Category: My Life

I’m taking a few minutes to sit up, with my head tilted, to write you all a little note. I’ve decided that I am a Blog Addict! I really miss writing each day and sharing my little corner of the world with you all.

I have been a very good little girl, lying here, on my side, resting. I believe my eye is doing well, but I am still having double vision when the eye is not patched and there is occasionally quite a bit of discomfort.

Still I feel incredibly lucky on many levels. I feel lucky to live in a country with some of the finest doctors in the world. In fact my surgeon is doing research now that may help restore vision to the blind.

I feel lucky to be married to a man who would drive 1200 miles to get me to my doctor, and to cook and clean up meals so that I can rest and heal.

Me and Mandy

I feel lucky to have a daughter and husband and M, who came and made my Christmas Eve dinner! I felt loved and cared for, even if it was hard for me to lie still.

And I feel lucky to have my pups who have taken such good care of me.!

Greta and Arnie

Anneliese

And I feel lucky to have all of you who are out there praying for my return to health. Thank you!

Written by Sister Melodie, as told to her by Maribeth

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It’s been a long couple of days. I know most of you are wondering why I haven’t posted anything since the end of my vacation so here is the long and short of it……

Hubby and I were really lucky to have gotten off the ship a little earlier than most. We had a plane to catch that would land in Atlanta where we would board a connecting flight to Boston. We made the flight out of Puerto Rico and landed as scheduled in Atlanta.

This is where things began to go from bad to worse.

There was a huge snowstorm hitting the Northeast. At first we thought we would only be delayed, but as time passed, more and more flights were canceled leaving crowds of people trying to scramble to change their flights.

We saw we were number 96 and 97 on the standby list meaning that there was no way we were going anywhere.

Hubby and I then decided to check other airlines and see if there was a chance that we could find two seats so we could head home, but everyone else had the same idea and in fact we were told that they would not be selling any tickets until Wednesday.

As I got up out of my seat about this time the retina in my right eye detached. The one in my left eye had done the same thing 7 years ago so I knew right away what had happened. As much as I dreaded telling hubby what had occurred at the most inopportune time I knew immediately that I had to get to my eye doctor as fast as possible.

Hubby said we would rent a car and take turns driving, but there was no way I could drive since I had no vision in my right eye. He’d have to do the whole drive all twelve hundred miles himself!

Luckily we were able to rent a car fairly quickly and off we went at 4pm on Sunday with Hubby driving all through the night. He really had Santa beat with his all night drive without the help of Rudolf I might add.

When we hit NJ I had an idea to call my sister, Melodie who lives in Connecticut. Hubby could bring me to her house, Mel could drive me to Dartmouth to the eye doctor and Hubby could head to Boston, return the rental car and pick up our car and head home for a rest.

Mel was more than happy to help out and we arrived at her house at 9:30 am. Our only stops along the way had been for coffee to keep us awake and then pit stops because we drank so much coffee to keep us awake.

At around 7am I had called my doctor and was told to get there as fast as I could. They would be waiting for me and not to eat or drink anything in case I needed an operation.

At Mel’s I grabbed my toothbrush and a very few things out of my bags and moved into her car, as we sped off to Dartmouth, Hubby headed to Boston.

Mel drove swiftly along and we arrived at just about 1pm where I was examined and my suspicions were confirmed, I did have another retinal detachment. I was led to the treatment room and my good doctor said my sister could stay by my side and hold my hand. Mel watched the whole thing.

At one point when we thought we were nearing the end of the whole procedure the pressure in my eye jumped up dangerously and Doctor C. had to work quickly to lower it before damage could be done.

Dr. C. confirmed that I had arrived in time because it is during the first 24 hours that the best results and repairs can be made with a detachment. I was so very, very lucky!!

We finally left the hospital some time after 5pm. Mel hadn’t eaten since breakfast and I had not had anything since around 4am.

We made our way to a nearby hotel that the hospital recommended and got a room.

I had been instructed by Doctor C. that I MUST for the next two weeks lie in a certain position to assure that the reattachment would work and heal properly.

The whole thing was pretty scary and very painful once the block wore off. Mel had gotten me some pain medication at the hospital pharmacy which didn’t do a heck of a lot, but helped some.

Mel waited on me, got up in the night when I was awake, found tea and food for us and helped me take a bath, let me use her pajamas and made sure I was lying in the right position.

The next morning after a good breakfast we reported back to the hospital where Dr. C. rechecked my eye. The pressure was good and everything looked good.

At this point Hubby arrived to take me home, having dug our car of the snow in Boston by hand, and arriving home Monday afternoon at around 4pm a full 24 hours since we had left Atlanta. Thankfully he brought me my coat; pillow and a blanket so I could lie down in the car all the way home.
Today found me back at the hospital for another check and even though I feel like I am looking through Vaseline I am beginning to get my sight back already.

Being able to see is such a wonderful gift and one we all take for granted until we find ourselves in a position of not being able to see. There is no doubt in my mind that my best Christmas gift for this year is the gift of my sight!!!

I’ve always lived with the motto, “Never go out looking bad enough to upset old people and little children.”

Which is why today when I went back to see my doctor about the pneumonia, and I had to put on this:

I feared for anyone I might meet.

I actually had two people in my doctor’s office remember me. Now since they’ve only seen me with the mask, I’m thinking I must have memorable eyes or something!

I was sent on to the local hospital and while I sat waiting for my chest x-ray and blood tests, a little girl looked at her mother and said, “Look Mommy, a Pirate Lady!” I thought she was a very creative three year old.

I got the tests done and came home carrying a prescription for antibiotics. Hubby was a sweetheart and took the prescription out for me so I could sit down with the dogs and rest. Just to see what the dogs would do, I put my mask on for them.

Personally, I think that Arnie liked it because he didn’t want to leave me alone while I had it on! So what do you say, is it a good look for me?

I woke to the sound of the wind roaring on Saturday morning. When I first came to I heard it, so I pulled the covers over my head and slept just a little longer.

After a bit, I got up with the dogs to let them out and found the 55 mile an hour winds scared the dogs enough so that they ran out, communed with nature and ran in again pretty quickly!

Hubby and I watched the last of the series “The Band of Brothers” and then mostly had a quiet day. I did pull out all the leftover turkey and the soup stock I’d made and put together a turkey soup for our dinner.

I also got out the Christmas Cards, sent Hubby a rough draft of our Christmas Letter, and then lost my energy and so my cards have not gotten even one address written on an envelope. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

I did have a bright spot in my day! I got this picture of Anneliese’s daughter, Baerbel today with her little girl Eliza!

Now don’t those two look made for each other?

These are the pictures that make my days really good ones!

Tonight I think I will get my warm pajamas on, find a dackel that wants to cuddle and watch some sort of mindless TV movie.

The wind is still blowing and the dogs still just want to be inside with us. That’s actually a very nice thing.

“Come here, Greta! Let’s cuddle!”

The day after Thanksgiving often means madness and mayhem for people who want to rush out and get all their Christmas shopping done. I chose not to be crazy, so I slept in, and when I did drag myself out of bed, I leisurely sipped my coffee and read my email.

It was raining hard, and was quite chilly, in fact I had to practically kick the dogs out to get them to commune with nature when they woke up.

Hubby got up and put Anneliese out and then came back to the family room and sat down. I asked if Anneliese was in and he said, no, but that she would bark when she wanted to come in. Greta does that, not Anneliese or Arnie.

Needless to say when I got up and went to the door, there she was, my soaking wet baby! I scooped her up in a towel and dried her off, until the shaking stopped. Hubby still maintains the shaking was caused by my making such a fuss over her wetness!

Later in the morning I decided to call all of my puppy buyers to check on my little grand-puppies. I started with Calvin, whose family just adores him. Their other dog, a female blood hound, has adopted Calvin and he is now her baby! It was a great phone call and I felt happy for Calvin!

Next I called Curt’s new family to see if they’d changed their minds and wanted to bring him back? No chance of that! They are absolutely in love with the little guy and apparently he is very much at home with his new family. There are also dogs there and Curt is having a ball playing with them. I ended the conversation with a big smile on my face!

Then I called to check on Schnapps. I wondered how my little girl was doing. Well, she has taken over the house, stolen every one’s hearts and is quickly learning all sorts of new things. Her new Mommy is training her to sit and lie down and of course the usual house training that all puppies must go through. I was thrilled!

My last call was to Fenway and Wally’s new home to check on them. They are having the best time with the boys. They take them everywhere, play with them and even have Wally trained to bring the ball back when they toss it for them. I could hear how much these boys are loved and it made me feel so happy and warm.

Many of you have asked me how I can give up these furry little bundles with each litter? It’s not easy, because I grow to love them all so much, but…when I see and hear about how much they are loved in their new homes, then I know the work I have done is making someone else’s life better, happier and richer.

Knowing that, makes it all worthwhile for me.

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Once again, if anyone would like to exchange Christmas cards with me, I would just love it. Please send your full name, address to dackelprincess(at)metrocast.net and I will add you to my list!