all is not lost, for Aggie’s torn ACL

Aggie’s knee has not been well lately. In fact, it’s been down right awful. I hate watching her limp around, trying to do all she used to on three legs instead of four, feeling like there’s nothing I can do. My vet gave not a lot of hope, unless I paid for the surgery – which I cannot afford. In fact, she told me I might as well save up for the other knee, if I could not fix this one.

I met a woman in the park this past weekend – actually, I’ve seen her before, with her three dogs. It’d be hard to miss her because one of the dogs is an ancient golden retriever, that has to stop and take breaks. But Saturday, we were going the same direction, at the same time, so I slowed down to walk with her. This was before Aggie’s knee went really bad again, but going slowly is better for her knee these days anyway.

So we talked alot, about our dogs (of course!); good things and bad. When I mentioned Aggie’s issues, she gave me the cell number of a vet that specializes in accupuncture and sports medicine for dogs.

The next day was Sunday, and by Sunday night Aggie’s knee really swelled up. I called the vet – Sherri – on Monday and made an appointment for Wednesday (today!). She does clincs once a week in my city, because her home-based clinic is 30 minutes south. But there’s a “sports/training center” up here and lots of people can use her speciality there.

We went and I didn’t have much hope. I think that when I spoke to her on the phone she was expecting a different kind of dog – a typical, nerotic, over-weight American pet. Aggie is not that at all. She was highly impressed with Aggie’s physical condition and athleticsm. And Sherri said that it was going to make all the difference in her recovery.

Sherri is pretty sure that Aggie’s hips are just fine and that she hurt her knee stepping in a hole in the park, or twisting too fast. She says that Aggie’s kneecaps, are just a little short for her athleticsm and if she wasn’t the “mighty goddess of the hunt”, then it wouldn’t have been a problem. But because of Aggie’s habit of running down squirrels, it just not quite long enough to keep the knee aligned.

Yes, there are surgeries to correct the problem – specifically TPL surgery. There are lots of people online that say both “get the surgery” and “don’t get the surgery”. And they both seem to believe in absolutes. I think that there’s those that can afford to pay for anything there dog might need and then there are the rest of us. I also think that different dogs are in different situations.

Aggie’s in great condition and that’s really going to help her in the end. She’s at a great weight and strength, and she’s relatively young. There’s nothing to say it won’t happen again, but she can still have a good life.

So, I decided to go ahead and do our first accupuncture session. She’ll have another in a month. Mostly this is to ease discomfort in the other knee – which is getting alot of added pressure from all the limping – and her back, and it will help promote healing in her bad knee. It’s not designed to help the pain in the bad knee because she needs to beaware that its not healed yet, so that she doesn’t overdo it.

I think Aggie really liked the accupuncture. She’s sacked out sleeping instead of right by my side, and lately she’s been needy and clingy, instead of resting like she should be.

I have high hopes that I can at least make her comfortable and that she can still be healthy.

the kind of waiter they all should be

So, I have to tell this story:

This evening my brother and I went to eat at one of the local spots – it has a burger madness on Sundays, so you can eat a good dinner really cheap. They also have the best veggie burgers ever! And yeah, I know that sounds like an oxymoron.

Anyway, I took Aggie because she was in the truck after I moved a few things to my new (and hopefully temporary) rental. Boone Tavern has an outside eating area and dogs are allowed in there.

Our waiter was a guy that I’ve actually had serve us before and he kindly brought Aggie a giant bowl of ice water. He’s always attentive and very nice.

Anyway, later I was picking Andrew up from his lab and taking another load south to the “ghetto” rental. Andrew was working on a little side project/experiment – a homemade digital antenna, because I haven’t been able to get anything but NBC. (This totally worked, by the way!!! – and it may deserve it’s own post!! Andrew’s so awesome!)

Aggie and I spent a chunk of time playing fetch and when she was tired, stretched out in the grass under a tree. And when Peg called, it turned out to the be the most perfect evening = good food and talk with my brother, fun with the dog, some easy moving, talking with one of my closest friends, and laying mosquito-free on a nice grassy stretch, watching the moon.

And as I was talking, Aggie jumped to her feet as someone walked by and ran up to him… the waiter from the resturant.

We both looked at each other and recognized one another – and he recognized Aggie – laughing at the coincidence. Then he pulled off his backpack, saying (to the equivelant, I don’t have the exact words) “Funny that I see you, because the guy you were with (my brother) left his sunglasses. I was going to bring them back each day until I saw him at the resturant.” And he gives me Andrew’s aviators.

It was sooo weird and yet so cool!

Peggy was laughing on the phone at the situation, and Andrew was awed (and confused for a moment), when I told him the story – it was so odd.

And then Andrew and I went to the rental and his digital antenna worked perfectly! So now we get CBS and ABC, as well as NBC and PBS. A plethora of tv stations!

Crazy how life is sometimes, isn’t it?

Valentine’s Flowers

I’ve been wanting to put this on for a week now . Andrew got me flowers for Valentine’s Day. It was a really sweet brother move – thanks Risa!! No really, thank you, Andrew.

I didn’t even have a vase to put them in, so even though I didn’t show it in the picture, they are in an old chemistry bottle. 🙂

shelter makeover

Last night on my local news I saw how two high schoolers were trying to get the word out about this shelter makeover competition. Our local shelter REALLY needs a makover. It’s pretty pitiful.

I know it’s annoying, but if anyone who reads this can register with the website and put the Central Missouri Humane Society (zip code: 65201) as their affiliated shelter, I would really appreciate it. The standing for my shelter has moved from 850 or so to 32 (as of last listing) and I would really, really like to see this happen. I got both my animals from this shelter and while, of course, any shelter getting help is good, ours is desperately in need this year.

I added a link to this site to my list to make this easier.

Thanks!

PLEASE HELP!

In the Garden

I’ve had gardens on the brain lately because I’m hoping to get one of the community garden plots this summer. I’ll turn my paperwork in next week and see if any are available.

I found this great website to help me plan everything out. It’s called www.growveg.com and it’s got this really neat program that helps you place and account for each plant. It explains what each plant’s requirements are for space, sun, fertilizer and other details. There’s also an application that shows you how many of each type of plant you are planning, when to start them (inside), plant them (outside), and harvest them. It’s very cool.

I’m relatively new to gardening, but I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time. I wish I could start a garden in my yard, but that’s not going to happen = too many trees/shade.

This is a very ambitious summer project, but I’m looking forward to trying. I have about 25 different plants chosen right now and many, of each of those. We’ll see if they all happen.

I hope there’s an update in the future.

clean… and refreshing!

I’m on an email newsletter from Method with is a environmentally-friendly company that supplies mostly cleaning products, but there are a few other things as well. There are a few things of theirs I really love like the dryer sheets and the hand soap. I’m very concerned about what gets put down our drains because though individual chemicals might not be harmful, put them together with something else and you get… YUCK! Probably something you don’t want to mess with!

This particular newsletter had a link to a blog-entry by one of the company founders: Adam Lowry. He was invited to D.C. by the Obama-Biden Transition Team to participate in a panel of sustainable business executives discussing the future of green business and a green economy.

www.methodhome.com/post/2009/01/16/Mr-Lowry-Goes-to-Washington.aspx

This is sooooo refreshing. So reassuring. So positive. So different from the last eight years. Wow a pro-active administration that is trying to help the environment and people at the same time. And not just helping big businesses of friends get bigger, richer and more corrupt.

And this panel happened BEFORE Obama was even inaugerated. They were already putting ideas together that will hopefully benefit everyone.

Yeah, I really think this guy is going to do some good. Though Obama can’t do it all on his own; Congress can still get in the way when they feel like it. Checks (and balances) aren’t bad – unless they are just out of spite.

And I can finally take a deep, refreshing – and hears hoping soon it will be cleaner – breath.

laboring over highlander… hehehe :)

What a good labor day weekend. Mom, Dad, Andrew and Risa were in WI cooling off at the lake and I stayed in Wentzville to watch the dog and meet with friends.

Peg came out to the house and stayed with me Friday thru Monday and we had a great time. Saturday we met Sonia and Nicole at the Warrenton outlet mall where I proceeded to find too many things at Van Heusen and spent too much, but it was an excellent day.

We laughed so hard we were kinda kick out of Pizza Hut.

Sunday we had church and then went back to the mall. But then we watched Highlander – our favourite.  What a great way to relax!