Happy gotta day Gangley

Today is Gangley's 3rd gotcha day, every year around this time something awful has happened and her special day has gone by, so even though my heart is in pieces today with the devastating news about Jim I am determined to make an effort to celebrate Gangley's special Day.

Gangley is a strange little lady, bossy in the extreme, won't allow the boys to play unless she says it's time a very frustrated Mother, gives the impression she doesn't given a dam but actually she is a very special little dog who is very intuitive to what's going on and breaks her heart when I keep disappearing into hospital for all the bloody hand ops. As soon as I get home she washes me from head to toe and stays glued to my side. Sometimes I think we don't have a clue what makes her ticks, life with Gangley is never dull or quiet!

So my special little one Happy gotcha day, love you loads sweetheart and I know you love me too

and in true mothering mode Gangley trying to help Jim feel better..................

Jim

Had to take Jim back to vets today as has had increasing pain and found it harder to get about this week.

Vet is certain that Jim has a very aggressive ostersarcoma in shoulder, having lost a back leg to ostersarcoma all we can do is control his pain. Vet thinks maybe a week or two at most, no point putting him through an x ray.

Even though we had our suspicions having them confirmed has completely knocked us and we are numb.

Jim has been the backbone of our pack for over 7 years and the thought of life without our gentle giant is unbearable.

Remembering Sandy

Two years ago today our darling Sandy lost her fight against the bone cancer! We were all devastated as she fought so hard to beat it and had such a zest for life. Sandy was a very withdrawn little girl when we first adopted her but she fell head of heels in love with Dill our greyhound, sadly Dill also passed away from bone cancer some 6 months later and Sandy's world fell to pieces. Dill had been her support and comfort and she closed right down again. It took a long time but eventually Sandy decided it was okay to enjoy life and boy did she, the cheekiest funniest little lady. Her special person was our son Marc whom she adored and it is in memory of Sandy that Marc decided to do the coast to coast walk to raise money for Greyhound Gap, so they could help others dogs like Sandy.

Here is the post I did recording her story 2 years ago.

Gone but never forgotten Miss Sandy woo! xxx

Funny old week

Well it's been a bit of a rubbish week!

Jim has seen the vet and had a new pill added to the mix but ideally the vets need an xray to see what's going on. We had decided it was too risky at his age but vet says he could just get Eric to lay him down and keep him calm and take a quick one, wouldn't be as good as normal but all the pulling around he would suffer wouldn't do him any good, so we are now seriously thinking about it. He has really struggled to get about but remains happy and full of cheekiness.

New hens have settled well, slight problem Thursday evening, one had disappeared, spent an hour searching but couldn't find her, up at dawn and Eric found she had got over the 7 foot fence into hedge behind and had roosted there all night, needles to say she will be having some feathers clipped today! Getting plenty of eggs

Hand clinic very pleased with progress!

Went to Dr's as felt unwell, infection so ab's which means no humeria this week and to add insult to injury I had a high blood sugar reading so had to go back the next day for a fasting glucose test, thankfully it came back normal. Always a concern because my Mum and her Mum have/had diabetes.

Yesterday was a good day, scrapping with Dawn then in the evening off ut with Vikki and Ben to see Christmas lights switched on, met up with Marc, Rach and Harvey and had a great time. Flippin battery on my camera died so luckily Vik took some photo's on her phone. We met Prancer a 3 year old reinderr, he was gorgeous and so friendly, apparently they live upto 10-15 years, spend 4 weeks a year working and the rest of the year running free on a farm. Their coats protect them from the cold but also the heat. He was so chilled out and just after this photo laid down and went to sleep LOL.

Ben, Harvey and me, boys were not cooperating with photo's as they were so excited.

Finally finished the digi DLO, has taken me ages to get it as I wanted, have decoupaged some of it but the photo I took was awful. Photo's are from my Cousin Sandra's youngest son's wedding in July. We all had such a great day and I wanted to use lots of photo's, we had a similar class kit from papermaze last which I sorted of adapted for this.

New additions

Yesterday we had 2 new arrivals!!!!

No not dogs before you all start yelling at me LOL.

Rescue battery hens. Our son was going to collect 4 for himself and talked us into having another 2 and then he got talked into taking 5 for himself LOL. As always they are very scrawny but with some TLC should perk up quickly.

Haven't chosen names yet so hen 1

hen 2

and a few of our others with one of the new ones so you can see the difference and  see what they should look like.

had to share this photo with you, Eric had cooked some meat for the dogs and had their full attention, Jim was sitting in the hall waiting for room service!

Off to the vets later to see if any other medication might help Jim as he is struggling again.

Had a lovely time at Papermaze crop on Saturday, it was so good to see Vanessa and Lesley and be able to give them a hug after the awful time they've had with the fire. Managed to finish this LO at last! designed by Janina for Bramford crop using papers from Bo Bunny. There is some hidden journelling behind the photo that tells how stupid me hadn't tried my dress on and my the time I did it was too late to have it taken in, so on this photo my cousin Sandra (it was her son's wedding to Jenni) grabbed the back of my dress and pulled it in so it at least looked like it fitted one one photo!

Decided to decoupage some of the bits of this digi LO so it's now a hybrid, which I think is where my heart probably lies these days.

2 years ago today

Two years ago today Ranger our beautiful brindle boy passed away. He had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma and had his leg amputated, sadly Ranger never really recovered from the operation and passed away a few days later at the vets.

To say we miss that great big lovable rogue is an understatement. He was with us for just 364 days. This is Rangers story here

Gone but never forgotten, hope you're having a ball at rainbow bridge big fella with all our other bridge babies.

Hospital

Just back from seeing my Surgeon, he is  really pleased with new knuckles and the progress I've made!!!! still concerned that he couldn't put a pin back in to help the wrist fusion so has said as soon as hand clinic are happy I go back to using wrist splint and just wear this huge one protecting knuckles at bedtime and when out and about. Back to see him in 2 months and hopefully discuss next op to repair tendon ruptures. Looks like hand clinic will be a weekly appt for sometime but at least that means I'm being monitored carefully.

Had a play yesterday and did this digi LO, although I may turn it into hybrid. Photo's of Mojo, kit "apple of my eye" from after five designs. 

Jim is off to set the vet Monday as he is struggling again and really only using his 3rd leg as  a balancing post! Hoping maybe a change of meds might help!

Papermaze crop tomorrow yay !!!

Hand clinic

I'm just back from hand clinic, they made a few adjustments to splint, took out some stitches that hadn't dissolved and were becoming sore oh and more exercises LOl, seeing surgeon Friday and back to hand clinic again next Tues. Oh what fun!

Feeling a bit better now I'm back on meds!

Hoping to get another 2 rescue ex battery hens this weekend from little hen rescue. Not sure what condition they will be in, may need jumpers if they don't have many feathers. Our other 2 young hens are just starting to lay tiny eggs, not daily but they've started.

 

Had a little play yesterday and made this digi LO, photo's are of Vikki being a bridesmaid three times. May turn it into a hybrid, not decided yet. Got a bit carried away with pink LOL.

Looking forward to Papermaze crop on Saturday.

Hounds are all ok. Paws crossed

D Day

Finally after 4 long weeks I was able to start RA drugs this Friday! boy have I been counting down the days.

Went to hand clinic Tuesday, 30 minute slot turned into two hours! adjustments to splints, new exercise splint blah blah blah!!! My morphine has all gone and it's been a difficult week coping with the pain. Still I've kept up with the exercises which are grueling. I have a few worries with certain bits but will discuss with surgeon on Friday. Another hand cinic appt Tuesday, so looking forward to that NOT LOL.... I was telling my SIL about it and she said  she calls the physio therapists physio terrorists, made me laugh!

Anyway I've been working on a DLO (digi) that I just can't get right, so took a break from it and made this instead. kit is from pickleberry pop and is called sick days. Photo was just after cast came off and it had been cleaned up. Eric said it would be a good idea to have it as when I hit a low spot with recovery not going as quick as I want I could look back on this photo and take heart LOL, that man knows too well.

Jim has had a much better week so we've put off going back to the vets for now.

Photo of hand

Had a really lovely day at Bramford crop yesterday, was just so good to get out! Bit tired and sore last night but oh so worth it LOL.  Shall have a quiet day today.

After the plaster cast came off and hand had been cleaned up Eric took a photo before the splint went on, I was quite shocked to see a hand that looked fairly normal with straight fingers, so scroll down if you want a look xx

k.

New splint

Back from hospital, cast off and new splint on. Have to bend fingers 5 times a day 10 each time i.e. 50 per finger eek!.Two middle fingers I can bend but two fingers with ruptured tendons I have to do with other hand, little finger is very sore think it was squashed in the cast!
Hand looked pretty good, back Tuesday to hand clinic just so they can check it over.

Going to attempt to go to crop tomorrow, more to socialise really, even Eric thinks it’s a good idea for me to go out for a bit. Luckily I have a kit so will just take that and see what I can do, have more usability with splint than cast if you know what I mean LOL.
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Lucky suddenley became very stiff a few days ago and we rushed her down to the vets, seems the poly arthritis has returned! she is much better now she's on the steroids but would be nice to know what triggered it off again, Jim is very very sore and we're both starting to feel quite anxious.

Finally we got our first egg yesterday from the new hens, about time! LOL....

Made my lovely surgeon a fuuny card digi of course and got him and is super secretary some sweeties, they are both such lovely kind people.

I'm home

Well I am very happy to be home!

Had a nice room all to myself and this time I was treated with nothing but kindness, now whether my complaint after the dreadful care I received at Christmas had anything to do with it I don't know.

The operation took just over 3 hours and instead of a GA I had a regional limb block in my neck which gives total pain free results and lasted well into the following day, I also had light sedation as 3 hours awake in theatre wouldn't be much fun LOL. I was able to speak to my super surgeon in recovery and didn't spend hours being ill.  So now I have new knuckles, still in a plaster cast but that comes off Friday and then a special splint will be made. Surgeon couldn't replace pins which were helping to keep the wrist fussed but he thinks it should be okay as long as I remember to be careful and wear a splint if doing things that would put a strain on it.

I came home Saturday afternoon but received a telephone call from surgeon Monday morning to say he had not only asked that I be kept in until Sunday but that he had come to visit me just after I left OOPS! I honestly didn't discharge myself nurses were happy to let me go so I did. Guess he'll be wagging his finger at me Friday.

I have morphine for when the pain gets too much but am trying just to have it at bedtime. Eric seems to be on a mission to fatten me up and in my weakened state I don't seem to have much in the way of willpower LOL.

I have had so many lovely cards, flowers and choccies and so many emails, thank you all.

We've had discussions with vet re Jim and have tweaked his pills and he's back to being more comfortable and his happy self. We all agreed at his age it's not worth the risk of a GA to do x rays and just pray his pain is due to having to haul himself up using front legs and nothing more sinister.

Had hoped to play digi today but yet another day seems to have slipped by in a haze of food, sleeping and more food LOL.

Thank you everyone for being such great friends to me xxx