BIRTHDAYS

 

My dear friend Linda sent me a bouquet of lovely flowers for my birthday.  They cheered me up and thank you Linda, you are the sister I never had and we have been friends for such a long time. I love you girlfriend your are my BFF! 

 

My husband gave me this beautiful lamp with a natural Agate  shade on it for my desk..  I have wanted one of these lamps for about 3 years after I saw one in New Mexico and loved it! 

We also went out to dinner with friends but I forgot to take my camera...am I getting CRS?  I hope not!!!!

MINATURE SCHNAUZERS, DIABETES, CUSHINGS disease, AND GENETICS

 

Zoe foreground with Chloe

Chloe & Zoe, originally uploaded by ktsparks.

Zoe my Mothers Miniature Schnauzer came down with diabetes in November.  I must admit it was a shock to me, because she has always been so healthy and strong.  She has always been a drinker but she has never tested positive for diabetes until then.   

Yes, I have always been neurotic about it, and would have her checked all the time because of Chloe having it.  Chloe was her full sister we took two puppies out of the litter of six.

 Chloe hanging out on the right and Zoe on left

Chloe was diagnosed with diabetes first then she just wasn't doing well and we took her to an internal medicine specialty vet who works by referrals.  After a while her specialist checked her for 

 Cushings Disease 
and it came back positive.  They said Chloe more than likely got the Diabetes as a side effect of the Cushings.  It was hard to regulate Chloe's diabetes and she took large amounts of insulin, plus the lysodern for the Cushings.

It was amazing how quickly Zoe who was a 20 pound hunk of muscle dwindled to a 14 pound bag of bones so fast it was scary!  I was very worried that Zoe would meet the same fate as Chloe who only lived about 9 months after her diagnoses of diabetes and Cushings.  It was weird also because Zoe was fine one day it seemed and then she started drinking a lot of water, had incontinence and when checked her sugar levels were over 650!  We put her on canine insulin called vetsulin and she wasn't doing well enough her sugar levels were still high.  When we took her in for an all day blood workup after about a month or so, the vet said there is some talk of the insulin Vetsulin being hard to get because there is a problem with it, and the FDA was getting involved, and it could run out of supply. Our Vet asked us if we wanted to try human insulin instead and I said yes, because Zoe was not responding well enough anyway on the Vetsulin.  Zoe had gotten so bad she had to wear a doggies diaper which she hated!  She doesn't like sweaters or anything and that diaper was really degrading to her!  I had bought that diaper for Chloe before we lost her.  I had to look long and hard to find a good one, but the internet is a wonderful tool for such things.  I highly recommend the Tinkle Trousers if you have a incontinent dog. 

Zoe

After being on the human insulin Zoe is doing much better and

she isn't incontinent any longer and she is eating well and happy again.  She gets her shots twice a day and

She shows no signs of having anything other than the diabetes, which I am so grateful.  It was a hard job to get her back on solid ground but she is such a joy it was well worth the effort.

 

It has been so sweet too to watch Jackie watch out after Zoe and keep her motivated to get out and get some exercise.   Those two girls actually like each other and it is heartwarming.  I did not think at first this would be the case because Zoe hid in my mothers bedroom and would not come out when we came to visit.  That lasted until I came back sick from Scotland and I came with Jackie to stay at my mom's house because it was closer to the bathroom than at my own house.

Zoe has always been known for her beautiful long beard and eyelashes. 

 

well with all this sickness and not feeling good Zoe's beard was not looking so good and driving her crazy.

  She had to be hand fed because the dog food got stuck in her beard

so the other day I brought her home to bathe her and trim her hair, I brushed and brushed that beard

are you ready????? 

still adorable!!!!!

UPDATE

Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts for my one and only brother and only sibling.  He is resting well and is scheduled to be released from the hospital tomorrow.  He was lucky he was in the office of his doctor when he suffered his heart attack and was rushed quickly to the hospital.  He received one stint on Wednesday to a 98% blocked artery.  He is going to be scheduled for two more stints to be inserted in a couple of weeks for the other blockages.  At this time we feel lucky that he made it through this ordeal and is not any worse than it was.  He is in shock that he had a heart attack, thinking he had nothing to worry about there.  Well, that is the case we really never know do we?  Our mother has a heart stint and I think it is amazing he did not think we had a problem in our family.  I think because our father did not have a heart problem gave him a false sense of security.   I think this is a wake up call for us children and that now we know it can happen to any of us.  I pray for his continued speedy recuperation and a long life ahead of him.

Say a Prayer for my brother

I am on my way to Houston in the morning with my mother because my brother had a heart attack today.   He is on the back row right in this old Christmas Photo back in 1989 or so.  I would appreciate any prayers you can offer for him.

WINTER WONDERLAND AT WOOLAROC

One of my favorite places is just outside of town

to the southwest just 12 miles. 

It was the ranch of Frank Phillips who was the founder of Phillips Petroleum Company headquartered in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  He built a Museum on the grounds that is full of the most amazing artifacts and art, even shrunken heads!  He collected exotic

animals and there are still plenty of wildlife on the ranch.

We locals grew up loving this place feeling like it is "our own". My mother played here as a child as did her children, grandchildren, and now great grandchildren. 

I do not care how old you are you never grow jaded

to not appreciate the beauty of this place.

I am going to take you on a little tour of our little jewel in the Osage.

 

Site of the Mountain Man Encampment

 

 

 

  

  

  

 

  

  

  

  

The Museum Entrance

  

  

  

  

 

 

  

VISIT WOOLAROC ONLINE!

Wordless Wednesday

Is This the Winter of Snow????

I just can not believe we have had so much snow this winter.  We had such a bad storm that lasted from Christmas Eve and stayed about 3 weeks, then we got hit with this last one last Thursday evening.  They had us scared to death telling us we were under a "state of emergency" because it was going to be this horrible ICE storm and then snow.   The Governor was on telling us to get prepared and how the state was preparing.  We all went out and got lots of groceries and stocked up on batteries.  Some people go buy generators in case the power goes off for a long time. 

Well we were lucky here we just got snow and there were no disruption of services.  The south western part of Oklahoma got the ice and lots of them are still out of power, in the dark.  I feel sorry for them, I hate the loss of power, NO TV, COMPUTER, CELL PHONE, LIGHTS, etc is horrible for most of us. 

 

 The snow was beautiful and it provided fun for the "girls" to get out and play.  I get out with them and we run around in the yard with them.

 

I am always glad I made this purchase years ago when vacationing in Red River, New Mexico.  I absolutely love my snow boots!  I have been shopping for another pair, because I love them so much.  My husband did not think I needed them when I bought them back in 1985.   I have never regreted buying them and I am always so excited to put them on, they have served me well.

They keep my feet dry when I chase wild dogs!

 

stay warm and safe!