Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

Never regret anything that made you smile. - Mark Twain

Reeses, the 2 year old Catahoula, will be arriving here at 1 pm tomorrow! I'm so excited. Picture on my page.
I took Debbie to see the eye surgeon this afternoon. Her cataract surgery is scheduled for Sept 12th.

Great TOPP, Cyn!

Heidi, how exciting that Reeses will arrive tomorrow afternoon! I hope you're feeling better and can enjoy some time getting to know him and making introductions!

I hope Debbie's cataract surgery goes well on Sept. 12!

Sending healing energy, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, , and prayers for all!

This came up in memories on TOS. It’s important to note that Alie laughed as hard as I did.

Tough exhausting day today but after my ride home with Alie I have tears of laughter running down my face. I hope I get most of this right.
Alie had an excursion today and they took the school bus. Alie was asked to close the gate after the bus was out. They were running late so she ran from the gate to the bus - and fell flat on her face in the middle of the road. (Described as beached whale followed by unhappy turtle when she was trying to stand up again.) She got up and started running for the bus again only to run into and bounce off of a car that had stopped to make sure she was okay. This time she landed on her butt. She jumped up and started running again, only to run right into the teacher who had ran out of the bus to make sure she was okay. Head butted him right in the chest. Not over yet. He had jumped out of the bus so quickly he hadn't put the handbrake on and the bus was rolling down the street.
Made my day, hope you got a smile too.

Sounds like keystone cops Suzy. Went to have the lumps removed and I did the unspeakable thing - I walked out after waiting 2 and a half hours. I understand the Drs have priorities but they forgot I was there and this has happened before at this hospital. Will have another appt. I was not going to miss the footy night and the opportunity to catch up with some old pals from the 70's. So naughty me!
My new bed arrived yesterday - so good after the last 2 years on the couch. I have to sleep half sitting up because of bronchiectasis. Also got a hire car whilst my Subaru is being fixed (front end was damaged by guy backing into it with a large tow ball). It is a hybrid Camry - strange to drive a car that has no noise.
My favorite horse (True Kisses) is being sold at Inglis online auctions this week - not our choice but only own 5% so not much say. Will know tomorrow what is happening.Hope she stays in our state so I can still see her.
Your new fur baby is gorgeous Heidi - I have the feeling this is the start of something new for you. Hope you are feeling better and your weight loss is going well - much admiration for your strength.
Julie, MizT, CynB and everyone else - good wishes. Back to work for me, lunchtime is over.

Less than 3 hours until Reeses arrives......

The 'flu is still hanging on, but getting better. I cancelled today's physical therapy because I didn't want to risk spreading it around to people who are already compromised in health. I should be OK for Thursday's therapy.

Midge, The medical facility should make your next appointment free, for the following reasons.

1. Your inconvenience.

2. By your leaving, it allowed them to use that time to ''catch up'' a bit with their other waiting patients.

Just a thought...

Heidi, Hope all goes well with Reeses integration into the pack...

Onya, for taking him in.

Reeses is here. He's older than I thought. He's 5 or 6 years old, not 2. But he's a sweet dog and should adjust quickly. He and Candy have already become friends, but Candy is friends with everyone.

He's also VERY overweight and needs to work off a lot of weight. I can't feel his ribs no matter how much I probe. To tell if a dog is the correct weight, you should not be able to see the ribs, but you should feel them easily. The only exception is the sight hounds who's ribs should be slightly visible (examples: Greyhounds and Salukis).

Heidi, hopefully Reeses will get that extra weight of running and playing with the other dogs. I'm glad he's adjusting well.
Suzy, I love that story. Comedy of errors!

Midge, I understand you walking out after 2 and a half hours. I'm assuming this was a public hospital. This happens to us at every appointment for Col's eye. It is a public hospital and has the best opthalmology department in the state but the huge waiting room gets so full and there seems to be no rhyme or reason in which order patients are seen. We are there an average of 3-4 hours every time. Because his accident happened at work he is covered by Workcover who basically have to pay for every appointment.
I should say though that the doctors are great and probably worked off their feet. Basically, typical hospital out-patients, staff to patient ratio is not good.

The people from the shelter were a wee bit shocked with my methods of introducing a new dog. I think they were also overwhelmed being suddenly surrounded with 9 dogs they didn't know. But I have found that the new dog adjusts faster if introduced to the new pack all at once. The first few minutes can be intimidating. But they have to work out the new pack dynamics quickly so peace can settle in. If you add one dog at a time for introductiuns, the new dog has to readjust his thinking over and over to figure out where he fits.

Cesar Millan has the same idea for introducing new members to a pack. Sorry the shelter people were uncomfortable - you would think they would have more experience. As CynB says, hew should trim down with playing with the others.

CynB - I have private health insurance but have been treated as a public patient - just means the hospital can gain from insurer. Lately though I decided to ditch the public system and go private with renal clinic doctor. Sick of being a lab rat. Going this way meant I was finally referred to a dr whom I had seen before with femoral artery repair and artificial fistula for dialysis - he was so good - made me mobile again with the stents whereas the public system did nothing for 2 years. Hope Colin doesn't have similar experience. DorA - agree. Usually wait for hours but this time I had others depending on me and when the dodo receptionist said 'they are still cutting' and smiled, I wanted to whack her. Best to walk out. Feel more like that lately - probably need to change my meds.
Cheers to everyone

Hi, Everyone!

Suzy, it's a good thing Alie can laugh about that series of unfortunate events! What a horrible start to her day that was. I'm so glad it didn't ruin the day for her. (If it had happened to me, I'd still be trying to put it out of my mind - and hopefully everyone else's.)

Midge, you were patient to wait 2 1/2 hours. I would have left, too, knowing that you had plans and somewhere to be. It can be very aggravating when they forget you're there and waiting! Happened to me once, and a nurse popped into the room twice after I had changed into the delightful paper 'gown'. Second time, she said, 'Oh, you're still here.' After another 10 or 15 minutes and no explanation, I put my clothes on and left.

Midge, I hope your new bed is wonderful! We just ordered a new bed on Sunday, but won't have it for a couple of weeks. It sounds like yours is adjustable, as is ours. (Too many nights hubby needs to give up on the bed and sleep in a recliner.)

I hope your favorite horse won't be sold to someone too far away. It would be nice to be able to watch her race, even without partial ownership!

DOrA, I like your thinking on why Midge should not be charged for her next appointment. I don't know how likely that is to happen, though.

I'm so glad Reeses arrived and made friends with Candy quickly. Heidi, your method to introduce the dogs makes sense. It would be so confusing to meet them individually and need to keep adjusting the thought process on his standing in the pack. I hope you'll be able to help him lose his excess weight. Will you need to feed him separately and keep him away from the other dogs when they eat? Hopefully Cyn is right, and he'll be able to work off some of it while playing with the other dogs.

Midge, I'm glad you are able to return to the doctor you know and trust and have positive experiences with! You'll feel so much more comfortable with whatever treatment decisions are made!

Cyn, I hope Col's treatment goes well!

Thinking of everyone and sending warm and positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, , and prayers for Everyone!

I'm not really worried about limiting Reeses' feed. The dogs have free choice dry food and he's shown little interest in it. But he is doing a lot of running and exploring with the pack and that should help a lot.

My dogs have free choice dry food too, as well as their night time food. When we got Jasper we realised Gizmo was a bit overweight so I stopped giving him people food- he had been getting my leftovers. It didn’t take long for him to slim down. Luckily he was only a little overweight

Heidi, I hadn't heard or thought of introducing the whole pack, all at once. It makes sense. I know that 'neutral ground' is often helpful.

What I did was have them bring Reeses in the yard, while the others were locked in the house, and walk him around while he smelled the other dogs aromas and looked around. Then I let the dogs outside to meet. Reeses had a few minutes to prepare himself for the onslaught. That worked easier with the puppies, but it has worked with every other introduction I've made that way.

Could never feed Truman like that - the greediest Labrador you have ever seen- he actually vomited 7 times one night when he had access to a bin of dry foo. Kept coming back, time after time.
New bed is pretty good - maybe a bit hard but I am sure I will get used to it. Hoping the 'zero gravity' thing will help remove the swelling of my left leg overnight, still can only wear my Furoshiki shoes. Would recommend them to anyone who has trouble with shoes fitting.Hello to all who haven't visited this page for a while. Hope all goes well. Cheers to all.

Somewhere, there are some serious 'thunder-boomers' going on. The hound is nervous, but not in a panic.

Midge, with Colin's eye, because the treatment is under Workcover, he has to go where they direct which was the Opthalmology Department of a Public Hospital (who, in turn charge Workcover).
But with his cancer op and chemo, we have used our private health insurance. Although we are still out of pocket by a few thousand - ER admissions (by ambulance x2 at $440 each) and specialist fees above what Medicare will cover, it is still preferable than going public. We just heard of an acquaintance, diagnosed not long after Col who is still 'on the waiting list' for a colonoscopy through the public system!! He'll be stage 4 before anything gets done. I am appalled.
We were paying about $25 per visit parking fees until the chemo people put us on to a prepaid card ($66 for 6 parks). Good thing is that when we go to claim each one, they don't mark it as used ('you people have enough to deal with') so hopefully one card will get us through the whole treatment.

Treatment # 3 seemed to have gone well. No high temperature. He's still sleeping this morning. Only side effect noted this time is aversion to cold. He says if he touches anything cold out of the fridge he get numb fingertips and electric type tingles. It can also constrict his throat. So no cold drinks or ice cream for him. Fine while the weather is cool but Chemo goes until January!

Heidi, it's great to hear that Reeses is doing well, running & playing with the pack & not interested in the free choice dry food. Sounds like he'll soon be a healthier Reeses. (Was he named after the candy?)

Heidi, thanks for the description of introducing Reeses to the others. It seems very well thought out and obviously works, as you have used it many times.

Midge, I'm so excited for you that the new bed seems pretty good. The bed we ordered also has a 'zero gravity' setting. We're really hoping it makes a big difference for hubby (who also has issues with swelling). I hope any adjustment time goes quickly for you and you have many nights of comfortable sleep! I'm going to visit 'Mr. Google' to find out more about the Furoshiki shoes.

I watched a youtube review of the Furoshii shoes. They are apparently made of a thin fabric and don't provide support or protection. The person seemed to tihink they would only work for summer and shouldn't get wet. It looked they might not wear well if worn outside or on concrete sidewalks. They DO look comfortable! Have you had them for very long, Midge?

DOrA, I hope the storms don't get closer and make the hound more nervous!

Cyn, I'm sorry to hear about the acquaintance on the waiting list. That is awful! I'm so glad you are able to get better and faster care for Col! So glad to hear that the latest treatment seems to have gone well. I have heard of the aversion to cold before. (It may have been June who mentioned it.)

I'm glad you were told about the parking card, but even better is the care and consideration of those who don't mark off a park each time. There ARE some good people in the world!

Thinking of everyone and sending many warm and positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, , healing vibes, and prayers for all!

I wish I could wear shoes! It’s winter so I’ve had cold feet for a couple of months. I can’t even wear socks without pain. Luckily the weather is warming up now so soon I’ll be complaining about hot feet

I had to cancel my private insurance so will be dealing with waiting lists for my next colonoscopy. I still have 18 months to go so maybe I should get on the list now....

Suzy, I certainly hope it won't take 18 months to get a colonoscopy. But it seems like a good idea to try to schedule it much earlier than you need to have it. Health care can really be frustrating!

It has been a long and busy day. I'm hoping to get to bed (and get to sleep) earlier than usual, so will say Good Night.

Sending healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and for all! Enjoy the weekend!

My ear is leaking bloody pus again, and I'm feeling cruddy. At least this isn't contagious to others.
Reeses is proving to be more of a handful than I expected. He's stubborn and his housebreaking (I was told he was housebroken) is non-existant. He's not stupid. He learned to use the dog door quickly but doesn't yet understand that ALL bodily functions are to be done outside. And he is NOT deaf, just hard of hearing in one ear. I've had to put a shock collar on him to teach him to stop attacking Zorro and treatening the Collies. He was fine at first, but now that he's decided that this is home, he's trying to bully his way to the top and even question my authority as pack leader. I can't allow that, so I've had to come down hard on bad behaviour.) I see a good dog inside and feel that he'll be worth the effort to straighten him out. It'll just take time.

Good luck with Reeses Heidi - the last thing you need is an errant dog when you are not well. Maybe you need to see a new specialist - your ear problem has been happening for so long and doesn't seem to go away fully.
I wish you could try the Furoshiki shoes Suzy - they are wonderful. I have had mine for nearly 2 years and have worn them every day for the past 12+ months. Because they lap over, they fit every type of foot. Julie, I think whoever said they don't wear well hasn't really tried them. True they are not waterproof (I just don't step in puddles anymore) but they are long lasting and good for walking on footpaths. I have just bought another pair purely because my original ones are orange striped and sometimes I wear other colours than orange. I recommend them to everyone for comfort. Also - just throw them in the washing machine each week.
CynB - I am appalled at the out-of-pocket expenses. Does your health cover have ambulance as well? We only have 2 trips a year so I have a separate cover with them. Can Col now switch to private patient treated as public - this is what I have and the hospital benefits from claiming and I don't get any 'extras'. With renal and vascular I have gone private and get charged over and above the benefits allowed but hospital treatment is fully covered. Terrible to have to wait for any tests when you have something seriously wrong.
No. 2 son back from Vietnam/Thailand on the weekend. Had a great time I think - only sent me photos of goats - typical!!

Heidi, I'm so sorry to hear that your ear is acting up again! It must be so frustrating to think it may have been cured, only to have it return again. I hope sometime soon it can be cleared up and never return! It must exhaust you. I hope you will soon get some relief!

It's not fair that you were not given correct and complete information about Reeses. As I recall, you were also told that he's younger than he is. I can't imagine they had the nerve to say he was housebroken when he's not even close to being housebroken. And did they think it was just easier to claim he is deaf, rather than letting you know he's just hard of hearing in one ear. If he's stubborn , it seems like they may have seen selective hearing and found it easier to say he was deaf. It sounds like he's a handful. I don't have any doubt that you can deal with him, but, as you said, it will take time. I hope the good dog in him will come to the surface quickly!

Midge, the Furoshiki shoes certainly look comfortable. Avoiding puzzles certainly should eliminate any problems because they're not waterproof. Just machine washing them once a week seems very easy-care!

Midge, I'm glad you're No. 2 son has returned safely from Vietnam & Thailand. It's good that he enjoyed himself! So, I guess you must have once commented that you liked his photos of goats, so he now always shares some with you. I don't have sons, but that sounds like something my sister's 3 sons might do.

Thinking of everyone and sending heavy-duty healing energy, warm and positive thoughts, , prayers, and {{{{{HUGS}}}}} for each of you and your loved ones!

This ear problem will continue being a problem for the rest of my life. I was not treated properly for severe ear infections when I was a little kid and there's so much scar tissue inside now that the fluid cannot drain properly in the inner ear canal. All we can do is try to control infections.... but they are resistant to antibiotics. They showed resistance since I was 10 years old and had to go on an experimental bacteriophage treatment since antibiotics didn't have any effect on the infections. I'm seeing one of the top specialists in the state and he says I will continue with these infections since there is no surgery that they know of that can open up my inner ear canal at this point.

Cooked up a 'beer can chicken' in the Weber kettle, today. Moist, fall off the bone tender. Apple wood for the smoke. Yummm!

I just watched a video of someone reviewing the shoes and it showed them putting one on. Unfortunately I don’t think I could wear them. Sigh.

Suzy I have just bought a new pair (Size 38 - or 4.5) and if you want to try them for a few days to see if you can wear them o.k. and send them back after, you are welcome. There are no pressure points with these shoes.
Heidi - your ear problem sounds horrible - so sorry you are stuck with it.

Greetings to Everyone who posts or reads these comments!

Heidi, I'm sorry that there is little that can be done about your ear infections. Thank you for sharing the explanation. I hope you haven't felt that we're all 'bugging' you about searching out another doctor or treatment. Your explanation helps us to understand how and why you have been dealing with it for so long. How awful that it is attributed to improper treatment for a severe ear infection when you were a child.

Heidi, I hope you are no longer having to deal with the flu!

Here's hoping Reeses is a smart enough dog that he will quickly abandon his attempt to run the pack and also demonstrates that he is finally truly housebroken!

DOrA, the beer can chicken sounds yummy. (I have heard about it, but never known anyone who cooked it that way.)

I found another youtube review of the Furoshiki shoes, which seemed more positive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZABzYBQMs7o

I must admit that I'm intrigued by the shoes. I don't think they would work for me personally, as even indoors I find being barefoot is uncomfortable. I can see how they could work well for some people, though!

Midge, how thoughtful of you to offer Suzy an opportunity to try your new shoes!

I just realized what time it is, and have a number of things I need to do before bed, so will say Good Night! Sending healing energy, , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, and positive thoughts for everyone!

Heads up, Everyone! Just a few more posts until we turn the page.

Beer can chicken is absolutely delicious.... and this from someone who doesn't like beer. You have my mouth watering, DOrA!!!

Candy goes in to be spayed at 8:30 in the morning. I would have prefered not spaying her (I lost Heidi right after she was spayed when she ripped open her internal sutures) but I committed to this when I adopted her. I won't risk Molly and don't have to since she didn't come from a shelter. I won't breed her, though. She's super sweet but NOT breeding quality. Every male on the premises HAS been neutered, and the closest intact male dog in the neighborhood is at least a mile away... maybe further. I believe that there is an intact Australian Shepherd male 1 3/4 mile from here. And he can't get past my fences OR his own.

Reeses is slowly wising up. He's stopped pooping in the house and rarely lifts his leg since he got zapped several times with the shock collar for doing it. And he's realizing that it's more pleasant to get along with the pups and share my bed or a dog bed than to be banished for antisocial behaviour. And the longer I'm around him, the more things I realize he can hear. He just reacted to the sound of a coyote pack at least a mile away before the other dogs did.

Off to bed. I have to be up in 6 1/2 hours to take Candy in to the Clinic. I'm really nervous about this. I still haven't gotten over the shock of losing Heidi.

Headline from CNN:
Trump doesn't think he's 'ever even heard of a Category 5' hurricane. Four such storms hit the US since he took office.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/01/politics/donald-trump-category-5-hurricane-dorian/index.ht ml

I think he has Alzheimer's.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/03/opinions/we-have-weaponized-our-planet-emma-thompson/index.html

Th is is one of the most intelligent articles I've read in a LONG time. I hope people start listening. Otherwise, the planet has no future for us.

Heidi, great article. But I still despair that half the world is not listening. They are only listening to the climate-change-sceptic media who would rather quote the one dissenting voice amongst a sea of scientists who agree that we are in dire peril. I think we are at the point of no return and people still can't see it. Or won't face it!