9-12 project

Almost died b/c of downed cable line??

I almost died last night. NOT REALLY, but close.  I was driving home from Amy's birthday gathering , which was supposed to include cake that i made and bowling at the AC on campus, but the bowling lanes were closed b/c of maintenance problems... so i was driving home down I-27 and then McCormick and about...a quarter of the way down McCormick, something smacked my windshield!  I realized that it was something long and rope like that went parallel to the ground across the car about mid way up the windshield.  Mom had already told me that the Cable was out at home, so after I recovered from the stun, I turned around to go check out what, if it was still there, had hit me.  It was either a power line or a cable line that was sagging so low that SUVs were hitting it.  Cars could slide under i think, but it hit an expedition right as i stopped near it.  I got to call 911 and tell them about it and the stupid lady asked me if i knew if it was power or cable...it was dark, rainy and i couldn't tell the thickness of the cord, so she just sent out a patrol car to check it out.  it was EXCITING! and it scared the BEEJEEZUS out of me.  interesting story though.

it's been awhile...

to start somewhere, my granddad passed away on Jan 17th at the age of 90 (his birthday is in February). He was sleeping most of the past couple days, so he went peacefully. My grandmother is taking it remarkably well...the day after the funeral (which was on my mom's birthday and inauguration day) she asked to clean out all granddad's clothes and give them to someone who was in need of them. She also told my dad and me that when it gets warmer, she wants to come visit us in Amarillo--mind you there are pictures of my grandparents at my house from when Anne was a baby, but never in my recollection have either of them been here--the just don't travel, so her saying this is very very cool to me. Keep praying for her though--Josie Palitza.

Dusty, on the brighter side, *just* got his stitches out. While we were gone for the funeral, he wiggled out of his cone and bit out some of the stitches in the middle of the scar (from first surgery) and due to necrotic tissue, the vet wouldn't resew it, despite that the hole was the size of a half-dollar. We just had to betadine it and put pink wound medicine on it (greatest stuff ever). Now he is 98% healed and stitches are out and he only has to sleep in his cone--cone free the rest of the time. horrah!

I got a new job--as a graduate assistant, GA, at WT. I will be working at the Amarillo Campus, in the Chase tower and doing odd jobs and such. The income will be so nice. I meet with my "boss," I suppose, tomorrow morning.

In other news, Donald is out on the MEU now (Marine Expeditionary Unit). It's like a mini-aircraft carrier. He has email and has called once, during the superbowl because military don't get off all federal holidays, but they darn well got the morning off for the superbowl (due to time difference, it was monday morning for them). He is doing well from what I can assertain, just subject to a very motonous life.

A short note to say hi and encourage him in his Walk would be great, but just that, NO forwards or cutesy emails...just letters. His military email is GUY.CAPRA@essex.usmc.mil.

I miss him terribly and wish his time overseas was over... I have people all the time tell me that they couldn't do it, but I'm really learning that with God all things are possible...Him and great family and friends. I put up a great front, but sometimes it is soo hard. Especially to watch my other close close friends get engaged after me and married before... :) But, all will be well in time.

Sarah Capra asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding :) which i'm excited about. Donald won't be able to be there, so I will represent "us." there's a pic of the dresses below.

I think that's about all I have...? yep!

Dusty is doing better--today he had some necrotic tissue removed from his belly-incision.  He's still pretty drugged and of course still has his bladder cath in.  We're all getting very weary in my house from having to change his diapers (yep) every so often--night and day.  Despite all the frustration and drama, I am SO glad that my puppy is still alive and doing better by the day.

more later maybe...i'm weary, as I said...

no word on granddad lately...keep praying on the front.

update on Dusty

We took Dusty to an emergency vet clinic on new years day, which is open when other vets aren't--this weekend 24 hours a day until Monday morning.  they ran blood work again, which was normal on Wednesday, but Thursday had skyrocketing levels of creatanine (spelling??) and one other that indicated his bladder had ruptured or was leaking--something we tried to test for in the beginning (see last post).

After an exploratory surgery, we learned his bladder is fine--why we didn't catch something wrong the first time on x-rays.  He had a hole in his urethra!!  So when we had the first cath in to air up his bladder, it was working fine--his bladder function is fine--just it's leaking into his body cavity when he does urinate.  They ended up getting over a gallon of urine out of his body cavity--which explanes why he was swolen up like a tick.

The lady who did the surgery, was a stranger to us and very pessimistic of Dusty's outcome--we were worried and wished our trusted vet could do it, but thankfully Gregg (our horse vet--who's been taking care of all this) came by after bowling with his son up the street and, with permission, watched a bit of the surgery.  He said Dusty's insides looked like hamburger meat and that it would be tough due to swelling, but very possible to fix him!.  He also shared bear-hugs all around which really was helpful when you're worried your dog might die. 

They ended up putting in another cathedar--backwards, because they couldn't get it to go in from outside-in correctly without poking through this "hole" where-ever-it-may-be.  He is recovering at their clinic in a ICU ward with round the clock service and care now.  They said this morning that they are "cautiously optimistic" that he will be okay now.

What a ride!!! and thank goodness he is doing okay.  He's my baby you know.

No word lately on Granddad--last I heard they still had him hooked to IV fluids and he was doing okay. not great, but okay. which we'll take

awful day

I'm praying with everything in me...for my family.  please send up prayers too.

Here's why this weekend has been so rough:

We went to San Antone to visit my dad's family on Christmas Day (we had "christmas

" the day before).  My grandparents haven't been doing fabulously health wise lately and 

moved to a nursing home a few months ago after living by themselves on the farm well into their 90s.  My

 grandad, who suffered a stroke 30 years ago and prostate cancer long ago as well, is techinically in hospice care, but grandma wouldn't leave his side.  The cancer, which was orginally treated with hormone therapy instead of chemo (they didn't think he would live to see any recurrance) has indeed come back, but this time in his bones--which is incredibly painful I'm told.  He has also had diabetes onset in the past few years and keeping his blood sugar low or stable is a challange in itself...add to that that half of his body doesn't work well because of the stroke and that he'll be 91 in February...

We visited them each day we were down south, and granddad had his good and bad days.  On our way home today to Amarillo, we got a call from my uncle saying granddad's blood sugar was plummeting and he was being taken to the ER.  Upon later infomation from Grandma, he didn't leave the nursing home, the doctor came to him, but has given him a grim diagnosis that he might only live a few more days.  

I know this is hitting my grandmother the hardest--to watch her husband of 71 (yes) years laying in the bed near her, helpless while he is in pain and loosing control of himself slowly.  Pray for peace for her--and all our family.

Also, yesterday, an old family friend came by to borrow ski clothes as her family is going skiing and taking a teenage friend of her daughter's with them.   Amy, one of my oldest friends, was housesitting for us while we were gone...  Our family friend ran over my dog, Dusty (the light colored male, for those who have trouble distinguishing b/w Cody and Dusty).  

They immediately took him to the vet, not our regular one mind you, but who they could find...they x-rayed his pelvis and back legs, which were what was scraped up, but ntohing was broken.  They stitched and stapled his leg back together and sent him home.  They said to call if he was worse tomorrow  ...but the next day Amy found that Dusty had thrown up and peed everywhere through the night and looked like he felt awful.  

Amy's mom happens to be the secretary at our horse-vet clinic, and she called her mom, who relayed info to Gregg, our horse-vet, who said something like "bring him in, i want to look at him."  So she did, with our permission of course.  Gregg said that if Amy hadn't brought Dusty in, we would have come home to a dead dog...his kidneys have been crushed and has massive internal injuries.  They x-rayed him again at our large-animal clinic (thank God also for Gregg V!) and made sure his bladder hadn't burst by filling it with air through a cathedar and using an x-ray to 'see'.  

By the time we got home this evening, we were allowed to take him home to continue I.V. fluids and keep watch over him (no one would be at the clinic tonight, so he's better here).  

We have him hooked up to his IV in the back hall and have diapered him, as they left the cathedar in his bladder for the night.

It's been a crazy weekend, and I wish I could just go to sleep, but alas, I will stay up and take care of my puppy.  

Again, please pray for my family--modular and extended.  Thanks everyone.

--Sal

Addendum: as of this morning (12/30) Granddad has made a turn for the better and is talking and seems to be okay again...  Dusty has had fluids all night and now has his IV and cathedar out and is on the road to recovery as well.

Journey

I am in Abilene with Donald right now...(yay!) I'm so glad to have him back! Life without him here is so tough. Though he has abandoned me to go hunting with his daddy, which I'm glad of for the simple reason that he really wanted to go hunting and spend time with his dad. :) I am busying myself by making a soapapilla cheesecake (YUM) It's been an interesting trip thus far:

He flew in on Sunday night, was exhausted from all the travel, but still awoke at about 4:30 am! Poor Guy (punny)..but he entertained himself well by watching Madagascar on his ipod in the big blue chair in my room..though I will say that it scared me when I woke up at 6 to the familiar sound of a click-wheel and Donald in my room! I was told i could go back to sleep thankfully.

Monday we drove down to Lubbock for the afternoon/evening to see middle-sister Sarah. We also did some shopping and I found my Chelsea Campbell at the mall :) yay! We stayed at Sarah's apartment and in the morning got ready to head to Abilene...but Sarah had a screw in her tire! We had to change it in the snow/rain mix falling outside...Thankfully MY daddy had loaned D a big down coat and gloves for that exact situation, which was handy and ironic!

We made it to Abilene without incident and since then have had time with both sets of his grandparetns and all his family as well...extended family time will come saturday I believe.

His parents and us went to see FireProof the movie--AMAZING! such a great message and story, I highly suggest seeing it with your significant-other as well. D and I also visited the cutest little crafter's mall yesterday too--after lunch with his little-sister Hannah and getting the giant chip in his tooth filled. The crafter's mall had some amazing stuff!! I loved it and loved browsing more with my beau beside me.

Last night I went out with Hannah while D went to play with his guy-friends to have "boy time." Hannah and I went to see Twilight, which I started reading after finals and am loving :) I'm about half way throught he book and am glad I started it before I saw the movie...much better that way. Us gals had a great time....so did the boys from what I hear.

Anywho, I'm about to be off to town with Nancy (D's mom) for some sort of fun. More soon!!