Update...

Went back to the ortho doctor today so she could look at my MRI xrays. She said that my knee has had an old injury and has some thick scar tissue. From what she can tell there isn't anything torn. The radiologist thinks there could be a very small spot starting. But for now this is good news.

She proceeds to tell me that I will find comfort in getting a shot in my knee that will help with the inflammation and will help with the pain. Okay I thought....thinking that this will happen on the next visit, or she will refer me out...or I don't guess I don't know what I was thinking! She steps out of the room and comes back with a ginormous needle about 4 inches, maybe 5, long and I could feel myself get weak (in the knee..no pun intended :) ) I told that "this looks like it's not going to feel so good". She said that most people say that it looks worse than it actually feels. Well, it's not exactly peaches and ice cream but it wasn't the worse thing in the world. It is however, the craziest feeling when the medication was going in my knee and afterward.

So I lived to tell the story. She's giving me 3 weeks to see how that does. If I don't find that the injection helped me, then she is going to go do some exploratory surgery to see if there is a tear hidding. Hopefully the injection will help and I get back to my normal routine!

M.R.I...

Tomorrow is the big morning and I hope I don't freak out!

My left knee has been killing me for quite sometime now (at least since March) and I have been just dealing with it. The time has come that I can't just deal with it anymore! Yesterday I went to an orthopedic doctor and had x-rays taken. It didn't show too much but the exam and my description of what was going on was enough of a concern that she is sending me for an MRI. She thinks that I may have a torn meniscus and that an MRI would defintely show it. So we'll see.

Well if anyone knows me well enough, I thought that a nice walk would 1) calm my nerves about being placed in a capsule tomorrow morning for a long time and 2) maybe help "loosen-up" my knee a bit so maybe, just MAYBE I might be able to sleep alittle bit more soundly tonight than the last 3 months or so. Boy that was a mistake. Halfway through, I almost didn't think that I would make it back home. The thought did cross my mind...(I'll just sit here and send Frank home to get the car). I stayed with it and made it back home! But just barely. I don't think the walk has helped my knee feel any better and if anything, it made it hurt worse! I tell ya, getting older just stinks! Spike liked his walk and I guess if someone got some enjoyment out of it, well then, it was worth it! :)

I've Decided...

that I'm terrible at this lately! I really want to be able to sit down and blog but there just doesn't seem to be like there is ever enough time! I am finally done working for the summer. Well, for 4 weeks. I'll be working the second session of summer school. I think by then, I'll be ready to get back to work. I'm already wondering what I'm gonna do with myself. I have a ton of things to do around here but there is so much that I can and want to do with projects.


This last weekend, my Dad and I went to a 3 day seminar with Dr. Ian Dunbar. It was incredible! It was a science-based dog training conference that most of the time went over my head. I went knowing that I wouldn't probably understand everything, but came away feeling like there is so much more that I need to learn in order to work with dogs. Dog psychology is huge! The group of 40 or so people that were there this weekend was a very small group in comparison to what he normally has but it was nice to have the opportunity to have questions answered by a world renowned professional in such a small setting! The information that he shared is brand new info that he hasn't even shared with any other associations yet. We are the first people! I came home and started practicing it on Spike and it started to work. I have a lot more work to do because he has a lot of bad habits that I have instilled in him. So now I have to try to reverse it. If you had a puppy of 6 weeks old, CAKE! People, if you have puppies, now is the time!!! Train your puppies now!



My garden is growing and last week I was able to harvest cilantro from it for the first time! This morning, I picked 8, yes, 8 green beans! Yeah for me!! It's fun to see the fruit of my labor! Now that I can see that I can actually grow vegetables and herbs, I need to grow a bigger garden because six green beans wouldn't feed Frank and I. :)


Frank is doing well. He is FINALLY done with wiring the attic for Internet in the house and he wired for speakers in the family room, our bedroom and the office. He wanted to get that done before he called the insulation people so he wouldn't be stepping on new insulation. I cannot wait to get a proper amount of insulation in the attic so our house won't be so hot. Yesterday, it was 91 degrees in our house when we got home!


Frank's birthday is coming up in a few days and I don't have a clue as to what to get him. He never checks this blog, so if you have a suggestion please let me know! Or you can email me. Thanks!

Catching Up...

We have been quite busy around here the past few months! Getting settled into our little house has been fun and stressful all at the same time! We have had a few small projects that have kept us going but when all is said and done, they have made us feel proud....and like homeowners! :) Frank fixed our RV gate and what a beautiful job he did! We had a new garage door put on, I painted our little kitchen, Frank fixed the pantry doors and caulked around the bathroom toilets, my Dad graciously replaced the tub facuets and helped put in a doggy door (thanks Dad!).

The project that is currently taking place.....the sprinkler system in the backyard had a slow leak in it, so that is being dug up to see what is going on there. With all of this rain that we have been having, our backyard is looking great...who needs sprinklers?? :) We are considering replacing our windows. They are really bad! I would love to get rid of our peach counter tops because they don't match my deep red wall...But I guess one thing at a time! All-in-all, we love our little home and have fun putting it together. It is a slow process but with lots of patience and love, it's taking shape!

Website...

http://www.theidealdog.net/

My Cute Girls!

Look at those smiles...enough said! :)

Congratulations Dad!

My Dad is now official..Certified Dog Trainer!....he passed his finals, which by the way, were extremely intense! Way to go Dad! I'm so proud of you! I sat with him a number of times and he would bounce different senerios off of me and I would quiz him. Let me tell you, those were some very tough questions and I'm so glad that I didn't have to take that test! I think some of the most intense moments have been just waiting to get the test results back. But I knew all along that he did great! Love ya Dad! You're awesome!