I'm good here, just about to head on Spring Break with the kid. No school on Friday. We'll be going to my parents house for most of spring break.

I hope Meez will be alright after the vet appointment. My two dogs have a vet appointment on Friday and the older one is getting weaker in the back legs. It is a bit harder for her to get up from the floor now.

Hope you have a good time and you can get something to help your dog. I had a dog a long time ago that had arthritis really bad and we gave her several different supplements that the vet recommended. They really seemed to help her and gave her a better quality of life. This is her. She was the best dog I ever had. I miss her. SHE found the kitten that's laying on her and adopted her immediately. lol

and everyone else including the lurkers... Hi, all!!! I'm back.I missed you all, too. Thanks for all the kisses and goodies you sent my way. I really appreciate it. I'm sorry I missed survival. It certainly wasn't my intention to miss it, that's just how life shook out this time.

I had planned on returning on 2/14 as that's usually when Survival starts. As we know, that didn't happen for one huge reason: On 2/14 I was undergoing unexpected heart surgery. Yes. Surgery. I was totally freaked out but there was no way to avoid it, no other way tofix the problem as all other ways had already been exhausted. Why did I need heart surgery? Because of a very large pericardial effusion that surrounded my heart. It was so large that it was beginning to hamper my heart's ability to beat causing me shortness of breath. Everything went well with the surgery and 3 days later they took out the drain (that hurt. :( ) In total they drailed 750ml of fluid from around my heart. For those non metric people that's 3/4 of a liter or approximately 25 ounces. (2 12 oz cans of soda-ish. ;) ) Once they made sure the fluid wasn't going to quickly refill my pericardium they let me go home with home health nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. That was on 2/20.

Where have I been since then? Recovering. I had another parting gift from my stay in the hospital, pneumonia. It's like I look at a hospital and I get pneumonia. 2nd time this year. facepalm So, I had to get over that while fending off physical and occupational therapy. It took all my energy and it stilldidn't work as they've been visiting2 days a weeks ince. At least the pt didn't make me do hard exercises when my cough was really bad. I'm over the pneumonia now and pt and ot are gone. My hubby is returned to his normal grumpy self ( he was as freaked out about this as I was,) and the kids are back to normal now. Who knew that one surgery would throw a complete wrench into so many lives. It really is true that, even if we don't want to be, we are all connected in some way to someone. ❤

I'm sorry if I worried any of you. I really didn't expect to be gone as long as I have been. I know I missed a lot and I'm sorry for that. You guys are such a wonder ful group of friends. Thank you for understanding my need for a hiatus. I don't know how I would play Subeta without the bunch of you! I love you all. ❤ ❤ ❤

So, what did I miss? Anything good? >:)

Oh Wow Duckie, insane call......Surgery is a insane thing to go threw, I have had 7 surgeries for what I can count in the last 17 years for a few different things.
A rest for damn sure is the best thing to do for a little while at least. I am lighting a big beautiful white candle and sending protection and healing energy your way to help out as much as you need. Glad your back and doing as well as you are. beautiful to hear from you.

- Thanks for lighting the candle and for all the vibes you're sending my way. I'm definitly resting, at least when my hubby iosn't having me go through all the exercises the pt has me doing. They are to help build my balance and stamina and they're actually working, which is why I'm not putting up a fight when asked to do them. :D

How have you been? hugs ❤

Duckiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee! So glad to hear from you! But OMG for all that is holy can you NEVER freaking catch a break? I really want to know who in the galactic cosmos you have somehow pissed off and how to shut them the @$%# up!

Did they say what caused it in the first place? I read somewhere that trauma, autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis), infection, or kidney problems can do it. You were saying that your hands hurt really bad and you had gout not long ago - I wonder if that was symptoms that lead to this. You also fell several times. Other big things were wrong - this could have been missed or passed over. So glad the surgery went well, but damn about the pneumonia. I guess not surprising, but just doubled the trouble of course. But you are HERE and that's what's important! Love to you and family and welcome back. <3<3<3

- I was wondering the same thing, too, while I sat in the MICU waiting for a spot on the surgery schedule. It scared the bejebus out of me because a fall I can deal with but ssomething that threatens to stop your heart and you don't even know it's there? No. Thank. You. The doctors went over my medical history with a fine toothed comb and ruled out trauma, infection, and kidney issues. What they wereleft with was the auto-immune disorder. I told them about me self-diagnosing myself with hand gout because I couldn't get in to see a rhemetoidologist and they ran with it. I didn't know there were somany auto-immune disorders. Holy crapoly. TThey ran all the tests but still couldn't pinpoint which one it was and the rheumatologist didn't answer their summons by the time I was discharged. So, I now have an actual appointment with the rheumatologist (I know I'm spelling this wrong and just don't care. XD ) The appointment isn't until July 29 (Yes, JULY! 😆 ) but at least I finally have an appointment and it will then all get fixed, my hands, my heart, all of it. My cardiologist is keeping a close eye on my heart though. I have to have another echocardiagram in June to make sure the fluid doesn't come back. I also have the home health nurse for a couple more weeks to monitor my condition.

I'm so done with all of this but I'm very glad it's finally getting to apoint that it's being taken care of finally.

You know, I was debating on whether to say anything or not because my history of illness and injury is long and there comes a breaking point where people just don't believe that the stuff is actually happening and think it's just a cry for attention. I want to be that person because it means that nothing is actually wrong with me. :'( But then, I remember what kind of friends I have and it's all better again. hugs ❤ ❤ ❤

Oh my goodness!

That's something no one could ever know about. Good Lord I am so glad you are OK! I can't even articulate myself, all I can say I am so glad you made it through by the grace of God.

No apologies accepted there is no reason to, your health comes first always! I am so glad you're back!!!!

I also second every sentiment Chrysariel said! She was able to get the words better. <3

- Thanks, hon. I'm very happy to be back, too. Although I may not be on tomorrow as I have physical therapy and the therapist is not a slacker. I don't mind,really, because she's helping me get back to where I was before the surgery. It's weird, I have a 3 inch cut that starts just below my sternum and it rubs on every t-shirt I wear. My hubby's solution? Just don't wear a shirt. facepalm 😆 He's such a man sometimes. 😆

huggles you tightly

Glad to have you back!

What a beautiful dog you had! That's funny and cute about how the kittens became her children. I'll ask the vet tomorrow about supplements to help with my dog and see what they suggest.

I'm glad you are back and doing better. Heart surgey is very scary! That's good the doctors were able to get the liquid out and away from your heart. Sending healing and positive vibes your way :)

Wow - that's just awful the doctor on call did not show up! Wth? I know they are seriously specialty doctors, but come on. And you are supposed to be worked in after being in the hospital, much less had surgery, in a month or less. Well, at least you do have an appt! But it does worry me that you are hanging so much on this visit. Your words: "and it will then all get fixed, my hands, my heart, all of it." I'm not going to pick this to pieces... all I will say is Hon, you know life doesn't work that way. Please be simply cautiously optimistic that you might get a few solid answers at least and from that definite ways to help heal and keep an even keel with all the shitstorm going on in your life. Hopefully you don't have RA on top of everything else, but if you do, at least you know, and there are things that can help. I have it and thankfully it hasn't been aggressive and luckily knocks lightly on wood because I can't cross my fingers it's mostly dormant now. The osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis are bitchy enough on their own. lol

I understand why you would worry - I've gotten that reaction from people before, thinking I was just trying to get attention. Even my mother once - who felt bad after I had to have surgery to take a triangular piece of glass about 2 1/2" on the long side out of my knee. But I am not that way. I can't speak for others here, but from the reactions, I believe they don't think that either. You know I'm fascinated with all things medical, but I admit the sheer interest wars with the concern that these horrible things have happened to you. <3

Aww, thanks! :)

She was half Newfoundland, half Rottweiler. She was 12 when we adopted her. My friend was very sick and had to have a quintuple bypass - which I had never heard of until then, and he and then my father later are still the only ones I know that had done it.

Anyway, he knew he might not survive the operation and if he did it would be a long recovery and he was worried about his dog. We were not well equipped to take in a dog, esp a big one like her. I'm certain she weighed well over a 100 lbs, even in her younger days. We lived in a mobile home, and tho we had a yard, we had no fence. The park had set a limit years before of not over 20 lbs too. But I couldn't say no. Eddie lived very close to us and it wouldn't be a problem for her to visit. But it turned out that she was a great dog and loved the cats even tho they had a distinct problem with her. lol One cat had kittens and went outside for awhile. My dog threw a fit and tried to herd them in the meantime. Once she got them all together and sleepy, she laid down around them and thoroughly licked them. Of course it only took one pass with her big tongue and each one was completely covered in dog slobber. OMG, you should have seen the mama when she came back a few minutes later. She really looked horrified and disgusted and proceeded to spend the next two hours cleaning her kittens and glared at us while we laughed. Snicker.

The story about the kitten was interesting. The dog whined and scratched at one part of the wall in the living room facing out. She just wouldn't stop. Finally Rox went outside to search and the dog ran past her and circled the house to the bushes right outside where she had been. She whined and snuffled and shoved in them and came out with a kitten. The kitten was apparently weaned, but only just, and all by herself. From that minute on they were inseparable until my dog died two years later.

You know, everyone knew we had cats. Our own and we fed the ferals and got them fixed. People dumped off their cats in our yard and drove off and others sent their kids to plead that we take their cats and kittens when the parents no longer wanted to bother with them. These were not uncommon. But for the DOG to bring in a kitten herself and adopt it was a new one! lol

With me hun it is snowing snowing snowing and snowing....... BLEH!!!!!! i so hate it. I am hoping for all the snow to melt offf and stay away for the last week of this month so we can go visit family. We have a 9 hour drive ahead of us , but not going if it keeps snowing around here, it would be just tooo dangerous to drive.... Work is keeping me busy and stress is making it hard to sleep so yeah life is just peachy. rofl.... not!!!!

darn laptops! Hope it works fine no. Nope no wors, was asking if anyone else heard something.

you are back! -hugs you tight- Heart surgery?! No wonder i was worried. That is no big deal and they drained a lot! Ok now?

update on Meez: He gave me a health scare! The vet took some urine and blood and ran it while i was there with him. He was not a happy camper. Turns out he has crystals/stones in his urine and that is causing him pain, not going to the bathroom propper and his baldness (seems he wants to get rid of the pain so he was licking and biting where he had pain). If untreated they can rupute his ureter and of bladder and he could die from it. The vet said i was really on time! Anyway he got meds and special feed, can't have any treats, etc just that special feed. Back to the vet in 6 weeks..

Oh My Goodness I’m so thankful that you’re here and doing better! WOW, what an ordeal my sweet lady 🥰 Sending you love and very gentle hugs ☺️

One of my cats has the same issue but it's chronic.

I recommend Feliway to help now and to use always, to help prevent the issue from coming back. I have both my boys taking it, the other only had a small issue but like I said for him we use it to prevent it from being an issue.

My one boy we had issues off and on for a few years, now with his strict RX diet and the Feliway he can live comfortably and urinate comfortably.

Feliway is where it's at.

LMK if I can offer any more info if you need it.

I also had a dog with hip and joint issues. She also was a cat lover too. :)

So he's going to be okay? Just uncomfy for a little bit?

Laptops are a pain in the back side at times, i am learning to love my tablet and my kobo more and more lol

will talk to my vet about that. First we need to get it under control.

he ok now, meds are kicking in and he is starting to act like himself again. I do hope his fur grows back and i can get it all under controle.

I have a laptop to, getting old. Not chariging ok and is empty in a jiffy. What is an kobo?

- Thanks for the well wishes and careful hugs! Hugs you all back ❤

- I know life doesn't work that way but just for once I wish it would. Believe me, I have my feet firly planted on the ground. While the Rheumatoligist didn't show up she did get the referral from the hospital and that is why I got the appointment at all, even if it is 4 months down the road. She's brand new and so inundated with patients she doesn't have time for them all, apparently. I'm not going to give excuses for her, I'm just going to be happy I have an appointment at all. The gods know I have crappy luck when it comes to my health so I'm not going to challenge it any more then I have to.

The physical therapist showed up at 1pm yesterday. Worked me for 2 hours and left me a shaking pile of sweat. After she left, I sat down to cool off and relax a bit and fell asleeep until dinner. I asked my hubby why he didn't wake me up earlier and he said that it looked like I needed the sleep after how much the pt worked me. I'm sore from it today, too. lol It's my fault for telling her I needed to work on balance and my core. 😆

I feel better now then I have in the past 5+ years. I can actually feel my heart beeting in my chest again. It's been longer then I remember since I've been able to feel that. I'm just so happy that it's all over and I'm in one piece. :) I'm sorry to hear about your kitty. I ope the medicine and special feed helps him. I never knew that cats could get crystals in the urine like that. I learn something new every day. Give him some careful pets from me. Hugs ❤

- I know that noone here is like that but my adoptive mother was a hyperchondriac and watching people react to her antics made me very waryy when it comes to medical issues. I tell my hubby that I'm a balance person and that one day I'd like to find the person who is balancing the other end of my life and switch with them, just the health issues, and he gets grumpy with me. He says there is no such thing as balance people but what he's really trying to say and just can't is that I'm not one when he believes I am.

Yeah, this surgery really poked at a bunch of issues I have. :/