Category: Blog

Obi took Reserve.  

Summer took Owner Handler Best of Variety and competed and won against a dog. 

We have groups later in the day.  

Kathleen Weaver

This weekend is the Glen Rose show.  I was planning on taking two dogs and staying at the hotel across from the show site, but I was really dreading the show.

I realized this morning that this is the first time I'm driving more than an hour since the surgery.

First time I'm traveling with two dogs since the surgery — driving to dog agility doesn't count.  

Also, it's in a small town with very few restaurants and grocery stores.   Plus, I might not need both dogs.

So, I'm taking baby steps and driving there each day — it's a 70 minute drive each way, so it will be a good test.  If the major breaks, I only have to take one dog on Sunday and Monday and don't have to worry about the extra dog. Or worry about getting food.

I do have hotel reservations for Midland, but haven't entered that dog show yet.

This is crazy, as I don't remember just how much in pain I was, but I couldn't stand or walk without a walker for more than say two minutes.

Standing is still a problem, but I think that will come with time and strength training.

I finally broke down and went to the recommended surgeon — Dr. Timon with All Star Orthopedics, back in July.  He wasn't hopeful at the time, as he didn't see anything he can fix on the XRay but sent me for an MIR.  He was really excited after seeing it.  He saw a herniated disk which he knew he could fix.

I cancelled dog shows — especially driving to Ohio for the National Beagle Speciality and scheduled the surgery immediately.  It was set up for Monday, September 13.

Got there, did all the prep and was waiting for surgery and Dr. Timon comes in.  He was furious because the facility wasn't climate controlled enough to guarateen that the surgical field would be sterile enough.  I had to get dressed and go home.  Got a call later in the day and the surgery was scheduled for the next day at a different facility.  Of course, I had to prep a second time which was hard on the skin.

That surgery went off without a hitch, but the staff at that hospital was difficult.  Dr. Timon insists that his patients walk every three hours for 24 hours after surgery.  Well, you tell me something and I'll do it to the best of my ability.  Unfortunately the staff wasn't on the same page.  Also they were lazy and disconnected my IV which caused it to clog.  It hurts a lot to unclog it.  Also I had no idea that they weren't alerted when the alarm went off.  They also didn't bother to tell me until the last bag of IV antibotics, that it was diluted with glucose (my endo said they should have used saline).

They did put 15 pounds of fluid on me (I know, I weighed before and after surgery).

Once I got home, recovery was easy.  I did insist on home health care which consisted on an OT and a nurse.  The OT came out two times — first recommendation, get a hip kit BEFORE surgery.  That is tools that will help you to keep from BLTing (Bend, Lift, or Twist — which you can't do for 6 weeks).

The wound got pink once, they threw antibotics on it, and it was all good.

I got cleared for PT after 6 weeks and scheduled it immediately. 

Did exactly that the PT people said — and used All Star Orthopedics Physical Therapy — it was my third round with them.  Was cleared after 6 weeks of 3 days a week – about an hour a day.   Did an extra 45 minutes of cardio each day.

I gained a bit of weight before surgery.  Took it off, and have been maintaining ever since.

Managed to accomplish my goal — show my dogs at the Dallas Dog Show — and was able to do it by myself, as always.  

I had a checkup yesterday, got a clean bill of health, and will go back in 6 months.  The PA said I was a textbook case!

Fun appointment. 

My tricuspid valve isn’t leaking as much as it was last year when I was thinking about weight loss. The cardiologist was patting herself on the back for the improvement. 

This puzzled me because I couldn’t remember what she did. 

She said it was because she counseled me weight loss.  

Oh well, if she wants to take credit, okay. 

Kathleen Weaver

I reached a new scale victory today.  This weekend I had reached a loss of 95 pounds since I had lapband surgery.  30 pounds since I joined Profile by Sanford.

I currently have no fluid in my band.

My insulin usage has gone from over 100 units a day to 100 units a week but that’s because Profile by Sanford is so low carb.

I still have a high amount of arthritis pain but I am finding it easier to get around.

I saw my Endocronolist Friday.  

I've lost about 30 pounds since I started Profile by Sanford.  My A1C is down to 6.5

I've gone several days without dosing insulin, and basically had my pump off.  

She suggested that I set the pump to deliver the minimum amount of insulin as she was concerned about clogging and asked if I wanted to go off the pump.  I asked about smart pen's and she suggested the InPen.  We jumped through insurance hoops and prescription hoops and the InPen arrived today.

They are a bit difficult to load (I was sent two, I'm keeping one loaded in the refrigerator).

It's going to feel a bit odd — going from the Medtronic tubed pump to the Omnipod was odd, but I still had a large device attached to me.  Now I just have the CGMS.

Want to know the biggest side effect from the vaccine?

You have to talk about it — did I mention I was in the Covid study?

Anyway, I went in for my 6 month follow up — had to sign new forms, give two large vials of blood, and get an appointment for the one year follow up.

It's crazy because the first blood draw was horrible and the two after have been easy.

I have been on Profile by Sanford since December 10 and have lost 20 pounds.  It hasn’t been hard to follow but I do a few more protein and fat, I think, because I don’t measure them.  If my weight loss slows I will. 

I do move better once I get moving. 

It’s been a fun week.

Somehow I lost 4 pounds. I hope I don’t find them again. I may be in trouble with my doctor.

I’m back a Baylor Dental College as a patient. Last year I had started out as a patient with the hygiene clinic and I’m supposed to go in every 4 months. I think I was the only patient that wasn’t addressed by mom or dad there.

My eyes are hurting. I really think that the cornea dystophy is a symptom of sleep. The storm and rolling blackout really affected my sleep. I saw a therapist yesterday and we focused on that and came up with a plan that worked. I slept but woke up every couple of hours.

I honestly thought wearing a cloth mask over the GIR mask would be a bad idea.  I thought it would make fogging worse.

However, I needed to go to the TAMU Dental College today, and I have gotten a lot of push back on the GIR mask, with screening thinking it was a fake mask.

Wearing the fabric mask over the GIR mask didn’t cause fogging and not one person questioned my mask.

Sad, since the GIR is more effective than a fabric mask.