Monday, November 25, 2013

Goodbye Obie



  I thought my next post would be to pass along the results of my visit to the Vanderbilt cancer specialist tomorrow morning, but life has a way of throwing curves. We lost our little dog Obie today.
  His breathing this weekend had been fast and shallow. Rita had a Dr. appointment at 1:00, so she dropped him off at the vet on her way. I had intended to go, but I didn't sleep much last night because of the terrible itching that accompanies the jaundiced skin, so I tipped back in the recliner after breakfast with Obie on my lap and we fell asleep. Next thing I knew, Rita was taking Obie and heading out to town. The vet gave him an antibiotic and said he likely had congestive heart failure. Rita had no sooner gone back to the car and left the parking lot when he died, laying on the car seat. Needless to say, she was pretty shaken.
  Obie was a teacup poodle rescue dog. Some friends of friends found him 7 years ago in winter, weighing 2.5 # and in very poor shape. They all had dogs already so we agreed to keep him until they could find him a permanent home. That was 7 years ago! At first we thought he was a puppy, but the vet estimated him to be at least 6 at the time, so he was now at least 13 years old. He weighed 3.5 to 4 # when we got him back into shape.
  He was very difficult to photograph....kind of camera shy. The top picture is in my office, perched on the pillow on a chair where he could see out the front window, and the 2 pictures below show him in his sweater, tucking, which is what I called it when he tucked up as close as he could get, and a quick shot out on the grass earlier this year. He was the epitome of a lap dog. All he lived for was for someone to sit down so he could curl up on a lap. When you walked through the living room, he would try to "herd" you to a chair and grab some lap time! There was never a sweeter, more loving little dog.
  So, goodbye little Obie. aka Obis, Mobie, Mr. Mobis, Obiator and many other nicknames. You loved and were loved and will be greatly missed.


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Preliminary Diagnosis



  This picture was taken about 2 weeks ago, fog hanging around in the morning with blue sky above.

  The focus of my posts is going to shift over the next weeks as I want to blog about my new "journey".  I'm hoping some of you faithful readers, and maybe some new ones, will walk with me.

  After the CT last week, the preliminary diagnosis from my surgeon was that there is a mass in my pancreas, most likely cancerous. She offered that it doesn't appear to have spread and that we may have caught it early. She is referring me to a specialist at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, whom we will see next Tuesday, Nov. 26. I am so grateful that we are near a hospital with the credentials of Vandy and that I have been referred to a top notch specialist. I know that the road ahead will not be easy, whatever the final diagnosis and treatment, but I am so encouraged by a loving wife, children and grandchildren, sisters and bro-in-laws, cousins, church family, and friends of long standing as well as recent years, including blogging friends. It is impossible to know how many prayer lists I have been added to the past week; it is wide and far ranging and I am eternally grateful.

  I have so enjoyed this blog during this first year; even though the focus will change now for a time. It is my prayer that I will enjoy the birthdays of all 4 of my grandkids in January, February and March when they will turn 17, 14, 10 and 1. And that I will be planting new garden in the spring and enjoying the births of 5 new Angus babies in the next few months and blogging about it.

  "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life."   Psalm 143:8 NIV




Friday, November 15, 2013

Birthday and cartoon

  Today is my 68th birthday. I will "celebrate" by having an extensive CT scan focusing on the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. Your prayers are appreciated very much. In 45 minutes I get to "enjoy" the first of 2 barium banana shakes!
  I enjoyed this cartoon on the editorial page of our local paper yesterday.

"But if you like your head, you can keep it"

"You buying this?"


Monday, November 11, 2013

Checking in....still here

    I haven't posted in a week and a half.....busy with other things, but I don't want to lose touch with ya'll.


  This beautiful red maple in the back yard looked like this 10 days ago; nearly bare today and tomorrow is forecast at 43/23, so that should get the remaining leaves.
  I've been busy with medical tests recently and request your prayers as we try to zero in on the cause. Several varied symptoms coming to a head last week with jaundiced skin. Had blood tests Friday and echocardiogram and ultrasound this morning. I feel well in general, but obviously, something isn't right.
  Thanks for your prayers.