The risks of texting in posts.

Apparently this is what gets posted when I "text" to my blog. *sigh*

My apologies for the weirdness.

Weird post follows. Needless to say it is unlikely I will be using this feature much.


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The results

The results from the ultrasound were, like all others, inconclusive. Which on the one hand is good because she doesn't have liver or kidney damage, but on the other hand it doesn't get us closer to an answer for what's really wrong with her. She does now have some swelling in her joints, which could be infectious material that's settled there, or it could be autoimmune. Our options at this point are to start over and do pretty much all of the tests over again, do nothing, or something in between.

Two of the in between ones that made sense were to either treat her with long term antibiotics to try to rout out what's causing the infection, or tap her joints to see what's causing the inflammation. If they tap her joints and isolate some sort of bacterium from it, they can also test it against different antibiotics to see what it's susceptible to, and then only put her on those antibiotics. The test isn't terribly expensive, and that way she doesn't have to be on an entire battery of antibiotics, where perhaps only one is actually doing any good. So after talking it over with Jeff, we decided that we're going to take this approach.

Wish us luck

Spoke too soon?

Callay was feeling a lot better. She was eating, she looked to be putting on weight, she was acting almost like herself again. So much so that I almost decided against taking her to the vet's for another checkup, but I took her to Banfield, since we have something akin to doggy insurance that makes checkups free. Well, she was running a fever, and didn't really want to eat that day, or over the weekend, and even until today. I've kept her going with gentle force-feeding (shove wet food in the side of her mouth until she swallows it) but this is not a good thing.

She's at NCSU yet again, this time for an ultrasound to see the current condition of her internal organs, if something has been damaged by all these antibiotics, if she has some lesion, or if just like all of the other tests, it shows "nothing conclusive"

This is so very difficult. If we just had an answer from this battery of tests. . . But for her to go downhill after 2 weeks of feeling really good. For her to spike a fever while still on potent antibiotics. If we just knew what the hell was causing it, we could decide. . . something. She is still acting like she feels fine. She just has a fever and doesn't want to eat. But say the words Walkie, Cookie, ride in the car, and she's bouncing all over the place. Take her for a walk and she wants to jog the whole way. Do we let her stay where she feels good enough to do all that but doesn't want to eat? When do we stop and just let whatever's going to happen happen? After what we have put into this, how do we stop now? How do we just give up on the best veterinary hospital in the state and just see what happens? I really don't believe they're pushing tests on us that they don't feel are necessary. They do seem to be acutely aware of the fact that their reputation is being tarnished somewhat by the fact that they're doing all these tests and still don't have an answer for me or for themselves. I keep asking how this test or this test will change her treatment. They always have sound answers.

I'm frustrated, sad, and worried that I'm making the wrong decisions for her care. Every test seems like it's a good idea and it will answer something or rule something out. And then it doesn't.

So what do I do?

Finished objects

Boy have I been bad about posting pictures of my finished products. Here's one now!

Samus was done in about 4 months, and almost entirely at work. Not while I was supposed to be working, but rather when the guys are hanging about chatting after I'm long done eating, I knit. I would get about 45 solid minutes of knitting done while they discuss the latest television programs. I was a little worried that I would get it done just in time to put it away for the seasone, but fortunately, there was still time after it was finished to wear it. Hooray for freezing temperatures in April! It's missing a button, but my awesome friend Aaron is going to be cutting me one from a piece of antler he has.

I also have been having some moderate success at Etsy, so made a purchase of some new roving and dyed fleeces from The Sheepshed Studio


Some blue superwash, some "dye soppers" and some coopsworth curls.

I was so excited about the order I immediately started a batt. No name for this one, but it's sooo soft and fluffy, I think I"m going to put it in my etsy shop along with a drop spindle as a learn to spin kit!

Shop Update!

www.knitkass.etsy.com

Back again!

Sorry for the long delay. I'm sure most readers know that Callay has been feeling rather poorly as of late, and I've been more consumed with spending time with her than thinking about blogging. She's back to being her normal self now, and while she may need to live with a low-grade heart murmur for the rest of her life, at least she's feeling like a dog again, rather than just feeling sick.



Aroooo!