The Dackel Princess

What A Long Day

Yesterday the day actually started fairly joyously! I started the day with a phone call from Mandy, and the return of my summer kids to their grandmother’s house next door. We shared tea and hugs and doggy kisses! Matina, James and Kamari are back for their yearly visit. I look forward to this all year long!

I managed to get lunch done and then raced out to the Post Office and down to my surgeon’s office to get the stitches out. I suspected an infection and I was right. Although they did take the stitches out, I am now on antibiotics for the next week.

I went to our local Pharmacy and when I dropped the prescription off I asked how long it would be. They told me 15 minutes. I walked up and down the store isles. I shopped for cards and sunscreen (my new best friend). I found some cute water shoes (as I like to wear them when I swim in the lake as the pebbles hurt my feet. I know, I am a wuss!). Then I sat down and waited….and waited….and waited. One hour later I walked out of the Pharmacy with prescription in hand! Can you believe how long that took?

I came home and was here long enough to see Hubby and wave to him as he drove off to a meeting. Bye! He told me to have dinner ready when he got back, but about a half an hour later I noticed that he’d forgotten his cell phone! There was no way for him to call and let me know when he would be done.

Ah well, it all turned out okay, as I waited until he came back and then made his chili and my salad. After dinner, I sat with a hot cup of tea and the desire to not do another thing the rest of the day.

And that is exactly what I have done!

Catching Up

So, here I am back home and settling in. It really feels great. I puttered around the house today and did a few things. For instance, I made more potato salad for Hubby. The 5 pounds I made before I left for my sister’s house disappeared while I was gone. I also cooked a big pan of sautéed zucchini and summer squash. The garden is starting to offer us vegetables on a regular basis, so the real fun starts now!

I went out to the garden to check on things and carefully fed each plant. They all looked a bit unhealthy, so I used Miracle Grow to feed them with. I hope this helps.

I get my stitches out at 1:30 today. I can hardly wait. I think my nose looks pretty good though, I just hope there isn’t a big scar.

As you can see it really has healed well. Another few days and I think the ouch factor will be gone! I will let you know.

I have started to work with Anneliese getting her ready for the German Dog Show. Today we walked in a heel pattern up the drive and around the block. She did very well. I have two months to get her trained for the show. Wish me luck!

Home Again

I’m home again. Ahhhhh. It felt so good to drive into my garage, and walk in to my home where I was greeted by my pack of dogs! The drive home was a long one, over 4 hours and since I decided to stop off and get some groceries it took me even longer. However, I was rewarded at the grocery store with Lobsters on sale for $5.99 a pound! So dinner tonight was Lobster, potatoes, and corn on the cob! The best summer meal I can think of.

The kids all have stopped by to count my stitches, and once dinner was done, I slipped into my pajamas and robe to just rest up. I’m feeling pretty exhausted after the last few days. I think I need a little rest.

I did have a great time with my sister, though. It was like old times working with her on a big project.

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Par-tay!!!

Today we had the party for my parent’s anniversary. Sixty years! Wow! It’s amazing to think that they have been married that long. Of course they have actually been together longer, as they met when they were 14 and 15 years old.

Growing up as their child, there were times I thought that they would not survive the marriage, but the basic love was there. Today I saw something rather beautiful, and totally unexpected.

My mother was like a giddy bride on her wedding day. My Dad, who is terribly ill, did something I did not think possible. Today, he worked hard to stay awake, not complain about any of his problems and to make this day happy for her. He chatted with everyone, he held her hand. He kissed her for the camera and when the time came for them to cut a replica of their wedding cake, which had been lovingly made by my sister, he insisted on getting up and walking over to cut the cake with my mother.

He made this HER day, just as he had sixty years ago.

I looked at this man, who is my father and in that moment much of my youthful anger vanished. Here is a man struggling at the end of his life, who loves my mother so much that he made this day special for her.

I am thankful that I had the chance to see this.

Happy 60th Anniversary, Mom & Dad

Today my parents will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. We are holding an afternoon tea for them with family and friends. When you think about it 60 years is a very long time to be with a person. Sixty years of waking up and seeing the same face each morning or last thing at night. Sixty years of electric bills, car payments and mortgages. Sixty years of children’s births, and loved one’s deaths. All shared together. Somehow, they made it.

Boys, Noses and Pools

I was able to come to my sister’s house today and watch her grand kids swim and frolic in her pool. It was so much fun to watch them, and I really marveled at how much they had grown over time. Taft is tall and lean and athletic and his younger brother Luke is such a grown up boy now, who is not afraid of trying any of his brother’s tricks in the water. Taft patiently taught him how to somersault in the water today and Luke worked at it over and over and finally got it!

I even went in the water with the kids, just to cool off and get wet from my neck down. I have to keep my nose dry for a while.

Speaking of my nose, it’s doing okay. The bruising has started now, and although the pain has ebbed some, I find it difficult to eat anything that requires vigorous chewing. So give me some soggy toast and I’ll be fine. We did get more news from the pathology department. They excised a lot of tissue around the tumor and today these results came back. They got it all. This is very good news!

Tomorrow we plan to finish up the last of our plans for the party on Saturday, and maybe I’ll even get into the pool again. That would be so nice. For now, it’s time for another cup of tea and a pain pill!

The Day Has Arrived

After a night where I just didn’t sleep at all, my day started off with a thud. I decided that since my surgery was not until noon-ish, I would go to Weight Watchers. I knew I hadn’t done too well over the fourth of July, but I didn’t think I had done that badly. Well, I was wrong. I gained 2 pounds! Shoot! I was really beating myself up about that until I realized that nearly every one in the class had gained weight. So in the end I didn’t feel so bad. In fact the class was such a good one that I felt better.

I came home and picked up Hubby so he could drive me in for my surgery. We arrived at the hospital and checked in. Everything went particularly fast and before I knew it they were trying to start an IV on me. I have teeny tiny veins, and it took three attempts before they got the IV started. They used novacane for two of the three attempts, and the one that they didn’t use the numbing agent on….let’s just say that hurt like heck!

Once plugged in to fluid, they wheeled me into surgery and things started. They gave me some “happy juice” in my IV, a local anesthetic in my nose and then everything started.

I do recall everything, and even conversed with the doctor while he did the operation. We reached the point where he took out the tumor and while we waited for the frozen section to go to Pathology we chatted about a few things. For instance, a song came on the radio, “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You”, and I told them that I knew the man who had written the song. He is a very good friend of one of my closest friends, and so while I lay there waiting I though of her and how special our friendship is.

Eventually the Laboratory called with the results. Yes, it is cancer for certain, but it is a Squamous cell carcinoma. This required more cutting of the area around the tumor and a slightly larger incision. Here is what I look like tonight.

Hubby was waiting for me, and he brought me home and then went out and got my medications. He made our dinner, and is spoiling me and taking very good care of me.

I slept for a while in the early evening, and I hope soon when I go to bed I will actually sleep. One thing is for sure, this thing really hurts! Thank goodness for pain medication!

Thoughts On A HOT Summer’s Day

I’ve been working all day on things, getting ready for my surgery and for the party for my parents, yet when I look around me, I don’t feel I got much done at all. I don’t seem to be able to stay focused too well on things.

I did go to the dentist, and look….No Cavities!!!

I also got my hair done and it looks pretty, soft and curly.

And my doctor called to make sure I was all set for tomorrow and not nervous. He also asked if I had any questions and was so genuinely concerned. I appreciated that. Dr. S. is a nice guy.

Here is a picture of the little problem spot on my nose.

(click to enlarge)

The temperature here got up to 95 degrees, and the humidity is high. It’s genuinely uncomfortable. Ah, it’s summer in New England. This means that like every other New Englander, I am complaining about the weather. We’re a picky lot. You see in the winter we complain about the snow. In the spring about the mud and rain. In the summer the heat and humidity, and the Autumn…hmmmm, I can’t think of anything bad there. Oh my. Perhaps the Autumn is the perfect time of year!

Yes, Autumn. A perfect season, with colors bright and the air cool and crisp. Ah yes, it’s nice to think of that sort of weather on a day like this.

The Week That Was (Or Will Be!)

I got a call from the hospital today asking to pre-register me for my upcoming surgery on Wednesday. Fine, I said, let’s do it. So we went through a list of questions.

Name: Maribeth

Date of Birth: November 17, 1958

Next of kin: Hubby

Primary Care Doctor: Dr. C.

Insurance: Yes.

Did I want to sign up for a new program that involves setting up an automatic payment with a credit card once the Insurance company has paid their share?

Hm. I had to think. What is the advantage?

Well, the advantage is that after the Insurance company pays their share we get a 20% discount off of what we must pay. By using the credit card we save them having to bill us.

I talked to Hubby about it over lunch and we decided to go with it.

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I had no sooner hung up the phone with the Hospital Office Personnel, than my phone rang again and it was the Operating Room Scheduling Nurse. She told me that my surgery will be at 1 PM on Wednesday which means Hubby has to have me there by noon. Then she needed to ask me her questions.

Medications: Yes.

Diabetic: No.

Smoker: No.

Drinker: No.

In four short questions this woman learned that I am a totally boring woman who drinks tea.

She told me I could have nothing to eat after midnight, although one 8 ounce glass of apple juice was allowed. Gee, isn’t that nice!

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Once I was done with her I was starting to make Hubby his favorite potato salad, when the phone rang again. It was my dentists office reminding me that I have an appointment tomorrow. Yep, I knew that! It’s on my long list of things I am doing this week.

I finished that, made lunch and once that was done Hubby left to go work on one of our town parks, and I finished making the potato salad.

The phone rang again, and it was my hair stylists office reminding me of my appointment with her tomorrow directly after my dental appointment. Yes, I must be beautiful for my plastic surgeon! LOL!

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Then Greta and I were off to the Vet for her exam. She is doing better, but still has a little mastitis and must be on antibiotics another week. She was a very happy girl to go out for a ride in the car, and to see everyone at the Vets office.

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Arriving home we met up with Hubby and now we’re cooking out the last of our marinated chicken breasts for dinner. Tonight is an easy meal night, and then tomorrow I will cook a little so that on Wednesday when I get home I can just sit and Hubby can wait on me!

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So life is busy, and I am trying very hard to keep things in balance all this week. I have to say, things are not usually so chaotic. It’s not that I am a lazy person, far from it, as I have four dogs and a husband to keep up with, but I do like my tranquility, my slow paced life and I will be glad when it is mid July and I am back to living my normal, quite existence.

New Software

After months of frustration I asked Goofy Girl Designs to move Dackel Princess to a new platform with new software. You see many people were having trouble commenting as Movable Type kept kicking commenters to the curb! I am hoping that the new software will enable people to comment without a problem, while still keeping the spam away. I’m learning the new software myself now and so I hope you will all bear with me during this learning time.

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This is a busy week for me. Tomorrow I am taking Greta to the Veterinarians as she is still in the throws of a false pregnancy. I am worried about her. I hope the Vet has good news for me.

Tuesday is also a big day as I have my teeth cleaning and an appointment with the fountain of youth to get my monthly hair dip! Lord keep me from showing all that gray hair!

Wednesday is, of course my surgery. I admit to being nervous, but in the end, it is the right thing to do and I’ll just have to accept a little line on my nose when it’s all over ad healed.

My parents will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on Saturday and my sister and I are hosting a party for them on Saturday. I’ve selected my outfit. It’s a silk two piece skirt and top I got a few years ago at Liz Claiborne. It’s light and soft and should be comfortable in the summer heat.

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So, let me know how you like the new software. Is it easier to comment, etc. Thanks again to Heather for doing all of this work!