Obe Wans Urology Update

 It has been one year since we moved and we still don't have answers. Dr. Dennis Peppas, our Pediatric Urologist at Norton Kosair, has requested we do a full, sedated scope on our Obe Wan. He was pretty excited about getting to miss a FULL day of school. I allowed him to stay up gaming until 1 a.m. the night before the surgery. He knew he couldn't drink/eat anything after 11 and he was fine with this as he got to GAME! (He wasn't so fine with it when the doctor was running two hours late!)

I went to bed as I still had to take J-Bird to school. This was the first major event since we left Kansas that I was alone without any family members. It was a surreal experience. I had offers from friends and neighbors to go with me and over a dozen text messages from friends here who offered me prayers and well wishes throughout the day. Thanks to this I know I have a support system here. My good friend and neighbor, Jennifer, went with us. She even drove as she is a native to the area and had us there in plenty of time!

DRUNK!

The Nursing staff was phenomenal. They were very patient and kind. They showed Obe Wan all the steps he would endure. They explained the IV, the "sleepy medicine" and the Post-Op. He asked questions and they answered. They kept telling him how smart he was. (Like he needed more compliments for his EGO!) They told him he would be able to count back from 10 as he gets his sleepy meds. The nurses said no one gets past 7. Obe Wan swore he would!

They gave him a Valium type drug and he was so giddy as they rolled him away for surgery. He told us, "See ya. See ya soon. See you real soon." He cracked Jennifer and I up. He was so punch drunk.

An hour later the Doctor came back to tell us Obe Wan has a bladder resembling a 75 year old man. It is shrunk from him holding it too long. The blood is from the strain and from him holding it too much. He holds his urine, so his bladder has shrunk. The cure to this is to have him drink more water---which we have been doing for more than a year. So, he is constantly going to the bathroom, so we were quite confused on the diagnosis. He isn't holding his urine as he goes to the bathroom ALL the time and has the smallest bladder on the planet. We've had scans showing he is completely emptying his bladder. There is nothing left in the bladder. So, now we don't know what we are going to do. He is constantly urinating due to his water consumption, but he is being told he holds it.....

TICKED OFF! Why didn't I get to count!

We walked into post-op to find this extremely grumpy and foul tempered kid. He is TOTALLY ticked because they didn't let him count. He didn't get to count. Why didn't HE GET TO COUNT? Jennifer and I are laughing our asses off. He is getting mad at me for laughing. I just cannot help it. It is too much fun. I didn't want to lie to the kid, so I had to explain to him he didn't get to count because he was already asleep. The nurses said he was asleep before they even got him off of the pre-op bed onto the operating bed. This kid falls asleep faster than anybody I know and he didn't even get to COUNT. 

He slowly was aware of his surroundings. We got him dressed although he was extremely dizzy and nauseous. He got to go home and game, so he was fine. He ended up getting an infection and had to get on two weeks of antibiotics. We got back for another follow up this week and will most likely find we are going to start physical therapy for his bladder and maybe, just maybe, another visit to the Nephrologist. I just want answers and I want my kid to not be scared by going to the bathroom. 

Jedi Knights get New HAIR-DO's!

Well, my J-Bird had finally had it with his long, flowing beautiful hair. He wanted a change! He kept telling me his hair was giving him headaches. I don't know as if I really buy that especially since he is still complaining of them and he has short hair. Obe Wan doesn't really care what his hair looks like---ever, but he has my thick wavy hair, so it needs to be kept short.

We like Kelly at Angell Salons in Sellersburg, IN. She has children the same age as the boys and understands how important it is to look like a pimp. It is extremely difficult to find a good hairdresser.

BEFORE:

So, it is probably a good thing the Jedi Knights don't read this because while waiting for the hair stylist, J-Bird took my phone and took some selfies. I thought I'd SHARE! 

He really is too much! Here is the process of removal:

 THE AFTER PICTURE. SUCH A PIMP.

We went from the hair appointment to our neighbors' basketball game. Lucky me, J-Bird found my camera again and took more selfies for your enjoyment! One of the pics is of him and I photobombed it. Upon further reflection I discovered he kinda looks like me. Poor kid. Maybe it is the face we're wearing....

Kansas girl LOVES Dorothy MUST DIE series!

Okay, so I know I am an avid reader. My nose is in a book most free moments I have, but when I get into a series...watch out world. I will never forget when Harry Potter 4 came out...Obe Wan was less than six months old and I remember feeding him in the high chair for hours just so I could sit there and read. I'm not kidding. This is what he looked like:

He was about sick and tired of being trapped in the highchair. A great picture of bad parenting. (Just kidding! The picture on the left is him after eating Thanksgiving dinner. This is what everyone feels like doing, he just did it!)

So, I was recommended the book Dorothy Must Die when I moved here. I thought, YEAH RIGHT. Just cause I lived in Kansas doesn't mean I need to read everything Wizard of Oz. How wrong I was. So, on March 15, 2016, please accept my apologizes. Don't come over. Don't call. Don't even think about getting a response from me via email as my nose will be in a book. I'm so excited. This should be the conclusion of the trilogy, so life can resume normalcy. I better get my ducks, or eggs, in a row as Easter is the following week and I just don't have time to worry about a holiday AND read the ending of my series. I am a Kansas girl, you know. Must stay current on Dorothy's whereabouts....and I hear the Wicked Witch of the West will be showing up.

I just cannot wait. I'm going to go make red shoes now....

DOROTHY MUST DIE -- Official Book Trailer

Meet our newest Member, Mavis!

When I called the sister in law with my concerns for our Golden Retriever she mentioned she was looking for a new home, a fur-ever, home for her Australian Shepherd, Mavis. She is two years old, potty trained, kennel trained and an amazing dog....with TONS of energy. My SIL is a full time working Mommy with two busy girls; they just don't have the time/energy to spend with Mavis. Her heart was breaking even thinking about giving up this precious little girl, but she knew it was in Mavis' best interest. 

I have been looking for a puppy for over a year---all of this before my poor Gabby started getting sick. I knew I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a dog and I didn't want to deal with a puppy. YIKES. No potty training for this Mommy. 

The SIL and I didn't think there was a chance my Prince Charming would be willing to take this dog on. My MIL reminded both of her 'daughters' her son adored Mavis and he would want to take her. WHAT?!?! Mom knows best, Prince Charming jumped at the opportunity to get Mavis and bring her into our lives.

We drove 10 hours total to get Mavis. We met at Two Shamrocks Pub and Grill in O'Fallon, MO. YUMMY! Well worth the stop for some corned beef and cabbage! Mavis was a little anxious and preceded to try out every seat in the minivan on the way home, but after a week seems to have settled in. 

Both dogs tolerate each other. I think Gabby rolls her eyes a little too often at Mavis' inability to sit still, but I think my husband does that to me most days too! (Runs in the family....)

Gabby is on several different meds and we are seizure free for three days now. Fingers crossed this works for a while longer. I want her life to be good and not hold on to her for my own selfish reasons. I think Mavis will help in this transition.

She is so smart. She plays fetch. She knows ball, drop, down, come and we are working on getting her to find J-Bird! We went online and found some games to play with your VERY ACTIVE Aussie!

Our old Golden is having seizures...

We love Golden Retrievers. I picked up Riley, my first Golden, the day my boyfriend proposed to me. It was a romantic day and one I will never forget. He proposed to me under the fireworks with a puppy crawling between us. We were to be a family with an adopted four legged kid within a year! Three years later we were told we probably would not be able to have children, so for Christmas that year I got the meanest little whipper snapper ever, my Christmas Angel, Gabriela (Gabby). She was to complete my family of four.

I was ALWAYS getting compliments for my amazing dogs. They were my pride and joy. I don't know if it was bringing Gabby into Riley's world or just the age, but she started having seizures. She developed epilepsy and this was pretty easy to manage with meds. She was down for less than a minute, out of the seizure and soon playing like nothing ever happened.

Riley had to be put down at age ten due to health issues. It was one of the most difficult things for me to do, but at this point, we had baby number one and Riley hadn't taken too kindly to this new addition to our lives. 

We now have two children and Gabby has welcomed each of them home and loves them unconditionally.

Gabby is now almost thirteen and this past weekend had three seizures in less than 45 hours. Her first seizure was at 5 a.m. and it woke me up because she was jerking so hard. It was scary. It lasted for over 45 minutes. After she came to she was extremely disoriented, kept walking into the walls and furniture. It was scary. Her seizure was textbook Grand Mals. (I Googled it at 7 a.m. when she was finally still and resting.) I called our vet the next morning and was told to start journaling them: date/time/conditions--I knew the drill from Riley.

 

 

 

           In the mean time I called my SIL who used to work for a Veterinarian clinic and she said she had a Black Labrador who also suffered from seizures and they recommended using Corn Syrup on her lips; it will bring them out of the seizure. THANK goodness for her info. Gabby had two more seizures in less than 12 hours. I used the syrup while watching out for biting teeth and brought her out of her seizures fast. 

CORN SYRUP FOR SEIZURES. Now, I'm not a vet. I'm a Mom who will try just about anything to make her babies well. I did ask our vet about this technique this morning and she said this is an Old Wives Tale, but it is useful in diabetic dogs. Gabby isn't diabetic and her levels were normal, but during a seizure their sugar levels can change. We did decide to put Gabby on seizure medicine today to see if this changes what is going on in her precious head.

It is not normal for a twelve year old Golden to start having seizures and upon further testing we discovered our old lady has cancer and won't be around for much longer. This breaks my heart and many tears have been shed. In the mean time we will try to provide her with as much quality of life as we can.