what happened to spring? Last week was cool and we had frost warnings, this weekend was hot and humid, well over 80 degrees. I almost broke down and turned on the A/C, but I resisted and just turned on the small fan in my room. Poor Lupe was pretty hot.

Speaking of Lupe, she is fighting another UTI and conjunctivitis in one eye. This poor dog just can't catch a break. I'm thinking that her getting sick all the time has to have an environmental component because she was never sick like this before we moved into the apartment and even after we moved it wasn't bad until the caretakers left and the place started to resemble a college dorm over luxury apartment complex. The sketchy neighbors moved out this weekend (yeah!) but so did the ones I really liked (boo!). I will definitely be moving soon, not sure if I'm going to break my lease or not. I guess it all depends on that stupid phone call/email I'm waiting for.

At least I know I'm not the most patient person out there :)

Waiting

I am waiting to hear back from Lupe's vet. I got a voicemail from her (wouldn't you know the 5 minutes I am out of my office is when she called) saying that she was able to remove the growth from her lip without having to put her under. So what about the one on her nose? I called back but she was in an appointment. Now I'm waiting, again! She was brought into surgery later than I had expected but I'm glad its done. I just want to know what was done, what potentially wasn't done and when I can go get her! I'm not the most patient person sometimes...

If you sent good vibes our way, thank you! The support and reassurance I have gotten from friends and family are so appreciated! I just want to bring her home...she's probably pissed that she hasn't been able to sleep all day.

Its a go!

I haven't heard anything bad about Lupe's blood work, so surgery tomorrow is a go. She doesn't have a clue, I'm wicked nervous...typical. As I say every time I walk out of my apartment, G-d bless Lupe-dog.

Good vibes and thoughts

My friend Jules had her reconstruction surgery yesterday and all went well. She had the tissue expanders replaced with full implants. She may be far away but I send her good vibes every day. Now its time to send her ones for a speedy recovery so she can tackle the next step in her treatment and fight. If anyone I know in the world can remain so strong and upbeat when faced with such adversity, its Jules! :)

Now I need good vibes and thoughts for my sweet girl, Lupe. I noticed the other day that she had super stinky breath and was really licking her lips. I finally got a look at her mouth last night and she has a growth (which I knew was there) on the side of her lip. It was much bigger than the last time I had looked at it and covered with dried blood and pus. Great, its infected! We went to the vet today and it needs to come off. Because of the location, she needs to be put under for the procedure. The procedure shouldn't take long, but putting a 12 1/2 year old dog under general anethesia is a higher risk than a dog half her age. She is on antibiotics for 2 weeks and if her blood work comes back normal, we are a go for surgery on Tuesday. Also, if she is okay while under the anethesia, they will try to remove the bump on her nose. You can see it in this picture...the one on her lip is the same size, if not bigger.


I am trying to hold it together and I do trust the vet and their technicians to monitor her closely and have her come through just fine...but its my Pooh Bear and I'm a nervous wreck. So, good thoughts, good vibes and little prayers for this sweet girl are appreciated. :)

Woo hoo!!!

Need to share a few woo hoo moments...

1. Monday got a call from the vet, the urine sample they took from Lupe almost 2 weeks prior did not grow any cultures. Her UTI is officially cleared up!!!

2. Found out last night that I have been slated to be on the board of my Junior League...in charge of membership. This is only my 2nd year with the league and they already want me on the board. The new president-elect is my mentor this year and she so rocks! It will be a great experience and I really like all the other board members. It just needs to be voted on by the general membership which will probably happen in the next month or so.

3. Just took my certification exam for IACCM (www.iaccm.com which is an international commercial contract managers association) and I got a 97% on it. I have been studying for a couple of weeks and probably overstudied...we had 2 hours to complete the exam, I did it in 15 minutes. Done with my self assessment (which my boss has to approve) and just have a case study example I have to do. I think the case study will be the hardest part.

4. Going to see a friend that I have seen in over 6 months tonight. Excited to reconnect with her and see what she has been up to. She's also had a 2nd nose surgery since I've seen her, can't wait to see how amazing she looks!

5. Might have sold my snowboard, boots and bindings. One person wants to buy the board, the other the boots and bindings. Extra cash is ALWAYS good!

So, woo hoo to me!!! I may even do a little dance!

Post holiday Monday

I made it through the Christmas holiday...enough said...

Yesterday I went to visit a friend from work, her husband and their 5 day old baby daughter. She was absolutely beautiful. Now, I am the type that doesn't think all babies are cute. In fact, I have seen some very funny babies in my life. Skylar is not one of them. It was nice to sit and talk with them for a couple of hours. And then wonderful to get back home to my place and spend some time doing things I wanted to...playing cow, stingray, ball with Lupe...you know, the important stuff.

So, its Monday now and things are VERY quiet at work. I'm supposed to make it through until Thursday? Yikes! I'm hoping to get my hair cut today, but my friend that cuts my hair has a son at home, so not sure if I'm going to be able to get it done this week. Sigh!

I hope Santa was good to you all! Taking a couple of days to reflect on the year and look forward towards the next :)

Top 5

Lupe asked me to post her top five list from this morning...so here goes...

Top 5 ways to make Lupe-dog happy...

#5 Come home.

#4 Bring me to see someone.

#3 Belly scratches

#2 CRACK (if you don't know what crack is and you have a dog, go buy a pack of Denti-Stix, you'll find out soon enough).

#1 Give me 2+ inches of snow that I can roll, romp and bury my face in!

Its December, its the Northeast, its going to snow!!! Wish we could have snow days like the schools do...

Its December already?!

Wow, I can't believe it! Thought I would bore you all with a run down of my Thanksgiving weekend...

Wednesday - plan was to drop off Jeep for oil change and spend day with BF and her kids doing some shopping and baking homemade pumpkin pies. Plan was changed as Lupe had some accidents in the house (pee and vomit) so she had to go to the vet. I let them do the sterile urine sample and surprise, surprise, surprise...UTI. Looking at another 3 weeks of antibiotics. Jeep oil change went well, need new tires (was hoping to get through the winter). Pie baking? Well, besides Courtney throwing pumpkin all over the kitchen and having to run out and find the can stuff, it went okay. She did notice my right eye looked pink, I wear contacts, that happens. Although, when I got home, it was tearing pretty bad all night.

Thursday - headed to MA for the weekend. Picked up brother at the airport in CT and he and I went to the cemetery for some time together to talk about Mom, Grandma and Grandpa. He pointed out another 24 in our family that relates to me. Mom and Dad's birthdays and anniversary are all on a 24th (Feb, Jun and Dec). Grandma was born in 1924. Auntie Steffi was born in 1948. And I was born in 1972. Never made that connection. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Mary's son's firehouse. The food was great. Enough said.

Friday - woke up with my right eye completely swollen and crusted shut. Spent a couple of hours looking for a walk-in clinic that was open and accepted my insurance. Found one at a small hospital in Stafford Springs, CT. Diagnosis? Pink Eye...great! After getting my prescription filled went back to Dad's house to wait for family coming over for lunch. Randi, Rich and the girls and Bruce, Carmela and Michael all came over...along with a friend of my Dad's. It was amazing having everyone together.

Saturday - got those new tires for the Jeep and had to drive Jay back to the airport. Was supposed to get together with a friend from town, but she has 2 small kids and I had pink eye. Was not feeling great and tired, so I crashed pretty early.

Sunday - was supposed to head home, but I needed to get the tires check and the place was closed on Sunday...so, plans changed to head home Monday morning. Spent the day/afternoon with Mary shopping at IKEA. Lots of fun! We were going to head to Sephora, but I think she was shopped out.

Monday - tires checked and headed home. Lupe was not happy...she likes being in MA because she gets to eat lots of stuff I don't feed her. Problem is, it causes severe indigestion for her...she was feeling it and I think the antibiotics aren't helping that. I did have lunch with a former co-worker/friend which was AWESOME!!!

So, its Thursday and I'm back to my normal routine for the most part. Left eye is still a mess, hoping it clears up in the next couple of days. Lupe not eating or pooping much...Cipro sucks! Supposed to have handed in my self evaluation at work on Tuesday...haven't even started and don't want to do it at all. My boss isn't pressuring me to get it to him yet, so I'm okay for now.

Blah, blah, blah, blah...boring post to write...probably even worse to read :)

Couldn't resist

Just in case you are having a bad day...this may make you smile...gotta love a dog with a conehead and especially if that dog is Lupe :)

Sterile Sample...

So, I took Lupe to the vet yesterday afternoon for a follow up visit from her UTI. She has finished the 3 weeks of antibiotics (will help from Greenies Pill Pockets...these are wonderful if you ever have to give animals medication) and they wanted to check to see if the antibiotics worked. I was told they needed a sterile sample, so I figured that they were going to catch urine in a sterile cup. Makes sense...

They took Lupe towards the back, I thought that odd, since the last time I went with the tech to walk her while the tech used a ladle to catch the urine. Lupe and the tech came back about 5 or 10 minutes later and she told me that they were unable to collect the sample. They used an ultrasound but her bladder was too small and they want to have to stick her and not get anything out. They had me make another appointment for next week to try again.

Wait a second, STICK HER?! With what and where?! I did some looking online this morning and it appears the best way to get a sterile urine sample is to insert a syringe through the abdominal wall and into the bladder! Ah, NO! Lupe is 12 years old, I am NOT having her stuck so that they can get urine to confirm the antibiotics work. She is not symptomatic so this is just not necessary in my mind. I called the vet this morning, explained I was not comfortable with this and cancelled the appointment. I told them that if she became symptomatic, that I would bring her back and we could discuss this option.

Seriously, they were going to stick her like this? No one explained this to me...how would I know what this entailed as I am not a doctor, vet or vet tech...nor do I work in a doctor's or vet's office. Lupe's vets' office is wonderful! I have never had anything like this happen before there and I will from now on double and triple check what they are doing to her before they do it. And if I don't understand it, I will ask them to explain to me in detail what a procedure involves. I am SO glad she didn't have enough urine in her bladder for them to do this yesterday! I would have been in tears!!!

4 day weeks

So I heard on the radio that schools are starting to go to 4 day weeks, deciding to remain closed on Mondays. The normal school day will be extended by 1 hour for the days that school is in session. They hope that this will save on transportation, heating/cooling and other operational costs. My question is can't businesses do this? How much would it help employee morale for long weekends? I took Friday off and had Monday off for Labor Day and the extra time was really needed and refreshing. As Americans we work so hard and don't have long vacations or shorter work days, that I think its time companies seriously start considering this...



The long weekend was great! I got to meet Sugar, my Dad and Mary's new puppy. She's nuts and ALL puppy! Cute and fun, but a little much too handle, especially for Lupe. Speaking of Lupe, I realized that yesterday was the 12 year anniversary of her coming into my life. We have had quite the 12 years together and I truly cherish every day that I have with her.

Hope you all had a relaxing weekend and are settling back into the grind...