Under the Knife Again

I'm having surgery again next week, my 16th. At least this time it does not involve shaving my head. It does however involve a lot of risk, a big incision, general anesthetic, and around a week in the hospital.

I'm also having my first mammogram and an ultrasound because of what we hope is just a small thing. I'm nervous but not much I can do about it. So, first things first, one day at a time.

Help Find Laura Nimbach

This is the Laura Nimbach, sister of a crafting acquaintance I met. Please consider posting this at your blog or social networking site. I know this is not related to my blog's goal but there is nothing more important than family and I know we all would take so simple a measure as sharing a missing persons flier in the hope of spreading her photograph and word about the situation. Let us find an answer for this family.

Assistance Dog update

For anyone late in the game, my Rhodesian Ridgeback Shelby has 2 certification levels already, and is currently working on her 3rd. She is my assistance aka service dog. Due to the nature of my disorders, she has to cover a lot of needs. She is not only a mobility assist dog (when in scooter, she will retrieve dropped items, empty clothes dryer so I can fold, open doors; when in manual chair, help pull, retrieve items off shelves, you get the idea). She is on seizure alert duty 24/7; this is a tough one because of my seizures often running back to back.

I have a couple dozen seizures a day but on one particularly extreme morning, my husband took a great picture I going to share here that I feel shows well the relationship between an assistance dog and their person. Shelby normally sprawls across my lap a few minutes before a seizure starts to prevent me from going anywhere, falling, and getting injured. That morning though instead of sprawling on my lap, she tucked herself up against me, face to face. She stayed like this for more than an hour, until it was over.

March marked one year since we rescued Shelby from the Humane Society, a brutally abused one year old girl, terrified of her own shadow. I'd never had a seizure then, and my husband and I thought we were crazy for going from 1 little old Yorkie Wolfie at home to 3 dogs (that day we adopted not only Shelby but crazy Cairn Terrier Gizmo). We were drawn to Shelby and our hearts knew we had to bring her home. A month later, my disease progressed into seizures and I’ve had them daily ever since, and she could detect them before we could.

Now we know why Shelby came into our lives a year ago. Funny how that happens isn’t it? She is one of the best things to ever happen to us. I don’t think we rescued her, but maybe in a way she rescued us?




If you look at the difference in Shelby's ears and eyes in the pictures, if you are a "dog person" you will really see her emotions. The bottom one is what we call her happy face, her Shelby smile. She was a happy camper hanging out at the local coffee house, ears all perked up. The top picture, her eyes and brows were furrowed and downcast, her body curled up into me, worried and waiting for everything to be over.

FYI

I am updating a couple small things here and there on the site. I am not giving personal updates on my own situation, not on this blog anyway. Things are not going well and I will leave it at that.

The updates I am doing include a major project I began last year and have people around the country involved in as well. I am taking a chance providing an email on this site because of this project. That said, I am sending a message to the ONE person who completely and totally screwed up this blog for all of my readers, including the producers at the Discovery Health.

That one person knows who she is: you believe you are so full of knowledge yet are an incredible idiot, dispensing downright DANGEROUS information to newly diagnosed patients. I spent an ungodly amount of time picking up the pieces of what you did to other people. As I continued to worsen my health would no longer permit me to keep up with cleaning up after you. Add that to dealing with your incessant messages, comments, notes I asked you for THREE years to STOP writing. You obviously do not understand the meaning of STALKER. I will make it clear one last time. You know who you are. Do not even THINK of contacting me again under any circumstances. You know very well how easy it is for me to get authorities involved should you choose to make a stupid move and contact me in ANY way, shape, or form.

Moving on. Everybody else, please ignore all that. It is only ONE person who screwed things up. Please continue to take advantage of the links at the side of the page. The links are excellent; just because the blog is not being updated doesn't mean the links aren't. They are wonderful links, reliable and trustworthy. Use them! Also, feel free to contact me if you need a cap because of brain surgery, or need to locate a neurosurgeon because you are newly diagnosed.

Please allow me a couple days to get back in touch. With a couple dozen major seizures each and every day I don't get a whole lot done and need some time to get back to you. I have no sense of time whatsoever since I spend most of my days unaware of what the heck is going on anyway so please be patient with me.

that's it

I won't be posting for awhile. Just a heads up b/c some of you have this blog on your list and so you can take it off and not waste any time looking for updates. There are things going on that take precedence and i'm worn out from having to deal with them so them and I've had enough. I'll be back at some point but no time soon. Thanks.

Shelby's class

I had class today with Shelby. It wasn't easy, being 7 days out of surgery. Thank goodness for wheels! My head and arm are exhausted but thankfully Shelby was a great lil girl today. By the end of the hour she not only mastered today's commands but also the ones from last week that we missed. She is one sharp cookie!

Miss Shelby in her new vest:

It's been 6 days since sx. Arm is slightly better, not a whole lot. I'm sure it'll get there with time.

It's always strange to be told by a world-famous surgeon if i hadn't had the surgery when id id, i'd have had my arm amputated in the next few months. Strange. What a mental pic--me in a chair with no arms to push with. Sigh.

This puts a sizable setback in getting things made for Christmas.

My incision and surrounding area are really swollen. I felt it earlier and something went squishing around. Am guessing that's my typical EDS body rushing to make sure surgical areas get nice and squishy and puffy and warm.

The kids are still on break, go back to school Monday, ending the 3 week break.

I have to go to class today with shelby, ready or not post-op. Her vest came in while we were away. It is beautiful. The girl did an amazing job with the craftsmanship and embroidery. Will get pic when I can.