One of the things I have been contending with is my beautiful 9 year old dog grew a big lump the size of an orange on the top inside of her leg. It started as a squashy mass between her leg and chest and by the next day it was an orange. At first I was told it was oedema and she was given an anti inflammatory injection. The next week the lump, which had shrunk with the anti inflammatories, was the size of an orange again. It didn't hurt her and it didn't stop her from being her normal ,active self. So the next week there was a needle biopsy and the dreaded stem cell tumour came back as the verdict. While they were thinking I was googling like mad. Thank heavens for Google. I found it happens to older female dogs and is not at all common. Just our luck. So then I googled immune systems in dogs. To cut a long story short I had the lump operated. I discussed every bit of my information with the vet because it turned out he and I were thinking the same. There is NO treatment. The problem with this lump is its site. I had 90% removed or she would have been paralysed. These lumps tangle themselves in nerves and lymph systems in that site. So 10% remains and there is an 80 percent chance of it returning. The vet discovered a small lump on her side on the last visit. This is on her other side and it dropped down under her armpit and is now on the inside of her leg. Her next scheduled visit to the vet is next week.We are several weeks down the track. They couldn't believe how well she recovered from the operation. I have changed all her diet and she gets Weet-bix at the weekend! I do not want to lose her but there is no other treatment other than operating and that can only happen so often at the cost and age of my dog. Spindle cell cancer is insidiously dastardly. The diet changes have helped enormously and have brought her into very good condition and that can only help. So...I have to remind myself she has no idea she is sick and is her happy, cheerful self. I am keeping her that way. I am enormously grateful to my vet because the clinic has worked with me and has had the prime interests of my dog at heart. They have managed this incredibly well and have included me all along the way.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Facebook has ideas above its database station. It has now cast itself in the role of publicly humiliating your friends on its website. Since the new version there are messages on the right with a photo of one of your friends telling you how active they are, or how much they need your help to find friends...or how you could write on their wall to help them out. Public debasing of others by a database. Facebook has crossed the line.
RSPCA
My sister is one happy lady today. A few weeks back she lost her cat of 15 years. This less than 2 years after losing her husband and in the middle of downsizing from a 3 bedroom place to a one bedroom unit. It was so sad, but the cat was just old and they had looked after her really well . The timing seemed terrible but I guess the cat wasn't meant to go to the new place. The new unit is beautiful. Quiet location handy to everything and a lovely little garden back and front, but my sister was lost. She had been saving for a new Siamese cat. In the meantime a friend thought she might like to volunteer at the RSPCA. Friday they went up there and later Friday I got a call from such a happy lady!! She had bought a cat and it was love at first sight! She loves her beautiful cat and was so appreciative of the kindness and help she got from the RSPCA. She had meant to look!! She was going to get a Siamese cat at 450 dollars. Now she has a lovely 3 year old cat for 60 dollars - fully vaccinated, chipped and desexed and I cannot believe the joy it has brought to my sister. She has something to fuss over and care for . She had to coax it to be friends...her life has turned a happy corner and the RSPCA sent her home with a show bag of goodies and information. Sometimes a little means such a lot.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tough Year
The last two years have been pretty tough on the personal front. Tough, tough , tough...so I was taken away again to fight the good fight for various reasons and things and right now I am sitting here with a broken foot. What I have learned is all the health, nutrition and well being stuff I have learned about in the last couple of years has come into its own. I am managing one crisis after another because I have kept myself well and have learned how to improve my nutrition and fitness in all sorts of different ways. There are people who are worse off than me but I haven't stopped being pushed to the limit and I just have to keep up the mess management until the sands of time change and put me into a different pattern. So I have leaned not to fall victim to all of the things put in my path to deal with but it has taken all my time, energy and resources to manage it all. I now now that it was a remarkable investment in myself to sort out my health and fitness because now it has been the wonderful love of sourcing good food, finding new and healthy recipes, working on my energy and stress levels which have kept me in a frame of mind to endure!!In my absence I can see Blogger has reformatted the dashboard and I really liked seeing it. So clean! 2009 has been tough but people are getting stronger out of these challenges and I must say we had all got to spoiled and soft and rather unreal. There are genuine friendships and relationships forged through the demands of a relentless world.
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