We have decided to blog our adventures again. So much has changed since we last blogged. Bella and Shiloh both went to their forever homes and they are in wonderful families. June Bug got adopted. We quit fostering dogs after those adoptions because Tanker's epilepsy got bad. We quit doing therapy dog work because Tanker's epilepsy got bad. Tanker passed away June 9th, 2013. We adopted a senior border collie named Shania Tankerbelle in his memory. We still have our two cats, Sweet Pea and Little Bit. Wes has started rescuing pitiful bettas from Wal-Mart and we currently have seven. We have a camper. We camp. We have focused on giving our animals the best lives possible.
We are The Foster Zoo Crew and we like to have fun.
I am proud to announce that Wes is feeling better today!!!
His hands still hurt and his left ankle is still bothering him, but overall he says he feels better. I can tell he is feeling a little better. He is happy. I am overjoyed at the progress he's made. He feels weak this morning and a little lightheaded. He is still very tired. He has a long way to go, but I am very happy that he is getting better.
The Zoo Crew is up to their normal business. Wes has nicknamed Neo Mr. Taliban.
Mr. Taliban does better on the outside of puppy jail.
Neo really is a sweet boy. He just does not get along with the rest of the zoo.
Last night was wild and we had a little too much fun.
Passed out on a Saturday night. Too many bones.
Shiloh and Topher in their spots in bed.
This is the good life.
This morning, the zoo crew is rowdy, rambunctious, and getting into trouble.
Anticipating the attack from Sweet Pea.
Ready or not, here I come!
Wait a minute. Where did she go? She ran right past me.
Time to rest. Too much fun already this morning.
Neo loves Wes. What's not to love?
After posting my pictures and noticing they were all a little hazy, I looked at my camera lens to realize there was a big fingerprint on it. Super.
Thanks to all of you who have called, sent messages, prayed, lit candles, and checked on us. We love you.
I said I was going to start taking one dog at a time around the block and then spend time training in the driveway individually. Who am I kidding? Not today. I am too tired and have too much else going on to train one dog at a time today. Bigger fish to fry. (Sorry in advance, Wes, for comparing you to frying fish. ;)
The dogs needed to get out and stretch their legs and I really need to start training these puppies! So, what did I do? I leashed up four dogs and went for a walk.
The road that runs behind our house is not busy. I spent many of hours walking Topher and Tanker up and down that road when we were training them to be therapy dogs. There are deer on that street. There are cats on that street. There are boats. Sometimes there are kids riding their bikes and playing in their yards. There are plenty of distractions to work around and expose dogs to.
Bella and Shiloh did EXCELLENT!!!
There was a birthday party going on with loud music, kids playing volleyball, kids yelling, running, and singing. I thought, oh my goodness, this is going to be a disaster! It wasn't. The puppies did awesome! All the kids ran down the driveway and asked if they could pet the dogs. There were probably 15 kids surrounded around us. Tanker and Topher love kids. The puppies apparently do too! If I had my phone with me, I could have taken the cutest picture of a little boy hugging Shiloh's neck. It was adorable.
This walk proved one thing to me: Neither Shiloh or Bella will have difficulties on the walking through a crowd of people or around distractions on the therapy dog test.
When I got home, I worked with all four of them in the driveway for a little bit. Wes came out and took our picture. The dogs did really well.
I put everybody in a sit and a wait. They were all attentive.
Then Tanker got distracted and wanted to go see Wes.
I must add that I walked and trained without treats. For 13 week old puppies, I'd say the did really well. They are very attentive and are pretty eager to learn. They will make great therapy dogs!
Writing is my stress relief. It is therapeutic. I don't always write to share with the world what I am thinking. I write to keep track of my own thoughts. I write to document how I feel. I write to keep track of our lives. I enjoy this new blog because it allows me to keep up with everything. People don't have to read it unless they are interested. It's not like Facebook where everyone will see it whether they want to or not. I don't physically write well. Fine motor skills are challenging for me because of my brain injury. Sometimes I have a hard time just holding a pencil, much less writing an entire journal entry. Typing is much easier.
I am really concerned about Wes. I can't hide it. I try not to make things look worse than they are. I try to look on the bright side of things. I am having a difficult time. The doctors are worried about him. Wes goes to Pentagon Flight Medicine. They have some of the best doctors I have seen in the military. He currently has three doctors on his case. They have been seeing him on a daily basis, running tests, and giving fluids. They still don't know what is wrong with him. They are worried about him too.
There are three diagnoses that the doctors are currently looking at. Lupus (or another similar autoimmune disorder), Lyme Disease, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Lupus can cause the joint pain, the nodule on his lung, the extreme fatigue, the butterfly rash on his face, the digestive issues, etc. The rash that is on his arms, chest, abodmen, and legs is characteristic of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The high fever is as well. Wes has had a high fever of 101 degrees or above for four days. It has been kept down with medication, but when the medication wears off, it spikes again. Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever can cause many of his symptoms as well, so until the labs come back, we don't know what we're dealing with.
Wes started taking doxycycline yesterday. He has had two doses of it. Doxycycline is a strong antibiotic that is used to treat Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. He felt a little better last night and his fever subsided. He woke up this morning without a fever for the first time since Tuesday. That gave me hope. It appeared as the rash on his body had cleared up some too. However, the joint pain has gotten worse. Wes has a lot of pain in his right hand. It spread to his left thumb yesterday. This morning, both right and left hands were fully affected. His left foot is now affected as well. He can only bend his ankle in certain positions. He is unable to open containers or bags with his hands. This really bothers him. Just this afternoon as he layed down for another lap, I noticed the rash had gotten worse on his arms. He now has several red areas on his arms and abdomen. I was not able to look at his legs because he had pants on. His legs were covered in it yesterday. He still has extreme fatigue.
Wes has had a little bit of an appetite. He ate half of a panini for lunch. He made coffee himself this morning and drank a cup of it. I told him I would do everything, but he said he wants to do as much as he can. Despite the pain in his hands, he made coffee. It bothers him that he is so tired and that his joints hurt. He was disappointed when he slept in until 10:00 this morning because he is usually up by 5:30 doing something around the house or studying. I told him he needed to rest and get better, not worry about the house. He is having a hard time with that.
Puppies and doggies are doing well. It is beautiful out today. I have blinds and the front door open to let in sunshine. I went out and played with the dogs for a while. I did a little training with them, but nothing serious. They dug three new holes. They are smart little boogers. They now try to hide from me when they dig. I found both of them between three trees leg deep in a hole. They were covered by leaves where I couldn't see them unless I got right up on them. They had a blast! I was not mad at them. Dirt is nothing that can't be cleaned up. Life is too short to not have a little fun.
This is their new secret hole digging spot:
This is under the bay window where they normally get in trouble:
You call it getting in trouble. We call it having fun.
I made them sit and wait. They listened pretty well.
The Zoo Crew is getting cabin fever! So is the Zoo Master. (myself) The other Zoo Master is so tired and sleeping almost all the time. We are trying to keep quiet and let him rest up to get better.
Wes looks better today. He went back into the doctor and had more x-rays done. Things are starting to clear up. His fever remains, so the doctor put him on doxycycline.
Wes has been getting a butterfly rash on his face for several years. It was worse when we lived at Fairchild because Wes worked on the flightline and was in the sun a lot. It comes and goes. The doctors have always told him to come in when he has it, but it's usually gone the next day or he'll have it a day when he can't get into the doctor. He had it this morning and they noticed it without him pointing it out. Of course, this was of great concern to them. Autoimmune diseases run in Wes' family. His aunt is burdened with all kinds of autoimmune health problems. A butterfly rash is common in lupus.
The doctor drew an ANA blood test (Antinuclear Antibody Test) on Wes to check for autoimmune diseases. Wes has developed a splotchy red rash all over his chest, abdomen, and arms. He had this same rash about a week ago. He was bitten by two ticks while we were in Alabama, so the doctor also drew blood to check for Lyme Disease. Because Wes has had so many x-rays done this week, they held off on the CT of his chest today. His doctor wanted to review his x-rays with the radiologist anyway. The nodule on his lung is not the biggest concern at the moment. Certain autoimmune diseases can cause nodules on the lungs, so that could be an answer to that anyway. (not that it wouldn't be further investigated.)
Wes is so tired. He came home and went straight to bed. He has been sleeping all afternoon. It has been like this for him for quite some time. His fatigue is horrible. Another symptom that has started to plague him in the last couple of days is pain and stiffness in his hands. He has been having a hard time opening bags and things. His hands are just too sore.
On a happier note, here are some pictures to make you laugh.
Trying to read what my mom writes about me on Blogger.
Blogger...I don't get it...it would make more sense if it were Dogger.
What do you mean I am spoiled?
Playing with all these toys is exhausting.
Topher is such a sweet boy. He doesn't want Sweet Pea to feel left out.
Life is rough!
Why do I need a babysitter? Why does Topher follow me everywhere? Puppies are supposed to get in trouble!
I don't want to babysit. I did not sign up for this.
We are getting tired of laying around here all day. Hurry up and get better, Dad! We want to go do things! The rain needs to stop!
Wes is tired of feeling bad too.
Since the weather has been nicer today, I have played with the dogs outside some. They like to lay under the bay window and Bella is guilty of digging holes. It is just dirt under there. It is built up with kind of a drainage trench to keep water from being up next to the house. I think I may hire someone to come put rock under there so it's not just dirt. Although it stays dry up next to the house, when it's been raining like it has, all the dirt sticks to the dogs and they get really messy. Rock would solve that problem. I don't want Wes to have to worry about it. With his injured back and now all of this, hauling rock is the last thing he needs to be doing.
If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I think I will get back to training dogs. I need to get back to it. This week has been a whirlwind of events and dogs have not been my focus. Dogs should not be my focus when my husband is sick. We have been working some, but not on new stuff. We've just been working on stuff they already know. I am kind of teaching wait to the puppies. I need to do it on a leash and teach them the right way. My plan is to spend an hour a day on each dog. As long as it's not raining, I will take each dog for a walk around the block by themselves. I need to get them away from each other so that they don't form such a bond that they won't work alone. After walking, I will spend quite a bit of time training in the driveway with each one individually. I am working on some new commands with Topher. I was working on bow, but then life happened and I put it off for a while. Bow has been a tough one to teach. It's hard to keep him from going into a full down. He has gotten it a couple of times, but I really need to take time to focus on the task on leash and away from other dogs. Once we conquer bow, I want to move on to wave. These are great commands for leaving a patient's room. Sometimes patients want to talk and talk, but we do have to move on at some point. I am still working on basic commands with the puppies. They are smart. I have been teaching beg (sitting pretty) to Shiloh as well. She is really good at it. Again, I have just been doing it here and there for fun, not on leash or being strict about it. I need to get my butt in gear with training. It's a stress reliever for me.
I am looking forward to Wes feeling better. He really enjoys training dogs too. I hate doing all of this without him. I know he will get better soon. We will get back to training and volunteering in no time. Right now, Wes just needs to rest up and get well.
Love, compassion and concern for others are real sources of happiness. If you have these in abundance, you will not be disturbed even by the most uncomfortable circumstances. If you nurse hatred, however, you will not be happy even in the lap of luxury. Thus, if we really want happiness, we must widen the sphere of love. This is both religious thinking and basic common sense. -Dalai Lama
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. -Psalm 145:8
God knows how to speak to me when I need it most. Wes and I have always been pretty giving people. I volunteered hundreds of hours in the hospital throughout high school and college. Wes volunteered through Demolay. We volunteered in food drives at Fairchild AFB. Wes volunteered with Airmen Against Drunk Driving. I volunteered as a squadron key spouse. We volunteered with Search and Rescue in Spokane, Washington. We volunteered with the Brain Injury Association of Maryland. We now volunteer with our therapy dogs. Life just wouldn't seem right if we weren't volunteering. Showing love and compassion to others is just part of who we are.
People have said to me that my works won't get me into Heaven. I know that. I feel that if a person truly knows God, then they have a fervent heart and a strong desire to spread love to others. How could you not? I am at peace with life. I love everything about life and God. It was the long journey of life that got me there, but here I am.
This entry was not supposed to be my philosophy lesson for the day. It kind of just happened that way. As I was opening my blog, my daily inspirations came up on my phone, and the quotes above are what they were. As I was pondering it all, I stepped outside with the dogs to see Canadian Geese fly overhead. Ever get that feeling that the one you've lost is looking down from Heaven and smiling on you? That was my sign this morning. Cool, crisp morning air. Dew on the grass. Sun shining through the trees. I looked up and there was John. He always knows how to fill my soul with peace and let me know everything is going to be okay.
Wes is still pretty sick. He woke up with a high fever again this morning. He is on his way to the doctor as we speak. He has had a cough as well. He has not noticed it as much as I have. Maybe I am more observant of it now because I am pretty worried about him. He had a bad cough about a month ago and it has not completely subsided.
I love Wes with all my heart. He is my soul-mate. We have known that about each other ever since we were teenagers in college. If anyone understands me more than I do, it is him. My life revolves around him and I would gladly give my life for his. If I had nothing but him in life, if I lost everything I owned and lived on the side of the road in a cardboard box, I would still be the happiest girl in the world with him by my side. How many people can honestly say that about their spouse? He is not just my husband. Husband seems like such a common term. He is far more than that to me.
Not to go on and on, but here I am going on and on. Someone recently questioned why we don't wear wedding rings often. Wes can't wear his when he works. When I used to work, I didn't wear my wedding set because I used to take care of very sick patients. When we work with our dogs, we don't wear them. When we are outside working, we don't wear them. That covers about 90% of our lives. The other 10%, we're lucky if we remember them. (We really do try.) Wedding rings are just material things. They are symbolic of a person's commitment to their spouse. If you see Wes and I together, you know we don't need wedding rings to show we are committed to each other. When we are apart, our love for each other is still there. We are not concerned about symbolic symbols of love, not when others can see it in our hearts.
How could I leave this without writing about dogs? After a night of being pretty rowdy, playing in the shower, on and off the bed, growling, barking, and yelping, the puppies finally settled down around 1:00 in the morning. They woke up with us this morning at 5:30 well rested and full of spunk. They have been running around and playing. I have been outside with them three times already this morning. They are now napping. I'd love to join them, but I am anxious to hear back from Wes. I know everything is going to be okay. It's just the route we have to take to get there.
I have to brag on the Zoo Crew. Everybody is getting along. Everybody is letting Wes sleep and recover. Just today, Bella and Shiloh seem to understand potty training. We have not had a single accident all day. They both go to the door and whimper when they need to go out.
House is a wreck. It is so wet outside from all the rain. Doggies have to be wiped down everytime they go outside because of all the rain and mud. But, who cares? We have each other. Seeing all the animals get along (mainly Neo) makes me very happy. Seeing Wes smile when me or one of the zoo crew gives him a kiss on the cheek makes my world go round.
Love is a great thing.
An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language.
Martin Buber
Our task must be to free ourselves... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.
Albert Einstein
Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.
Anatole France
Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to.
Alfred A. Montapert
With an endless assortment of children and animals living under one roof, there was always some absurd crisis that gave comic relief to my problems.
Sally Jessy Raphael
The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men.
