Bad week

The past week hasn't been so wonderful. Sunday night Lacey was running a fever so we made a trip to Children's Urgent Care. She was diagnosed with an ear infection and was prescribed antibiotics, a type she hasn't had before - Omnicef. I was off work on Monday, she stayed home from school and we laid in bed all day watching cartoons. I love moments like that, but on the other hand I had so much to get done! Laundry, cooking, cleaning...I was domestically disabled on Monday.

Tuesday Lacey was feeling better so she went to school, and I went to work. Work was great, no tragedies occurred; it was just a normal day. On my way home from work at 7:30p, I started feeling nauseous. I hate that feeling! The thought of eating made it worse, so I went straight to bed after I got home and slept well.

Wednesday morning my Mom calls and says that Boomer wasn't feeling well. He is my parents' 7 year old dachshund. He is normally a very hyperactive dog, barks frequently and always wants affection. He was perceived to be healthy although he was overweight. He had been urinating on the floor since winter began but we assumed he just didn’t want to go outside. He doesn’t like the cold weather, and his belly nearly drags the ground! Monday he wouldn’t eat, Tuesday he was vomiting, and Wednesday we made an appointment with the vet. When we arrived at the vet, he was very weak and couldn’t even stand up. His eyes were open but not responsive. The sent us directly to the 24 hour emergency clinic for more advanced testing. The started intravenous fluids immediately and began lab work. His blood sugar was over 600. His white blood cell count was in the 90’s. (normal is 5-10). His kidney function tests were all highly abnormal. Surprisingly he was not ketotic, which means his blood sugar hadn’t been elevated very long. Antibiotics were started immediately, and a few hours later he was more responsive. We said goodbye to him, patted his head and kissed him. He knew who we were and his tail was trying to move as he was lying on the table hooked up warming blankets and various tubes. 35 minutes later we got a call that said he had died. They attempted CPR for 10 minutes. I am still trying figure out how CPR is done on a dog!? I just can’t picture it. They administered different types of recessive drugs and nothing worked. The vet didn’t clarify the cause of death, but I believe had had a urinary tract infection that became septic. It fits the symptoms – he wasn’t a dog that would normally urinate on the floor.

Thursday the girls left for school and Ryan and Ashley went with me to pick him up for a burial in the back yard. I was still feeling nauseous, and I hadn’t eaten since lunch on Tuesday. Seeing the vet bill didn’t help the nausea. $972 !! The ground on the hill was still covered in snow and frozen solid! We laid him to rest and said our last goodbyes. Ryan is picking up extra hours and had to be at work at 2pm. I ate chicken noodle soup and took a nap.

Friday I still wasn’t feeling well. I stayed home most of the day, seeking motivation and energy to finally do some housework. Laundry is out of control, and I must clean up the kitchen so dinner can be made. I managed to do the sink full of dishes and sweep the kitchen floor. I made potato cheddar soup, the girls love it! I tried to eat, but still had no appetite. I wasn’t even able to eat the chocolate cake I made for dessert. I must really be sick! After dinner, the girls and I cuddled on the couch and watched the two episodes of American Idol we had missed through the week. We went to bed after and I woke up around 1a.m freezing! The pilot light went out and I re-lit it and tried to go back to sleep. I laid there until Ryan came home from work at 3a. I really hate this shift he works; I feel as if he is gone all day and I really miss him!

Today I’ve been trying to regain my health and energy so I can conquer this mess tomorrow! I’ve been watching TLC most of the day, and finally caught up on my DVR’d shows. I recorded an entire series, Trauma. I watched it today and it is a great new show! I hope its makes it on again next season. I am praying that next week is better than this one.

Boomer
October 2003 - January 13, 2010

Where has time gone?

The past few weeks have gone by so quickly! Christmas was fabulous and the girls were very pleased with their gifts! I started my new job in Oncology and it is going great! I am learning so many new things and gaining so many new experiences. I was selected to be part of a new program, the RN residency. It is a one year program that will give me the opportunity to gain experiences in different areas. So far, Oncology is much different than I anticipated. I expected to care for many elderly patients but most times the patients are around my age or even younger. It has given me a deeper appreciation for life and I am so very grateful for my health.

Ryan is still working the 6p-2p shift and I am still HATING it! I can not sleep very well when he is away, and I worry about him driving so far (nearly an hour) home each night. I am working day shift 7a-7:30p and sleep deprivation isn't any fun.

Jordan's 4th birthday was last week. He is fascinated with bugs so we ordered him a "bug" cake from Walmart. The employee in charge of cake decorating isn't the most skilled. I am just happy they put the grasshopper on the "stick" instead of the fly!

Here are a few pictures from Christmas :)

New Year's Eve this year wasn't very eventful. I had to work at 7am on New Year's day so went to be early, woke up at 11:50 to watch the ball drop with the girls, and then we all went back to bed. I didn't make any resolutions to be broken this year, but I have been trying to make a list of goals I'd like to accomplish in 2010. I am planning to redecorate the front room. It is just an empty plain room in the front of the house that is in desperate need of some color. I really like teal, browns and earth tones. I've been looking online for "themes" and I've found a few I really like. I really like these colors and I LOVE the built in book shelves and the fireplace

The wallpaper in the last picture is not cheap, but I'd like to do just one wall. We're also going to take the carpet out and put dark wood laminate down. We're looking for dark brown leather furniture, and unique lamps. I am very excited about it!

Our next "goal" is to plan a family vacation for this summer. Now that we're both working budget shouldn't be an issue but vacation time may be. I really want a beach vacation but not as far as Florida. Possibly Virgina beach?

Well, until next time... :)