We're running now

Sebastian RAN to my room today.

That was exciting and unexpected. This morning around 6 a.m., I woke up to Tim screaming and chasing Sebastian into my room. Apparently, he had escaped the crate when Tim opened it.

He also peed on Tim’s floor – not so good.

Tim was putting him up after his run to my room and was getting him more water when Sebastian stepped out and peed outside the crate – and then took off to my room again. I got up this time, held him as I put on clothes to take him outside so he could finish his business.

Though I was tired, frustrated and annoyed, I was glad that our pup was showing a good deal of progress! Tim even called me to say Sebastian rolled on his back this morning. Not a very safe thing to do, but the fact that he wanted to roll back, is a good sign that he is feeling much better.

Today, we are going to take him off the pain meds and stop using the leash behind his legs. Hope we are making the right decision!

A step back

Not a serious one, but we think Sebastian has maybe taken a step back in his recovery. Sigh.

Yesterday, we let Sebastian sleep in the dining room for a few hours at a time. He stayed there while Tim was catching up on work.

When I got home from work and after took him out for a quick walk, I put him back in the same space. Unfortunately, he stood up and walked around some because I was cooking in the kitchen. And we’re talking about a dog who likes sitting right outside the kitchen in the anticipation that he can get scraps or droppings as I cook.

I think both instances excited and exhausted him, and it’s pretty evident today. When I tried to get him up this morning for a walk, his spirits seemed down. He wasn’t even wagging his tail at the sight of me! Tim has also reported he doesn’t want to move much. Taking him on a short walk this morning was a struggle.

We were told he shouldn’t be moving a whole lot and maybe he moved around too much yesterday. Still hopeful for a speedy recovery…

More goodies!

Sebastian pooped TWICE yesterday. The first time, Tim drove him to downtown Kannapolis (I don't know I feel about that yet...). Sebastian absolutely loves walks around downtown because of all the shade, greenery and sometimes friends along the way. He definitely recognized it and used the bathroom almost immediately.

And he went again in the evening, right before bed. I always tell Tim you can tell so much from his poop - and I probably look too often... But at least I know when something is abnormal.

Also, Sebastian attempted to lift his hing leg on a bush - a good sign of his mobility!

Things are definitely looking up!

Sebastian in good spirits - an update

Progress has been slow, but Sebastian is in good spirits. He is still wobbly when he walks – swaying his left hind leg more than his right. But for the most part, he is trying to walk on his own. We are still supporting his hind legs by holding them up with a leash wrapped around the end of his torso. Here's an example of how this looks:

Photo from original post: http://gimpydogblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/dog-carts-answer-to-mobility.html   

Yesterday afternoon, he wanted to go on a real walk. He walked from our backyard to the street sidewalk. He turned and wanted to continue walking on the sidewalk, but I stopped and took him back inside. He is supposed to be going out to use the bathroom only, so walks are out… for now.

And the best news of all is that he pooped! I’ve never been so happy to see poop! Poop means his bowels are finally working again and the effects of the anesthesia are really moving out of his system. The anesthesia slowed everything down in his body so we were told we wouldn’t see him poop until at least Wednesday. I take it as a very good sign that he has already done his business! Our lil guy even tried to kick his hind legs – something he used to do all the time after peeing.

I love that Sebastian’s personality has not changed at all. I used to always struggle to get our boy up to go out in the morning. It takes like 15-30 minutes before he will be ready to go. It’s seriously like trying to get a teenager out of bed. Because he’s been in the crate and because of his surgery, he hasn’t really done this.

This morning, that all changed. I fought him for 10 minutes to get him ready to go outside. He just sat there yawning, looking at me like I was crazy to be getting him up.

Love. him.

Long weekend, longer weeks ahead

The end of last week and the weekend has been very tough – emotionally, mentally and even physically. It started last Wednesday when Sebastian started yelping in the morning. We assumed he had another back sprain like he had a few years ago. Thursday, when he started dragging his hind feet and losing his balance, we knew it was something more.

Friday morning, we were referred to a neurologist because Sebastian’s spine was clearly affecting the nerves that went to his legs – i.e. why he was walking funny and dragging his legs. Around noon, we were told our baby was suffering from a ruptured spinal disc or slip disc – and he would need surgery to correct this.

Let me try to explain this (ha!). Between each vertebrae in the spine, there is a disc that serves as a shock absorber. The disc has an outer part and an inner part that is made of a gelatinous material. What happened to Sebastian, and is a very common issue in dogs with Sebastian’s body – long torso and short legs, is that the outer part of the disc tore causing the gelatinous material to push upwards and out to the spine – causing that pressure that was hurting him.  The surgery would essentially put “windows” as our vet called it, into the bone to remove the material that was pushing upwards. From what I understand, this will naturally heal and scab over.

The surgery took less than an hour but his recovery will take up to four weeks. The vet called Saturday to let us know they had high expectations for Sebastian’s recovery. He was already walking – which was a very positive sign. It also meant he could come home. We went to pick him up as soon as we could. I thought the hard part was over, but it was just beginning.

Sebastian still lacks motor skills in his hind legs. We are basically teaching him how to walk again – using a leash to hold up his hind legs and encouraging him to walk with his front legs. We were told we needed to confine Sebastian within a small space (preferably a crate) and keep him that way for up to 4 weeks. He was only allowed to go out to use the bathroom and come right back in.

This was a challenge all weekend because 1.) we gave Sebastian’s crate to my sister and 2.) Sebastian is so used to having his way when he wants it in our house.

Our original plan was to keep him in the dining room – blocked off with chairs and tables. I even planned to sleep in there with him (on the hardwood floors!). Unfortunately, he found a way to get where he wanted when he wanted.

For example, right before bed, I thought I’d watch TV. He wined and wined, so I decided to go lay down with him. Less than 30 minutes later, he started wining again. I got up and took him outside to use the bathroom. Another 30 minutes went by and he started wining again. I got the brilliant idea to keep him confined to just under the dining room table, so I blocked it off with everything I could think of. I quickly ran to the bathroom and as I was sitting there, I heard some shuffling. I immediately ran out to find Sebastian who had walked from the dining room, through the kitchen and down the hall to Tim’s room. I woke Tim up – who had been sleeping soundly in his bed for about two hours at this point – to let him know Sebastian was in there. Of course Tim got mad, but I was delirious! We agreed to let Sebastian sleep under Tim’s bed that night and decided we need to resolve the crate issue ASAP.

Thank goodness Tim’s brother had a large crate. It was delivered mid-day Sunday and I finally felt like I could actually do stuff around the house, instead of sitting with Sebastian in the living room all day. I didn’t think he would have the energy to get out of the crate so I left the door open and started to clean and do the dishes. Less than 5 minutes later, I looked up and found Sebastian staring at me in the kitchen. Ugh. Lesson learned – always close the door.

We fought this with our guy all weekend, but thanks to the crate, we’re feeling more confident about his healing process. And we’re finally starting to sleep again. I think Tim and I were both were able to get at least 7 hours of sleep last night – probably the most sleep I’ve had since last Thursday.

And then we were woken up by the sound of a wining dog. But this morning, he showed great signs of progress. He walked more than he has all weekend and his hind legs are starting to hold up his body better. My fingers crossed for a speedy recovery. More signs to come this week – I hope. They include pooping – I’ve never been so nervous about seeing my dog poop!, and just being able to walk on his own more often.

Long post, I know. But I just wanted to get my thoughts down about Sebastian. He’s my world after all. It’s been a hard weekend – don’t know if I’ll ever make it as a mom, I barely survived the weekend – but I’m staying positive!

A few thoughts as the end of summer nears

The boy and I.

Have had a rough summer.

• I didn't have a job going into it.
• I had to move – twice!
• My gallbladder was removed while I didn’t have health insurance. $$$$$ Recovery period = 30 days (July through early August)
• My aunt, who helped raise me, passed away.
• The boy had surgery to fix two hernias. Recovery period = 30 days (August through mid-September)
• I had to wake up to the boy throwing up because he got really sick one weekend. This is the first time he had thrown up in 10 years!
• We worried about paying the bills.
• We’ve had to learn to deal with each other’s pet peeves and bad habits.
• We’ve fought – and fought.
• We have continued to deal with the boy’s family’s drama, but on a much more limited scale. Still never fun.
• We’ve been super busy seeing lots of friends and family, traveling distances near and far. Sometimes the weekend trips to far distances were back to back weekends, sometimes back to back days.

But at the end of the day, I think the boy and I have been positive and remember all of the great things that have also happened for us. We are incredibly blessed and we truly learned that this summer. Some great things that have happened or helped us get through the months…

• We took Sebastian to the beach for the first (and last) time! He just hated it, but it was still fun to take a “family” trip.
• He asked my parents for my hand in marriage.
• We found a fantastic house to rent.
• We moved in together.
• I've had time for me.
• We got even closer – and continue to learn so much about each other every day.
• We’ve learned to say sorry – and to put arguments to rest just as quickly as they happen.
• We’ve both lost weight and eat much healthier!
• My family has been fantastic and so accepting of our relationship.
• We have amazingly supportive friends – some with whom we’ve grown even closer to.
• We have friends and family that love and care about us.
• We’re still so in love - and we say it more than ever.
• We laugh all the time.
• We are happy.

So, when I think about the hard times we’ve had, I am so thankful for all the great things that have happened and how they have helped us grow – not only as partners in this relationship, but also as friends, lovers and even as individuals.

I can’t wait to see what the rest of our lives hold.

Love you, Tim (and sometimes more than Sebastian).

Another week, another list

1. When did it become August?

2. Look at this sweet face. Love him.
3. When can I have alcohol again? I want a beer SO bad.

4. I should not cheat on my diet. I felt so sick on Sunday and yesterday. In fact, I did not eat lunch and just ate a light soup for dinner yesterday, and I feel so much better today. I guess I just needed to get everything out of my system. Back on the chicken and rice diet today. I did not each lunch, but I’m not even hungry. Arg. I need a regular schedule again.

5. But on a positive note, I’m able to sleep now. For a while there, I was having a hard time sleeping because of the neighbors’ dogs right outside my window. As of yesterday, I have officially moved into Sebastian’s room – and he is now in my old room. It really makes a huge difference and I’ve actually slept in the last two days!

6. I need to clear out my DVR but I am so tired of sitting in front of the TV all day long. I’m now watching Nick & Vanessa’s Dream wedding on TLC. Which reminds me, I really liked Nick Lachey’s album, What’s Left of Me.

7. I am tired of making food that the boy’s not going to eat. Yesterday, I threw away a cobbler, about 10 cupcakes, a salad and some fruits.

8. My garden is a little bit closer to being done! I finished outlining and digging out my garden yesterday. Now, I just need to get dirt and to start planting!

9. I feel like I’m not going to get through my summer list. Boo. I hate that I had my surgery because I feel like it’s put a dent in a lot of things I wanted to do this summer.

10. I like that I get my medical bills separately. It doesn’t seem like so much when it’s only $100 here and $90 here and $400 here.

11. Is it bad that I want to see the Glee In Concert movie? LOL

Just a list of thoughts for today

1. Tim bought a hammock stand today. Just another great place where either one of us can get away with our thoughts or to do things like relax and read. He doesn’t know if he’ll keep it yet, mostly because the bugs in our backyard are ridiculous! But who knows, we’ll see in time!

2. It really pays to stick to my diet! I had pho for lunch yesterday – beef broth with rice noodles. And I was dying all day and I still feel some of it today. It’s mostly been heartburn, but nothing that has been too unbearable. I did make turkey burgers for dinner yesterday and they were delicious. I made them on the stove. I sandwiched the meat between two pieces of white bread, lettuce and tomato, and I used condiments!

3. We have some grass!

4. And we have more weeds.

The evolution of Sebastian's dog bowls

There is no denying the fact that Sebastian is the most spoiled dog ever. However, this fact became even more evident when the boy and I began to move in together. I’ve had Sebastian for three years now and it’s true, he’s the love of my life. The boy and I have equally shared the responsibility of spoiling the dog as much as we can – dinner table scraps, extra long walks, so many treats we’ve lost track of them all and a whole lot more. He even has his own bedroom with three actual dog beds and a pillow-turned-bed. This specific post is dedicated to the evolution of Sebastian’s dog food bowls and how even though he has had a perfectly good dog bowl set, we’ve continued to buy him more!

Now there is reasoning behind the fact that his dog bowls have changed, but it all points to the fact that we were simply spoiling the dog. LOL

Our friendly neighbors

Since moving in together, I've done a good job of getting to know some of the neighbors. During our first week at the house, I ran into a huddle of women while walking Sebastian. They, too, were taking their dogs out. We immediately became friendly and I got to learn more about the neighborhood and the folks who lived around me.

When referring to our neighbors, I also mean to include the wonderful wildlife that lives on Main Street. So far, we've only met squirrels and birds, but that's enough for me. On our second day of living in the house, we noticed a birds nests on our porch. We didn't know if it was occupied or not, but our question was answered just a few days later when I found this on our porch!

Yes, that is a bird's egg. Was this a sign that our bird did not like us disturbing her home? It gets better!

The next day, I found this on our porch ledge!

Things to get done this week

In no particular order, here are things I need to get done this week:

• Go through our CD collections and organize them.
• Go through our DVD collections and organize them.
• Find “Water for Elephants” so I can re-read it.
• Finish digging out and outlining my herb garden.
• Take more naps.
• Take Sebastian on longer walks.
• Get HBO.
• Get creative ideas together for a new web site I’m building.
• Schedule my surgery.

I should put “Apply for Jobs” on the list as well, but I feel so exhausted from looking. I’m sure there will be a few I can apply for this week, but it feels like second nature now. I don’t even think about it anymore.

More gallbladder update

I have the best family and friends in the world. The boy is starting work again this week, so my family has volunteered for me to stay with them post-surgery... whenever that will be. I was also supposed to have a girl's night on Wednesday and they're trying to figure out a place that would serve bland food so I could join them. Probably not going to happen, but super sweet of them! Sigh, amazing how much can change in so little time. So far, all I've eaten is a boiled chicken breast, rice and plain toast. Sounds delish right?

So last night before bed, I started thinking - what can I actually eat? After much digging, I finally found a list. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a list. Everyone just says, low calorie, low fat, no acidity, etc. etc. OK, I got that. But can I eat mashed potatoes? Corn? Apples? "Avoid anything that tastes good" is just too broad for me. Here is a much better rule of thumb: stick to a clear liquid diet - or I can pretty much eat anything I can see through. LOL. Here are some specifics...

It's been a long time

It's been a long time since I last posted on this. I am thinking about writing again thanks to a lot of wonderful blogs I've read lately. Maybe they're making a comeback... or maybe they're like the pair of jeans you forget about in the back of your closet. You put 'em on, and remember how wonderful they once were and made you feel. Yep, still feels good.

I feel like I've really lost touch with my writing, so I'm hoping this will be an outlet for me to practice and get into the groove of writing again. Here goes nothing.

So much has happened since my last post. Then again, some things never change.

Things that have changed:

• The boyfriend and I are officially living together (as of last week!)
• I've moved back to the Charlotte area (and looking for employment opportunities).
• I've met and gotten to know some wonderful people over the last few years.

Things that haven't changed:

• Sebastian is still the love of my life.
• The boyfriend is a close second. It'll be 7 years for us this year.
• TV is still an obsession (although, since it's summer, I've cut back my TV-watching a lot).
• I still have the most amazing family and friends!
• Still loving life!

Well, it's the Friday before 4th of July weekend. Maybe I'll surprise myself and post again soon!

Sebastian - the nonstop barking dog?

Tiny Dog Has Been Barking Nonstop For 6 Years

Thanks for sending along Observation Bubble.

Sebastian Look A Like

Or maybe Sebastian just looks like this dog... Anyway, this is a maltipoo, Jessica Simpson's maltipoo to be exact.

And here is my baby.

I can see some differences, but overall, pretty similar. A lot more similar than Sebastian and Falcor!

I promise I will not write about my dog.

I promise I will not write about my dog.

I promise I will not write about my dog.

I promise I will not write about my dog.

I promise I will not write about my dog.

Another day, another thought

I am quite proud of myself today. My life since moving into my own place has been quite boring, of course except on weekends. I come home from work, take my dog, cook dinner and then watch TV until bed. Yes, that’s me – 7:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. How sad right? As of lately, I have become OBSESSED with TV, mostly because I know how much it is costing me and because I have DVR. I DVR everything now, even at the same time as I’m watching the show. Anyways, I’m proud of myself because after watching “Kitchen Nightmares,” I decided I wanted to return to an old love – music. So I turned off my tele!

I came to my computer, turned on the “Mamma Mia” movie soundtrack and started dancing around the apartment. This led to singing, then dancing with Sebastian (yes, he danced with me because I don’t have another man in my life who will) and then vacuuming. As I write this, I am sitting in my room – deskless, exhausted, sweaty and yet, smelling like clean carpet. Can you believe that is what has made my night? I swear I need to live a more exciting life. But then again, we choose our own destinies right? I keep saying, one of these days… Ugh I just need to make the leap. Save up for a few years and then take a few weeks off and do things I want to do.

Go to San Francisco or Los Angeles. Hell, go to the West coast!

Live it up big in New York and/or Vegas.

I think I could only be so extravagant for a week or so. And not just because of the finances, but I think mentally, I have to be grounded. At the end of the day, that’s the kind of person I am. Just someone who is grounded and simple. I joke a lot that I’m a 40 year old person in a 20 year old’s body, and friends confirm this. Some say it’s because I’m wise, with which I have to disagree. I think it’s because I’m into things I shouldn’t be into yet – like having kids, yes my maternal clock feels like it’s just ticking away, having a home, etc. I mean, goodness – I’m not even 25 yet! Give me a break! Wait five more years! Haha. Well, for now I have Sebastian, and he’s quite a handful already.

There are so many other thoughts, but alas, it is beyond my bed time. Until I can gather all my thoughts, a list of my random thoughts will suffice for the evening…

1. I’m annoyed that he only calls me when it’s convenient for him. What’s the saying? Don’t make him a priority when you’re only an option to him.
2. I am sickly in love with Westlife.
3. I don’t care what anyone says, I DO like the country version of “Home.” It features the kick ass Miranda Lambert.
4. I think I am getting annoyed with my cell phone already. It’s only been a few months!
5. It’s official, I’ll be in GSO for another year at least!
6. Times have changed since I started blogging. A colleague told me yesterday that I should reserve my blog for more interesting things like cool videos and funny pictures. Hope readers will still enjoy my random meanderings anyway... But I'll try to find some cool videos eventually...
   

Let it shatter the walls for a new, new sun... A new day has come

This is my first official entry since my last one nearly two years ago. Things have changed so much in my life, and for that, I’ve decided to delete all my previous entries. For one, I am no longer in college. Took 3 ½ years to finish up my degree in communication studies. And now I am young public relations professional – learning the trade, already in a second job.

Second, I’m no longer in a floundering relationship. I had always been on the brink of a break up going into college and even during it. My assumption was that it was the person I was seeing at the time. I’ve come to realize that a lot of those problems stemmed from my own insecurity. Now I’m fatter and even less attractive than I have ever been, but feel more secure and confident in who I am and how I look than ever. I’ve had my ups and downs – as life will have it – and I’m sure I will continue to have those, but for the most part, I am content with my life. I believe a large part of what I was going through when I was in college was just because I felt I needed to be overly dramatic, and boy, did the drama follow. But the tides have changed. I’m no longer a young adult, and feel I have truly moved into the adult phase of my life.

Third, I have responsibilities now. And I don’t mean the responsibility of nagging my boyfriend to spend time with me or the responsibility of going to class on time. I have a small apartment and another life that depends on me. I think we all have a need to feel needed or responsible. My dog satisfies that for me. He is everything I could’ve ever hoped for and completes my life in a way that I didn’t know he could. And I actually pay all my bills now – rent, electricity, water, cable and more.

Well, what’s to come? It’ll be documented here in my very own, revamped online journal. Hopefully it won’t be allllllllllll about my dog, as some have speculated… Thanks for visiting and I hope you’ll come again.