More great news! The xrays of my jaw reveal that the disc on the left side is gone ... bone on bone now. No wonder my jaw has been hurting for months with no relief! I knew I had arthritis in there, but this? I see yet another oral surgeon in May to see if anything can be done.
So the question is, did lyme disease do this? We know lyme attacks the jaw joint. I have had TMJ since my teen years, so this may have happened anyway. Who really knows.
I'm too young to fall apart. Would that this disease would just outright kill me and get it over with.
In other news, people are reporting seeing ticks on themselves more than usual. My PT found several on her and her family while sitting in a park pavilion yesterday. Her hubby believes they dropped down from the top of the pavilion. This is not the usual pattern of tick behavior, folks, so be careful. I recommended Insect Shield clothing for her son who is out there playing soccer. Lately, I've been recommending it to just about everyone that spends time outdoors. My neighbors, I think, are tired of hearing about this subject and may think I'm just wacko. The people next door have two youngsters playing soccer, softball, baseball, etc. in a tick-dense area. I don't want to see them suffer. We still don't have lyme-literate family docs in this area and if a child was bitten, he/she would probably not get the proper treatment. I pray for their protection.
Lord, hear our prayer!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
On We Go
Baby boy is going to be a therapy dog for a hearing impaired girl. And I was his puppy raiser! He will have a good life. This is sort of a wish fulfillment. Several years ago, I had considered being a puppy raiser for our local service dog organization. But I knew I could not physically handle a yellow lab.
And maybe I can get my shoulder healed. There may be a small tear, but it probably won't require surgery. I'd really like to be done with PT! I've been going since January!!
Tomorrow we shall travel to my daughter's home. We all need a change of scenery and the hugs of grandchildren to boost our spirits. My granddaughter has started soccer and we will go to her game on Saturday. We live too far to go to weekday school events, but the occasional Saturday things will be doable.
My daughter and family have started attending church on a fairly regular basis. I am so pleased and thankful to God. When she married her hubby, he was an agnostic and has since really had a change of heart. Praise the Lord!
Just finished watching "The Forsyte Saga" on Netflix. Loved it and recommend it highly.
Easter service was really lovely. The music proclaimed the glory of God and was joyous. People were happy and I could both see and feel it. I think the Lord must have been pleased. And to think that this was playing out in churches all over the world! I realize there was sadness, too, with the killing of Christians in Nigeria. One day, it will stop and our Lord will reign over all.
Maranatha!
And maybe I can get my shoulder healed. There may be a small tear, but it probably won't require surgery. I'd really like to be done with PT! I've been going since January!!
Tomorrow we shall travel to my daughter's home. We all need a change of scenery and the hugs of grandchildren to boost our spirits. My granddaughter has started soccer and we will go to her game on Saturday. We live too far to go to weekday school events, but the occasional Saturday things will be doable.
My daughter and family have started attending church on a fairly regular basis. I am so pleased and thankful to God. When she married her hubby, he was an agnostic and has since really had a change of heart. Praise the Lord!
Just finished watching "The Forsyte Saga" on Netflix. Loved it and recommend it highly.
Easter service was really lovely. The music proclaimed the glory of God and was joyous. People were happy and I could both see and feel it. I think the Lord must have been pleased. And to think that this was playing out in churches all over the world! I realize there was sadness, too, with the killing of Christians in Nigeria. One day, it will stop and our Lord will reign over all.
Maranatha!
Saturday, April 07, 2012
Dogs and Ticks and Sore Shoulder
Not doing much blogging. I've been very busy with the puppy and running to physical therapy for my shoulder. The therapist and I agreed last week to take a break and see how my arm feels, but pup yanked it hard on Sunday, so I'm back where I started. This is getting ridiculous!! I'm spending $$$$ on PT.
Between the pain and guilt of spending the $$, hubby called the breeder to say we may need to take him back. My shoulder has been called "glass" and needs gentle treatment. Lo and behold, the breeder told us that a family that has pup's sister is training her for their hearing impaired daughter. They would LOVE to have Frodi and train him also. Which means, he would be a "working dog." A very high achievement for the little guy. And I know he would do well.
No sooner than we said we would consider this, I find a deer tick attached to his head. I pulled it off with tweezers, hoping nothing was transmitted, but who knows? It could be weeks before any symptoms show and then he would need a month of doxy. Dogs usually do well if treated quickly and long enough.
We spray our yard, so we don't think he got it there. While walking the neighborhood they pull to the edges to potty and I am convinced that's where he picked up the tick. It has happened to Callie, too, in the past.
So tired of living under this constant threat. We would be better off with no dogs, but our life would certainly be lonely.
BIG decision to make now and it's making me quite ill. Fitting that it should happen on Good Friday. The dilemma is I don't want to continue injuring myself and quite possibly tearing my rotator cuff. Nasty surgery to fix it. Also with a coat like he has, seeing ticks is just about impossible. All of this is causing heartache and stress. Should he go or stay? I do love him; never had such an endearing personality in a dog. The breeder may think we are nuts, but right now, he's here with me and he's mine!
I've asked God for protection from these creatures. He doesn't seem to be very interested. I stay out of the woods, now, and try to protect ourselves as best we can. But as long as I have dogs, I'm at a much higher risk.
What are you doing to combat this problem? Has anyone gotten rid of a dog due to ticks being so prevalent?
Between the pain and guilt of spending the $$, hubby called the breeder to say we may need to take him back. My shoulder has been called "glass" and needs gentle treatment. Lo and behold, the breeder told us that a family that has pup's sister is training her for their hearing impaired daughter. They would LOVE to have Frodi and train him also. Which means, he would be a "working dog." A very high achievement for the little guy. And I know he would do well.
No sooner than we said we would consider this, I find a deer tick attached to his head. I pulled it off with tweezers, hoping nothing was transmitted, but who knows? It could be weeks before any symptoms show and then he would need a month of doxy. Dogs usually do well if treated quickly and long enough.
We spray our yard, so we don't think he got it there. While walking the neighborhood they pull to the edges to potty and I am convinced that's where he picked up the tick. It has happened to Callie, too, in the past.
So tired of living under this constant threat. We would be better off with no dogs, but our life would certainly be lonely.
BIG decision to make now and it's making me quite ill. Fitting that it should happen on Good Friday. The dilemma is I don't want to continue injuring myself and quite possibly tearing my rotator cuff. Nasty surgery to fix it. Also with a coat like he has, seeing ticks is just about impossible. All of this is causing heartache and stress. Should he go or stay? I do love him; never had such an endearing personality in a dog. The breeder may think we are nuts, but right now, he's here with me and he's mine!
I've asked God for protection from these creatures. He doesn't seem to be very interested. I stay out of the woods, now, and try to protect ourselves as best we can. But as long as I have dogs, I'm at a much higher risk.
What are you doing to combat this problem? Has anyone gotten rid of a dog due to ticks being so prevalent?
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Just Blah
Haven't felt much like writing. I'm back in PT for the right shoulder that I injured. It seems to be getting better, but not as quickly as I had hoped. Bad TMJ flare, too.
This week has been stressful. My pup started with diarrhea on Saturday. By Sunday, I knew I had to do something drastic, so I put him on boiled hamburger and rice. Today I added sweet potato and a little pumpkin. Stools are finally looking more normal. He will need to stay on this diet for two more days, then I have to either commit to cooking his food or try another kibble. I think too many training treats caused this, but I'm not sure. I was mixing BilJac Liver treats, dehydrated liver and string cheese. Maybe all that had too much fat for his system, IDK. I hope he isn't going to have a sensitive GI system. I already have one dog with EPI who requires special handling. My coping skills are not what they should be.
Hubby got a memo from the safety chief of the department. It states that according to some eco experts, 2012 will be a very "active" year for ticks. He warns the employees to take precautions and be careful while doing field work. I'm glad they are admitting the risk is there. Baby steps, but progress all the same.
This week has been stressful. My pup started with diarrhea on Saturday. By Sunday, I knew I had to do something drastic, so I put him on boiled hamburger and rice. Today I added sweet potato and a little pumpkin. Stools are finally looking more normal. He will need to stay on this diet for two more days, then I have to either commit to cooking his food or try another kibble. I think too many training treats caused this, but I'm not sure. I was mixing BilJac Liver treats, dehydrated liver and string cheese. Maybe all that had too much fat for his system, IDK. I hope he isn't going to have a sensitive GI system. I already have one dog with EPI who requires special handling. My coping skills are not what they should be.
Hubby got a memo from the safety chief of the department. It states that according to some eco experts, 2012 will be a very "active" year for ticks. He warns the employees to take precautions and be careful while doing field work. I'm glad they are admitting the risk is there. Baby steps, but progress all the same.
Monday, February 13, 2012
More Pain
So sad tonight. My right rotator cuff has been very inflamed, causing lots of pain and some loss of motion. It started with a muscle strain from walking two dogs at a time. I have been treating it with chiropractic, massage and muscle relaxers. Tonight I stumbled while walking and grabbed hubby's arm. My bicep felt like it tore. Something really went wrong cause my arm hurts and it travels up into my neck.
So here's the question I'll never have an answer to: did the lyme bacteria weaken my tendons? I believe it did, probably due to constant inflammation. I've had so many cases of tendonitis in different parts of my body. I know this can be an issue for women as they age, especially shoulder problems. So maybe it would have happened anyway, IDK.
I want to be ok. I want to not live in constant fear of ticks. I want to see my babies. I want Jesus to take me home.
So here's the question I'll never have an answer to: did the lyme bacteria weaken my tendons? I believe it did, probably due to constant inflammation. I've had so many cases of tendonitis in different parts of my body. I know this can be an issue for women as they age, especially shoulder problems. So maybe it would have happened anyway, IDK.
I want to be ok. I want to not live in constant fear of ticks. I want to see my babies. I want Jesus to take me home.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Ticks Are Out and About
Pup brought in a tick yesterday. It was crawling across his eyelid. Fortunately, I immediately saw it and removed it, then spent the rest of the day spazzing about whether there were more buried deep in his coat. He has the thickest coat I've ever encountered. Hubby sprayed the yard down when he came home, but it is his opinion that the tick dropped off a bird coming to our feeders. We have not had bird feeders out for several years and just two weeks ago, I decided to put them out again. They're down now; the birds are on their own. I'll enjoy them from afar.
It was a dose of reality that I didn't need right now. When considering a second dog, I figured we already were spraying our yard and doing what we can to protect one dog, what's one more? But the added responsibility is causing me more anxiety. I'm better today, but I wonder how I will fare when tick season hits hot and heavy?
Why does God allow these things, anyway?
Here's an interesting article from Dr. Mercola's site citing Dr. Klinghardt's latest info on lyme disease. He suspects EMF's may contribute to the aggressive changes exhibited by spirochetes in recent years. I've wondered myself for quite a while now if EMF's play some part in how my dog reacts to unseen stressors. There is no visible explanation for her sudden fearful reactions at times. She seems to sense or hear things we cannot. It stands to reason that an animal would have a great sensory perception of EMF's and radioactivity.
It was a dose of reality that I didn't need right now. When considering a second dog, I figured we already were spraying our yard and doing what we can to protect one dog, what's one more? But the added responsibility is causing me more anxiety. I'm better today, but I wonder how I will fare when tick season hits hot and heavy?
Why does God allow these things, anyway?
Here's an interesting article from Dr. Mercola's site citing Dr. Klinghardt's latest info on lyme disease. He suspects EMF's may contribute to the aggressive changes exhibited by spirochetes in recent years. I've wondered myself for quite a while now if EMF's play some part in how my dog reacts to unseen stressors. There is no visible explanation for her sudden fearful reactions at times. She seems to sense or hear things we cannot. It stands to reason that an animal would have a great sensory perception of EMF's and radioactivity.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
A Puppy Post
Here's a puppy post. Frodi is now 15 weeks. He has such a sweet nature. He started puppy kindergarten last week and is doing very well. He learns quickly and is very attentive to me as long as I have yummy treats. I bought liver and dehydrated it for training treats; he surely likes those along with string cheese and assorted other commercial treats.
The dogs get along well. They play a lot. Callie is more active now and tolerates him better than I thought she would.
Our days are busy with these two. I cut my work days to only three hours so he wouldn't be in his crate too long. It seems I'm either feeding, brushing, training or playing with them most of the time. I guess, though, that's not a bad thing. It gives me purpose and fills my days.
One thing we found out was that any behavioral issues the first dog has are magnified when there's a second one. And the second one picks up bad behavior from the first. So, we have extra training that needs to be done. Callie trained at the dog club for her first two years and was doing so well until she got a digestive disorder, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. She was very sick and changed toward other dogs. She is not as friendly as she was and can be aggressive to some dogs. I stopped taking her to the dog club because I couldn't give her the treats like I needed to do for training plus she seemed very fearful around other dogs. Then I got lyme and training her was the last thing on my mind. Sometimes I get so frustrated and think, who cares? But we'll keep plugging along and work with them.
The dogs get along well. They play a lot. Callie is more active now and tolerates him better than I thought she would.
Our days are busy with these two. I cut my work days to only three hours so he wouldn't be in his crate too long. It seems I'm either feeding, brushing, training or playing with them most of the time. I guess, though, that's not a bad thing. It gives me purpose and fills my days.
One thing we found out was that any behavioral issues the first dog has are magnified when there's a second one. And the second one picks up bad behavior from the first. So, we have extra training that needs to be done. Callie trained at the dog club for her first two years and was doing so well until she got a digestive disorder, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. She was very sick and changed toward other dogs. She is not as friendly as she was and can be aggressive to some dogs. I stopped taking her to the dog club because I couldn't give her the treats like I needed to do for training plus she seemed very fearful around other dogs. Then I got lyme and training her was the last thing on my mind. Sometimes I get so frustrated and think, who cares? But we'll keep plugging along and work with them.
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