Baron's surgery

The last two months have been really hard.  It seems like we are getting hit from all sides.  We've had problems with our air conditioner, the van, deaths in the family, and now our dog Baron.  For those who aren't familiar with our pet, Baron is our black Lab.  When Mike and I got married, we gave each other Labs as wedding presents: Gracy was mine; Baron was Mike's.  We lost Gracy last year to cancer.  Before Gracy's cancer diagnosis, we noticed a lump on Baron's side.  The vet said it looked like a fatty tumor.  It should come off but was fine to leave for a while.  Last week, I took Baron in to have some bloodwork done and had a small lump on his chest looked at.  The lump had adnormal cells so I took him in yesterday to have it removed as well as the lump on his side (over time, it had grown quite large).  The doctor was able to remove the small lump quickly but the large lump proved to be more difficult.  It had started taking on a life of it's own, with veins all over it.  Dr. Hooker said the veins were close to rupturing.  If they had ruptured, Baron would have died. 

A few hours after surgery, Dr. Hooker said Baron was doing great.  He was walking around and did very well while in surgery.  Last night, around 8:30, Dr. Hooker called and said that Baron was having some problems and wasn't doing so well.  He was having trouble breathing so she gave him some more pain medication to help him sleep.  She thought he would have a 50-50 chance of making it through the night.  As you can expect, I didn't take the news so well.  I cried and prayed all night long, trusting God to take care of him.  Mike called this morning around 7 and was told Baron made it through the night and seemed to be okay.  The other vet who helped with the surgery, Dr. Chandler, is suppose to call Mike in a little bit to let us know what it going on.  I do not like to wait, especially in cases like this.

It's Been A While

I can't believe my last post was on July 16th.  We've been busy around here and I thought I had posted some of our happenings, but I guess I hadn't. 

Oh, where to begin? I will give a brief synopsis now and, hopefully, a more indepth look at a later date.

*  Hannah got her ears pierced on July 17th.  She is so excited and can't wait until she can start wearing other earrings.
*  I had the mole on the side of my nose removed on July 19th.  I've had it for about 25 years and I'm glad to finally have it gone.  The biopsy showed there was nothing to be concerned about (standard procedure).  YEAH!
*  Registered the kids for school.
*  Vacation with Mike, Hannah, Andrew, Will, Melanie and Nathan to Pigeon Forge.  This subject deserves a completely separate post when I have time.
*  I got to visit with a friend I graduated with.  She moved away right after graduation and I hadn't seen her since until I found her on Facebook.  Turns out, she lives in Pigeon Forge!!

The next bit all occurred after we returned from vacation on Monday:
Tuesday:
*  Dad had knee replacement surgery.
*  Our air conditioner decided to stop working sometime while we were out of town.
*  Washing machine wouldn't fill up and would just run.
*  Needed to make cookies for a football team our church sponsored. (Remember, our air is out)
*  While I am cooking dinner on the grill, we run out of gas.
*  Remembering Mom's knee replacement surgery and the nightmare that followed.  Not fun!

Wednesday:
*  Air still out.  Temperatures inside reached 87 degrees in our hallway (the coolest part of the house).
*  Washing machine is still messed up.
*  Kids put dish soap in the dishwasher; soap and water get all over the floor.
*  Bug man is suppose to come out and spray for ants.  Thanks to the good Lord above, he came early.
*  Worried about my dad and his surgery (it went fine but I wasn't able to see him due to everything going on at the house).
*  Remembered it was a year ago Gracy passed away.  Still get really sad when I think about it.
*  Get into a fight over my dad.
*  Find out the air conditioner has a slow freon leak.  Air conditioner man recharged it but said we will probably need a new unit (and a new furnace) before long.   GREAT!

Thursday was MUCH better.  Went to the Pink Palace with my friend Tracy and her kids then saw my dad at the hospital.

The kids started school today.  Yes, I know it is early.  The temperatures this week and the end of last week have been in the 100s with the heat index between 112 and 125.  It is a good thing school started because the kids are busy with school work and not watching t.v. or playing on the computer all day because it is too hot to go outside.

Hannah is getting baptized Sunday.  She is excited and a little nervous.  We were paying the storage unit note and Hannah told the clerk she was being baptized Sunday.  They talked about it for a bit afterwards.  It is neat to see her interested and excited about this.  It is a really big step.

Sorry this post is all over the place.  Mike will be playing his online game with some of his friends in a few minutes so I only have a short time to write. 

Meet the Teachers, Hair Cuts and Paw Prints

Thursday night we got to meet Hannah and Will's teachers. Hannah's teacher is Mrs. Browning. She seems really nice. Hannah saw one girl, Alexa, that she knew in her class. Hopefully she will know more when she goes to class on Monday. Mrs. Browning is also pregnant. She is due in October but said she will be here during the first nine weeks and testing. The paperwork has been filed for her sub but she doesn't know who it will be yet. Mrs. Browning said she will only be out about eight weeks. That would put her back just before Christmas break.

Will has Mrs. Scanlon as his first grade teacher and Mrs. Padgitt as his Teacher's Assistant. Mrs. Scanlon was Hannah's first grade teacher. When Hannah went up to her, Mrs. Scanlon was really excited to see her again. I like Mrs. Scanlon and I hope Will does too. She is a little strict but I think she and Will should get along great.

This afternoon everyone got their hair cut. Mike got his usual high and tight fade. Will got the same cut for the second time. It looks cute on him. Andrew just got a trim because he wouldn't sit still there towards the end. Hannah got her hair cut off at her chin and stacked in the back. It looks great. I had mine cut off to my shoulders with small layers. I like it so far.

Mike and I got something special from our vet in the mail last Saturday. Dr. Hooker sent us a framed paw print of Gracy's and a sweet card. We put it on the shelf with the kids' handprints. It is nice having something to remember Gracy by.

WOW

This blog is kind of random today. There are a ton of ideas running through my head about what I want to put down but it's hard to corral them all into different areas. So please bear with me.

The past few weeks at our house that been very crazy. We redid our bathroom (just have to touch up some paint and put a second coat on some trim), said our last good-byes to Gracy, took a quick trip to Pigeon Forge to get our furniture, unloaded it in a storage unit, rearranged some furniture at our house, fixed our computer (still have some more to do to it), and get the kids ready for school. Mike is heading up the church's softball team this fall. We are planning to sign up Hannah and Will for soccer. The Y is offering a soccer program for 2-4 year olds and we are thinking about signing Andrew up. He has been begging to play ball (softball, baseball, any kind of ball) and tells me he is going to his practice as I get him dressed.

I've also started blogging reviews for Waterbrook/Multnomah through Random House. It has been fun and interesting. My first one was posted on August 3rd. I have another one coming up on August 24 where I am reviewing three books. If you are interested, you must have a blog. (A blog is VERY easy to set up and keep. Let me know if you are interested in starting on and I will help you.) If your blog is approved by them, they will send you notices about books to be released. If you are interested in reading the book, let them know. They will send you a copy for free for you to review. You will have to post a review on your blog and send them the link. FUN!! I am able to get my book and blogging fix in! If you would like more information, click here to go to the Blogging For Books site.

Gracy

These pictures of Gracy were taken on July 19th.

Today, Mike and I had to make the hardest decision of our lives, so far. We had to put our dog Gracy down today. As most of you know, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in March. In the last week or so, Gracy was having lots of trouble using her back legs. She seemed to have very little control over them and had great difficulty walking, especially across the kitchen floor and the outside patio. This weekend, Mike and I had to put a towel underneath the back portion of torso to help her get up. Mike had to carry her outside so she could go to the bathroom. Gracy went from a dog who loved to go outside anytime anyone was out there to only going out twice a day. She seemed and acted fine, like nothing was wrong, as long as she was lying down. We both knew that it wasn't fair to her to let her suffer like she was so we made the very difficult decision. Mike and I were both with her until the end, telling her how much she meant to us, that we loved her and that we would see her again.

So far, Baron has been acting okay. I'm sure it will hit him in a few days that Gracy is gone for good. They have been together since they were conceived. They were litter mates and have only been away from each other just a handful of times. We are just going to love on him and try to help him get through it the best we can.

The kids are all taking it differently. Andrew, of course, really doesn't know what is going on. We've told him what happened but I don't think he really understands. Will is just matter-of-fact. He says that Gracy died and is in heaven, but really doesn't show much emotion. It may hit him full on later, too. Hannah is just like her mom. She will be fine one minute and then balling her eyes out the next. I have been balling off and on since we arrived at the vet's. Mike cried while we were at the vet (it's the first time I think I've seen him cry in all the years we've been together). He had to go to work today and hopes to get off a little early.

Gracy is now in God's hands and He and Jesus are taking very good care of her until we get there. She has plenty of playmates: Brandy, Yogi, Pappy, Browser, Shadow, Stormy, Velvet, Barron (Mike's childhood dog), Lucy (Gracy and Baron's mom), and more I can't even list. I told the kids that she is telling everyone about her owners and what fun they were and how much she loved them. She can now chase the ducks, squirrels, birds, and whatever else catches her fancy to her heart's content. She is no longer in any pain and can walk and run perfectly.

Time is suppose to heal all wounds. But, from my experience, they don't heal but just get easier to deal with. We love you Gracy. You will ALWAYS be in our thoughts and prayers.

Lazy Evenings

Tonight was one of those wonderful lazy evenings. Mom needed her thermostat replaced and asked Mike for help. Since he was going over, Melanie, me and the kids joined them and brought pizza. We ate outside on the patio, enjoying the wonderful temps. It was the best kind of dinner. All I had to do was pick up the pizza (I didn't have to cook - WHOO HOOO!!) . We ate outside and used paper plates. Mom had a new table cloth that we used on the table. The kids drank Capri Suns and the adults had Cokes. Clean-up was a breeze. I just put everything in the pizza boxes and threw them in the outside garbage can. Mom, Melanie and I sat outside watching the kids play while Mike worked on the thermostat. NICE!!!

On a sad note, Gracy our dog isn't doing too well. To look at her, you would think that nothing is wrong. She wants to be loved on and loves to lay on her back in the hall where it is cool. You only notice a problem when she gets up and walks. Her limp has gotten more pronounced. Every day I wake up thinking it could be the day I have to take her to the vet and say good-bye. I dread it so much. The kids know it's coming. Will tells me, matter of fact in his 5-year old way, that Gracy is going to die. Hannah and I had a good cry about it the other day. I've tried to prepare them the best I know how. We've talked about Gracy going to heaven and how happy she will be. We've talked about the verses in Ecclesiastes where there is a time for everything. They know that God and Jesus is going to take good care of her until we get there.* But, it is still hard.

*I know the bible doesn't say whether or not our pets or other animals are going to heaven. The way I see it, if God loves us enough to create such a beautiful world for us to live in and give us animals to take care of, why wouldn't He have a place for our four-legged babies? He gives us the desires of our hearts. So, He knows we desire a special place for our pets when they die. I'm not saying animals can get saved. That's for God to work out. I am saying that I think God has provided a special place in heaven for those animals that have become our family.

A couple of scares

Boy, when it rains, it pours. We have had a couple of things happen here that have our family going "WHOA!" Nothing serious, but serious enough.

First, last week Mike asked Dr. Hooker, Gracy's doctor, if it would be okay for her to go swimming. Since we were told not to let her run for ANY reason, we thought we should check. Dr. Hooker said she thought that would be great exercise for her without putting any undo stress on her front paw. Sunday afternoon, Mike took the dogs down to the lake behind our house. He threw the buoy out into the lake for the first time and Gracy swam out to get it. When she got back to the bank, she could hardly walk. She had trouble getting out of the water and could hardly use her back legs. (As a side note, because she is favoring her front paw, she is having to compensate with her back legs, which are have been giving her trouble for a while.) Mike had to carry her some of the way back to the house. Ever since, she has really been favoring her back leg too. Mike checked her out really carefully and thinks Gracy strained or pulled a muscle. Now, the poor girl is limping on her front right paw and her back left leg. Other than that, she seems okay. She is eating good and is still interacting with the family okay. In fact, last night she was rolling around on the living room floor scratching her back and making funny noises. Mike and I are still watching her for signs of major discomfort and pain.

Second, about 2 p.m. today, as I was getting ready to leave to pick up Nathan I got a call from the kids' school. Will accidentally sat on a pencil and got the lead stuck in the palm of his hand. Mrs. Klink, a Guidance clerk, said she had tried to get the lead out with some tweezers but it was too deep. She put some peroxide and a band-aid on it to keep it from bothering Will. Mom called me as I was getting in the car and volunteered to pick up Nathan for me. When I picked up the kids, Alecia, Gracie's mom, told me to bring Gracie by her office. So, my three and I went to the Methodist Minor Medical Clinic to see if they could help. (I had already spoken to Will's doctor's office and they suggested taking him to the Emergency room.) Dr. Politi was able to get a couple of small pieces out but said the rest just turned to a consistency like chalk dust when he tried to retrieve it. He gave Will a topical ointment to deaden the area but Will still felt pain. So, Dr. Politi gave him some Lidocaine. Will started crying really hard because it hurt really bad. My heart still aches over it. We were given a prescription for an antibiotic to help ward off infection and told to watch for signs of possible infection. Will seems to be doing okay. He says it hurts occasionally so we are keeping it bandaged and covered in Neosporin.

Third, we have been trying to get our cabin listed with Fireside Chalet and Cabins to get some rental income. We have had a few set backs but hope to start renting it in the next few days. While we are working on this, we got the standard "Foreclosure" letter from a lawyer's office notifying us that foreclosure proceedings are pending if we don't start paying what we owe. Joy of joys (hear the sarcasm dripping from my keyboard...) We also got a letter from the new Property Owners' Association saying we owe our home owners dues for the last four months and for four months of cable, since we did not have a rental company taking them out for us. Fun, fun, fun..... (sarcasm again).

Can we go to bed, wake up the next morning and everything be right again? It sure would be nice. On a positive note, the Redemption revival was AWESOME!!! The Spirit of God moved in a remarkable way this past weekend. Lives were touched and changed. Saturday morning, we prayed "pockets of prayer" about the city and surrounding area; community leaders; against poverty, drugs, violence, apathy, racism, and any other "isms" that are here; we prayed for God to move in a mighty and miraculous way; to move mountains that stood in our way; and that Memphis would not be known for her past kings (cotton, BB, Elvis, and Dr. Martin Luther, Jr.) but for the King of Kings. Priscilla gave awesome messages and the music was uplifting and powerful. Her brother, Anthony Evans sang with some of his friends. Beverly Crawford also sang and danced. It was an awesome event.

Very Sad and Bad News

Today, the kids and I took the dogs to the vet. Baron needed lab work done to check his thyroid level and Gracy needed her front right leg looked at (she's been limping). The vet, Dr. Hooker, x-rayed Gracy's leg and found osteosarcoma, bone tumor. Dr. Hooker said that 90% of the time the tumor will metastasize in the lungs, so she wasn't going to do a chest x-ray. The tumor has eaten through most of one bone (the radius?). The long-term prognosis is poor, about 4 months. She gave us some pain medication to help ease Gracy's pain and to help with swelling so she can continue having a good quality of life. We discussed treatment options, such as amputation and chemo. No matter what we do with her leg, we still have to deal with the tumor(s) in her lungs. Mike and I will discuss it further but I think, with her age and other health issues, we will just continue to monitor Gracy's pain and make sure she is comfortable.

The kids cried at first when I explained to them what it meant. Thank goodness, they have the capacity to move on and not dwell on it. My worry is for Baron. He and Gracy were litter mates, so they have been together from day one. He's only been away from her a handful of times (mostly when he had surgery) but moped the whole time she was gone. He will probably grieve himself sick (or worse).

Gracy and Baron were mine and Mike's wedding gifts to each other. While we were attending the "Preparing for Marriage" class at church, the instructors, Dick and Suzie Jacobs, told us their Lab had puppies and they were giving the babies away. They were born the day before Easter and were the perfect age to take from their mom when we returned from our honeymoon. I picked out Gracy and her name while Mike picked out Baron and his name. They have been with us since the beginning. Gracy's name fits her perfectly: she thinks she is Queen of the house (Your Grace). A few years ago we realize this: Gracy is a girl and she is a golden color (notice all the g's). Baron is a boy and he is black (notice all the b's). This was totally unintentional but so funny.

This is Gracy and Baron when they were about six months old.
They were already huge.

This is Gracy about three years ago.

She loves to be outside, especially with her daddy and the kids.