Audrey Still in Remission....

.... In June, 2014, Audrey finished her last treatment and as of today, is still in remission.  I will happily take every day given!  She is doing well.  I have an appointment in October to again check her progress.  Her August appointment was good.

... I failed at keeping up my blog.

.... The Real Estate business had a major pick-up in March that kept me very involved --- mostly finding a condo for my daughter and then helping to move her in --- then paint, repair, paint, repair, --- Audrey helped paint .... Oh my did she ever!!!

Audrey has always gone crazed when a water hose turns on .... I was painting my daughter's old place; that was the day the complex decided to POWER WASH the building --- I had an open bucket of paint plus a smaller container of paint on the floor.  SPLASH came the water on the windows -- Audrey sprang into action; I somehow managed to grab the mostly full paint bucket and get it out of her path, but the smaller container took a direct hit with her front feet!!

Paint went everywhere -- all over Audrey, all over the carpet, all over my shoes .... Then dog footprints made a complete circle through the living room and into the kitchen.  I finally caught Audrey right in front of the kitchen sink and started the process of washing her feet before she made more tracks across the carpet.

Then I had to clean up the carpet and the kitchen flooring and FINISH painting the walls .... daughter HAD to be out that evening...... I was one tired Mama by the end of the day!!  By the way, the power washing dude saw it all happen --- thankfully, he moved to the unit next door for a while!!

Audrey gets to go on a 10 day camping trip --- soon --- I will try to pick up with updates afterward.  Right now she is looking at me and whinning ---- "let's go to bed Mom" .... Good Night all.

DID AUDREY KILL THE POSSUM?

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Lest I forget, she is a DOG, a COONhound, a hunting dog!!  Last night as I was taking Audrey out before going to bed we had a surprise visitor!

The bird feeder is near the kitchen door and an innocent little Possum was dining on the spilled seeds.  Audrey was as usual, on her leash.  As soon as I opened the kitchen door she barked, bolted out the door and had a hold on the Possum before I even knew it was there or what it was!!  

I screamed and called Audrey's name.  By this time, Audrey already had a mouth full of possum and had given the guy a good shake.  He was lying in a very awkward position and completely still.  Ugh....  I managed to tightening Audrey's leash and get her away.  We walked further out into the yard for a few minutes - trying to get calm!  After about five minutes we walked back in the house and the poor creature is still in that strange position.

I tell my husband, "Audrey killed a possum; either that or, it is "playing possum".  To that my husband replied, "Well, I'm proud of her!"  Ugh...again!! 

I peek out the kitchen door and Mr. Possum is still there, the same spot, no change in position.  Oh my gosh, did she really kill the poor thing?

Audrey is very interested in the kitchen door in the hopes that I will take her out again.....NOT!!!

About 15 minutes pass.....inside the house Audrey is now calm....I open the kitchen door.............NO POSSUM!!!

So, the saying, "he was just playing Possum" was proven at my house!!!

Not A Good Week

March 18, 2014

Audrey has had a bad week.  She has felt terrible.  She had a treatment of Vincristine on Wednesday, March 5.  This Thursday, the 13th she started vomiting and had diarrhea. 

It all came on rather quickly.  She had a loose stool, but that has been common.  I had gone across town to show property and Audrey was at home with my husband.  He called and told me he had taken her out several times in a very short period.  He had an appointment and I could not get back home for at least two hours.

As expected when I got home, there was a mess to clean up.  It seemed like she hung her head in shame when I got home.  I felt so bad for her.  I hugged her and told her it was ok.

Saturday evening I was able to get her to take Pepto and again Sunday morning.  

Sunday and Monday she still has not felt well, but no diarrhea and only one episode of throwing up and it was very little.

Her anus and vagina must be burning - she is licking a lot and doing an unusual sit position.  I put Vaseline on her hoping to help any pain on the exterior and I got a cold, wet paper towel and held it on her ... it seemed to work a little bi† for her.  Today I have not noticed that she is so unsettled.

It is very difficult to watch her go through this.

She has an appointment on Thursday.

Fun In The Sun - A Sarasota Visit

Audrey is looking for a Manatee!  We missed them this visit--although

others saw them along with a dolphin!!

 Our Shadows in the Water -

 

 

 At Desoto Park with our son!

H a P p Y  26th B i R t H d A y !!

 

 

 Audrey tries out the ocean!

 

 

 ...and Audrey with a Palm

 

 

 

A piece of driftwood that I like - what does it look like to you?

 

Audrey had a fun visit to Horseshoe Cove RV Resort - our very first RV experience!  She has never been a good rider and was NOT a good rider this time.  I drove the whole way, she panted the entire way and mostly sat in my husband's lap!  He was very patient.  She was great while we were there. Lots of fun walks, a trip to the doggie park, a trip to the ocean and a few yummy cookouts.  My husband stayed for a business function and Audrey and I drove back - she was better on the way back; still lots of panting, but better.



Early Morning Tuesday For Adriamycin

February 18, 2014

5:00 a.m. RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG....

There goes that darn alarm....so not a morning person.

Up, showered, dressed, primped, take Audrey out, feed the animals, drink my coffee, grab my purse and tote bag and off by 6:00 a.m.  70 wonderful minutes of driving in morning traffic and we arrive at the Vet....I am supposed to be there by 8 a.m....if I leave my house any later than 6:10 a.m., I'm SUNK - it will be more like 9 a.m. before I get there - as it was traffic was a lot heavier today than usual as this time - surely Tuesday can't be that different from Thursday.  My County's schools are closed this week for winter break, but no evidence of that by traffic standards.

Sweet Audrey went right in without any fear... I have a pic of her sitting on the bench waiting for the Tech to come get her.

You can tell a little bit that her whiskers are a little stubby.  I've noticed that she seems to be losing them.  If you click on the pic, you can also see the evidence of her runny eyes.

Another thing that happens during this treatment...particularly when she has been sleeping and relaxed, a bit of BM will ooze from her anus.  If you are choosing this type of treatment for your pet; protect your furniture, beds, etc. It isn't much, and it isn't very often, but particularly with the Vincristine, even a little is very stinky.  Audrey hates it when it happens, she gets into a bit of a panic and she wants to clean it up and hurry and go outside.  I NEVER scold her; I just quietly take care of it and get her outside to see if she needs to potty.

Snow and ice last Wednesday and Thursday....in the 70's today.

We are now on an every other week schedule.  So, we don't go back for two weeks. 

In this two week period Audrey is going to get a new experience, in fact, so will my husband and I.  At the end of October I bought a used 24' C Class RV; we are loading up for our first little trip - off to see our son in Sarasota.  Of course Audrey gets to go.  I did think ahead and two weeks ago I ask the Vet for a Vet in the area in case we have an emergency.  I was given a name today so I am prepared.

Expect palm trees in the next post!

Cost of Today's Vet Visit.................$287.25

All Snowed In

February 13, 2014

 

Appointment Day for Audrey - Postponed

 

 

                                         Look What Happened:

 

Enough ice and snow to keep us at home, plus, cancel school for the second day in a row and create havoc. I wanted to reschedule on Friday, but The Vet wanted reschedules to be on Tuesday, the 18th.  All the documentation they send out strongly stresses to stay within one day of your regularly scheduled day of treatment.

 

Mixed feelings....not quite sure why they waited all the way until Tuesday, but at the same time, Audrey has not really felt well since the last treatment.  She threw up twice one day and once the next.  It wasn't until Sunday that I felt she had energy and a little vim and vigor.

 

                                           

Early morning before the wind started blowing and before the sun came out.

The snow was very wet and heavy and stuck to all the branches.

 

So, the snow was mostly gone on Friday and in fact, by Thursday evening we could easily get out ... and did so ... a dash for Mexican . . . and then on Friday to hit the grocery store...everybody and their brother and first, second and third cousins had the same idea.  

 

 

The ORIGINAL Audrey and Clarence

Audrey, my Grandmother, in the early 1950's - and Clarence, my unusual, unique and very ORIGINAL, Grandpa! 

One of the many Redbones that my Grandparents had....I don't know which one this is, but I do know from stories my Mom told me over the years that about this time, they had a Redbone named, "Pot Licker"....!!

So, my dear sweet Audrey, is named after my Grandmother....what a fabulous Grandmother she was....I wish everyone, including my kids, could have had a Grandmother like her....the very best!  She died in 2006.

Clarence, the Bloodhound, my cousin's dog, pictured in an earlier post, was named after our Grandpa.  Grandpa loved animals; all kinds.  He once had a pair of mules named "Thunder" and "Lightning".... and a pair of twin calves named "Dolly" and "Loretta"... the mama cow was named "Frosty". 

I never saw my Grandpa in anything but overalls....EVER...my mother said she once saw him in a pair of corduroy pants.  Oddly quirky in a lot of ways...but sweet and fun.  He loved to tease the kids and I can remember him letting me comb, and comb his hair, including putting in curlers  - my Aunts have the same memories of him.  He was a good man.  He said something when I was eleven that I've never forgotten and it made an impression on me even then....

One of my Aunt's almost died after giving birth.  I was in the hospital waiting room with my Grandpa...he said, "I thought when the kids were grown, all my worries would be over...."

That certainly rings very true...