tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58045248492067933202024-03-19T06:10:10.729-07:00We Live For CrazyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14622429940619191711noreply@blogger.comBlogger473125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-36448125620387605932018-12-12T16:18:00.002-08:002018-12-12T16:38:48.206-08:007 years with Asha...a little lateIt has become a tradition of mine to write a blog post every year on the anniversary of Asha's adoption date. July marked year 7. Since we moved to Ohio 4 years ago, my blogging slowed way down. If you look back, I've really only written on special days, anniversaries with Asha, deaths, the big move. I honestly can't say why I haven't been blogging. So before we get too close to year 8, here's year 7....<br />
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This year was the most quiet of Asha's life, but the most eventful for our family. It is impossible to believe that more than 7 years ago, this blind, deaf puppy came into my world and changed everything. Now and then I wonder what would have happened to her and to us if we never adopted her. I wonder more what would have happened to her and to us if we had returned her. During those early days she shattered our world and at one point, taking her back was a conversation. We chose to keep her, honor the commitment we made when we adopted her and figure things out. If you have been keeping up with us all these years, you know what we have been through. If you are new to the story, read the previous year's posts and get caught up.<br />
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<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2012/07/one-year-with-asha.html" target="_blank">1 year with Asha</a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/2-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank">2 years with Asha</a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2014/07/three-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank">3 years with Asha</a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2015/07/4-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank">4 years with Asha </a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2016/07/" target="_blank">5 years with Asha</a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2017/07/6-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank">6 years with Asha</a><br />
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At the end of the 6 years with Asha post I talked about her seizures. She had gone years without one and then in August & September of 2017 Asha started having them again. She has epilepsy and so they weren't a huge surprise. We added some additional medicine and that seemed to do the trick. Fingers crossed, it has been over a year since her last seizure, hopefully it stays that way.<br />
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In the Summer and Fall of 2017, Asha and I were still volunteering a couple times a month at Aultman Hospital where we were a therapy dog team. We occasionally would help with the training of new volunteer teams and we loved it. Asha had her favorite people there and we would spend a couple hours walking the floors of that place, bringing joy to those going through a tough time and allowing Asha the chance to experience people (her favorite thing!).<br />
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2018 has been a year of changes in our life. As always Asha seemed to be the most intuitive. She sat a little closer to me, climbed up into bed more often and would lick my face anytime she could. I have always said this dog in my soul living outside my body and that has not changed. I have been surrounded by love this year, starting at home with Asha and the others.<br />
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We have gone a long time struggling to get Asha to sleep through the night. This year she has done a lot better with that. She still wakes up a time or two every night and also goes through cycles where she doesn't sleep, but she is much more calm and settled than ever before.<br />
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My job situation changed this year, causing my schedule to be different. We are establishing a new normal, its just taking some time. Hell, who am I kidding...we are not normal, we never have been or will be normal and that is just fine by me. My time commitments are different and that has affected our routine. It has been a little more chaotic than usual, but somehow I have a house full of animals who really just want to be with me and in the end, do whatever needs done, tolerate whatever needs tolerated and just love me no matter what.<br />
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Asha and I haven't been to Aultman to visit at all in 2018. I know she misses it, I do too. In March we renewed our therapy dog team certification for another two years. We can go visit if we want, there just has not been time. The certification test was an adventure in itself. I always love when a new group of people can see Asha's uniqueness and special ability to connect.<br />
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My parents were here in April and Asha kept a close eye on my dad. She LOVES my parents.<br />
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I've had ever intention on putting this year down into words for a while now and one of my friends told me to do it, not waste anymore time. So here it is. I don't know where the time goes. I really don't. I remember bringing Asha home as if it was yesterday. I remember every challenge, worry, stressor, tear cried, doctor consulted and crisis averted as if they were yesterday. There were years when I just wanted time to pass. I wanted Asha to get older and things to get easier. As that happens, I find myself wanting time to slow down.<br />
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Asha's vet always says to me "we know Asha isn't a normal dog". And that is so true. If she has a problem or a medical issue, its a 1 in a million. If there is a side effect on a drug that only shows up in .0001 percent of patients, she'll have it. I guess that is how her life has always been. The chances that she survived her puppyhood, when her brothers and sisters were all killed for their deaf and blindness, the chances that she ended up at Oregon Humane Society and found a foster home that would take her, the chances that we would adopt her, the chances that we were able to find all the help we found to minimize her many issues...all those things were one in million as well.<br />
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Asha has been lucky, I have been lucky, to spend these 7 years together. Right now she is asleep under the table with her head on my foot. No matter what happens in year 8 or any years we are blessed to have after that, I know she has changed me. I know she changes me every single day. I love her more than ever, I want the days to go slow so I get as much time with her and all the others as possible. I try to be present and appreciate her love (its hard when she's barking at 2am).<br />
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Just today I had some people at the house delivering something and of course, Asha had to meet them. Watching them light up when Asha got excited to see them once again reminded me how precious she is and how fortunate I am to have her light up my world. Every day.<br />
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Here's to another year, to many more years of love and lessons from the most perfect gift the Universe ever gave me. Stay tuned, surely there is more to come...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14622429940619191711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-78596389689884579142017-07-12T16:40:00.001-07:002017-07-12T16:40:38.623-07:006 years with AshaI don't blog nearly as much as I used to in the past. I keep telling myself I should start again, I miss writing and I miss documenting our lives. These days I only sit down to write about big events, accomplishments or milestones. Another year with Asha is all of those things!<br />
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Six years ago today, Trevor and I brought home the single most important agent of change we would ever meet. We had NO idea what adventure we were about to embark upon. That one decision, to adopt this deaf, blind puppy has altered our life in ways I never could have imagined. <br />
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I have written about it every year and it is still just as true, Asha is continually teaching me things. She holds up a mirror and often I don't like what I see, but as the years have passed, I have seen myself adapt and grow. I will always be grateful for that opportunity, regardless of the package that provided it!<br />
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Here are my previous posts:<br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2012/07/one-year-with-asha.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">One Year With Asha</span></a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/2-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">Two Years With Asha</span></a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2014/07/three-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">Three Years With Asha</span></a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2015/07/4-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">Four Years With Asha</span></a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2016/07/" target="_blank">Five Years with Asha</a><br />
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The further we get into Asha's life, the fewer milestones we achieve. In those early years we were celebrating any increase in peace & quiet, any change in sleep patterns or behavior modifications that improved our quality of life. We marked the passing of time by the number of specialists and doctors we had added to our team. For two years, when she had been very sick, we were relieved that she had even survived. Then we counted the days from when some of her medications ended, wondering if this was the year she would go backwards.<br />
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In year Five, we finally began looking forward again to new adventures. In year Six, we continued that. <br />
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Asha has spent this year volunteering at Aultman Hospital in Canton as a Therapy Dog. We've had some special friends do stories about us. There was <a href="http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/canton/deaf-blind-dog-helping-spread-message-of-hope/424712638" target="_blank">THIS on Channel 3 News</a> & <a href="http://www.the-news-leader.com/news%20local/2017/05/10/a-local-dogs-journey-to-becoming-a-therapy-dog" target="_blank">And this one in the local newspaper</a> I LOVE any chance to tell our story. <br />
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This volunteer work has been incredibly rewarding. Asha LOVES it. We've been going there for about 18 months now, usually about every two weeks. Asha has the hospital mapped out. She knows where her favorite people are (Lee in the Volunteer office, Lexi in the cancer center and some special treats in the desk of the 2nd floor waiting room). We have been doing it long enough that people know who she is and look forward to seeing her. Every time we go there, I witness some miraculous connection between Asha and a patient, family member, staff or visitor. My very favorite thing is when people realize how special she is.<br />
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These days, life is pretty close to normal. It is normal to us, only when I tell someone about it does it seem NOT normal. Which is quite different from 5 years ago. Back in those days, I would not tell anyone how our life was. I felt like if I talked about it out loud to anyone, then I would have to admit that we were losing our minds. I'd have to admit that things were completely out of control and we didn't know what else to do.<br />
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We've built a great team for her here in Ohio. We have a behavioral vet who takes great care of her and a regular vet who loves her. They even hung the newspaper article about her in their lobby. Asha makes friends everywhere and finds what she needs.<br />
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Asha still wakes up in the middle of the night and calls for me. She stands up and make a soft little bark - which my friend Ashley recently equated to a human saying "ahem" when they are wanting your attention. Asha makes that noise, I get up and touch her face, she then jumps into bed and rests her head in my hand. Every. Single. Night. The truth is, I would miss it if she didn't. <br />
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Life was going along just fine until about a month ago. One night we woke up and Trevor said, "I think she's having a seizure". We got up and sure enough, there she was at the end of the bed, seizing. We moved her away from the bed, the wall and the door. We got the other animals out the room and we waited with her until it was over. It probably lasted about 3 minutes, but it felt like an hour.<br />
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Asha has epilepsy. We found that out pretty early on. She had her first seizure two weeks after coming to live with us. She has been on phenobarbital for 5 and a half years. There have only been three seizures since then. She had one when she was in the ICU three years ago. They had just done a CAT Scan and some of the medicine they use in that can cause seizures. Then she had one the day my Grammie died, about two and a half years ago. She had it within 15 minutes of my Grammie dying and I have always believed it was because she felt a disturbance in The Force. The third happened last month. There was no rhyme or reason for it.<br />
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It took a couple days, but Asha got back to normal. She has been fine since. She gets blood work every six months to check her phenobartial levels and liver function. We just had those tests done six weeks ago and everything looked great! We are hopeful that we go a long time, maybe forever, without seeing another seizure.<br />
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After she comes out of it, Asha is very confused and groggy. She spent about three hours mapping out the house again, panting, running into things. Not only is she dealing with the aftermath of a seizure, but it greatly raises her already high anxiety level. During that time, I couldn't help but wonder if this was the beginning. I know that Asha is different and her body doesn't work like a "regular" dog. I know that at any moment, the wires could cross and there wouldn't be anything we could do about it. I try not to think about this, but that night and the days after, I couldn't help myself.<br />
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You see, this dog....this is my soul dog. I think you get a couple animals in a lifetime like this. Anyone who's had animals in their life knows this...you love them all, but there is always one. Asha is my one. I have no doubt the Universe sent her to change me, teach me and show me a different way. I have no doubt I was sent to her to be responsible for her soul here on earth. She's taught me trust, love, loyalty, fearlessness and joy. She has shown me that we are all okay, no matter what obstacles we face, we can be happy. And as I said in our TV interview..."When you think you are at the end of the road, there's always another opportunity and you never know when it’s going to present itself.”<br />
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So another year has passed. We have met the most amazing people. We've had the chance to tell our story and hear the story of other's. I remember the days when life was so unmanageable and all I wanted was for time to move forward. Now, all I want is time to stand still. As each year passes, we all get older. I hope that Asha will grow into an old woman, that she'll get to be a senior dog. I hope that for all our animals, that they will live out a long, healthy life. We take one day at a time around here and make the most of what we have been given. I know the end of the road will actually come one day, there won't be another opportunity. When that days comes, I will have no regrets for how we have lived our lives with Asha. And until then, we'll keep telling our story. Thanks for following along!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-72244933963188644012016-12-27T13:46:00.001-08:002016-12-27T13:46:51.918-08:00Goodbye TunaIts been 7 years since this sweet orange cat walked into our lives. Today, we said goodbye and I am heartbroken. He was the one of the longest residents, 2nd only to our cat Baby (she and Tuna hated each other) and was most likely the oldest of the bunch. We had a suspicion that he was getting older and slowing down, but the end always feels unexpected. The finality of it is always crushing.<br />
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Over the last couple years, Tuna has been getting a little thinner and has started looking old. He still jumps up on the counter every day to drink water from the sink, he jumps the baby gates we have all over the house with the grace of a horse. He slept with us every night and he spent his days with me in my office. He was a good friend and one of the easiest pets who have ever been a part of our life.<br />
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We met Tuna in 2009. I wrote about it <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2009/09/say-hi-to.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. One night he walked into our yard as if he belonged with us and he never left. He was always a gentleman, the first real cat we ever had. The others were kept upstairs away from the dogs with a baby gate - for some reason they would not jump it. Tuna took one look at it and jumped right over - just like a real cat (Baby still won't jump).<br />
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Tuna spent only three visits to the vet before the last week of his life. The first, when we got him. The second and third were on the same day before we moved to Ohio. He got a rabies shot at our regular vet and then later than night had a reaction, so I took him to the ER.<br />
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Last Saturday we woke up and Tuna was vomiting, a lot. We took him to the vet and they felt like he probably was in some stage of kidney failure. They gave him fluids and a couple shots of medicine. He was better for a few days. Yesterday, he didn't eat. He wouldn't jump up on the counter for water, he just laid in bed all day. We went back to the vet last night. They did some bloodwork that showed he was down to about 25% of his kidney function, but he also had something else going on - some sort of infection. He had a fever.<br />
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They gave him more fluids, some more shots of medicine and pain killers. We came home and were hopeful he would eat this morning. He did not. We took him back to the vet and the plan was that he would stay there today. We were going to give him one last shot. 24 hours of fluids and antibiotics. That should take care of whatever the problem was and buy him a week, a month, a year, maybe more.<br />
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The vet called a few times with updates. Then he called to say that Tuna's fever had increased. He wanted to xray him to see what was going on his tummy. When the vet called back, I knew it was not good news. Tuna's insides were a blur. He couldn't make out any of his organs. So he was either filled with fluid or with tumors. Tuna most likely had lymphoma and there wasn't anything left to do. I hung up the phone and started to prepare for what was coming.<br />
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The last seven and a half years have gone by so fast. It seems like just this morning he was walking into our lives and now we would be saying goodbye. Forever.<br />
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Tuna started with the name Norwyn. It meant "Friend from the North". I have nicknames for all our pets, each has evolved through the years. I immediately started calling him Wynnie. Trevor commented that it wouldn't be long until I had some completely differently name for him. So right there he cut about 4 years of name changes into 5 minutes and spit out Tuna. That name stuck. His official name at the vet was Norwyn but we never called him that. He was always our Tuna.<br />
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Over the years, Tuna really had one wish - to be an only cat. He was a loner. He didn't lay with the others and generally just tolerated them. He had the most antagonistic relationships with one of our other cats, Baby. They were often heard hissing and growling at each other.<br />
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Tuna was a people cat. He wanted to be with us. He slept with us every night and liked to be on the side of the bed closest to the door. Several years ago when we were going through a difficult time (Asha was ruining our lives), I would lay in the spare room with him, in the sun and cry. He and I would talk about running away together, finding a studio apartment and living quietly alone forever. But I couldn't figure out how to do that and take all the rest, including Trevor, with us. So instead, we commiserated until things improved.<br />
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Tuna always loved the sink. He would impatiently jump up on the counter and wait for me to turn on the faucet so he could get a drink. He did that his entire life.<br />
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When we moved to Ohio, Tuna was the only one who cried in the car. He was the only one who didn't like the drive. He settled into the new house, just like the rest and felt especially at home in my office. <br />
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Every day, I would sit down at the my desk and Tuna would sit or lay on my calendar. He was the keeper of my schedule. All day long he would get on and off my lap. Usually he would lay down and after a bit I would get up or make him move. One day last Summer I told him he could lay on my lap as long as he wanted and I wouldn't move. Three hours later, I had to break my promise because I really had to pee!<br />
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Tuna was the first one to greet me in the morning and would walk with me to the bathroom so he could get a drink. He would cry (along with Kato) while I got their food ready and he would be ready whenever I went into the office to work. He was my constant companion.<br />
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I thought of all these things and so much more as Trevor and I drove to the vet to say our goodbyes. This is the worst part of loving an animal. It doesn't seem fair that we would chose to love something so much knowing that we would eventually have to let them go. The gravity of the decision is something that never feels okay. Knowing that this is their last day, their last hour, last minute and there is nothing you can do to stop it.<br />
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We spent about 30 minutes with Tuna. He sat on our laps, we cried and told him how much we loved him. Trevor and I talked about our favorite memories of him and how we could not believe this was happening. Then it was time. We held him as he quietly slipped away and thanked him profusely for choosing us all those years ago.<br />
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In my mind I saw him walking through our back yard, jumping the fence and slipping away into the distance. As quickly as he had showed up in our lives, he left us. He was a sweet boy and we miss him terribly now and always. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-49918941232164095772016-07-14T11:36:00.003-07:002016-07-14T11:38:40.980-07:005 years with AshaIts time for my traditional post marking another year with Asha. <br />
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It started back in year ONE as a celebration that we had survived. I also started to document our time together because I honestly wasn't sure how long we could last in this crazy life with this uniquely challenging creature. Over the years, it has given me the opportunity to see just how far we have progressed in a 12 month period. With every post, I become a little more honest and open about our experiences. I look back over those first yearly posts and while they sound so optimistic, for many of them, I was barely hanging on. As the years go by, the optimism is much more genuine, I don't have to will it into being so much these days. Here are those posts:<br />
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<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2012/07/one-year-with-asha.html" target="_blank">One Year With Asha</a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/2-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank">Two Years With Asha</a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2014/07/three-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank">Three Years With Asha</a><br />
<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2015/07/4-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank">Four Years With Asha</a><br />
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And so here we go...year 5....<br />
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This year has felt like the first normal year of life we have had since we adopted Asha. She sleeps most of the night, sometimes all night. She doesn't run and bark nearly as much as in years past. She is able to settle herself and to lay calmly while we are not in the same room as her.<br />
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I just read through all of the previous yearly updates and remember how our home used to feel to me. For a long time, I didn't want to come home. I would pull into the garage and sit there, knowing that once I got into the house, it would be chaos. Asha was chaos. And while I loved her, the chaos was exhausting. The mania and the mayhem was exhausting. <br />
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The last two years, my perception of home has really changed. I find peace and comfort here. Honestly, I hate not being home. Right now, Asha is laying at my feet. Two years ago, she would have been jumping up, running and barking every 20 minutes. Now, she just lays there, like the rest. She has developed the ability to be calm.<br />
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This isn't to say that she doesn't still run and bark, that she doesn't walk in circles and get herself worked up. There are times when her anxiety takes over and she gets out of control and we are back in the days of old...wishing for some peace. But those days are few and far between.<br />
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We joke, but it is actually true, that I haven't had a good night's sleep in 5 years...since the night before we adopted Asha. She sleeps through most nights, with one exception. Every night, around 3am, I wake up and I hear her make a quite crying noise. I get out of bed and touch her. She comes back to bed, jumps up and lays against me with her head in my hand. Then we sleep until the alarm goes off. <br />
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Every couple months she goes through a phase where she can't sleep. We go maybe a week with her waking up every hour or two. It exhausts me and in my mind, I go back to the beginning days, the worst of the days. During those times, I wonder if she is going backwards...if it is possible that she could go backwards. Could this progress turn into regression and what would we do. Then, just as quickly as she stopped sleeping, she starts sleeping again. And life goes back to "normal"<br />
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There are so many 'before and afters' with Asha. Before and after the seizures started, before and after the anxiety medications started, before and after we met our Behavioral Vet Dr Pachel, before and after we started Chinese Medicine treatments, before and after my meltdown, before and after our move. The one that sticks with me and the one I think of every night when she lays her head in my hand is the before and after our 5 days in the ICU. <br />
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It has been just about two years since we spent 5 days in the ICU with a very sick Asha. I wrote about that <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2014/07/asha-fights-for-her-life.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> During that time, we didn't know if she would live or die. I had lots of time to think about what her life had meant to us and if it was enough. I had lots of time to think of the things we wanted to do with Asha, to think of what we wanted her to give to the world and get from it in return. Every night, as she sleeps against me, I remember those nights on the floor of the ICU, when she laid against me in the same way. And I feel lucky. I know that we are lucky to still have her and I don't want to waste it.<br />
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One of the things I promised myself during those nights was that Asha would become a Therapy Dog. I had considered it, but never taken the steps to do it. So this year, when Asha FINALLY took her last medication from that illness, I looked up certification classes for Pet Partners Therapy Dogs. I found a local hospital that has a program and I signed up. It took us two tries, but we passed the test and are now an active Certified Therapy Dog Team.<br />
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Twice a month, Asha and I visit a local hospital. We see patients, nurses, doctors, hospital staff and visitors. It is during these times that I know we aren't wasting our days. I get to see this amazing creature, who has made the difference in my life, affect the lives of others. She connects with everyone in their own, individual way. She exudes love and hope. She gives so much of herself during those visits and soaks up the love she gets back. It is the most rewarding thing I have ever witnessed. I get to see these private interactions between two souls and it is really something.<br />
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So year 5 has been about moving forward and carving a new path. It has been about new experiences and making good on old promises. This year Asha met some new friends....<br />
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Felt the sand between her toe and breathed in the cool, Lake breeze....<br />
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And began her journey as a Therapy Dog...</div>
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Each year, Asha teaches me more about myself and about the world around us. Our Fifth year together is no exception. 5 is a scary number, after 5, she starts to head towards 10. I want her to live forever (I want all of them to live forever) and I know that isn't possible. I know that any day could be her last. And as much as that breaks my heart, I know that when her last day comes, there will be no doubt that she lived life. She LIVED it and she helped me live too. Here's to at least another five years with Asha. Thanks for sharing our journey.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-63099547271602717722016-02-15T11:45:00.000-08:002016-02-15T11:45:32.549-08:002nd time is a charm...This past weekend, Asha and I passed the Pet Partners test to become a Certified Therapy Dog Team. This has been several years in the making and we are so very proud. This is quite an accomplish for a "normal" dog, even more so for one that was born blind and deaf like Asha.<br />
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Asha has always loved people and her effect on them is undeniable. We live with her day to day and it easy to forget just how special she is. In the midst of the chaos that she often creates in our lives, she can seem just like any other dog. She has won a Hero Award, been voted Fan Favorite at a Top Dog Contest and now passed her Therapy Dog test but when she is pacing and barking while I am trying to work, none of that matters!<br />
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Asha's different ability doesn't seem so different to us most of time, we take it for granted because it is just how we live. My purpose with Asha has always been first and foremost to keep her safe. This means that I keep her close and use touch signals to reassure her. We have a bond like no other, built solely on trust. I don't always realize just how much she depends on us until someone else points it out. <br />
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At the beginning of Asha's life with us, all we wanted to do was survive. The idea of doing anything with her other than just keeping us all alive was unthinkable. It wasn't until we met a very special person that we started to think there could be more purpose to Asha's life.<br />
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We adopted Asha from the Oregon Humane Society in July of 2011. In February of 2013, Asha was awarded the Diamond Collar Hero Award by OHS and we attending a wonderful banquet at a downtown club. During this banquet, Asha met many people (there were about 500 attendees).<br />
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After the event was over, several people came over to meet us. Just about everyone talked with Trevor and I, then they reached down to pet Asha. One man, dressed in a business suit, walked over and squatted down on the floor in front of Asha, almost ignoring me and Trevor. During that time of her life, Asha did not like having anyone right in her face and she never licked anyone. She would usually turn her face away. This time was different.<br />
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Asha was standing next to me. When this man squatted down, Asha put her ears back and sat down. He spoke softly to her and Asha licked his face. Trevor and I looked at each other and then said "who are you and what you do you?" We knew there had to be something special about this man, because Asha was telling us.<br />
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He said "I'm a lawyer and on the Board of Trustees at OHS". Right...but there has to be more? "My dog Annie and I were a therapy dog team for years," he said. And there it was. This was a special person with a soul that could be seen and heard by a deaf and blind dog. His name was Akin Blitz and he talked with us for while. Akin was the one who first suggested that we look into becoming a Therapy Dog Team. <br />
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A Therapy Dog Team is a human and their pet who provide comfort during visits to patients in hospitals, nursing homes or to children in schools. Asha's story and demeanor, as well as her love for people and ability to navigate the world make her a wonderful candidate for this kind of work.<br />
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It took three years, but we finally did it. I looked at the classes and testing several times when we lived in Washington. The timing was never right and so we didn't do it. It has been in the back of my mind since that day with Akin. There were subtle signs that now was the time. When we met our behavioral vet here in Ohio, her trainer suggested we become a Therapy Dog Team. Then, I was at a benefit for our local shelter and there was a group from the local hospital there talking about their Therapy Dog Program. And so I found the next testing and signed up.<br />
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I went to the handlers class back in October and then Asha tested. The test is these 20 exercises:<br />
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-accepting greeting from a stranger<br />
-accepting petting from a stranger<br />
-grooming<br />
-loud noises<br />
-leave it<br />
-rough petting in a group of people<br />
-loud equipment (wheelchairs, walker, people talking loudly)<br />
-Sit on command<br />
-Down on command<br />
-Come on command<br />
-Stay on command<br />
-walking nicely on leash<br />
-walking through a crowd<br />
-restraining hug<br />
-allowing an overall physical exam<br />
-loud individual<br />
-angry yelling<br />
-being bumped from behind<br />
-being offered a treat<br />
-ignoring another dog<br />
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Asha knows sit and down with touch signals. Touch on the top of the head has signaled "sit" as long as I can remember - she learned that within a week of coming to live with us. She learned down years ago but really only does it now when presented with a treat. The sign for that is touch to the chin. Since she can't see or hear, she would be unable to "come when called", so we had to come up with another way to do that and get an exception to the test.<br />
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Working with the evaluators, we petitioned the program for an exception. Asha's vet, Dr Pachel had to write a letter about Asha's disability and agree that she would be a good candidate for a Therapy Dog. We were granted the exception and would be allowed ONE tug on the leash to get her to come.<br />
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The day of the test, I was SO nervous. I felt like this would be the way to validate Asha and her abilities. I knew that the evaluators (who hadn't met Asha) doubted that it would be possible for Asha to pass. That day, the room was full of volunteers and all the evaluators came in to watch. I felt quite a bit of pressure to show how special Asha is. I am very protective of her and only want her to impress.<br />
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We had been working on her skills. I was mostly worried that she wouldn't do the down without a treat and treats aren't allowed. We went through the test and Asha did her best - I could hear some "ooohhs" and "aahhs" as she impressed people with her abilities. Then came the time for down. I touched her chin and she considered laying down but changed her mind. I got anxious and worried that she wouldn't do it. I have no doubt she felt that and she got confused. Then she refused to lay down and I gave up on her instead of doing what I always do, which is let her know it is okay and helping her do what she needs to do.<br />
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At that point, I knew we didn't pass. They let us complete the test and Asha did everything else just fine. A perfect score is required to pass and so Asha and I were given a "not ready" score. We would need to take the test again.<br />
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I will admit, I was tremendously disappointed. Asha didn't know the difference, she had a wonderful time, met new people, visited a new place and got to spend time with me. But I was so sad about it and felt like I had failed her. I know this is silly, but that's how I felt. <br />
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The evaluators encouraged us to come back and test again. I promised I would and I promised that we would work on the down. Asha knew it, we just needed to be able to do it. That was October.<br />
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Last week I got an email that another evaluation had been scheduled and would Asha be able to come test. My answer was "yes, yes, yes!" And so on Saturday, we made the 45 drive to try again. <br />
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I had been working with Asha on "down". She doesn't always do it for me, but she knows it. The other day, Trevor used the signal on her for the first time and she laid down, so I knew that she really did know it!<br />
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I was nervous again this time, but decided to approach this test like we approach everything else that we do. I would be her advocate and help her understand what was being asked of her. I would support Asha and let her know it was all okay. I knew that if I did that, she would pass. Asha trusts me so much, I often take that for granted. I wouldn't take it for granted this day.<br />
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When we arrived I saw the evaluators who were all familiar and all happy to see us. Asha remembered them too - her little nubbin tail wagged furiously when she met them for this second time. We walked around the room to get familiar with it and then we were ready to test.<br />
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We went through all the exercises and when we got to the down command, I think the whole room held their breath. I knew she could do it and when I asked, Asha complied. She laid down like a boss. I hugged and kissed her and thanked her for doing this seemingly simple command.<br />
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Asha passed all the other exercises as well, including the "come when called" with ONE tug of the leash. They brought in a "neutral" dog to test Asha's reaction to another dog. When I saw the dog they were using I almost started to cry. This dog looked EXACTLY like my friend Ashleys' dog, Larry. I saw this doggie and I knew it all going to be okay. And it was. Asha passed. We jumped for joy and I showered her with kisses. I do that often, she just sits and let's me do it as if to say "Oh mom...."<br />
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And there you have it. I am so proud of Asha and so very excited to continue on with the process. I will now go through orientation and mentoring at the hospital. Then we will begin our visits. Asha is a special soul and I feel a responsibility to share that with the world. This is good start.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-71765597750943911772015-07-10T03:17:00.000-07:002015-07-10T04:35:37.688-07:004 years with Asha4 years ago today we brought a new little puppy into our lives. She was 5 months old, deaf and blind. Her name was Pinky. We renamed her Asha, which is Sanskrit for hope and life. There is much irony in this name. For quite some time she took away all my hope and made my life feel unmanageable. Over the years, things have changed. She tore us down and built us up. Raising Asha has been like putting a puzzle together in the dark. As time has passed, the lights have brightened and life has become much more clear.<br />
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This year with Asha has been difficult, like all the other years before, but for different reasons. Asha's "usual" challenges were overshadowed by an unexpected illness. We never saw this one coming. Last year at this time I was lamenting our lives with Asha; all we had been through, all we have overcome. Then , on July 21st, Asha went into the ER with trouble breathing and didn't come out for 5 days. We spent every second fighting for her life. <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2014/07/asha-fights-for-her-life.html?m=1" target="_blank">HERE</a> is my blog post about that.<br />
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I always expected that Asha wouldn't live as long of a life as the others, that with her genetic issues, her life would be shortened. I did not expect it would be so shortened that she wouldn't make it to her 4th birthday. It has been a long haul, but I believe she has totally recovered from her illness and while I still watch for signs that she is having any trouble breathing, we are back to normal..well, as normal as Asha gets.<br />
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This year brought lots of changes for our family. In February we moved from Vancouver, Washington to Akron, Ohio. We drove 2500 miles with all our animals. Everyone did great, even Asha. She is so trusting, I often can't believe it. She rode in the car for hours each day, stayed in a different hotel room each night and didn't seem to mind much at all. Just like the others - as long as she is with us, she is happy. (I owe a blog post of the moving process...)<br />
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We arrived at our new home and got settled. Everyone wanted to know how Asha was doing in a new place - was she adapting? Asha always adapts. always. The first few weeks she was angry because we had lots of people coming and going, doing work on the house. She wasn't able to spend time with all of them and that made her mad. So she barked a lot and peed in the house as an act of defiance. Once that activity stopped, she settled into a good routine. She still paces and barks, just like she did in our old house. She has her path through the yard that she travels each day. She has her spots that she likes the lay - the places I always find her when I come home. Some night she sleeps in bed with us, some nights she sleeps on the floor. Most nights she sleeps all night and that is something we have been waiting 4 years to say!<br />
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Asha's life is so routine driven. You can set your clock by her. She knows when it is time to get up, when it is time to eat. She knows when I am getting ready to leave and starts to look for her treats (I "hide" treats in the kitchen for her when I am leaving). She knows that putting on her nice grey collar and her pink harness means we are going somewhere. She knows everything there is to know around here.<br />
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When we decided to move, I was most worried about the animals, specifically Asha and the effort it would take to rebuild our team. Asha has a regular vet, a behavioral vet, a critical care staff, a Chinese medicine vet and reliable petsitters. It took us three years to build that and I was so worried about rebuilding it. Then I realized that the Universe provides. We have found a great vet, an excellent behavioral vet and a great petsitter. We are working on the Chinese medicine vet and hoping that we don't ever need the critical care staff, but have made contact with one close to us, just in case. While I am comforted by all these people and Asha likes them very much, I still long for those who have gotten us this far. Having to tell our story from the beginning is overwhelming. Walking into a vet's office for the first time and presenting Asha and her stack of records is a little intimidating. When we meet someone new, we always try to tell them how special Asha is and the words never do her justice. Time usually takes care of that and they soon realize for themselves just how special our Sissy is to this world. And they fall in love with her...of course, they fall in love with her.<br />
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The hardest part about moving was saying goodbye to our team. We still keep in touch with them all, for advice and just for their friendship. They are a part of our story and this crazy journey and so we are never really that far away.<br />
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I have always known how lucky we are to have Asha, but this year has really solidified that feeling. Every day I tell her how much I love her and how much she means to me. Even though she can't hear me, I know she understands. There is nothing quite like having her sit next to me and lean into my body. She's been doing that since the first day I met her in a big empty room at the Oregon Humane Society and I expect she'll do that until her last breath, which I hope doesn't come for many more years.<br />
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So here is to another year with Asha. Another year to live and love and learn. I say it often and it will always be true - Asha is my soul, living outside my body and I am totally and completely in awe of what she does to my world. Happy Anniversary sweet one. We couldn't love you more.<br />
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Here are the blog posts from <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2012/07/one-year-with-asha.html" target="_blank">Year 1</a>, <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/2-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank">Year 2</a> and <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2014/07/three-years-with-asha.html" target="_blank">Year 3</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-88706956387441949002014-11-14T12:22:00.000-08:002014-11-14T12:22:55.731-08:00For my Grammie....<div class="MsoNormal">
My Grammie passed away on Monday. There will be no funeral
and so no chance to stand up and talk about her. If given the opportunity, this
is what I would say…</div>
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Anne Richards is my grandmother…my dad’s mom. She was my
favorite person who ever lived. I knew her for 40 years and I loved every
minute I spent with her. What I am about to tell you is what I knew of her,
what I remember and I can’t guarantee that others would remember it the same
way, but all that matters is that this is how I remember it. How I will always
remember it.</div>
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During my entire childhood, Grammie was a caregiver. I remember riding along with her to the house of
whomever she was taking care of. The list was long – Joe Fretcher, Aunt Erm,
Aunt Buela, Grace Davis. My Aunt Erm once told Grammie “some people were born to serve”.
Then there was my Pop-pop. Grammie’s husband, my father’s father. She took care
of no one else more than she took care of him. She spent 50 years doting on
him, making sure he had what he needed. For years Grammie put her needs on the
back burner and took care of us all.</div>
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Grammie and Pop-pop lived across the street from us and I
spent a lot of time at their house. Every holiday and birthday was spent with
them. Any big announcement involved a walk across the street to tell them. When
I stayed home sick from school, Grammie took care of me. The channel 6 news was
always on at lunchtime and there was always a glass of grapefruit juice for
Pop-pop and a jar of peanut butter with a spoon on the end table.</div>
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There was no place I felt safer than with Grammie. She would
rub my back while I fell asleep. She was always teaching me things…important
things about life. When I wanted to constantly be with my friends she would
make me stay home and say that it was important to know how to entertain
yourself. On school days she would braid my hair and make sure I made it to the
bus on time. Each summer, I would spend all my days with her. We would plan a
project for the summer – knitting, crochet, needlepoint, arts and crafts of all
sorts. </div>
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We would take trips to the bank in Pitman, have fried
bologna sandwiches for lunch and there were always butterscotch crumpets in the
freezer. She took me to get my driver’s license on my 17<sup>th</sup> birthday
and gave me many rules of the road on the way there. When we were out to
dinner, we would see women dressed “inappropriately” and Grammie would say
things like “look at her, THAT is why you should always wear underpants”.</div>
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She taught me to wipe from the front, don’t go outside with
wet hair, sit quietly in church, bite your tongue when you want to lash out and
run to greet those you love. When I would come home from college or come to
visit, she would always run out the door to hug me when I pulled in the
driveway.</div>
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17 years ago my Pop-Pop passed away. For the first time
Grammie didn’t have anyone to take care of. She and Pop-Pop had spent winters
in Florida for as long as I could remember. First for a month at a time, then
for several months. After Pop-pop died, Grammie bought a place in Florida and
moved there permanently. No more New Jersey for her. She gave us all bottles of
New Jersey dirt so that we would remember where we came from. She left the
place that was her home for 70 years and she never looked back. This is where
her real story began.</div>
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In the past few weeks Grammie was heard saying that these
last 17 years have been the best years of her life and I believe this to be true.
I watched my Grammie come into her own. For the first time in her life she did
what she wanted to do and explained it to no one. When she went out with gentleman she always paid her own way because to quote her "she didn't want there to be any misunderstanding or expectations".</div>
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My whole life I remember Grammie being fascinated with
Easter Island. She had pictures and books all over the house. She had always
said that it made her homesick, something about that place made her feel like
she had been there before, but she hadn’t. Over the last 17 years she became
more interested in the metaphysical world. She read so many books, led study
groups and belonged to different clubs. She talked more and more about the next
dimension, the 5<sup>th</sup> dimension specifically. She wanted to learn
enough so that she would go there when she died. She felt that her spirit had
originated in Easter Island and that somehow it would go back there some day.
She was a free thinker and she had been stifled all these years. Now she was
able to really delve into all these things that would have been so taboo back
in our little New Jersey town, in our little New Jersey church.</div>
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It may seem odd to hear it this way from me, but to listen
to her was mesmerizing. She believed in so many different things and she was a
very interesting conversationalist. She would always say “Tracy, there is just
so much to learn….never stop learning”</div>
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Grammie was a collector. She had several phases of
collecting in her life. Had she not been so focused in the items she collected,
she would have been a horder. Instead, she scoured antique malls for her
treasures, first the antique glass goblets that are now proudly displayed in my
home then the yellow teapots that cover her home and the rose & rooster flatware that she had to have special shelving built for. She loved these things and it
gave her a tremendous joy to search near and far for that one special item that
was missing from her collection. I remember how much she enjoyed telling us
about each of her finds.</div>
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My Grammie was a very
strong woman. For so many years she took care of others because it was the
right thing to do. Many women in my time would have run away, divorced, left
home to find themselves. Grammie knew that her actions would have irreparable
affects on those around her and so she stayed and buried those pieces of
herself that couldn’t be tolerated in the life she was living. She planted
those seeds and in her later years, those seeds blossomed into the fullest life
one could possibly have. Grammie experienced this second part of her life to
completion. She got every ounce of living out of this world.</div>
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We all thought she would live to be 100. We couldn’t imagine
someone so vibrant ever slipping away. The last couple years, when I would go
to visit, we always talked about death. Grammie would say that after she died,
she would be moving on to the next adventure and that we shouldn’t cry because
it was all part of life.</div>
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In February of this year, on my 40<sup>th</sup> birthday,
Grammie had a heart attack. We thought it was the end for her. She recovered,
which is to say that she didn’t die. We knew she didn’t have much time left and
she was ready to go. She often said that she was excited to die, excited to see
what comes next, to get to the 5<sup>th</sup> dimension, the place she had
spent so long learning about. She was excited to leave her earthly vessel and
allow her spirit to find its next journey.</div>
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Back in October, she took a turn for the worse. I called her
to remind her that I would be coming to visit in November. Every year in November, I would travel to Florida and work in a town just 20 minutes from her. I would always spend a couple days with Grammie. This was the highlight of my year. During that call she told me that it was her time and she was ready to go, her body was giving out. I asked her
to hold on until November. I wanted to see her before she headed off to that
journey. When hung up she said "I'll see you in November" and I knew she meant it.</div>
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Last week, my aunt (who lives next to my Grammie) got sick
and so my dad made the trip to Florida to take care of Grammie who was in need
of round the clock care. She was fading, her body giving out. All the family
had been to see her. I was the last one. </div>
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When I arrived, Grammie was in bed and not able to get up. I
laid down in bed with her and put my arms around her. She held my hand and we
talked about the things going on in my life. When it was time to leave she sat
up in bed, held my head and kissed me. I knew then that we were saying goodbye.
I had to work the weekend and planned to be back to her house on Tuesday. I
said “I will see you Tuesday” and she didn’t reply. She knew that she would not see me on Tuesday.And the truth is that I knew too.</div>
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The following Monday when I saw my dad’s number on my caller
ID, I knew that she was gone. In that moment and for every moment since, the
world has felt both emptier and more full. The physical world will never be the
same and I will forever feel the void of her absence. The spiritual world is
more alive than ever. I feel her presence in every sunset, I see it in every
leaf blowing on the breeze. I taste it in every breath I breathe and I know
that she is everywhere. In everything. And she will be forever.</div>
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I have a thousand memories of her, a thousand funny or sad
stories. Every time I talked with her she told me something she hadn’t told me
before. She was love and peace and life and hope and honesty and truth. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>As she grew older, she became more herself. She was
unapologetic for her quirks and steadfast in her beliefs. I admire everything
about her. The way she approached life and ultimately death gives me comfort,
makes me less afraid of what is in store for me. I know now that I can face anything
that comes my way in this life and I believe that there is an adventure on the
other side. </div>
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I told Grammie that I would cry when she died, how could I
not? She is off on this grand adventure and we are here to carry on without
her. People will sometimes ask questions like “if you could have a dinner with
anyone, living or dead, who would it be?”…my answer has always been and will
always be “My Grammie”. The one thing I regret that is I can’t talk with her
about where she is now. I can’t sit in her yellow living room with her and
listen to her tell me in great detail, with a glimmer in her eye, a distant look and a longing
in her voice, about what she has now learned. </div>
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There were only a few things of hers that I wanted to have after Grammie died. She did a great job of dividing her valuables up long before she passed away. If she wanted us to have it, we either already have it or there is a note stating that we should get it. She gave me her goblet collection about 10 years ago. She has mailed me things over the last couple years - mostly books about the goblet collection. The things that carry the most value are often not the things that could be sold for the most money. Grammie had a simple amethyst ring. She got it when I was in the fourth grade. I remember it vividly. She had bought it for herself. The one and only thing I ever remember her doing or buying for herself back then. I remember her being so adament about that...about buying it for HERSELF. Even as a child, I knew that it must be special. I remember it on her hand and I remember thinking that one day I wanted it. The most beautiful thing about that ring is that she wore it on her finger for so many years and it was special to her.</div>
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I also wanted a simple yellow coffee mug. It probably cost $8 and she drank her coffee out of it in the mornings. Worth nothing except that it belonged to her, that it was part of her daily ritual. And a book...one of her many books. I looked for one that seemed well worn, that had lots of notes and markings in it. I like the idea of reading what she read, seeing what she wrote. </div>
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I miss her tremendously and wonder where the last 40 years
have gone. One thing I know for sure is that I have always known that my time
with her was extraordinary. I always knew that she was special and because she
loved me, I felt special. That feeling will never go away and for that I am
forever grateful to my Grammie. I hope her next adventure is even more amazing
than she expected.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-18895530316254175282014-09-24T19:17:00.002-07:002014-09-24T19:17:29.302-07:00Asha's two month update
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has been two months since our health scare with Asha. Two
months ago we spent 5 days in the ICU. Two months ago we tried to prepare
ourselves for a life without Asha. Two months ago we were fortunate enough to
bring her home with us to recover.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have spent the last two months watching her, evaluating
her, medicating her and nursing her back to health. It has been a long road but
it has gone so fast. I look at her now and find it hard to believe all we’ve
been through in such a short time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Asha came home, she was still very sick. She was
breathing on her own and taking all her medications orally. She took at least
20 pills per day. We also nebulized her 2-3 times a day for 15 minutes
(nebulizing means holding a mask with a stream of medicated steam in front of
her nose). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was so nervous to have her home. I missed the comfort of
24 hour care. I missed having a medical professional there to give me an expert
opinion. Without that I worried I would miss something. I was so concerned that
she would go backwards. Considering how fast she got sick in the first place, I
didn’t want to miss any sign of her getting sicker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first week Asha was home, we did not leave her alone for
a second. I slept on the couch with her. She was still having her panic attacks
at night since she had been off her anxiety medication for a few days. I knew
it would take a week or so to get back to normal. When she has those panic
attacks, she runs around and barks. She also hyperventilates. With her
breathing issues, that really concerned me. She wasn’t able to settle down at
all up in our bedroom, so we were back on the couch. Just like the good old
days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a couple days, her anxiety leveled out and she was
able to relax more at night. It wasn’t too long until we were sleeping upstairs
again. It was so obvious that Asha didn’t feel like herself. She hardly moved
at all during the day. She would go outside to go to the bathroom and take one
step off the deck, do her business and come right back in to lay down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’ve worked hard to get Asha’s anxiety under control. “Under
control” is relative. What that means is that Asha is still quite anxious. She
doesn’t really relax very easily when we are around. She knows when we are home
and she needs to know where we are at every minute. If we go upstairs and don’t
let her know (we walk her over to the gate at the bottom of the stairs and
touch her nose as we go up the stairs) she will pace the floor and bark
uncontrollably. When we are downstairs with her, she will lay still for a bit
but every so often will jump up, run and bark until we come to her. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Asha wears a leash in the house most of the time. That way
we can keep her near and if she jumps up and starts to pace and bark we can
pull her back in. For example, right now, I am sitting at the kitchen table and
Asha is laying at my feet. I have her leash around my wrist. In the last 20
minutes she has gotten up twice. I pull her back to me, touch her and she lays
right back down. If I didn’t have the leash, she would get up , run into the
front room, pace and bark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is our reality, our routine….and we have gotten used to
it. After Asha came home, she didn’t do any of this. She just laid in one spot,
all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as I have spent
the last three and a half years wishing for peace and quiet, I didn’t like it
one bit. It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We went back to see Dr Seekins after two weeks. Asha’s xrays
showed improvement and we were able to decrease some of her medications. We
stopped one and were able to start nebulizing 1-2 times a day. We were so happy
that Asha was showing progress. As we started to decrease her medication I
became even more vigilant about her breathing and her behavior. No one knows
her like I do. I know every breath, noise and movement she makes. It had been
such a crazy few weeks that I was starting to feel like I couldn’t even tell
what was normal anymore. Her breathing had been so irregular that I worried I
wouldn’t know what regular looked like!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">During this time we were also making regular visits to see
Dr Hope Valentine, Asha’s Chinese Medicine Vet. Dr Valentine is one of Asha’s
favorite people so it was good not only for her body, but her soul to spend
some time in her office. Asha was put on some different herbs to help her
breathing and her organs. She also received accupuncture.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhC7HLsLFywxGXY34mAWDqbZpnp0RkyhBggRRXGTzYUGmx8iAup9blFvx-XvuHt-12alYtGA4WmRIFzTCWKdpFTW6u66bLtiWpCrk-WZA7GGykw9aI-VXEb0jhUsUb7DJHM5KnpIB6HlL2/s1600/drv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhC7HLsLFywxGXY34mAWDqbZpnp0RkyhBggRRXGTzYUGmx8iAup9blFvx-XvuHt-12alYtGA4WmRIFzTCWKdpFTW6u66bLtiWpCrk-WZA7GGykw9aI-VXEb0jhUsUb7DJHM5KnpIB6HlL2/s1600/drv.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The days went by and with each one Asha became more herself.
Soon she was spending more time moving around instead of just laying in one
spot.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We went back two weeks later for another follow up. Asha
would get so excited when we walked in the doors at Columbia River Veterinary
Specialists. Her little nubbin tail would wag furiously until she was able to
greet all her friends there. Her stay there was no picnic and so it was
surprising to me that she still loved coming there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I remember when the tech brought Asha back in the room after
her xrays she said “the doctor will be in to go over the films with you in a
minute, but I can tell you she smiled big when she saw them.” Sure enough, Dr
Seekins came in to see me and was thrilled with how Asha’s lungs looked. We
were able to again decrease her medications and move our next follow up to a
month out. That was great news.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that Asha was feeling better, her personality was really
showing. A month earlier, I had sat on the floor of the ICU, with a very sick
Asha, and tried to explain to Dr Seekins all that this sweet girl meant to us.
I am sure most owners tell her how special their pet is, but Asha is different.
She isn’t like other dogs and I couldn’t find the words that day to express it.
Now, Dr Seekins was seeing for herself and I loved that. Asha has a way of
looking right through you, right into your soul. One of the great joys of my
life with her is when other people see how amazingly special she is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We headed home and we continued to monitor her progress. Asha
was just starting to act like her old self. One day I was working at the
kitchen table and Asha would not settle down. Just like before she got sick,
she was getting up and pacing and barking. While we are used to this behavior and we
have lived with it for years, it can still be incredibly annoying. Even though
Asha is deaf, we still talk to her and sometimes even yell at her as if she was
a hearing dog. I got up from the table and said “Asha, you are driving me nuts”.
I stopped in my tracks. Then I sat down on the floor and hugged her while I
cried. I had wanted Asha’s old self back for a while now. Ever since she got
sick, all I wanted was her to act like “normal”. I cried tears of happiness because
that time was finally here. Our girl was coming back to us. I have never been
so happy to be annoyed by her!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> was getting ready
to head out of town for a busy month of travel. I was happy that Asha was doing
so well. We are blessed to have incredible pet sitters who I knew would keep a
close eye on Asha. All has been well for the last month. Asha hasn’t coughed at
all since we brought her home from the ICU. Her breathing has been steadily
improving. Most days, Asha is her normal self.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last week we went back for another follow up. Asha’s lungs
again looked good but there is still some damage. It is hard to say if that is
how they looked before she got sick (we have nothing to compare them to) and it
is hard to say if this is as good as they will get. She may have some permanent
damage to her lungs and she may always have a little more trouble breathing
than before. But she is really doing great. Dr Seekins is very happy with her progress.
We are continuing to decrease her medication. We will continue to watch her
like a hawk for any indication that she is doing anything other than improving.
Our next follow up is in 4 weeks.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZgUjbtx1Nm_1GiJ-9AC851ArDFbhRrYujxy1cje5DGFcRUA5UeGw6ufAc8Pbwqli2nEYqule5iwW-vLR_i3fzOWygK3b0ipyP2-56soEz57VyxAvIAIreyXw-OK-LryImOwPa2TC-i9h/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZgUjbtx1Nm_1GiJ-9AC851ArDFbhRrYujxy1cje5DGFcRUA5UeGw6ufAc8Pbwqli2nEYqule5iwW-vLR_i3fzOWygK3b0ipyP2-56soEz57VyxAvIAIreyXw-OK-LryImOwPa2TC-i9h/s1600/5.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We continue to take things one day at a time. Asha is the
most amazing creature to me, as she has always been. I still look at her now
and then and remind myself that she cannot see or hear. I am in awe of the life
she lives, of the way she navigates the world with nothing but love and
happiness. She has the most open heart and the most adventurous soul. It is
like it never occurs to her that anything other than good exists in the
Universe. I often forget how much she depends on Trevor and I. Her complete
trust in us is humbling and my complete love for her is overwhelming. I didn’t
think I could ever love her more, but with every passing day I find myself more
in awe of her and her place in my world. I wonder who I ever was without her
and who I would have become had she not come into my life. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUo5oTdYzz-728VuOaH5JDvK1dc65q4Pjl2EL-YIXJmNyINy7Xlhb9S-di9tQQkQMr4AEuctSowwST-Zhd6R3B2PRVjDhbE_o1Pd0usQYafEO_Humvvtcjjm1jsckJY5tDXp4YA_9EkVM8/s1600/love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUo5oTdYzz-728VuOaH5JDvK1dc65q4Pjl2EL-YIXJmNyINy7Xlhb9S-di9tQQkQMr4AEuctSowwST-Zhd6R3B2PRVjDhbE_o1Pd0usQYafEO_Humvvtcjjm1jsckJY5tDXp4YA_9EkVM8/s1600/love.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If at the end of my life, I am judged only for the way in
which I loved this girl than I will be content. She is all that is good and
right in my world. She makes me a better person. She saved me from a life of
ordinary. I am so grateful for every day that I get to see her sweet smiling
face. I hope I get to see it for many more years to come.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-1319672016378170702014-08-15T17:03:00.000-07:002014-08-15T20:42:20.010-07:00The Gift<div class="MsoNormal">
The last four weeks have been a blur. Back in July, our dog Asha had started showing symptoms of kennel cough. We had taken her to a self serve pet wash and
a pet store, three days later she started coughing. We assumed she picked up a
virus. She coughed for a couple days and we took her to see our vet. While in
his office, Asha didn’t cough a single time. The vet listened to her lungs and
believed she had a mild kennel cough that should resolve on its own. A week
later, Asha was still coughing and it was getting worse. I called the vet and
he prescribed an antibiotic and cough suppressant. She took those for one day
and got significantly worse. Her breathing went from a dry, hacking, deep cough
to a wet, raspy, shallow cough. Within a day she was laboring to breath. I
still don’t really understand how we got from there to here. I finally had the
chance to reflect on those first days and all that has happened. I see how Asha
continues to teach me things about hope and life and love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I remember thinking that we would go back to the vet, Asha probably
had pneumonia, they would take some xrays, prescribe a different medication and that would be
it. When the vet came into the room to review her chest xrays, he looked at Asha with worry. I was surprised when he told me to get to the
24 hour emergency veterinarian, because Asha needed to be hospitalized. There
are several of these types of facilities in the Portland Metro area and he
wanted to know where we would go so he could call and prepare them. I chose
Columbia River Veterinary Specialists because they were 10 minutes from our
house (I believe that decision saved Asha's life,I don't think we would have gotten the same care anywhere else). Our vet didn’t typically refer patients there because it was further
away from his office but said he would call them. I told him that we would go
wherever he felt Asha would get the best care and if after talking to CRVS he
didn’t feel like that was it, he needed to tell me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The vet came back and told me they were expecting us at CRVS
and suggested I be sure to keep the air conditioning on during my drive (in
order to keep Asha as comfortable as possible). It was rush hour and the drive
took forever. I know the gravity of the situation had not sunk in. I remember thinking about the words the vet used – severe bacterial pneumonia, suspicious nodules….these
sounded serious. But how could that be? Just a couple of days ago, she was
relatively fine. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We arrived at CRVS and they had Asha on oxygen almost
immediately. They started IV fluids and medications. Trevor and I left her
there for the night – we figured it would be easier for the staff to give Asha
the best care without us there. She had been in the ER overnight as a
puppy, when she had her first seizure. After she recovered that night, she barked
until we picked her up in the morning. I honestly expected it to be the same way
this time. I called and checked on her before we went to sleep and then again during the night. I thought I would call in the morning and they’d
say she was better and come get her because she won’t shut up! That didn’t
happen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I called in the morning, the doctor said Asha wouldn’t
eat and asked if I could come over and help them. Again, I still expected I
would get there, feed her, and we would come home later in the day. When I
arrived, I was shocked. Asha looked sick. For the first time, she really really
looked sick. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Asha was born deaf and blind, she has epilepsy and anxiety.
She navigates the world well and it has taken us her entire life to get to a good place with her. But she still decides what she will and won’t do. Being
in a strange place, with strange people, is not okay with her. She would not go
into a kennel and she wouldn’t settle down when left alone. The staff at CRVS
had taken the door off a kennel and made a big bed for Asha on the floor of the
Intensive Care Unit. Then, someone sat with her almost all night. I was happy
to take over that duty. When Asha was younger, I slept on the bathroom floor
with her…for months. So this was familiar to both of us. Asha leaned in to me for comfort, just as she has since the first day I met her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Asha wouldn’t eat. This was a problem because she couldn’t
take her medication, so they started giving them to her by IV. The goal was to
get her breathing under contol. I decided I would stay with Asha all day. I was
able to do my work from there and it made us all feel better. The staff
welcomed this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the day went on, Asha’s conditioned worsened. Then things
got even more serious. I met with the doctor late in the day and she told me
that Asha’s digestive system had shut down. Her stomach was not emptying and was filling with fluid. This was a problem because she could burp up that fluid
and aspirate or breathe it in. That would make her pneumonia and breathing
worse. If her stomach didn’t start to empty they would have to put a tube down
her throat to suction out the fluid. They had started her on medication to get
her digestive system re-engaged. Hopefully there should be movement within 24 hours. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I remember calling Trevor and telling him this in a matter
of fact tone, but feeling complete and utter disbelief. What the hell was
happening here? Asha had been in the ICU for 24 hours and there was no talk of
going home. Her health was going in the wrong direction. How was that possible?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Trevor and I decided that I would stay the night with Asha.
She wouldn’t do well on her own and we wouldn’t do well not being with her. I don't remember us even discussing it. We had come home for about an hour to take care of our other dogs and when we headed back to see Asha, I had my pillow with me. I
laid awake all night on the floor of the ICU willing her to get better. The next morning, the vet felt
like she would have digestive function by the end of the day – the medication seemed
to be working.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the day went on, there seemed to be no improvement in her
breathing. I was so focused on the moment that I wasn’t really thinking about
the fact that she had been there for almost 48 hours and there had been zero
improvement in her condition. They had been pumping her full of oxygen and
medications and she wasn’t getting better. Then Dr Seekins (I called her Dr
Megan in prior posts – up to that point we had seen so many doctors and I didn’t
know any of their names, instead we referred to them as “blonde doctor”, doctor
with curly hair who checked us in” and “Dr Megan with the cool tattoo on her
forearm”) came in to talk to me. It was during this conversation that I
realized the graveness of our situation. I wrote about that in my previous
post<a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2014/07/asha-fights-for-her-life.html" target="_blank"> HERE</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Asha had the diagnostic procedures and we felt like we had
some better answers. I was hopeful we could start to make progress. Then, she
had her seizure. I look back now and know that I was fortunate to have been
there when it happened. There were no staff in the room, they were tending to
other patients. I realized Asha was having the seizure, I called out for help
and within minutes the nurses and doctors were treating her. When the nurses
came in, I got up and out of their way. I sat down in a chair in the corner. I
didn’t freak out, I didn’t cry. I texted Trevor and then closed my eyes. I could hear them
working on Asha and I summoned every ounce of positive energy from the Universe.
I wanted to fill the room with hope and life force. At the same time I wondered how much worse it
could possibly get. When was it going to
start to get better? Was it going to get better?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After we got Asha’s breathing under control, we sat and
talked with Dr Miller about our options and what things could go wrong during
the night. We discussed that Asha’s breathing could again become unregulated
and they may not be able to get it under control. In that case the options
would be either they put her on a respirator or they let her go. Dr Miller said
that Dr Seekins did not think putting her on the respirator would be the right
thing to do. It didn’t hit me at the time, but I later realized what that meant.
Dr Seekins must have believed there was a real possibility that Asha was going
to get worse. Trevor and I decided that we wouldn’t do that if it came down to
it and then we looked at each other with all the hope in the world that it
wouldn’t come down to that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent that night laying on the floor in front of Asha. I
could see her face and could also watch her chest rise and fall. I literally
lived breath to breath for the next 12 hours. I watched each inhale and exhale.
There was no before and no after. There was only that breath. Once we made it
through the night I started to live minute to minute, then hour to hour.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We finally started to see progress. We were 72 hours into
our stay. Things had gotten worse and were now getting better. There was some
talk of going home now, but it wouldn’t be for a couple more days and that
seemed so far away. You would think the time would drag, but it went surprisingly
fast. Every two hours Asha was getting medication, trying to be fed, being
nebulized, going out to potty. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were benchmarks. We had gotten through the eye of the
storm and were now working the plan. We had reduced her oxygen and then stopped
it all together. We started to move her medications from IV to oral. In order
to go home, she needed to be able to take her medications…and there were a lot
of them….by mouth. We worked on this for over 24 hours and finally had success.
</div>
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I felt quite a bond to the staff, to the doctors and especially
the nurses and techs who spent their time with us. They were seeing me at pretty
much the worst moments of my life and I knew they were on my team. As Asha
started to improve, her personality started to come out and I could see these
people realize how special she is. I could see them start to understand what I
had been trying to explain for 5 days….that this dog is my soul. My favorite
thing is when others get a glimpse of how amazing she is. That started to
happen. I could also feel their hope grow….their hope that she would actually
go home. When I felt that, I started to have hope too.</div>
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At one point I asked the doctor to go over all the
medications Asha was on and would have to take once we got home. She went over
the list and I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I had been so focused
on the moment to moment that I hadn’t thought about going home and what the
next steps would be. It was overwhelming and intimidating. I began to see that
getting out of the hospital was not the end…we still had an uphill climb and a long way to go. I tried to be grateful that we even had
the chance to move on to this next phase. We would be leaving and Asha was
coming with us…alive.</div>
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The last three weeks have been focused on making sure that Asha continues to improve. I watch her like a hawk, so concerned that she would go backwards. She has not, she has continued to improve. She's had two sets of xrays, both showing her lungs starting to clear. We are slowly reducing her medications. She has spent time with Dr Hope Valentine, her Chinese Medicine Veterinary. I have no doubt Asha is alive because she was able to be treated with both western and eastern medicine, in a very integrated approach. We are moving forward and that feels so very good.</div>
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Asha whole life with us has been impossible and yet there
was always somewhere else to go, something else to try. We never felt like we
were at the end with her, there always seemed to be another possibility,
another hope. I think that is what saved us and what saved Asha. I refused to
believe that this was it for her….that this was it for us. Usually when one of our pets is dying I have
a conversation with them about heaven. I never did that with Asha. At one
point, I did tell her that if she needed to go, she could go…but I didn’t want
her to. I look back and wonder why I wasn’t preparing her for death, because she was on the brink.</div>
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My life changed the day I met Asha. I have learned so many
things about myself and the world because I have loved her. I feel so lucky
that the Universe chose me to be Asha’s advocate in this life. Every time I
think I’ve learned all there is, she brings me yet another lesson. Through this
experience, I’ve found another part of myself that I didn’t know existed. I’ve
seen a strength in myself and in Trevor that is beyond what I believed possible.
My bond with my husband has grown deeper through this struggle. I have always
known that he and I are a good team, but this really showed me that we can get
through dark times as long as we lean on each other and stick together. He is
my person and there is no other who could do that job the way he does.</div>
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Asha has taught me that when you think it is the end , there
is always another beginning. The start of something new. We have started a new
journey, along an untraveled road. We will meet the most amazing people and
have the chance to expand Team Asha and let more love and light into our world.
This is a tremendous blessing. Without Asha, without this chapter in her life,
we would not have met Dr. Seekins and her team and what a shame that would have been.</div>
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Asha is also teaching me about letting go and giving up
control. This is an ongoing lesson, the one that I believe she was sent into my
life to teach. It is my nature to want to be in control, to plan, to have the
next 4 steps figured out. I can’t do that right now and it is incredibly difficult
for me to not know what comes next. We have done more than anyone could
possibly do and I must come to peace with that. Asha’s life will continue to
unfold the way it should and all I can do is continue to support that in every
possible way. However it turns out, I can have no regrets, I can never wonder
if we should have done anything differently. I can only have faith that
anything is possible and that we have searched to the ends of the earth for her
and for us. </div>
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I know without a doubt that my life, my world is better
because of Asha. This sweet soul was entrusted to me and I to her and that is
the most beautiful gift I have ever received.</div>
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And so our story continues....</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-53506813334579750642014-07-25T17:58:00.002-07:002014-08-01T08:31:48.573-07:00Asha fights for her lifeIt is 12am on Thursday and I am laying on the floor in the ICU of our local 24 hour emergency veterinary hospital. I am face to face with our dog Asha, who is also lying on the floor, watching her breathe. I'm not sure if this is the end for her or if it will be just another bump in the road. I have spent the last 48 hours pondering that question and trying to come to terms with whatever way things may go.<br />
<br />
12 hours earlier, Dr Megan, came and sat with me and Asha on this same floor and told me that we were at a crossroads. Asha was seriously ill and she was not getting better. Despite a very aggressive protocol to treat what presented as pneumonia, Asha was showing no improvement. It was time to make some decisions. We talked for about an hour. Up until that point, I was hoping that Asha would get better, that she would respond to the endless barrage of antibiotics, pain killers, airway dilators, IV fluids and oxygen. This was the moment when I couldn't hope anymore. Reality hit me in the face.<br />
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Asha's chest xrays looked like a tree in a snowstorm. Her lungs were full of white, there were nodules of white. All of this is abnormal. A chest xray should look like a tree in the dark night. All that white was mucus, inflammation and/or infection. All of that white was suffocating our girl, taking away her breath. She has been struggling to breathe since Sunday night. We visited her regular vet on Monday and when he saw those xrays he said "we are transferring you to the 24 hour emergency vet, there is no time to wait". We had been there a week earlier when Asha has started with a dry hacking cough. It was so minor that she didn't even do it during the visit. He listened to her lungs and they sounded fine. The diagnoses was kennel cough and we were going to keep an eye on it. A week later Asha started to struggle to get comfortable at night and the next night her breathing started to sound crackling and bubbly. Her cough was no longer hacking and dry, but shallow and wet. Within 24 hours she was struggling to breath. The vet seemed as surprised by it as I did. The urgency and seriousness in his voice concerned me. I drove as fast as I could (in rush hour traffic) to get to the ER.<br />
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Now, here we were 48 hours later, trying to decide how to save our girl. There were really two options. The first was to perform a bronchoscopy and CT scan. They would put Asha under anesthesia and scope her lungs. They would take samples of anything that looked unusual and send it to the lab. Then, a CT scan would be taken for a more complete view. This would give us all the diagnostic information possible to see if Asha's lung issues were being caused by either bacterial pneumonia that was just not responding to the broad antibiotics, cancer, an autoimmune inflammatory disease or something else. It would allow us information on how to treat her situation. The other option was to let her go. She wasn't getting better and couldn't breathe on her own.<br />
<br />
Dr Megan looked me in the eye and told me that we had to make a choice. She said that we also needed to know that the procedure has risk because Asha would go under anesthesia and with her strained breathing, that was risky. Dr Megan said "there is a very real possibility that she will not survive the anesthesia and you need to prepare for that". She also told me that we needed to go into that choice with no regrets, knowing that we had to make a decision because she wasn't getting better on her own. <br />
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I knew what our answer would be, but I had to call and check with Trevor. Dr Megan left to go put together an estimate. My quiet tears turned into loud sobs as I digested the information I was just given. I was laying on a pile of blankets in the ICU room. Asha was laying in my lap. There was one other dog in the ICU. His name was Hunter. He had been there since Sunday and just doing so well. His mom was there visiting him. She was so happy about how well Hunter was doing and she got to sit there and listen to me get this most awful news. She then got to listen to me cry. The ER vet is a tough place to be.<br />
<br />
I called Trevor, told him what we had discussed and we agreed we really only had one decision and that was to do the procedure. He was going to leave work and head straight to the hospital, He hoped to arrive before they took Asha to the procedure, but said not to wait. I told Dr Megan we were set to proceed. She told me that she was 100% in and she wanted us to be 100% in too.<br />
<br />
During our earlier conversation, I attempted to convey our relationship with Asha and her place in our family. I explained all we had been through with Asha and all that she meant to us. Dr Megan said she had spoken with Dr Pachel, Asha's Behavioral Vet, earlier in the day and he was explaining to her the bond between Asha and us. I finally said to Dr Megan "Asha has to live". She assured me that she would do everything she possibly could to make that happen.<br />
<br />
The procedure was scheduled for 3, Trevor arrived shortly before that. It actually began at 4. During the time between when I spoke with Dr Megan about our options and when they took her back for the procedure, I sat in the room and tried to understand what this all meant. I wondered, if this was all we got with Asha, just these three short years, would it have been enough? Did we do all we could, did she experience all the things she wanted, all the things we wanted? What would it mean for us to go on without her. I am Asha's mom, Trevor is Asha's dad. I can't imagine a life without her. For those few hours, I tried to imagine it and it was more than I could handle.<br />
<br />
Earlier that day, when we started to realize that this wasn't just a little thing, we started contacting those closest to us and those most involved in Asha's life, to let them know what was happening. We are always very active on social media and so many people follow Asha's life through that. I didn't want Asha to die and have to share the unexpected shock of that. I also wanted every God that was believed in to be prayed to, I wanted every positive thought, energy work or mediation to be given towards Asha's healing. I wanted the Universe to be alive with love for her. I wanted her to be lifted up and surrounded by everything good, kind and right with the world. That meant that I need to let everyone know.<br />
<br />
When they took Asha back for her procedure, Trevor and I went into the comfort room and I wrote a post detailing what was happening. Our phones and computers lit up with all the things I had hoped. <br />
<br />
Asha came out of the procedure fine. They felt they could rule out cancer and were more likely to lean towards other causes, but we would know nothing for at least a day maybe more. Asha's Chinese medicine vet, Dr Hope Valentine, came up to provide some acupuncture therapy. They added some additional antibiotics, I stayed with her for the night and Trevor headed home.<br />
<br />
Asha was laying next to me, resting calmly. Then, she sat up, rolled around for a couple seconds and I realized she was having a seizure. I called for help, the nurses and doctors came. They worked on her, the doctor telling me this wasn't a set back, a seizure after that procedure with her history was not unexpected. I texted Trevor and he headed back to the hospital.<br />
<br />
Asha came out of the seizure and her breathing was erratic. It would not calm down, she could not get it under control. Either it was left over from the seizure or she had breathed in some vomit or fluid and made her pneumonia worse. If it was just the seizure, a sedative was going to slow her breathing, if she had breathed in something and her condition was worse, the sedative wouldn't work and we would probably lose her.<br />
<br />
They gave her the sedative and said it should work within 5-10 minutes. I put my hands on her body and said the Lord's Prayer to myself. Over and over. We all sat there watching to see how she would respond. Within about 3 minutes, her breathing slowed. We turned up her oxygen and settled back in for a long night.<br />
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Trevor needed to go home, he had work the next day. Before he left, we sat with the doctor and discussed all the possible scenarios and what our decisions would be in those cases. That way I could make the decision without having to check with Trevor, giving Asha the best chance to survive.<br />
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Trevor left and we both knew that Asha was in big trouble. She couldn't seem to catch a break and we both felt we were exhausting her options. We were heartsick. I could see it in his eyes and that is why I love him so very much. <br />
<br />
The staff at Columbia River Veterinary Specialist have been amazing. They have been so supportive and complete with Asha's care. They have been honest and open about our options and the consequences. The first night we arrived, Asha was belligerent and wouldn't allow them to put her on oxygen or put in an IV. I remember thinking that she was going to die because she wouldn't let them help her. When they realized she wouldn't go into a kennel without going nuts, they made a bed for her in the middle of the floor. When I decided after the first night that I didn't want to leave Asha's side, they made me a bed right next to here's. Every night, they walked around me while I tried to sleep next to Asha. They would turn out the lights in the ICU when they could and turned on soft music to keep the other noises out. If I wasn't there, Asha would get up and be restless, so it was better for them, me and her recovery for me to stay close. One nurse brought me lunch, another gave me some of her food. They have told us over and over how welcome we are to be here and how happy they are that we can be here. I appreciate that I don't feel like I am a bother or like I am in the way. They have welcomed input from the rest of Asha's team, all her doctors. I know we are in the right place and that everyone is working towards the same goal....a healthy Asha.<br />
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We had two of Asha's favorite people come to visit on Thursday morning. At that point we weren't sure Asha was going to make it through the day. Tamara, Asha's friend and pet sitter came first, Asha was thrilled to have some awesome belly rubs. A little later, our friend G came. Asha is in love with him and couldn't get close enough. There were many tears during these visits. These were very special moments when I had the chance to see what effect our girl has had on others. It was incredibly moving and I will carry this in my heart always.<br />
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It is now Friday. We have been here since Monday. Asha is doing better, She is breathing on her own, eating on her own, drinking on her own. We have some initial results back and think we know what is causing her illness. The doctors all suspect it is eosinophilia. Basically her body is attacking her lungs. We don't know why, but we are starting to treat it. I have lots of questions for the future, those answers will come. We have to get her self sufficient enough to leave the hospital. That will probably happen tomorrow. We will have a plan and go forward. I feel good about the fact that we have hope again. There was quite some time here when I thought I would leave this place without my girl. I don't think that will be the case. I look forward to leashing her up and marching her out the doors we came into 5 days ago. I love this girl and have never taken our days for granted. But now we really won't waste time. She's never touched the ocean. That's first on her list, so we'll make that happen.<br />
<br />
We've seen a lot in this place during the last 5 days. While we have been dealing with our crisis, we have seen others dealing with theirs. We've seen some animals come and go home, we've seen others who didn't make it. I have seen these doctors and nurses care for their patients with an amazing amount of love. They talk to the animals the same way their owners do, in soft, funny, baby voices. They are kind, even when presented with belligerent difficult animals. They answer endless questions. They come in on their days off and check on their patients. I don't know how they do it. There is a lot of sad stuff going on here. I have also seen their joy when a dog who they didn't think would walk again starts to walk. I see their joy when Asha starts to eat on her own. They are rooting for every one of these creatures and they balance that with the ability to know when enough is enough. That is perhaps the greatest measure of compassion. They have cried with us and cheered with us, laughed with us and been concerned with us. Asha's team has just expanded exponentially and we are incredibly blessed.<br />
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The story doesn't end here. There will certainly be more to come. Stay tuned and thanks for loving our family.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-19294083114269331392014-07-09T08:10:00.000-07:002014-07-09T08:16:38.039-07:00Three years with Asha<div class="MsoNormal">
Tomorrow is the three year anniversary of the day we adopted
Asha. Three years ago tonight I laid awake for hours wondering if we were
making the right decision. I worried that it would be too much for us. I
worried that we were too selfish to handle a dog like Asha. I know for sure
that my “what’s the worst that could happen” scenarios were not as bad as what
would follow. I also know for sure that what I thought we would gain from
loving Asha did not even come close to reality - we have gained way more.</div>
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Three years ago everything changed. We could never have imagined or prepared for it and we didn't really even see it coming. Three years ago today I wrote a blog about our new addition. You can read it in its entirety <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-addition.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
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This is how that blog post ended:</div>
<i>I keep thinking about what a great life she will have with us. Yesterday, one of my friends said "she will change your life forever". That really hit me....I think we are going to save her life, but I suspect it will be the other way around.</i><br />
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<i>Sunday night, we will bring Asha home to a place that she will never see. She will never hear the barking of our other dogs, the hissing of our cats, the lawnmower, the trash truck, the vacuum. She won't hear us call her name or see how we look at her when we disapprove of what she has done. She will experience her home in a completely different way than the rest of us. But she will know love. We all will. Welcome home Asha....you have no idea what great things lie ahead of you.</i><br />
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You can read through my blog over the last three years and see the things we have been through with Asha. I sometimes forget how things were, how she acted, how that made me feel, what that did to our lives. I think back and wonder "how did we ever make it through all that". I look at Asha and I see my soul, living outside my body. I have never loved something or someone as much as I love her.<br />
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Are things perfect? Far from it. But I have learned that perfect doesn't mean happy. The secret to life is finding joy in the imperfection, seeing beauty in the flawed, loving something more than you love yourself.<br />
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Asha is so smart. I am amazed every day at how she navigates the world. People have asked us "what do you do with a dog who is deaf and blind". Asha does not know or care that she cannot see or hear. I often forget because she does just fine. I sometimes wonder what it is like for her, how she experiences things. When the other dogs run and play or chase a ball I do feel a little sad that Asha will never do that. But then I see just how happy she is and I know that it doesn't matter.<br />
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The last time I slept through the night was three years ago. Since Asha, there is no sleep. 8 hours of dream time is a thing of the past. However, year three with us has brought a big change. After two and a half years of sleeping on the floor or the couch with her, Asha finally decided that our bed and the floor next to our bed is sufficient. At last I can sleep in my own bed again. That happened back in December and has really made things tremendously better. Maybe on her fourth anniversary I'll be able to say that we get to sleep through the night. Until then, every morning around 3:30am (if not several times before then), this face appears next to me (after some walking around and barking).<br />
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Asha still runs and barks uncontrollably. Not as much, but she still does it. Asha still takes medicine to control her seizures, medicine to control her anxiety, herbs to help with everything and she still eats a special diet. She isn't a "normal" dog. She never will be and that is okay with us.<br />
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She sure has grown! </div>
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Our lives are richer because Asha is a part of our family. I cannot imagine my life without her. I love her so completely and am thankful every day that she came into our lives. I hope we celebrate many more years together. Happy Anniversary Sissy!!<br />
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Here is a video about our lives with Asha:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/p1fnN8hW2DQ" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-9839479392848808482014-06-06T17:18:00.000-07:002014-06-06T19:06:57.131-07:00Goodbye to Poppy...<div class="MsoNormal">
In April of 2013, Trevor and I took in a hospice foster dog.
We named him Ducky because his tail looked like a platapus. We expected him to
live a week or two and figured we could give him a safe, loving home until it
was him time to go. He had come into the shelter as a stray, no one claimed
him. He was about 16 and in pretty bad shape – his teeth were awful, he was
blind in one eye and had bad arthritis. He wouldn’t be adoptable and instead of
just putting him down, they asked us to take him. <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2013/05/foster-ducky.html" target="_blank">Here</a> is the story of our meeting.</div>
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Within a week we started calling him Poppy because this old
guy acted like a grumpy grandpa. He stomped around, demanded to be fed, held,
let out, let in. He was quite a character. He liked to be held close and would
jump up on the couch, the coffee table or my lap. We quickly grew to love him.
He was pretty confused for a while, not sure where he was and who we were. That
changed over time – he soon realized that we were his family and that was that.</div>
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Many times, we thought it was the end for Poppy. I was out
of town for work and Poppy wouldn’t eat. Trevor just wanted to keep him alive
until I got home – we didn’t want Poppy to die without both of us by his side. Trevor
gave him some cat food and Poppy loved it.
The brand of food was called “Fussy Cat” and that became his nickname.
Fussy cat ate his cat food diet for several months until he decided he didn’t
want it anymore and we switched him back to a dog food.</div>
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At first, Poppy would jump on and off the deck by himself.
His joints were pretty stiff so he kind of threw himself off the deck and hoped
for the best. After a couple months, we didn’t make him jump off or on anymore,
we helped him. At that point he would come to the deck and put his chin up
while he waited for us to come get him. If we didn’t do it soon enough, he
would stomp around the yard and then come back to the deck. Recently he stopped
doing that – he would just wander around the yard in circles until we came out
to get him.</div>
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Most days we expected Poppy to die in his sleep. When he
woke up from a deep sleep he was always a little surprised that he was still
alive. “Is this heaven?” he would say as he stumbled to his awakeness.</div>
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Through it all, he loved to be held close. Poppy’s best
times were when I would sit in the sun or lay on the couch and just hold him.
It was those times when I knew that he knew we loved him. He knew he was our
family and that he was safe with us. It was those times when I was overcome
with a feeling of peace and the realization of my purpose here on earth. I knew
it. Poppy knew it. These last few weeks, I’ve been spending as much time as I
could holding him close and telling him how much I loved him. I’ve also been
telling Poppy about doggie heaven – how the others who have gone before him
will be waiting for him, how he will be restored to good health and he can run
and play just like he did when he was younger.</div>
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We have known this old guy was going downhill the last
couple weeks and were just waiting for him to give us the sign. I was out of
town last weekend and when I got home Monday night, I knew. I picked up Poppy
and he looked at me as if to say “Don’t leave me again”. And I knew it was
time. We decided to give him this week to enjoy eating some super yummy food
and being held close in the sun. He has enjoyed it but has also made it clear,
he is ready to go. His time here is done. 17 years is a pretty good run for a
doggie. </div>
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I don’t know what the first 16 years of Poppy’s life were
like, but I know that this last year has been full of love and comfort. He
could have died in the shelter, alone, last year. So many others die alone. But
because he came here to be with us that didn’t happen.</div>
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Today, Poppy went to the Rainbow Bridge. We held him close
one last time as he took his final breathe and slipped away into the next life.
My heart is both full of love and broken into pieces. I loved him, I’ll always
love him and I will miss him terribly.
It was an honor to be with him at the end and I am proud that he was a
part of our family.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-13849128203537067092014-05-06T08:42:00.001-07:002014-05-06T09:41:51.895-07:00Wildflower Long Course Race Report<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year, I did 4 triathlons and barely trained for any of them. I spend my life working triathlons, am around it all the time, but don't get to participate. This year, I wanted to do a race before my work travel season began. We found a race as late as possible (before May 18 - the first Rev3 of the season) and close enough to home that we could drive. We chose Wildflower in California and have been training since December for this specific event. I would have loved to do a Rev3, but since I work for them, racing isn't possible....</div>
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Trevor and I arrived at our rental house in California on
Thursday afternoon. We had been driving since Wednesday. It took us a total of
about 14 hours, which really wasn’t as bad as I expected. We got settled in the
house, got some groceries and went to bed early.</div>
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The weeks leading up to the race had been pretty hectic and
we were both feeling quite a bit of stress over many things in life. I was
feeling very anxious about the race. I am not sure why. I was prepared, I had
never been more prepared for a race and I felt comfortable with my plan.<br />
<br /></div>
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The logistics of the race were overwhelming to me and I was
trying hard to wrap my head around all that was involved. I was happy when we
got to the race site on Friday morning to see about a practice swim, bike and
run.<br />
<br />
Because the water level was so low, they moved the swim. We would swim, then run 2.2 miles to our bikes, bike 56 miles and then run the additional 10.9 miles (to make a total of 13.1).</div>
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We rode our bikes the 3 miles from the parking lot to the
swim start. The water level was VERY low. It was sad and kind of hard to
believe that there was so little water. We rode our bikes back to the parking
lot and then down to the transition area/finish line. I was getting the lay of
the land and feeling a little better about that. We got our bikes back on the
car and did a quick little jog around the trails in the park.</div>
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We then drove down to the swim start and did a practice
swim. We had heard that the water was very silty and dirty and wanted to test
it out. I had been in my wetsuit once this year, Trevor hadn’t at all and we
wanted to do a little test before race day and work out any of the kinks. We
had also heard the water was really warm.
We were both pleasantly surprised. The water wasn’t too dirty and it
felt plenty cool to us.</div>
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The biggest challenge was going to be the steep grade of the
transition area. We got out of the water at the bottom of a boat ramp (that is
usually submerged). Our shoes and transition bags were staged on the ramp. At
the top of the ramp we transitioned to the run portion that would take us to
our bikes – 2.2 miles away.<br />
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It was getting hot and we were out later than I had wanted
to be. But we had gotten a good look at things and I was feeling better about
understanding how it all would come together.</div>
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We went back to the house and got organized, showered, ate
lunch and relaxed for a bit. Then we headed back to the park to pickup packets
and check our bikes. The bike transition area was at the bottom of a long steep
hill. We took a school bus shuttle, with our bikes and all our gear, down
there. We checked in pretty quickly and got our bikes set in transition. We had
to leave all our gear there and wouldn’t see our bikes in the morning. I left
my nutrition all in a bag and all my other gear stacked in a bag and ready to
go. While we were setting up, someone who had checked their bike earlier had a
tire blow. That didn’t make us feel very good about leaving our bikes there and
not seeing them until we were ready to ride. But that’s what they told us to
do, so we hoped for the best.</div>
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We went to the athlete meeting and found only a handful of
people there and honestly there was nothing discussed that I didn’t already
know. I was feeling super hot and kind of drained. I was ready to go home, eat
and relax.<br />
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We took the shuttle back up to our car and headed out. We
got back to the house, ate dinner (scrambled eggs, kale, potatoes and bread)
that I had cooked before we left that afternoon (thanks Marni for that tip!!)<br />
<br /></div>
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We went to bed around 8:30 and I was so excited to get so
much sleep. Our alarm was set for 4:55 (we planned to leave around 5:50). I
barely slept at all. I tossed and turned feeling super anxious about the next
day and I couldn’t seem to calm myself down.</div>
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We got up at 5am, I had some coffee. My tummy didn’t feel so
good, so I waited as long as I could to eat.
I had my wasa, nut butter and honey right before we left at 6am. My wave
didn’t start until 9, Trevor at 8:40. We had a 6:30 shuttle to the start. I
wasn’t super happy about all the waiting around we would be doing. Too much
time to think. I like to get there and go. Once the race starts I always calm
down but ahead of time I am a nervous wreck.</div>
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We got to the park and found a parking spot with no issues.
Got on the shuttle with no issues. We saw LOTS of people coming to check their
bikes in which was a little annoying because they had said NOT to do that. Oh
well, nothing we could do about it now. </div>
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We got to the swim start around 6:45 and proceeded to wait.
We used the bathroom twice, spent some time applying sunscreen. Sat and relaxed
for a while. I sipped on a flask of napalm and water. I felt a little tired and
fatigued but didn’t focus too much on that.</div>
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Finally the time came. Trevor went down to his start and I
got my gear all ready to go. Soon it was my turn. I put on my wetsuit, ear
plugs and pink cap. Between swim waves we got a couple minutes to do a warm up
if we wanted. I got in to adjust my
wetsuit and check my goggles. I was glad I did – the water was pitch black from
all the silt being stirred up. I tried to mentally prepare for it being like
that the entire swim. It was erie. I wasn’t too stressed about the swim at this
point. I was calming down.</div>
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The truth is, I don’t know why I stress at all about the
swim. I had an issue with anxiety during my first triathlon ever – 6 years ago.
Other than that, I had never had a time where I didn’t think I could finish a
swim, where I couldn’t keep going, had to turn on my back, grab a kayak or ask
for help. Not ever. Once the horn went off, I waited a minute and then got in
and swam. Before too long, the water cleared up. It wasn’t clean, but it wasn’t
black and that was good.</div>
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I was around some other people for a while, got pushed a
little, but not too bad. There were 7 buoys and I decided to just swim one at a
time and not worry about anything else. Every now and then, faster swimmers
from the waves behind me would pass and the water would get choppy. I swallowed
some water a few times and really focused on not doing that. The water was so
gross I didn’t want that in my belly!</div>
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At the Rev3 races I work, I never see the swim. I was paying
attention to the boats and the kayaks and thinking about all my coworkers who
are usually out on the water. Soon, I made the turn at the half way point and
turned towards home. When I was just about to the end of the swim, the water
got very shallow – less than a foot I bet, my hand touched the slimy silt.
Yuck. From the practice swim I knew the water got deeper by the dock and so I
just adjusted and kept going.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I got to the swim exit, stepped out of the water and looked
at my watch. 46 mins! That is 3 minutes faster than my previous swim time. I
was sure the swim was short, couldn’t be all my time in the pool paying off ;)<br />
<br /></div>
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I made my way up the boat ramp and looked for my shoes and
bags. I could not believe how far up I had to go! Some people were running and
that just didn’t make any sense to me, so I walked. It was really steep and I
didn’t want any accidents. I found my stuff, got my wetsuit off, put on my
running shoes, grabbed my flask of napalm and walked to the top of the
transition area.<br />
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Once I got off the boat ramp, I started to run. There was
one little hill before the long downhill turned to flat. We had 2.2 miles to go
to get to where our bikes were. We ran along the lake bed – it was very sandy
and rocky. I stuck with my plan, which was a steady warm up pace. Some people
passed me and I didn’t worry about them – they were faster athletes from the
waves behind me. No worries.</div>
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I finally made it to the bike transition area where we had
to go up another boat ramp! I arrived at my bike and immediately checked my
tires. No flats. That was great news! Everything was just as I had left it.<br />
<br /></div>
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I put my bottles on my bike, sprayed with sunscreen, changed
into bike gear and headed out on the bike. I heard the announcer, Sean, who we
know say that Trevor was about an hour ahead of me – which sounded just right.</div>
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The bike starts out on some winding roads and then goes
right into the first big climb. I wasn’t feeling great – a little fatigued and
already hot. I took it easy the first 20 mins or so, just to settle in. My plan was to push for 25-30 mins and then
take it easy for 3-5. </div>
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I was able to stick to my plan until about mile 50. It was a
great course, some hills, some flats. It was my kind of course, just what I had
trained on during my long rides and I was confident in that. I wasn’t get
passed by very many people, I was the one doing the passing. I was strong on
the hills and relaxed on the downhills. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
My hip flexor started to ache pretty early in the ride and I
wasn’t feeling super comfortable on the bike. It is amazing how many emotions
you can feel during a 56 mile bike ride. One minute I was feeling like “how
will I ever make it”, then literally a minute later I felt fabulous. I remember
Marni, my coach, told me to remember that this happens and to just keep moving
forward and being positive. It’s supposed to be hard!<br />
<br /></div>
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I took water at every aid station and poured it on my head
to stay in front of the heat. It was a huge help!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The course was a little more challenging than I had
expected. The flat road was really rough and that was hard on my body –
especially my elbow so I really wanted that to be over.</div>
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We made a turn onto a road and I knew we had reached the
last big climb called “Nasty Grade”. I settled in for slow and steady, I didn’t
know exactly how it would be. I just heard that when you think it is over, you
turn the corner and there is more. So I held back a little so that I could keep
going. I passed some people. Many were really struggling. Some were walking. I
made it to the top and turned onto the last road back to the park. We had
driven this road several times and so I knew about the little hill and what
followed.</div>
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I powered up the little hill and felt spent. I knew I had
about 8 miles left and I was SO ready to be off my bike. For a moment I thought
“ugh. I don’t even want to run.” But that was a ridiculous thought because we
don’t quit. That’s our rule. We. Don’t. Quit. So, not running wasn’t an option.</div>
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I tried to just make the mileage, I didn’t push too hard. I
rode the downhills a little slower because I didn’t trust myself to make any
quick decisions. I tried to get my mind right for the run. I told myself that
once I got to the transition area I needed to just get my shoes on and start
moving, even if it was just walking – progress.
I needed to make progress.</div>
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I came back into the park, down the big hill to transition,
where I saw people finishing as I came into the rack my bike. I pulled out my flasks of gel and they were boiling hot.
Yuck!! I got my run gear on and walked out of the transition area. Everyone
around me was walking. I had a plan…my plan coming into the race was to run a
mile and then walk 30 secs and repeat. There was a set of stairs ahead of me. I
decided I would walk those stairs and then I would run because that was my
plan.</div>
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I started running and didn’t feel so bad. Again, everyone
was walking and I thought “maybe I should walk too”, but I remembered that I
have been running really strong off the bike in training and so I needed to
just run.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It was really hot and none of the aid stations had ice so my
gels stayed hot. The water was tepid and that wasn’t helping me cool down!
Again…I just stuck to my plan.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I took longer walk breaks at each mile, but I felt like I
needed those. I would walk, tell myself “good job” on the last mile and think
about being strong on the next. There were some hills and every time I saw
someone walking, I would want to walk. I would think “if I were out here alone
would I run” and if the answer was yes, then I ran.</div>
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There were many places along the course where the hills were
pretty steep. Almost all of the run was on trails and some of them had lots of
rocks and the footing wasn’t the best. On these places I would walk. Then when
it flattened out or got smoother, I would run.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There was about a mile where it was really rough terrain and
I walked most of that mile. I ran the majority of the other miles. I am most
proud about that because it is typically my style to start walking and then I
don’t run anymore. I give up. I didn’t give up this time. I wanted to run a
10:30 pace and ended up running just under a 13 minute pace. It was 88 degrees
and the last time I saw anything over 70 was Florida in November. My body did
not understand this heat!</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I stuck to my plan as best I could and modified it for how I
felt and for the conditions of the day. It was hot, I was fatigued and I did
what I could do. My favorite part of the day was the spectators. We ran through
the campgrounds and people were sitting out in their chairs cheering us on.
That always made me smile and I was told at least 5 times “great smile”. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There were moments when I thought “why do I do this?” “what
am I getting out of this” “do I even still want to do these things”. Same as on
the bike, one minute I felt great, one minute I wanted to stop.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I made it to mile 12. Mile 11 was tough. Once I got to mile
12, I knew I would turn the corner and then it was one mile downhill to the
finish. At that point I started to cry. This was the hardest thing I had ever
done and I wanted to quit at least 10 times. But I didn’t. I was going to
finish.</div>
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I ran the entire last mile, down the hill, passing people
who were walking. My body was on fire, I was so hot and tired. I came around
the corner and there was the finish line. I ran down it. Happy to be finished
and so very proud that I had made it there. 7 hours and 37 minutes after I put
my feet in the water.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have never been more prepared for a race. I had fabulous
coaches (Marni and Karel from TriMarni coaching). Without them, this race would
have been a disaster. I LOVED being their athlete and am excited to work with
them more.</div>
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I found Trevor, headed to the medical tent to get some ice.
I felt really sick to my stomach. We sat for a while and talked about our race.
Then we loaded up our gear and got in line for the shuttle back to our car.
That was a long, torturous process where we saw someone totally pass out.
Trevor just about threw up and had to sit down. <br />
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We made it back to the car, got back to the house, ate
dinner, showered and went to bed at 8:30. The next morning we got up at 5am and
started the long drive home.<br />
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It is funny how in the midst of an experience like this, you
say “never again” and the more time passes, the more you realize that these are
things that make you stronger. When you do something you aren’t sure you can
do, you change, you become better. Anyone can do something easy. This day, we
did something hard and I can’t wait to decide what to do next….</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-88388957914712877972014-02-08T16:43:00.002-08:002014-02-08T16:43:43.176-08:00Guest Blogger....ASHA!It has been a long time since I got to do a guest blog here. My last one was in November of 2012! You can read it <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2012/11/guest-blogger-asha.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> if you like. Boy, we've come a long way since then.<br />
<br />
The reason my mom is letting me be the guest blogger is because IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! That's right, I am three years old now. When I was just a little Asha, my mom would lay on the floor with me at night and try to soothe me. She sang a song to me and it went like this "you're getting so big, you're turning into a dog". I couldn't hear it, but I could feel it and just the vibration of her voice helped to calm me down. She's been singing that to me again lately, only now she says "you're so big and you're turning into a good dog".<br />
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You see, I haven't always been a "good" dog. Most people know by now - born blind and deaf, with epilepsy too! Everyone knows how much of a challenge I have been. You all know the sad story of how my life started and how mom and dad weren't sure they would survive me. You know all the people who have been involved in helping me find my way in the world. Maggie says no one wants to hear about it anymore, but I don't listen to her.<br />
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I am the luckiest dog alive to have so many who care about me and want to make me better. I try hard to do the right things. Sometimes I still can't control myself and I just go crazy! Those times are few and far between these days.<br />
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I think the best thing that has happened lately is that I get to sleep upstairs with my mom and dad. For as long as I can remember, I slept on the couch with one of them. Finally a couple months ago, I decided I needed more room and a king sized bed seemed like just the place. Romeo told me that he liked sleeping there, so I figured I would give it a shot too. That little guy knows his stuff.<br />
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So every night, we go upstairs. My mom puts my leash around her wrist to keep me from running and barking in the middle of the night. Then, I jump up into bed. I usually sleep there part of the night and then I get on the floor. Around 1 am I want back up on the bed, but that takes SO much effort. So I cry for a little while until my mom touches me (that's how I know she's awake and paying attention). Then I put my chin on the bed, waiting for mom to help me up (I'm tired, you know). Eventually I realize that she really isn't going to help me get into bed, so I jump up myself and lay right on top of her. Then around 5 am I want to get up and so I make noise and pull on my leash until mom realizes that it isn't going to stop until she gets up. We have a routine :)<br />
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I get along with everyone just fine - except Poppy. He's this old guy that came to live with us in April. Mom said it would only be for a week or so until he died. He's still alive. He moves really slow and is very little. He always gets in my way and sometimes he runs into me when I am asleep. That makes me mad and so I bark at him. One time I barked so hard that I actually blew him off his feet. My mom says "poor old guy". But not me, he's a pain in the ass and needs to stay out of my way.<br />
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Mom says I am head strong. I am not sure what that means but I know she loves me more than anything so it has to be a compliment, right? I am just like her - I like what I like, when I want it and the way I want it. And I usually get it too :)<br />
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I got a really great birthday present this year. It snowed! I've seen a little dusting of snow before, but nothing like this! I use my sense of smell and touch to navigate the world and the snow messes those two up big time! I can't smell my usual paths outside and I can't feel where things usually are. I have been missing the end of the deck. When I get out into the yard I call for my mom. Then when she shows up, I bite at her boots and play with her. She likes it. Most of the time I will just lay down on the ground and feel the coolness on my body. I've been eating a lot of snow too, it tastes yummy.<br />
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Mom says she isn't going to be able to get out of the house to get me any treats or presents for my birthday so I'll have to wait. I'm not disappointed though, every day is a present for me. I live in a great home with a family who loves me for who I am, flaws and all. I have a great team who make sure I am on the right medication, that I get the right treatment and that my mom and dad have the support they need to deal with my special needs. I have an amazing friend who comes and stays with me (and all the rest of us) when my mom and dad are gone. She's one of my very best friends and I am so so lucky to have her. Mom says we couldn't do it without Team Asha and I agree....we couldn't.<br />
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Dogs don't think about the future the way humans do. We live in the moment. People say that I am always smiling. No matter how hectic or mayhem-ish our life is, I have this smile. My mom says she doesn't know what the hell I am so happy about. But deep down, she does know. I am happy because of her and my dad. I am happy because I feel so much love in every second of my life, in every touch and hug and kiss. I feel it in the special food I eat, the medication I take (that my mom walked three miles in the snow to get yesterday). I feel it in the air I breathe. If a dog did think about the future, this future is better than any that could ever be imagined. Every day is an adventure for me. I know I am lucky to be alive and lucky to be a part of this family. So Happy Birthday to me, I hope I live to be 100.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-15713542635802156222013-12-11T16:11:00.000-08:002013-12-11T16:11:20.948-08:00A Christmas miracle comes earlyFor those of you following the story of our life with Asha, it's old news that she doesn't sleep through the night. For those of you who don't know....Asha doesn't sleep through the night. Asha has been a part of our family for just about two and a half years. When she first came to live with us, she slept on a little bed next to our bed. Then she started having seizures and refused to sleep there anymore. In fact, she refused to sleep at all.<br />
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I spent about six months sleeping on the bathroom floor with her. She eventually refused to sleep at all in the bathroom, so we moved downstairs to the couch. That is where we have been sleeping for the last two years. By "we", I mean me and Asha or Trevor and Asha. Every night, one of us would go downstairs and get on the couch with Asha. We would sleep there some or all of the night. EVERY NIGHT for two years.<br />
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We tried to get Asha to sleep there on her own, but she would wake up around midnight or 1 am and yell for us. When we came back downstairs and got on the couch, she would climb up and lay on us to make sure we didn't get up again.<br />
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We tried to get her to sleep upstairs with us again, but she wouldn't do it. There was no settling down and so we ended up back down on the couch.<br />
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Almost two years ago I wrote <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2012/01/sleep-please.html" target="_blank">this post</a> about needing sleep. I had only not been sleeping for like 6 months then. Little did I know that I had two more years of sleepless nights ahead of me!<br />
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In the last two years, Asha slept through the night 2 times. I remember them both. It has been exhausting. I had given up hope of ever sleeping all night again. I had given up hope of ever sleeping in my bed with my husband all night again. At first I was really sad and angry about it. I would cry and lay awake, mad at the situation. Then I started to accept it. I appreciated the moments of peace when Asha would climb up on the couch and snuggle in with me. Because all she wanted was her mama.<br />
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I have been traveling a lot for work lately and so has Trevor. We've had a house sitter who stays the night with the animals. I assumed she was sleeping on the couch with Asha too. Keep in mind, our home has lots of issues. Currently, our biggest challenge in Shilo. He doesn't like anyone coming over to the house and he won't let our sitter into the living room. He has decided that is his domain. I knew this and we are working on it. I never put two and two together. One day, it occurred to me - if she isn't sleeping on the couch with Asha, where are they sleeping? So I asked her. The answer "in the bedroom". She said that Asha sleeps on the floor next to the bed when we are gone. WHAT???<br />
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That night, we decided to give it a try. I didn't expect it to work. I was all ready to head back down to the couch. I made a bed next to me on the floor. Asha always wears a leash in the house (so we can grab her when she gets up and runs in a panic). I wrapped her leash around my arm and we all went to sleep. That's right....you heard me....we all went to sleep.<br />
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At 2 am, I woke up to an Asha nose in my face. She was resting her chin on the bed. I touched her and she jumped up onto the bed with me, snuggling in and putting her head on my pillow. Back to sleep she went. I woke up about 5:30 and Asha was still asleep. I couldn't believe it.<br />
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That was two weeks ago. Asha has slept upstairs, either on the floor or in bed, every night for two weeks. That is more nights of sleep than we have had in the last two YEARS! Every night, I expect that to be the last of it. I expect to find myself back down on the couch. But is hasn't happened yet and I just can't believe it.<br />
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Our lives are so very different than we ever imagined. I said to Trevor the other night as I got into bed with Asha's leash around my arm "do you think Asha will ever get to live without having to constantly wear her leash?" and then I said "do you think that I will ever get to live without having to constantly hold her leash?" The truth is that the answer doesn't matter. We'll be happy either way. Asha certainly doesn't care. I look at her sometimes, with her ever present smile and wonder what the hell she is so happy about. Then I realize....she is happy to be alive, she is happy to be loved.<br />
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Trevor has been out of town this week and so Asha has been taking up more of the bed than usual. I woke up last night and she was laying behind me, with her paws around me, spooning. I'd say she is comfortable with the new sleeping arrangements.<br />
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I am completely and totally in love with this dog. She is the most amazing creature. I learn from her every day - about myself, about the world, about hope and life and love. I know I will never stop learning from her and I will never stop loving her. I am so grateful that she came into my life. And I am so grateful for this early Christmas Miracle of sleep. <br />
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Sweet dreams....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-3553491213106462013-11-06T12:31:00.001-08:002013-11-06T12:31:16.092-08:0072 hours<div class="MsoNormal">
Like most people involved in animal rescue, I am barraged
daily with requests from various different places. My facebook newsfeed is full of pictures of
dogs needing out of high risk/high kill situations and shelters. Sweet faces, scared faces with things that
say “this dog dies tomorrow if no one can help”…and that isn’t a scare
tactic. It’s the truth. I am on email lists, chat groups, message
boards. Its all background noise. It has to be. Otherwise it is overwhelming and will make
me crazy. We help when we can, but its
never enough. There is always another
dog or cat that needs help. It’s a challenge
to help on our terms and not get
completely consumed. Trevor and I
know that in order to be able to help, we have to have boundaries or we will
get burnt out and not be able to help at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are on the foster list for one of the local shelters and
every week I get an email about cats that need a place to go. They are either sick, or not doing well in
the shelter or have a special circumstance.
Sometimes there is one cat on the email, sometimes there are 6 or
8. We haven’t made the time recently to
take in many sick cats. I see the emails
but haven’t acted on them. Until
recently.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
About a month ago we took in a foster from a different shelter. Shasta was his name. He was very sick and
honestly should not have even come to us.
He lasted about a day and then he passed away. He was just too far gone. That was tough. We take in fosters to make them better and
help them find a forever home. Unless we
take them as a hospice case - meaning
that they are too old or sick to be adopted and they live out their days with
us – we expect them to get better. We
expect them to leave our home for a home of their own. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still a little raw from losing Shasta, last week, I got the
usual email from Michelle at the Humane Society for SW Washington. It had a plea for help. A cat named Mayflower needed a foster
home. The subject line of the email was “special
kitty needs a foster home" and included this picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYha2rXCZrUZPiSGAqoLG9Fq8VCh6ZABgJfGqtf1p9H63IAz1r20Ixpo6di1bQaON0KVl3MZ8W9IxBBq-eUvHOEPeIxE2Rn_J3Qr3BYQnlDRzJ_1EVlqKi1VgLx0TdaT0kodPVDMo15p3/s1600/1380883_10202171491469333_2037257485_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYha2rXCZrUZPiSGAqoLG9Fq8VCh6ZABgJfGqtf1p9H63IAz1r20Ixpo6di1bQaON0KVl3MZ8W9IxBBq-eUvHOEPeIxE2Rn_J3Qr3BYQnlDRzJ_1EVlqKi1VgLx0TdaT0kodPVDMo15p3/s1600/1380883_10202171491469333_2037257485_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mayflower had come in as a stray and was so matted she could
barely walk. Her ears were so infected
that they were deformed. She had rubbed
her face raw trying to scratch at her ears.
They had shaved her and were treating her wounds. Then she got a cold. Upper Respiratory Infections (URI) are a
huge challenge in a shelter setting. A
cat gets sick and usually doesn’t just get better. The stress of being in the shelter
exacerbates the situation. If the cat
can get out of the shelter into a quiet place, they can rest and recover. Trevor and I have fostered around 10 cats in
the last year who were sick like this. They all got better and were
adopted. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was getting ready to head out of town, Trevor has been
traveling a lot and we have a full house – with one other foster (Shilo), a
hospice foster (Poppy) and two older cats with issues of their own (Daisy and
Miniver). Then there is Asha. Not the best time to bring on another foster,
but there was something about Miss Mayflower that tugged at my heart. I showed her to Trevor and he was like “whatever
you want to do”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I emailed Michelle and told her that we would take Mayflower
if no one else could. She emailed back and said someone else was going to take
her. I felt good about that and didn’t
think about it again. That was Thursday. Friday afternoon I got an email from
Michelle. Mayflower had stopped eating
and was going to require syringe feeding.
The foster home who was going to take her wasn’t comfortable doing that
and she wanted to know if we could still take her. I said yes and within an hour I was at the
shelter meeting Mayflower.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is the thing about fostering….you love them before you
even meet them. I loved Mayflower the
moment I read the email about her and saw her picture. Which is a crazy thing because I know we won’t
keep her, I know I will love her and then have to let her go. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They brought her out to me and she was in pretty bad
shape. She cried and the girl said that
was the first time she had heard her cry since she arrived a week ago. She then went over all of May’s
medications. She had special food and
syringes to feed her with, ear drops, medicine for her cold, a pill to give her
in 3 days if she still wasn’t eating on her own, a bag of saline and needles
for her subcutaneous fluids. We were
taking the entire vets office home with us!
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They said Mayflower was one of the worst strays they had
ever seen. I was surprised that they were able to give her a chance. Seems like everyone felt she deserved a shot
at a happy, safe, peaceful life instead of whatever hardship she had endured
before she came to them. I agreed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I put May in the car and we headed for home. We have one spare bedroom that is our “sick
room”. Its at the back of the house,
none of the other animals ever go in there.
We take the sick cats there and let them heal. Its quiet and out of the way. No one bothers
them there. When the cats are
particularly sick we will sleep in there on the floor with them. When we adopted our cat Murray, he had a URI
and spent his first two weeks with us in the sick room where I slept with him
every night for a week.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got Mayflower settled. She explored a bit and then all she
wanted to do was be on my lap. That’s how it would be the whole time she was
with us. If I was sitting down, she was
in my lap. If I was standing up, she was
pawing at me and crying for me to sit down so she could sit in my lap.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5Mwnf7NKCZJS8aaKOYMLmEX2EcQMz-o_L8opS-pXitAzPE1Vl_W1vA9A2A-Bec8IK8pKbwW-5oXx0YM5Yb7Rqas31CET6bh4sgFapTD_xmZselmf6GB79p91bnAnhPTVgL00L0c7Vinn/s1600/912772_10202172086324204_2117839674_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5Mwnf7NKCZJS8aaKOYMLmEX2EcQMz-o_L8opS-pXitAzPE1Vl_W1vA9A2A-Bec8IK8pKbwW-5oXx0YM5Yb7Rqas31CET6bh4sgFapTD_xmZselmf6GB79p91bnAnhPTVgL00L0c7Vinn/s320/912772_10202172086324204_2117839674_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She didn’t have any fur except on her paws and her
head. She had been shaved. She loved being petted on her cheek and
head. She would purr and look up at me
as if to say “I like that!” She was so
appreciative of our love. She did eat on
her own Friday night and that was encouraging.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweLDRcLNiQ9ODpEY1I4wsIPzS9jR9IaFnXJluTw2yh-Oz3NpkyUEB_KEGnGC98VZsavS8X92HoAQi1uotGkxvKYz_Oc0TycGHT3xnIOYwnS4JMOBysbuOcZJSyfKMZZ4fG_vUFW5eQjX7/s1600/1418373_10202172136605461_1249190163_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweLDRcLNiQ9ODpEY1I4wsIPzS9jR9IaFnXJluTw2yh-Oz3NpkyUEB_KEGnGC98VZsavS8X92HoAQi1uotGkxvKYz_Oc0TycGHT3xnIOYwnS4JMOBysbuOcZJSyfKMZZ4fG_vUFW5eQjX7/s320/1418373_10202172136605461_1249190163_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I slept with her on Friday night. Well, I stayed with her…we didn’t sleep
much. May was very restless and just walked
all over me. She was wearing a cone to
keep her from scratching at her face and ears and she couldn’t get
comfortable. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday morning she wouldn’t eat. I gave her all her medicine, some fluids and
then I fed her with a syringe. She was
very congested. She didn’t like being
fed that way. I didn’t like doing it,
but kept telling her this is how she will survive. She needed to eat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mayflower had a special visitor on Saturday. Trevor and I were gone most of the day and
our pet sitter, Tamara came over. We are
so lucky to have her. When I agreed to
take Mayflower, I knew that I would be leaving town. Tamara would be staying at the house and it
was already a lot of work to take care of our crew. One more, with special needs, may be too much
to ask. I emailed her before I said yes
to Mayflower and her response was “I would be excited to take care of her”. It takes a team and we are so fortunate to
have a great one. Of course, Tamara
loved her . <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mayflower was shivering – either from having no fur or being
sick or both. Trevor and I bought her a
little coat to wear, hoping that would help her stay warm. She didn’t mind wearing it at all. I slept with her again on Saturday
night. She was more settled. She just slept next to me all night long. She was still very congested and I knew it
was tough to breath. I took her into the
bathroom and turned on a hot shower, hoping the steam would clear her up a
bit. I kept telling her that is she just
held on, a better life was ahead for her.
But she needed to hold on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLe6Q6m0JINIEc9TLDban7R8d7kCnOOFxyOBewSB_7d9GJFiev1CW1OsdHvL8H3lOxHQ5QIvCLm4Rz9P8p5BThIMBWobrRoe2zJrB8Le7TXTFAF5zDo2J4kxcEk6YRMfJQEpvgJBT6oGx/s1600/1418842_10202179383986641_1591284362_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLe6Q6m0JINIEc9TLDban7R8d7kCnOOFxyOBewSB_7d9GJFiev1CW1OsdHvL8H3lOxHQ5QIvCLm4Rz9P8p5BThIMBWobrRoe2zJrB8Le7TXTFAF5zDo2J4kxcEk6YRMfJQEpvgJBT6oGx/s320/1418842_10202179383986641_1591284362_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday came and she still wouldn’t eat on her own. She had started making a choking noise and
would spit up mucus. I know it takes a
while for medicine to start working on a
URI, but I was worried about her. I sat
with her much of the day on Sunday. She
climbed onto my lap and didn’t leave it.
She snuggled in, tucking her head under my arm. I took her cone off so
she could relax. She got a little bit of
sleep, which was good. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2UAa-YtxEAg-Gd17szDm5LSz3YkXJ3giA7DnSME9Fo9GCcBRXTRo5wIzK_bs1HvyOyszQ872GieCjl0yaqrtoJXL5czImFVxhoHAFMYlBIdMVQ1TGkt4yC7lVJe_cXiE9Tl8S2bKvbgs/s1600/1418254_10202185174171392_523505681_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2UAa-YtxEAg-Gd17szDm5LSz3YkXJ3giA7DnSME9Fo9GCcBRXTRo5wIzK_bs1HvyOyszQ872GieCjl0yaqrtoJXL5czImFVxhoHAFMYlBIdMVQ1TGkt4yC7lVJe_cXiE9Tl8S2bKvbgs/s320/1418254_10202185174171392_523505681_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I have always loved animals, more that the average “animal
lover”. I feel a connection that I
cannot explain. Fostering has been the
most rewarding thing I have ever done.
There was a moment when I looked down at Mayflower and was overwhelmed
with emotion. I believe we all have a
purpose, some of us fulfill it, some of us spend our lives chasing it and some
of us ignore it. At that moment, I knew
my purpose. And Mayflower knew it too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoP5WmPLCmN3tVYIL0bFG-BW4pnUwZ9GPmya-AXnGTo5dPMATG6HZbd013thHfhep55Pi75Wst0k_LygZ6-DOYNp4tx-pe0MSCEkRbQf0xW18hKCjr7nqjNx1-7nuvYwpeezFrV00gfsEP/s1600/1454330_10202179242543105_266200719_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoP5WmPLCmN3tVYIL0bFG-BW4pnUwZ9GPmya-AXnGTo5dPMATG6HZbd013thHfhep55Pi75Wst0k_LygZ6-DOYNp4tx-pe0MSCEkRbQf0xW18hKCjr7nqjNx1-7nuvYwpeezFrV00gfsEP/s320/1454330_10202179242543105_266200719_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday night was another tough night. I was becoming increasingly more concerned
about Mayflowers situation. She was
really struggling to breath. I emailed the
shelter to see if there was any more aggressive treatment we could try. Then I went to run some errands. When I came home around lunch time, I knew
May was in trouble.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I came into her room, she didn’t even lift her head. I thought
she was probably mostly deaf due to the condition of her ears, but even when I
got close and touched her, she didn’t respond as usual. When she did, she got up and immediately fell
over. I called the shelter and they told me to bring her in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p>I knew this was probably the end for her. I knew it in my heart. I put her in her kennel, got in the car and
started driving. I was crying and so was she. I opened her kennel which was in
the passenger seat of the car. I reached
in and petted her head. Mayflower gently
rested her head on my hand. And then she
bit me. She sunk her teeth all the way
into my thumb and wouldn’t let go. I thought she was having a seizure. I finally shook her off my hand. She cried and layed her head down, still
laboring to breath, her eyes closed. It
wasn’t a seizure, but she was delirious.
I knew then, she was already gone.
Her heart was still beating, but there was nothing left of her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I grabbed a tissue from the glovebox and tried to stop the
bleeding from my thumb. I cried quietly
as we drove towards the shelter. I told
Mayflower that it would be over soon, that she was almost done with this world
that had been so cruel. I told her about
animal heaven and how she was part of our family now so our other pets who have
passed would be waiting for her. I told
her how she would wait with them for me and I’d be there someday. I tell all our
animals when they die that I will see them again – for me it will seem like
forever, for them it will be the blink of an eye.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I arrived at the shelter, it was closed but there was staff
on duty. We were escorted into the
waiting area and the vet came out to meet us.
There were 3 or 4 people working on Mayflower . When they opened the
kennel and saw her, it was obvious they knew what I knew. She was already gone. She was very pale and cold, laboring to
breathe through her mouth, her eyes dilated.
The vet determined that she most likely had pneumonia and there wasn’t
anything more they could do. She recommended euthanasia and I agreed. I felt like I failed them. I felt like I failed Mayflower. In my mind I knew we did the best we could, the best anyone could do, but its still hard to accept that there is nothing left.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She thanked me and got ready to take Mayflower back to the
clinic. I told her I wanted to be with her until the end. The vet seemed a bit surprised but gladly let
me come along. I was crying. I
apologized for that, because that’s what we do, right? We say we are sorry for how we feel when we
think its not appropriate. I had known
Mayflower for 72 hours and yet here I was crying at her death like a crazy cat
woman. So I apologized. But the truth is that I wasn’t sorry. I’m not
sorry now. I was sad that she was dying
and doesn’t every creature, every soul deserve to have someone who is sorry to
see them go?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The staff at the shelter was amazing. The vet was so compassionate and kind. She asked the vet tech not to lay Mayflower
down on her side because it hurt her to breath that way. If you
have ever been there when someone – human or animal - takes their last breath, you know how powerful
it is. It is tragic and beautiful. To be there at the very end…to be the last
voice heard, the last touch felt, to
ease the last pain. That is a tremendous
responsibility. I am honored each time I
am able to be a part of this transition.
And I am moved beyond words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that was it. As
quickly as Mayflower came into our lives, she left. And I headed to urgent care to get the bit on
my thumb looked at. Cat bites are prone
to infection. Bad infection and the vet
suggested I get a jump start on some antibiotics.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am still very sad.
I had such high hopes for Mayflower.
When I took her, it honestly didn’t occur to me that she wouldn’t make
it. That makes two fosters who have died
in my arms in the last month. Trevor is
out of town and when we were talking on the phone about it he said, “I was just
thinking that we need to stop taking these tough cases, we can’t keep having
them die on us. But then I realized if
we don’t take them, who will?” And there
you have it….one of the many reasons I love this man and the reason why we
continue to do what we do, why we always find room.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mayflower died and that is heartbreaking. 9000 other animals died in shelters all over
the country today. Some were sick, some
were not. Most of them were alone and
scared. At least May had peace at the
end. Knowing that the others didn’t
makes me crazy. It makes me want to
scream and yell and hit people. It makes
me want to know why. It makes me want to
know how it will ever get better….how it will ever change. How much longer I have to look at my facebook
newsfeed and see sad face, after sad face that doesn’t make it another
day. Knowing that most people would hide
that from their sight because its just too sad.
I avoided it for years and once
I finally took a look, I couldn’t look away and I couldn’t stand by and doing
nothing. I know not everyone can do
what we do or what others do. I get
it. There is a ton of suffering in this
world – kids, adults, animals. If we don’t start feeling something about
that and DOING something about that it will only get worse. So if your reaction is “I couldn’t do that”,
thank about what you COULD do….and do it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rest in peace Mayflower.
You will forever be a Bryant.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrXmE_SCxS0YB7nnqUXq-y4d8d4bdPZxgPX_dcI1JXfEHeZ8ZzmMoh3EeT9Y35anABbrgTLnpPtYzgznbPPOLKQ914xSzRWRrY1pK-fkbkXlOhS86NulEGk-6_acnOhTZ9NMEUcLhtm5t/s1600/907052_10202192415712426_170818638_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrXmE_SCxS0YB7nnqUXq-y4d8d4bdPZxgPX_dcI1JXfEHeZ8ZzmMoh3EeT9Y35anABbrgTLnpPtYzgznbPPOLKQ914xSzRWRrY1pK-fkbkXlOhS86NulEGk-6_acnOhTZ9NMEUcLhtm5t/s320/907052_10202192415712426_170818638_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
***special thanks to the staff and volunteers at the Humane Society for SW Washington for giving this sweet girl a chance and to Dr Rockey for helping her transition in the most peaceful and kind way possible.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-90192422580033258162013-07-15T15:36:00.000-07:002013-07-15T15:46:18.616-07:00Back Again....<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in May, Foster Shilo was adopted. I wrote about it<a href="http://www.tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2013/05/foster-shilo-finds-forever.html" target="_blank"> HERE</a>. The skies parted and the Universe
aligned. Near and far there was
rejoicing. I blogged about my happiness
and it was shared by many. People from
far away, who I never met, knew about Shilo.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since Shilo has been in his new home, we haven’t heard
anything. Well, we got some great
reports the first two weeks and haven’t heard anything since. That’s pretty normal and so it didn’t bother
us – we figured no news was good news.
We ride our bikes by Shilo’s new house and always hope that we see him
happily playing the yard (we never did).
I thought about him all the time – wondering if he had gone camping yet
or if the fireworks bothered him on July 4<sup>th</sup>. I have wanted to reach
out many times, but didn’t want to be a pain – he is their dog now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedBi1uxOK1qVGk6jEA_x7ov-qN3uHj6TqsN-I4DXwlmB15Dmw0bBvytMo0cPCKZQSksrYzymzAOmSP3ZLlqlmpOoRTa0VyhBSbcIW88kL7-ICfim9Gyso2NZ6q3oaXeFMdjcOMoFMUSxD/s1600/947035_10200983893460125_1305896386_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedBi1uxOK1qVGk6jEA_x7ov-qN3uHj6TqsN-I4DXwlmB15Dmw0bBvytMo0cPCKZQSksrYzymzAOmSP3ZLlqlmpOoRTa0VyhBSbcIW88kL7-ICfim9Gyso2NZ6q3oaXeFMdjcOMoFMUSxD/s320/947035_10200983893460125_1305896386_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week I got a message from a friend. She wanted to know
if I knew how Shilo was doing. She said
that a friend in California had read Shilo’s blog months ago and it had touched
her. The friend was looking for an update on Shilo. That got me thinking and it gave me a reason
to email Shilo’s family. That was
Tuesday .<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday was a good day at our house. Asha had a great appointment with her
Behavioral Vet and she had slept through the night two out of three nights. I
was feeling so good about how things were going in our home. Finally we were getting some much needed
peace. Our current foster, Poppy, is
nearing the end of his life and we are showering our attention on him. Trevor
had recently reached out to a local rescue and offered our home as a foster for
some dogs they were bring in from a hoarding case. We were waiting to hear back from them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got home and around 7 saw an email from Shilo’s mom. It
said “I’m glad you asked how things are going.
They aren’t going well. Blah Blah Blah (my words). We are ready for him to come back”. WHAT?
That was a shock. My heart, which
had been happily beating in my chest all day, dropped to the bottom of my
stomach. I wasn’t sure if I was going to shit it out or throw it up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I told her that I could meet her whenever was best for her –
figuring that would be the weekend. By
8:30 that night, Shilo was back at home with me. His dad brought him back. Once the decision
was made, they wanted him to be gone as soon as possible. When Shilo got out of the car, he looked
around and when he realized I was there, it was obvious that he remembered me.
He jumped on me and licked my face, then he pulled towards the house. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I talked with his dad for a bit. Shilo had behaved with them the same way he
had behaved with us. Shilo had behaved
with them exactly the way we had told them that he would. I was trying to figure out where the
communication breakdown had come. I thought we had been very clear about Shilo’s
issues, about what to expect and about how they should proceed with him (offering
training, suggesting a trainer, keeping him away from strangers because he
bites). Shilo’s dad said he thought
after 9 weeks that Shilo would be “over it”.
But they didn’t do anything to help him get over it – no training – no asking
for help. There were a list of reasons
why it wasn’t working. Their schedule had changed and things were
different. In the end, I think they just
didn’t realize that a quiet home full of love wasn’t going to be enough to
change a dog like Shilo.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know they were sad. I have no doubt it was a difficult decision
and I know there were many tears cried, many nights sleep lost over this. But here was Shilo, back at home with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx-RPAsyfsAttyRsxQocRo7P2Vki5_oqRIWI_RQkIEE9OHr3B7DlYkcYUWXv3gqp1kR600WL1Um2PUA7hmiIOItzN-M3ZS2A0C_EM43MEbxLJmf9HCNTD6pxX7hfsRC_LN4SBkht-HK6M/s1600/1061073_10201336167386753_1645026658_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx-RPAsyfsAttyRsxQocRo7P2Vki5_oqRIWI_RQkIEE9OHr3B7DlYkcYUWXv3gqp1kR600WL1Um2PUA7hmiIOItzN-M3ZS2A0C_EM43MEbxLJmf9HCNTD6pxX7hfsRC_LN4SBkht-HK6M/s320/1061073_10201336167386753_1645026658_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I love Shilo with all my heart and he is a good boy, but he has
issues that are not an easy fit in our home.
When we chose Shilo to be our foster as part of a huge rescue operation
in December, we did not know that his issues were so bad. We did not know that he was a biter. A dog like Shilo doesn’t do his best in a
home with 5 other dogs, two of whom can’t see him. A dog like Shilo doesn’t do well in a home
with a 6 foot 4 man. The majority of his
aggression is directed at Trevor. I am
getting ready to head into my heavy travel season and so Shilo will now be home
alone with Trevor a lot. We have house sitters who come to the house and Shilo
adds a whole nother level of concern with that.
We can adjust, we can make it work.
He just doesn’t make things easy.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of this went through my mind as I stood in the kitchen
and cried. I cried for Shilo – he was
looking around confused about why he was back.
They had played with him and walked him and surely he loved that. He won’t get as much of that here. I cried for the challenge ahead of him. Then I cried because our lives were getting
easier….and in less than two hours, they had gotten more difficult. I was just so sad.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKtHPQIIO55eeclG4oiCjqP4-XAjjfgHGvqUok4s2palImV6kUItJqrKsGWOLnvaaJTw_Ctvu7caWJV-piT6N3Ehobd6ZzgaY7ht5ne3Vx-OvsOdv-xupAg4AGRyk1xUw-GmPGbF3xG_H/s1600/1059307_10201334560946593_1015853893_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKtHPQIIO55eeclG4oiCjqP4-XAjjfgHGvqUok4s2palImV6kUItJqrKsGWOLnvaaJTw_Ctvu7caWJV-piT6N3Ehobd6ZzgaY7ht5ne3Vx-OvsOdv-xupAg4AGRyk1xUw-GmPGbF3xG_H/s320/1059307_10201334560946593_1015853893_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here we are, right back where we started. We have this damaged little soul who needs
someone to be his forever family, to commit to taking care of him, protecting
him and giving him the space he needs to feel safe in this world that has been
quite cruel to him. He trusts no one (except
maybe me). I think of all the things I
could do if he was my ONLY dog and I wonder if there is anyone else out there
like me who doesn’t already have a dog!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHpcFUfn-yo7dtmJPqof_7Hy8SjDtUkXZnAd97nNL7obVIHi_VX1a8Xa7B_pY7zHhl9dOta9C9IUis0YnFfcQtfHzHSuV5MFFvQkktnbmwyxCQjFEUmNwrPbzO4GUorsIuua3llSzvawL/s1600/544014_10200160631359087_581852137_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHpcFUfn-yo7dtmJPqof_7Hy8SjDtUkXZnAd97nNL7obVIHi_VX1a8Xa7B_pY7zHhl9dOta9C9IUis0YnFfcQtfHzHSuV5MFFvQkktnbmwyxCQjFEUmNwrPbzO4GUorsIuua3llSzvawL/s320/544014_10200160631359087_581852137_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t want to judge his adoptive family. I am trying not to judge. Trevor said to me “you can’t expect everyone
to do what we do” and I said “I don’t expect everyone to do what we do”. I didn’t expect them to take Shilo in
addition to their blind/deaf Aussie with anxiety issues who hasn’t slept more
than three full nights in 18 months and a 16 year old blind, mostly deaf, dying
jack Russell, three other dogs and six other cats, including a 17 year old just
diagnosed with thyroid tumors and another senior with one tooth, while both working
jobs that take us away from home half of the time, owning a business, training groups
of triathletes and marathon runners, etc, etc….I am asking them to take care of
one dog with issues. To honor the
commitment that they made when they agreed to take a dog with those specific
issues. To not bring him back because he
acted exactly the way we said he would act.
I am not asking them to do what we do.
We have chosen this and I am not sorry about that. What I am sorry about is that because Shilo
is back home with us, another dog will not
get to be here (we told the other rescue that we are all full again). I know…that all sounded very judgemental….I
just don’t understand. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In all the hurt and sadness, I am also grateful that we were
able to take him back, I am grateful that they asked us to take him back. From the very beginning we told them that if
it didn’t work, no matter why or when or how, Shilo HAD to come back to
us. They could not get rid of him any
other way. They agreed. At first I wished I had never sent the email
to follow up on how he was doing - but
then they said that they had been struggling with what to do for a while and so
I am very glad I sent that email so that he could come back to us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shilo broke my heart when he was here before and he breaks
my heart still. There isn’t enough room
in the world for a damaged little soul like him. We’ll make room and we’ll make room for as
long as it takes, even if that means Shilo spends his entire life with us. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy Endings aren't always as happy as they first seem. Shilo is still looking for his happy ending…..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmmyL2a48RL48t8_qono15eM4sQkWfW1iV7x6BKALFDL4xgY3MCJpwYCjqXM3HiuM4U2G4vxAqTH5MQKjcMV7AqeUJMUcT9cyVK5nSC2zEO5fxM39zU3Ip5BNMRDuIyPDnNUtAPc0GwS5/s1600/551433_10200884398012801_2108394369_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmmyL2a48RL48t8_qono15eM4sQkWfW1iV7x6BKALFDL4xgY3MCJpwYCjqXM3HiuM4U2G4vxAqTH5MQKjcMV7AqeUJMUcT9cyVK5nSC2zEO5fxM39zU3Ip5BNMRDuIyPDnNUtAPc0GwS5/s320/551433_10200884398012801_2108394369_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-39260715540555787952013-07-09T16:56:00.002-07:002013-07-09T17:06:53.865-07:002 years with Asha<div class="MsoNormal">
Its been two years since we adopted Asha. Two years since we unknowingly invited chaos
into our life. Two years….and
everything has changed for us. It seems
like a lifetime ago. I’ve written a lot about
our experiences with Asha. I’ve told
lots of stories, both from my point of view and Asha’s. I haven’t ever pretended that it wasn’t a
challenge, but I also haven’t ever really admitted here just how hard it
has been.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEoU-lp-2Cyz1FZMFNBp0HQwBbCYkmdxf_norNUKzRzwhWEeVfKv0rbjxUaNqT7zq1-kjbzXjlJ-ANd9QPGbD9v27R_H6O3XkgfghxtUtWNg3JZKJt-6kCk_j7yG28xuqoYtSYyBQjLZS/s1600/ashasmilesmarket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEoU-lp-2Cyz1FZMFNBp0HQwBbCYkmdxf_norNUKzRzwhWEeVfKv0rbjxUaNqT7zq1-kjbzXjlJ-ANd9QPGbD9v27R_H6O3XkgfghxtUtWNg3JZKJt-6kCk_j7yG28xuqoYtSYyBQjLZS/s320/ashasmilesmarket.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the grand scheme of things,
raising a dog like Asha is not that big of a deal. Its been tough – but its not like we have
child with cancer, are sick ourselves or are dealing with many of the tragedies
that we see around us. But you must
understand that for us, these past two years have been the trial of our lives
and its certainly not over. The toughest
days are behind us and the more distance we find between now and then, the
easier it is to admit just how bad things were….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we adopted Asha, Trevor and I felt pretty good about
ourselves. We had always considered
ourselves selfish people. THIS (adopting
a dog who was born blind and deaf due to irresponsible breeding) was going to
be our way to become “good people”. I
have always considered myself very impatient.
I want what I want, when I want it and how I want it. I thought I wanted to become a patient
person. I remember reading a quote once
that said something like ‘if you want to be more patient, don’t ask the
Universe for patience, ask the Universe for situations in which to practice
being more patient.” Well…that sucks….doesn’t
it? Who wants to practice? Why can’t is just BE.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtt4Uhz_xVcjWTHm__yJTXPIszbi-xX2fKv-sfx2xIULEI22LOxVpaOYG0XHtIMfhekFxBCTjIIe4gFnCFWmO_QN7LtI_J8SsnKHTr0c0BZsYMxdw5eX6FdIxBzbQEkUCPnQMxiiztsC63/s1600/asha001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtt4Uhz_xVcjWTHm__yJTXPIszbi-xX2fKv-sfx2xIULEI22LOxVpaOYG0XHtIMfhekFxBCTjIIe4gFnCFWmO_QN7LtI_J8SsnKHTr0c0BZsYMxdw5eX6FdIxBzbQEkUCPnQMxiiztsC63/s320/asha001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Universe had a good long laugh the day we met Asha. “want to be good people? Here’s your opportunity
to practice that”. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwOzBIzEZ-yoZJ_NG-Akx2lUbTXdOsizA9iHdGPxeuJJPdkCAWN0GQdCuBhsA5HJfqNjRO_IRy24EKSi7dusw2RNjYI3rOqmelNVB2JjfKN2YpfrzpO8qsS4feiVDpX34tyXOVb1DaBzs/s1600/asha002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwOzBIzEZ-yoZJ_NG-Akx2lUbTXdOsizA9iHdGPxeuJJPdkCAWN0GQdCuBhsA5HJfqNjRO_IRy24EKSi7dusw2RNjYI3rOqmelNVB2JjfKN2YpfrzpO8qsS4feiVDpX34tyXOVb1DaBzs/s320/asha002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had read up on double merle Australian Shepherds (that’s
what Asha is) and felt like I knew what we were getting into. What I read made it sound like it was no big
deal – blind and deaf? They adapt. Looking back, I realize that I was only able
to find one or two blogs or stories about dogs like Asha. Now I know that’s because there are not many
dogs like Asha that survive. Most of the
ones with issues (and that’s almost all of them), never make it – they are
euthanized either by their breeders, at shelters or by their owners because they
just can’t survive in this world. But I
didn’t know that then, so I figured it would all be okay.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsWNUDh3tyCPXvxpL9jBzJIy8un9wzpO36pWsIPHWbQKF8yE5iU5i_Az6xmjhUZPVguLCu-u6OW-PV8HwL1jPejA1euGKznb0u1YGZiCXisk6FEvCMKi3CTz5JLB3Zz1tUOHPsmmqGqol/s1600/asha24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsWNUDh3tyCPXvxpL9jBzJIy8un9wzpO36pWsIPHWbQKF8yE5iU5i_Az6xmjhUZPVguLCu-u6OW-PV8HwL1jPejA1euGKznb0u1YGZiCXisk6FEvCMKi3CTz5JLB3Zz1tUOHPsmmqGqol/s320/asha24.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first couple weeks we had Asha, she was a typical
puppy. She didn’t understand the stairs
and so in the middle of the night when she needed out to pee, we’d scoot down
the stairs with her. She had lots of
energy and would either run or sleep.
She had some obsessive behaviors, like spinning, but we were stopping
those. Several weeks after Asha joined
our family, she had her first seizure.
She had two more in the coming weeks and was diagnosed with epilepsy. We started her on phenobarbital. The
seizures stopped, but she has never been the same.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8xNk9z-zQR27SPcO-VxQpKEVMMjF199qc0Rwq4uoaOPuARavJGYgaDpulloiesriHCuO0AIwUu89EnlQ67GhCsQFEV8v9eZwKFRs1GnZh7LiuQN9C8btKWoGWzqCzmaODZiPlWiKCaDz/s1600/asha27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8xNk9z-zQR27SPcO-VxQpKEVMMjF199qc0Rwq4uoaOPuARavJGYgaDpulloiesriHCuO0AIwUu89EnlQ67GhCsQFEV8v9eZwKFRs1GnZh7LiuQN9C8btKWoGWzqCzmaODZiPlWiKCaDz/s320/asha27.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Its hard to say if
the epilepsy caused the damage or vice versa, but Asha became manic. Her
anxiety increased. She went crazy during
the day when we weren’t home. She wouldn’t
tolerate being kenneled and we didn’t want to upset her because that could
increase her risk for seizures. So she tore our house apart. I would come home and find her in the middle
of a pile of rubble that once was our blinds/books/pictures/molding, etc. I always checked to make sure she was alive
and then cleaned up after her. She was
NEVER calm. I would lay on the bathroom
floor with her at night and she would sleep about 20 minutes at a time and then
wake in a panic. I thought she would
have a heart attack, she was so upset.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started to become manic too. Months without more than 20 minutes of sleep
at a time wears a person down. It was like having a newborn, only we didn’t
have the comfort of knowing she would grow out of it and we couldn’t live like this
forever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We didn’t know what to do, we couldn’t find any information
anywhere. We really didn’t want to give
her any sort of drug, that seemed so wrong.
We couldn’t tell people about it because we couldn’t risk being told to
put her down or take her back. We felt like
we were her only chance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We adopted Asha in July and by November, things were very
bad. Trevor would come home every night
after work and find me on the kitchen floor with Asha, crying.
I was so exhausted and I felt like a failure. I didn’t know what to
do. I was so mad at Asha for being this
way, for doing this to our life. I was
sick right before Thanksgiving, I came down with a bad cold. This was a low point. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and
rest. But I couldn’t….becuase Asha would
not be quiet for more than two minutes. I couldn’t lay down and rest. I had no where to go. I remember sitting in our entry way, leaning
against the front door while Asha ran around and barked. I finally said what I had been feeling but
was afraid to admit….alone in that front room with our girl, I said “I wish we
had never adopted you” and then I sobbed.
The only one I hated more than Asha, was me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point, I think the Universe realized that I couldn’t
take anymore….our vet prescribed some anti anxiety meds for Asha. They helped
some, but not enough. We were then
referred to a Behavior Vet who helped us with some different medications and
behavior modification. This started us down the path of redemption! We started seeing Dr Pachel in December. Then, in May, we were referred to Dr
Valentine, a Chinese Medicine Veterinarian.
We started Asha on a combination of herbs, acupuncture and food
therapy. This made a tremendous
difference. Asha was also growing up and
maturing, that helped too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This also gave us a safe place to talk about what was going
on with Asha and how we felt about it. I
know that these doctors would tell you how pathetic and desperate we were. Many times I cried to them on the phone or in
their office. Over time, they helped me
cope with our situation and I believe that made the biggest difference of all.
Once I accepted what we were dealing with and started to appreciate it instead
of being angry about it, things began to shift.
I was more forgiving of myself and of Asha.</div>
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Asha has always been the most amazing dog. She LOVES people, she is unafraid. She likes going places and doing new
things. When we were at our lowest point,
I would take her to the local petstore every single night and walk her
around. She was so happy there and that
is what kept her alive. If her entire
life had been the mania she exhibited at home, we would have had to make some
tough decisions. I am sure I looked like
the walking dead when I would show up with Asha. But we walked in and all the
employees would say “Asha is here!!” and they would come to see her and give
her love. I would stand back and watch
her get all that attention and just eat it up.
For those few moments every evening, I believed it would be okay.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Our vet told me once that if Asha lived with anyone else,
she would have recommended that they put her to sleep – that only because of
how we took care of Asha, was her life viable.
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Through all of this, Asha has loved and trusted Trevor and
I. She knows when we are close and she
looks for us when we are not there. Trevor
or I have slept on the couch with her every night for the last 18 months (the
first 6 months she was here were spent on the bathroom floor). If she wakes up in the middle of the night
and I am not there, she barks and cries.
Most nights its just easier to stay on the couch and be able to touch
her the second she wakes up, so we can go right back to sleep. Every once in a while, I’ll let her go to
sleep, then head up to my own bed…only to be woken up around 2 or 3 am. There were a couple nights in May of 2012
when she slept all night. I remember waking up at 5am and looking at Trevor and
saying “do you think she is dead?” , because she never sleeps through the
night! Back in January she slept all
night…once. Last night, she did it
again. Maybe we are turning a corner and
we’ll start sleeping like we used to….in our bed instead of on the couch or the
floor!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2012/07/one-year-with-asha.html" target="_blank">Here</a> is my blog post from her one year anniversary of
joining our family. In the last 12
months things have continued to improve tremendously. Asha is much more calm during the day and
even at night – while she wakes up and calls for us, she doesn’t panic…its more
of a habit. She is so smart. Every day I am amazed at how she has
adapted. She doesn’t know she is any
different. She is happy and loving. I commented to Trevor just the other day - Asha isn't much different than the other dogs now...she has her quirks, but for the most part is turning into a good dog.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUg4VLXS8BiAPJG8VbmsoOU5JYDXwUL4vxeh6vkit574mSnpIArckB-kDM_iwPYzutAgPSpThRfpUU8WV9IfjPBjrtHdiK-IjGI518982SoWi4jSicG6GMLxtBqLee46ZZvQmY7wWk2SR/s1600/417401_4296291486078_911595947_n+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUg4VLXS8BiAPJG8VbmsoOU5JYDXwUL4vxeh6vkit574mSnpIArckB-kDM_iwPYzutAgPSpThRfpUU8WV9IfjPBjrtHdiK-IjGI518982SoWi4jSicG6GMLxtBqLee46ZZvQmY7wWk2SR/s320/417401_4296291486078_911595947_n+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Asha won the Diamond Collar Hero Award from the Oregon
Humane Society. She has had stories
about her in the paper and online. She’s
had her pictures taken for a book about special needs pets. She is our rockstar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJANSU5BgUjYLKnEGEEUk1GkT-xvu4Z9RzmQfKvwlxqoLUATGIMBH5aVooHaV7r06_Mr-IW3h5sT-CUVIMuIBpK1O9yN76-xX8O16SyVeaT57z0Jd5GciJIhVAurb-YdeqCbUs-Ra3HTh/s1600/ashacarli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJANSU5BgUjYLKnEGEEUk1GkT-xvu4Z9RzmQfKvwlxqoLUATGIMBH5aVooHaV7r06_Mr-IW3h5sT-CUVIMuIBpK1O9yN76-xX8O16SyVeaT57z0Jd5GciJIhVAurb-YdeqCbUs-Ra3HTh/s320/ashacarli.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My life is so very different than I ever could have
imagined. We’ve had to work very hard to
hold it together. Most days, no one knew
how awful things were here…except for me and Trevor. But no one can ever truly know how incredible this experience has
been either and how lucky we are to have found Asha. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM4alvYUFJ01Oq2gX65GXfWvchNKiaNYGSb25H1R-RdphxlJMtBZFp3cs2bHm1DvlPgw3wdLpaRherxJ3dBrzjzvMBrXQ0IDyZBbiPOgCaBpAgJ3iNXTqN4bCYJMhU55CNn3ssQv2WZfL/s1600/557890_10200549032748879_417655878_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM4alvYUFJ01Oq2gX65GXfWvchNKiaNYGSb25H1R-RdphxlJMtBZFp3cs2bHm1DvlPgw3wdLpaRherxJ3dBrzjzvMBrXQ0IDyZBbiPOgCaBpAgJ3iNXTqN4bCYJMhU55CNn3ssQv2WZfL/s320/557890_10200549032748879_417655878_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I used to look at Asha and wonder how we would ever live
with her. A few months ago I found
myself looking at her and wondering how in the world we would ever live without
her. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Today isn’t just the anniversary of the day that Asha joined
our family….its much more than that. Its
an opportunity to celebrate all the life has to offer, all that we have become
and have yet to be…because we took a chance, made a sacrifice, and kept moving
forward when no one would have blamed us for giving up.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-56718509746379799962013-06-28T15:53:00.000-07:002013-06-28T15:53:17.121-07:00Rev3 Williamsburg and Team NadiaI am the Volunteer Director for the Rev3 triathlon series. Its my job to recruit and organize the volunteers we need for each race. This year, we have 9 races in cities all over the country and I am charged with finding between 400 and 1200 volunteers to help with everything from packet pick up, bike check in, aid stations, lifeguards, kayakers, parking attendants, anything you could think of (and lots you wouldn't). I meet ALOT of people. Rev3 has a local charity donation program that allows groups (teams, clubs, non-profits) who provide 15 or more volunteers to receive a donation in exchange for their help. This is a nice way to give back to the community and it really helps recruit volunteers.<br />
<br />
In most cities, Rev3 has been there before and I have a database of volunteers and groups to start with. Last weekend, we had a race in Williamsburg, Virginia. This was our first year and it required lots of cold calling, introducing Rev3 and our volunteer program. Some people were receptive, others not so much.<br />
<br />
Some of the race was taking place on the campus of The College of William and Mary. I contacted the Athletic Department and asked them to spread the word amoungst the sports teams. I also called the Office of Student Organizations. I was hoping to get the word out to the fraternities and sororities as well as all the other organizations. I spoke with a woman named Ann who asked me to email some information to her.<br />
<br />
Later that day, Ann emailed me back. She said that a woman who worked in her office had a daughter who was just diagnosed with cancer. She and some friends wanted to raise money for this family. I told her that if they set up a bank account/a foundation of sorts, I would be able to make the check out to that fund and it would work. Ann told me she would see who she could round up and would be in touch. .<br />
<br />
The first week in June, Ann emailed me that she thought she would have 12 volunteers. I gave her some shift options for those volunteers to start signing up. A week or so later, I got an email from Jess with a teamnadia@yahoo.com address. She said that she was organizing the volunteers for Team Nadia.<br />
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I worked closely with Jess over the next couple weeks to ensure that all the volunteers were signed up correctly. As the days went by, the list grew. Once we hit 30 volunteer slots filled, I knew something special was happening. I commented to Jess - Nadia must be pretty special - to which she replied simply "she is."<br />
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At this point, I didn't know Nadia's story or how old she was. I just knew that people wanted to help her. Years ago, our friends Mark and Annalee lost their daughter to a rare disease after several years of fighting. I remember how helpless I felt. I wanted to help, to do anything to ease their pain. I saw this group of people feeling the same way and taking action. I really wanted to help them.<br />
<br />
Race weekend arrived. Friday afternoon, the first shift of Team Nadia volunteers arrived. They were AMAZING. Everyone was so happy and energetic. They were great volunteers - hard workers with common sense. I love all my volunteers, but let's be honest...some are better than others and these were the BEST!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQy5vEvkn1k7ZVzeVEL1BtzzZIIIj7wyXGwfynEW6i-bOvoYLBVxLn1aWfqmu6Z-zq7yzyxIEZPiuFmQhVjuHdjCH88uDynPzxd9G6092yh_0G84g2TLPiq83XkmkEKjHGId0cbwR12ig/s960/1010726_473803919373064_180312523_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQy5vEvkn1k7ZVzeVEL1BtzzZIIIj7wyXGwfynEW6i-bOvoYLBVxLn1aWfqmu6Z-zq7yzyxIEZPiuFmQhVjuHdjCH88uDynPzxd9G6092yh_0G84g2TLPiq83XkmkEKjHGId0cbwR12ig/s320/1010726_473803919373064_180312523_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Jess gave me a pineapple - in that area, a pineapple is a sign of welcoming. Attached was a note that said "Thank you - love all the member of Team Nadia". I was able to learn some more about Nadia. She was 11 years old and had JUST been diagnosed with cancer. 11 years old....<br />
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By this time, the group had grown to over 40. Everyone I met was so friendly. They told me that Nadia and her mom might be coming down to the race site over the weekend and I asked that I get to meet them.<br />
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I couldn't stop feeling good about this great cause we were helping. I wanted the rest of our staff to know about it. On Saturday night we had our meeting after dinner, where we talk about race day and go over all the final details. At the end of the meeting I asked to say a few words. I told some of Nadia's story. Most of the staff wasn't aware that we do these charity donations and none of them but me knew about Nadia. It was important that they know the impact that Rev3 was having on the life of one young girl who had nothing to do with triathlon. I knew that Sunday was going to be a rough day and when things got tough for us, I wanted everyone to know that we had a purpose bigger than ourselves for being there, a purpose bigger than that race. That purpose was Nadia.<br />
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After our meeting, we always do a little cheer, to gear up for race day. Here's the video of our cheer that night:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="144" src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=474950532591736" width="176"></iframe><br />
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Who are we? Rev 3<br />
Where are we? Williamsburg<br />
Who are we here for? Nadia<br />
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Everyone made fun of me because I carried that pineapple around all weekend. <br />
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Race day came and as expected, things got hectic. Early in the day, I told Sean, our announcer, about Team Nadia. He talked about them all day long. It was great.<br />
<br />
Around 2:30, I got a text from Jess that said "Nadia is here! We are looking for you" I dropped what I was doing and went to find them. They were down at the Aid Station where much of their group was working. Nadia was already wearing a Rev3 visor. I was introduced to her and hugged her so tightly, her knees got weak. I had just met her and I loved her already. Then I met her mom, Angela, and gave her the same kind of hug. We talked and laughed. Nadia asked me if we had any funnel cake. I wish. I wanted to take Nadia over to Sean and have him introduce her, since he had been talking about her all day!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VqBfNfA2FmWPlf6eDRuFIY16AW4t-nzUFa88Fu5MHrV68WqxhYTQgefeU_dM2gKUwmb0KXfwN9jIX6fuJyeb-fN706n-zLTsDFLR1ngscQEhCxRmLpJVuZOw03nUlWt20XUZRtX3g-0c/s960/21362_474946369258819_2092047133_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VqBfNfA2FmWPlf6eDRuFIY16AW4t-nzUFa88Fu5MHrV68WqxhYTQgefeU_dM2gKUwmb0KXfwN9jIX6fuJyeb-fN706n-zLTsDFLR1ngscQEhCxRmLpJVuZOw03nUlWt20XUZRtX3g-0c/s320/21362_474946369258819_2092047133_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We visited a little as we walked. Nadia was very soft spoken and shy. I could tell she was a bit overwhelmed by all the attention. I got to talk a little with Angela and couldn't help but think about what she must be going through. I was in the presence of true strength. I wanted to hug them both and make it all alright. Instead, I introduced them to Sean. Here is part of his interview with her.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=475088559244600" width="640"></iframe><br />
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There were many tears of gratitude and the feeling was mutual. They needed us just as much as we needed them. Nadia and Angela went on their way and I went back to work. That would be the last that I saw of Team Nadia for the weekend, but I couldn't get them out of my mind.<br />
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I got home late Tuesday night and on Wednesday started doing all my post race work. I emailed my friend Melanie. She lives in Virginia Beach and had brought her daughter and some friends to Williamsburg to volunteer at the same Aid Station as Team Nadia. They were raising money for their soccer team and got to meet Nadia, who is about the same age as them. Melanie told me that they wanted to give their donation money to Team Nadia. I was very touched by this. <br />
<br />
Charlie, the owner/creator of Rev3 was on his email and I chatted with him, telling him about my friend's kind donation to Nadia. Charlie asked me if I could put him in touch with someone from Team Nadia so we could get more of her story and put it out on our social media.<br />
<br />
I sent an email to Jess, introducing her to Charlie and told her that Charlie wanted to get some more info about Nadia's Story. Jess replied with some great information. I didn't know the whole story before. Jess filled us in. Nadia had just been diagnosed in May. Here's the condensed version: Nadia had symptoms of allergies for months, when doing a procedure to relieve sinus pressure, they found 6 tumors and diagnosed her with stage IV cancer. She began chemo on May 17th (my first call to Ann was May 15th). Nadia had been tolerating it well and was now getting ready for radiation treatment, which she wasn't going to tolerate as well - she could lose her hearing, taste and smell and not regain it. (it made me wish I had found a funnel cake for her when she asked). There was a local cancer facility that had another option - a different kind of radiation treatment that would be easier on little Nadia and perhaps be more effective. The copay is $5000 per treatment and Nadia needed two. Team Nadia's main focus was to raise the money for those treatments. Jess said that she would be happy to talk to anyone about all this.<br />
<br />
As I read Nadia's story, I cried. Life is so unfair. I tried to put myself in Nadia's mom's position - how does it feel when there is a better way to treat your baby but you can't afford it (WHO COULD??). <br />
<br />
I started to think about all the ways I could help them raise the money. While doing that, I went to Target to get some cat food. As I was standing in line, I saw the email response to Jess from Charlie. Here is what he said....<br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">
I would really love to help you all raise the money you need for Nadia's 2nd treatment. That's right, I said 2nd treatment. Meaning that in addition to the volunteer money we owe you, we will also donate an additional $5,000. I will send the money via paypal using the e-mail address provided in the flyer you sent.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
I didn't even make it past the first line and I started to cry because I knew where he was going.... <br />
<br />
By the time I got home, I still hadn't seen a response from Jess. I texted her and said "if you haven't checked the Team Nadia email lately, I suggest you drop what you are doing and go check it now". Not even 5 minutes later - the response "holy crap, holy crap I need a drink". I could only imagine the scramble going on to get ahold of Angela and I would have given anything to be there when she got that news.<br />
<br />
In that moment...all of our lives changed forever. Charlie's, mine, Jess's, Angela's...and Nadia's. None of us will ever be the same again. <br />
<br />
There are so many lessons to be learned here. You just never know when you will meet someone who will change your life, you never know when you will need help and perhaps the most important lesson is this: anyone can make a difference. I work for a triathlon company. We put on races. And today, we changed the world. <br />
<br />
I'll follow Nadia's story and post updates - I told her that she's never getting rid of us - 20 years from now she'll be saying "Those Rev3 people won't leave me alone". <br />
<br />
Between the money Team Nadia raised, Melanie's girls' donation and the Rev3 donation, we are at $6120 to the $10,000 need for the treatments. Donations can be made through paypal to the email: teamnadia@yahoo.com. If you are reading this, please make a donation. Ever dollar counts.<br />
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How will you change the world today?<br />
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Go Team Nadia - fight fight fight.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-38537380147561681192013-05-27T13:25:00.000-07:002013-05-27T13:26:11.238-07:00Foster Mrs. Miniver becomes Mrs. Miniver-BryantWhen I had my interview at the shelter, we sat in the cat room and talked. Several of the cats came over and checked me out. One in particular jumped up on my lap and stayed there. When I showed up for my second interview, she was again waiting for me. When I sat down, she jumped up on my lap again and settled in. This kitty became my favorite. Her name was Mrs. Miniver and I always made sure I had time to say hello to her, no matter what else I was doing at the shelter.<br />
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Mrs. Miniver is very old. She is about 15, her owner passed away last summer. She and her brother came to the shelter and there they wait. Miniver had some dental work done when she first arrived at the shelter and there were complications. She never fully recovered from that. Her throat was damaged (she purrs like a freight train now and has trouble breathing) and her mouth wasn't ever quite right either.<br />
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I always told the volunteers in the cat building that Miniver could come home with me when she reached the end of her days. Early in November, she took a turn for the worst. Mrs Miniver stopped eating and started to hide. Not a good sign. I brought her home with me and figured she didn't have much time left.<br />
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She settled right into our family. Our girl cats Daisy and Baby stay in our bedroom and Mrs Miniver liked that just fine. <br />
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A couple weeks passed. Miniver would sleep right next to me every night and purr right into my face. I noticed that her breath was really bad. She didn't want to eat and was getting very thin I was worried the end was near and so I made an appointment with the vet.<br />
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When we saw the vet, he gave her a full exam. When he opened her mouth to check it out, I couldn't believe my eyes. Her teeth and mouth were a total disaster. I cried because it was so bad. How could we not have noticed this? The vets recommendation was to do surgery and pull all her teeth, cleaning out her gums and giving it a chance to heal. He said she would either not survive the surgery or she would come out of it a different cat.<br />
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The surgery was going to cost $600-$1000. I was very upset. How can you justify that kind of money on a 15 year old cat. The vet said that the original surgery performed last year was not complete and she has just been festering ever since. I felt like we owed it to Mrs Miniver to finish the job right and at least give her a chance. I called my director and told her the news. She asked what I thought we should do. I told her that if the shelter couldn't or wouldn't pay, that I would find a way to pay for it. That's all she needed to hear. If I felt that strongly, then we'd do it.<br />
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In the meantime, Miniver had an upper respiratory infection. We treated her with some injectible medication and a nebulizer. She hated that damn thing, but it sure made a difference. Once she was healthy, we scheduled the surgery.<br />
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Miniver came through with flying colors. They pulled all her teeth but one and cleaned out all her infection. After a recovery period, she started eating again and gained some weight. She stopped hiding and was much happier. At her 6 week check up, she was cleared for adoption. Now the question was - who would take a 15 year old cat with one tooth!<br />
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That was back in March. Time passed and no one inquired about her. She wasn't up to going to adoption events and seemed perfectly happy here with us. A few weeks ago, Trevor and I were talking about it - she isn't any trouble, she fits right in with our other kitties and she loves us. And of course, we love her. I was laying on the bed with her, she kept rubbing her face on mine. She looked at me as if to say "I belong here...and we both know it". I filled out the paperwork and submitted the check. Mrs. Miniver, Mini as I call her, is now officially a Bryant. Trevor and I have a soft spot for the older animals. The three that we originally had when we met 13 years ago all grew old with us. They taught us compassion and trained us to be able to provide the same to these shelter animals that have now entered our lives.<br />
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So, in honor of Wookie (read about him <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2010/03/therell-come-day-you-have-to-say-hello.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>), Opal (read about her <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2011/05/im-ready-to-grow-young-again.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>) and Gus (read about him <a href="http://tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2010/10/long-road-home.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>), we welcome Mrs Miniver to our family. She will always be one of us.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-17701845120035469712013-05-23T15:44:00.000-07:002014-06-07T06:40:01.910-07:00Foster DuckyLooking back, I couldn't even remember how Ducky came to be with us. So I checked on my text message history and now its all coming back to me!<br />
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Back in April, the director at my shelter was over at the other shelter in town, talking to them about what dogs we could bring to our shelter. We take animals from them whenever we have the room and the resources.<br />
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Tamara (the director), sent me a text message. It was this picture. She asked if I thought Amanda (a friend of mine who owns another local rescue) could help.<br />
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This old guy had come into their shelter as a stray, his owners never came to claim him. He was about 15 years old and blind in one eye. I didn't think Amanda could help him, she specializes in special need rescue and this old guy was really just at the end of his days. He needed a quiet place where he could rest until it was his time to move on to the next world.<br />
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I texted the picture to Trevor. Within a day, I was on the phone with the shelter. They had mentioned to Tamara that they wished they had more hospice fosters. We could do that. I knew this guy probably wouldn't be adoptable, but he didn't need to die in the shelter.<br />
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The following day, I went to meet him. Its always funny that they ask me to come meet the dogs or cats we offer to take. There really isn't anything that could happen that would make us not take them once we met them. This guy was no different. Pretty soon I was on my way home with an old, blind, confused dog in my car.<br />
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His tail looked like a platapus, so we named him Ducky. The shelter signed him over to us. They weren't going to list him for adoption and so it just made more sense to make him ours.<br />
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Ducky came home with us and was immediately part of the family. He was very confused about where he was and why. He is just an old guy, trying to figure out where the heck his family is. I honestly didn't expect him to make it more than a week.<br />
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After he was home with us, I did what I do with all our pets in distress....I took him to see Dr Hope Valentine, our chinese medicine vet. She did some acupuncture on him and told me that she honestly didn't think he had much time. <br />
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Here we are, a month later, and Ducky (we call him Poppy) is still alive and kicking. He seems to have realized that this is home. He is so old. He hobbles around, sometimes he falls over. He is very stiff. Except when its time to eat. This guy will run and jump and spin around when the food comes out. He knows which door leads outside and will sit there when he wants out. He knows that door leads back in too and will sit at the door and scratch at it when he wants in.<br />
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All Poppy wants to do is snuggle, relax and sleep. He does a lot of pacing. That is getting less as time passes. I used to hear him pacing around and then it would be quiet, I would find him sitting down, just staring off into the distance, contemplating life.<br />
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At night, he snuggles on the couch with me for a bit and then goes into his kennel and sleeps. He is such an odd little guy and of course we love him with all our hearts.<br />
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We have no idea what his past has been. I don't understand how your 15 year old dog goes missing and you don't look for him. But I can't speak to any of his circumstances. If he didn't have a good life, we'll make up for that now. If he had a good life and a family that loved him (and didn't come looking for him for some reason), then we'll keep him safe and be with him in the end. That is what I would want for any of our animals if we couldn't be with them at the end,.<br />
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I don't know how much time he has. I make time every day to pick him up and hold him close. He seems to really enjoy that. He is stiff at first and then he relaxes into my arms and rests his head on my shoulder. Its then when I know that he is grateful for the kindness of strangers. Strangers who are now his family.<br />
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Thousands of animals die in shelters every day. Some are young, some are old. They all deserve a different fate, but most don't get it. I wish we could do this for every single one of them...but we can't...so we do it for Poppy.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-53617380201694161222013-05-14T17:48:00.001-07:002013-05-14T17:59:43.463-07:00Foster Shilo finds forever<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shilo came to live with us in December of last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was living at a rescue in California that
was losing its permits and needed to get rid of the 70 dogs they had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not, those dogs would end up back in the
high kill local shelter and that would mean certain death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the dogs at this rescue were high
risk, meaning they had been on euthanizia lists before they were taken by this
particular rescue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our friend, Amanda, who runs the rescue Panda Paws, was
helping out by taking some dogs from this place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trevor and I decided we wanted to help
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tamara, the Executive Director at
the shelter where I worked said we could take 4 dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trevor and I would foster two and the others
would go to the shelter until we found them foster homes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjfBSxxnKytxluavYLQ3u2Fv4nyuo10tIuNvUZB-F7ChKWET8v1Y5jZFP-QsyqAD8uobghlwGeAri7q7ldSx3IZdUnpClyFOrpy4WeogLDpfkfaIm4FvbGAMHz8I_35vhqymutp6WHKsk/s1600/shilo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
We spent hours going through the pictures and descriptions
of the dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After many changes, we
finally settled on Lucey and Shilo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
both had their issues and Amanda warned us that these could be long term
fosters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were prepared for that and
anxious for their arrival.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfoiY6O8n9jaKmxztqGkoFvtom36cjDva6-m442QeJEievjg4hDycZKjINUrrDpsfFkQ0hQwgsg8bPjz_65Zty5ji0JLekS3dlIjHm5IQ8W7sZEcIPtyhfZftCKKuMBinbxevyS9dpAUR/s1600/shilo0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfoiY6O8n9jaKmxztqGkoFvtom36cjDva6-m442QeJEievjg4hDycZKjINUrrDpsfFkQ0hQwgsg8bPjz_65Zty5ji0JLekS3dlIjHm5IQ8W7sZEcIPtyhfZftCKKuMBinbxevyS9dpAUR/s320/shilo0.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lucey and Shilo, along with the other two dogs we took in at
the shelter, were part of a big rescue operation called Home for the
Holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every year, an organization
called Wings of Rescue, helps transport hundreds of animals from high kill
situations in places like California to the northwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were over 400 dogs coming up to
Portland and other northwest cities.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2012/12/rescue-mission-fosters-lucey-and-shilo.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> is my blog about that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On December 7<sup>th</sup>, we headed to the Hillsboro
Airport and waited for their arrival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
had gotten an email from the people at the rescue where the dogs were coming
from that said Shilo wasn’t very happy that morning and to be careful because
he was angry when they put him in his kennel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We greeted our new arrivals, let
them walk around a bit and enjoy the fanfare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then we hit the road for home.<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJqoPLeQrhB3QPwSNyemQ35puDcVWoAp9efKi-4NnAoVg5yP5GyRoWml47l9lN_cOKC34ZwBXNQXC7W2fsdFxXWF0Kgi015YWfGJIxBXZy1hsc9_4et2xOCigGmbsXkhtHoghQXhVwiq1/s1600/shilo01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJqoPLeQrhB3QPwSNyemQ35puDcVWoAp9efKi-4NnAoVg5yP5GyRoWml47l9lN_cOKC34ZwBXNQXC7W2fsdFxXWF0Kgi015YWfGJIxBXZy1hsc9_4et2xOCigGmbsXkhtHoghQXhVwiq1/s320/shilo01.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lucey laid down in the back of the car and went to
sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo sat as far back as he could
and never relaxed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we got to the
house, Lucey and Shilo both kept their distance. They laid together in the
kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo took quite a while to
ever lay down. I remember we made such a big deal out of it when he was
actually not sitting up anymore.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the next few days we realized that Shilo didn’t
understand being petted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t want
to be touched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would run away anytime
we got close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But every time I turned
around, there he was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at me like
he wanted to know what this touching was all about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I sat at the table, doing work and he would come over
towards me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put my hand down and just
sat there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo wouldn’t look at
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would put his head down and side
step towards my hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would touch him
for a moment and then stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo would
then move closer to me, still not looking at me, still with his head down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This went on for a couple weeks, until he
finally let us pet him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then he
realized that he liked it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted to
be touched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he still didn’t
understand it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We told him to keep his head up, that he should be proud and
never needed to come to us hanging his head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He needed confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We knew
that his past must have been bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had
been found in an abandonded house, tied up in the yard with no food or
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows what had happened to
him before that, but by his behavior, it must have been bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lucey was adopted pretty quickly and I often wonder if Shilo
was confused about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was with
him at the rescue in California, where the dogs had free roam of many
acres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wonder if they were friends
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then they made the trip from
California together, they came to our house and went in their kennels side by
side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, one day, we went to the
shelter and some people came and took her away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then it was just him.<br />
<br />
</div>
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Over time, Shilo became more affectionate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would jump up on the couch and lay with
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t mind the other dogs, but
he certainly wasn’t part of the pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, he seemed confused by the way that they played.</div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.tbtfitness.blogspot.com/2013/01/foster-shilo.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> is another blog post about Shilo and his progress.<br />
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The biggest issue of all was his biting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo did not like to be told what to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he expressed that with fear, a
snarl and then a bite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It typically
happened when he was on the couch and we wanted him to get down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t mind it as much when I did it, but
he really minded when Trevor did it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
remember once he bit me, it was my fault, I knew it was coming and I didn’t
stop what I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was doing fast enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was sorry the second he did it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It made me so scared and sad for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It made me worry about his future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would he ever get adopted if he wouldn’t
let people get near him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would ever
take him?</div>
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Months went by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other
fosters came and went and Shilo remained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He only had one person even inquire about him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She came to the shelter and met him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She really liked him, but didn’t think she
was prepared to deal with his issues and special needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She asked what I thought and I told her that
Shilo needed someone who would be an advocate for him, who would protect him
and make sure he wasn’t put into any situation that could end up poorly for
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she wasn’t confident she could
do that, if she had any doubts about doing that, then he wasn’t the right fit
for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She agreed and said she was
sorry.</div>
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Over time, Shilo got more comfortable with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trevor went away for work a lot during the
month of February, after that, Shilo was really angry with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wouldn’t let Trevor put him in his kennel
and he would snarl at Trevor way too often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During that time, he became more attached to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He started to play with the other dogs a bit
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would forget himself and chase
after them through the yard. You would see him let go and then realize that he
needed to hold back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he would run
inside and jump up onto his spot on the couch where he felt safe.<br />
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A few weeks ago, we got a hospice foster named Ducky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ducky is old – 15, blind in one eye, going
blind in the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He hobbles around
and minds his own business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He doesn’t
see things coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo was laying on a
pillow in the office and Ducky walked too close to him. Shilo snapped and
actually made Ducky bleed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
first time I have ever raised my voice at Shilo. I was angry and I made him go
out of the office.</div>
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While I attended to Ducky, he was fine – mostly just
startled, Shilo stood in the other room, looking at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him that I was angry and that he
couldn’t do that to Ducky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After about
15 minutes of being mad at him, I was in the laundry room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked out and there was Shilo, standing in
the hallway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The look in his eyes broke
my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a look that said
“please don’t be mad at me….you are all I’ve got”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped what I was doing, sat on the floor
and called him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo put his head down
and slowly walked toward me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
cried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cried for what he had been
through and for his uncertain future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
cried because I didn’t know where his story would go from here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cried because he was broken and he may
never be able to be put back together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He needed patience and space and compassion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often I feel like that is in short
supply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I told him to lift his head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I told him that I loved him and I always would and even though I was mad
about what he did, that wasn’t changing. I sat on the floor with him for a long
time, petting him, hugging him, kissing him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That night, he snuggled closer on the couch and I made sure to give him
extra love over the next couple days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
needed him to know that it was going to be okay.</div>
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The following weekend, I got a text from Clint at the
shelter. Someone had called about Shilo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I called the man back, not having much hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him some questions and told him all
about Shilo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing about a dog like
Shilo….you have to tell people the worst case scenario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no sugar coating it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you make him sound great and then he bites
them or their kids or their friends, he can end up dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It literally is a life and death
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I told them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said that if they were still interested we
could set up a time to meet, but that they wouldn’t be able to touch him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I laid it all on the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man said he would discuss it with his
wife and call me back.</div>
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I hung up and looked at Trevor. I said “I know I made him
sound awful, but I have to” and he said “I know”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10 minutes later, the man called back and
they still wanted to meet Shilo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was shocked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was headed out of town, Trevor was willing
to facilitate the meeting on his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
set it up for Saturday at the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shilo had been to the park twice to meet Joanna and have his picture
taken. He was comfortable and happy there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He has met people there and nothing bad has happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured that would be safe.</div>
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Saturday came and I was out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was busy working, but thought all day about
how that meeting would go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trevor sent
me a text and told me that the people wanted to adopt him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in complete disbelief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said that the wife walked Shilo and that
he ever wanted her to pet him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sat
down and Shilo came over to her, nosed at her hand and let her pet him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, he ran back over to Trevor as if to say
“Look Dad, I was a good boy”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
read that, I lost it….our little guy did good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe his time really was here.</div>
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They wanted to take him with them on Saturday, but there was
paperwork to be done and I would have to do it when I got back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were excited about Shilo and talked
about a dog they had previously who took two years to warm up to the husband.
They talked about how Shilo would be an only dog and never have to be
kenneled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all sounded perfect.</div>
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Trevor told the people that Shilo could always come back to
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He made them agree that if there was
ever any issue, if they ever needed to get rid of him, he had to come back to
us – no matter when it was or where we lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He would always be ours if he couldn’t be theirs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Shilo wanted to know if it was really true that he could
have a forever family of his own, like Lucey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And we told him yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be.</div>
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I got home on a Monday and arranged to meet Shilo’s new mom
on Tuesday afternoon at the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2:30
was the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t have much time
left with my guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always have a heart
to heart talk with our fosters before taking them to their forever home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conversation is usually the same and I
know they understand me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo and I sat on the floor in the laundry
room and I told him that I didn’t know what his future would hold, but I would
love him forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any time, any day, if
he thought of me, I would still be loving him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And when he takes his last breath, no matter when or why that is, I will
still love him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I told him this “don’t
ever let anyone break your soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hold
your head high and be proud”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
licked my face and wagged his tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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You see,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when you
have a foster animal, you love them as if they were yours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are a part of the family, even though we
know its not forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they arrive,
you don’t know how long they are staying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It could be a few days, it could be years and that is what we commit to,
the uncertainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trevor and I take on
the difficult cases. The animals that come to us as fosters all have some issue
that needs to be worked through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We give
them the time and space to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
they leave us and go to their forever home, it is deeply rewarding and
emotional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are sending on of our own
into the unknown, hoping for the best, hoping we have done what’s right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo is the extreme example of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has been our foster for 6 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has had the most issues of any animal we’ve
fostered and we were prepared for him to be with us forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the idea that he has found this seemingly
perfect home, well…that’s overwhelming.</div>
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Shilo’s forever mom was waiting for us at the park. She was
early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a new leash and collar
for her new little guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put the collar
on him, while he stood on my lap and licked my face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was giving me his final kisses
goodbye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He walked right over to the car
and jumped in to head to his new home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We drove away behind them and I could see him in the backseat, tongue
wagging, looking around as if to say “where are we going? I can’t wait to get
there”.</div>
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Later that evening, we got some pictures from his new family
and they said it was going well.<br />
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The next day, I checked with them to see how things
were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo’s mom said that he had been
her shadow all day, he had been on two walks and played in the yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweet Shilo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He will be an only dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has
two cat siblings that he doesn’t mind at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His new family likes to camp and they asked us if we thought Shilo would
like to go camping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Shilo will
like to go anywhere his people go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I
think these are his people.</div>
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Today has been a week since Shilo went to his new home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He went there as a foster and the agreement
was that we would finalize the adoption when they were ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today I got a text message with a picture and
they said “We love Shilo and want to finalize the adoption” .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are words I wasn’t sure I would ever
hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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He looks so happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That makes me so happy.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a team of people
to get this guy to his forever home: whomever got him out of the high kill
shelter in California, the rescue groups that organized his flight to us,
Tamara, the Executive Director at WCGHS who let Trevor and I chose Shilo, and
then worked with Shilo to socialize him, Leah, a volunteer adoption coordinator
at WCGHS, who never gave up hope for finding Shilo a home, Joanna, who took the
most amazing photos of Shilo and Caroline for getting Shilo into the newspaper
as pet of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shilo’s family saw
the picture in the paper and fell in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then there is Rachael, who wrote Shilo’s amazing adoption bio – that made
the people fall more in love with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To Michelle and Kathy and Clint who were excited
to hear the news about Shilo’s possible forever home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The list goes on and on. I am sure I forgot
someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it doesn’t matter…we are
ALL a part of this success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t
save them all, but we have saved this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are all a part of his life and he is alive because of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no greater feeling than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am honored to have played a part, to have
served as Shilo’s in between….from who he was to who he will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll never forget him.</div>
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You want this feeling….call your local shelter or rescue and
ask about being a foster home for a pet in need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will never be sorry that you did it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I promise.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-38589322212557132582013-04-12T18:44:00.000-07:002013-04-13T13:33:59.470-07:00Before it was your pet....You go to a shelter and you choose a dog or cat. In a perfect word, you love that pet more than anything ever. They live a full, happy, long, healthy life with you and when its time to head towards the Rainbow Bridge, you let him or her go with dignity and you hold them as they take their last breath. Your heart is broken and you will never be the same.<br />
<br />
You should know that before this was your dog or cat, it was loved by someone at the shelter. You see...each animal has a story...each is special in ts own way. They don't just get warehoused at the shelter. Their personalities come out, each volunteer and staff member has their favorite - the one that they hope gets adopted by the right family, but also hopes is still there when they come for their next shift.<br />
<br />
Those of us who work in animal rescue love them all as if they were our own. We'd take them all home with us if we could. We worry about them, watch them adjust to shelter life and hope only the best for them. We wonder what happens after they are adopted. Some families keep in touch and update us, others are never heard from again. If they only knew how we crave information about our kids, just a picture or a note that says all is well.<br />
<br />
Some dogs and cats have foster homes before they are adopted. Those people love the animals like their own. They live with them as part of their everyday life, their routine. And then they let them go. Years may go by and those foster families still think of their kids who went on to live with someone else. I have cried when each one of our fosters has been adopted. I tell each one before they leave that I will love them forever. I say "I don't know what your future will hold, but I know that when you take your last breath, no matter when that is, I will still love you". And its true.<br />
<br />
Sometimes the adoptions don't work, sometimes the kids come back to the foster home where they are greeted with open arms. Sometimes they come back to the shelter and its heartbreaking for the staff and volunteers to see those familiar faces walk back through the door. Because we hope the best for them.<br />
<br />
Sometimes they come back in worse shape then they left. Then we feel guilty. We feel like we should have done better finding them a home. We should have somehow known. Then there are the times when we find out the worst - an adoptive family had an issue with the animal and instead of asking for help or returning them - they've had them euthanized. This is a hit to the gut like nothing else. It didn't have to end that way and the thought of it is almost too much to stand.<br />
<br />
I am lucky that I have worked at a no kill shelter. Think of the volunteers and staff that work in a place where animals die every day. Not because they are too sick, but because there is no room, no time. Imagine leaving your shift on a Thursday, saying goodbye to the animals you cared for that day, only to come back on Saturday and find that some of them are gone....not adopted or transferred...but dead. Good animals. Gone forever. Without a chance.<br />
<br />
Then imagine listening to a person who has come to surrender their dog or cat because they just don't want them anymore. I can tell you that we feel no compassion for you when you aren't willing to make an effort and you don't even seem to care that you are saying goodbye. You should take it very personally when we don't want to make small talk or seem unfriendly. We think less of you. Honestly, we do. The animals at my shelter are lucky, some of them have been with us for years - some cats for 5 years, dogs for 2 - waiting for their new home. When an owner surrender comes in, it makes me sad, but I know we will find the right home eventually. At other places, when an owner surrender comes in, the staff knows that animal will die and they will die soon. So please understand when we don't say "thank you" on your way out.<br />
<br />
Then there are the people who have tried everything, who want to keep their pet but can't. They sob as they fill out the paperwork, they sit in their car and cry for an hour before they can drive away. They call every day to check and see how their animal is doing. We cry with them and feel their pain. We tell them we will take good care of their kid and find him or her the right home. Eventually the calls stop and they become our kid. Its too much for them to know that their dog or cat is still at the shelter, waiting....<br />
<br />
We take your pet back to its new kennel or cage. We sit with them, we hold them and tell them it will be okay as they cry, stare at the door waiting for you, or throw up with anxiety. We cry for them because they deserve better. We cry for them because you don't. We watch as the days pass...eventually they stop looking for you. They get sad or angry. We watch the months go by and we see them start to accept that this may be their new home. While it makes us feel better to see that they aren't so anxious anymore, it makes us sad because the shelter isn't their home...it shouldn't be their home.<br />
<br />
Over time, we harden to the reality of it. We have to. Otherwise all our time would be spent crying and being angry. But there are days when its all just too much. Days when one too many people come in to surrender their pets. Days when one of the long term residents is especially angry or when they have a meet and greet that doesn't go as well as we had hoped. Days when we see our friends buying from a breeder or getting rid of their pet for whatever reason. The days when someone we know says "oh you work at the shelter? Great...I need to get rid of my dog because we are moving and don't want to take him with us". Those are the worst. Those days we feel like we are spinning our wheels and its hopeless.<br />
<br />
Its just important to us that you know that before you, someone loved your dog or cat. Someone who gave their time and energy, who worried, cried and will always wonder how their story turned out, loved them and always will.<br />
<br />
Its also important that you know after you, someone loved your dog or cat. Even if its only the volunteer or staff at the shelter. Even if that animal ends up euthanized due to space. Or if they are so scared in the shelter that they are marked unadoptable and killed. Even then - when you couldn't love them enough, someone else did. You may be able to walk in and drop them off like they don't matter...but some stranger picks up the pieces, loves them and cries for them when they are gone. And its important that you know WE live with that....every day....because of you.<br />
<br />
And we won't ever stop, because if we don't do it....who will?<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-26677796648303208852013-02-22T19:04:00.000-08:002013-02-22T19:11:52.562-08:00Diamond Collar Award Winner<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every Year the Oregon Humane Society
looks for their Diamond Collar Heroes of the Year. About a month ago I
was forwarded the request by multiple different people. Now that I am work in
animal rescue and welfare, one would assume that I know some people and animal
heroes. The truth is that I know many. Every day my path crosses animals
and humans who inspire me. I would nominate them all, instead, I chose to
nominate the one animal who changed my world....my Asha. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The award is given to two animals who
have acted to save a human or animal life in peril, who have performed services
within the community with undying loyalty or who have overcome incredible odds
to survive. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here were the instructions on
the nomination form: </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please describe in as much detail as
possible what prompted you to nominate this hero. Questions to answer that may
be relevant to your situation include: What did the hero do?; How do you feel
regarding this hero's action; How do you know this animal (or where did you get
the animal)?; How have the candidate's behavior, temperament and personality
changed since the incident?; In the case of an animal's perseverance, what sets
this animal apart from others who have suffered abuse or hardship?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b> Here is what I wrote:</b> </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> My dog<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asha is a hero because despite being born
deaf, blind, epileptic and full of nuerological issues, she faces the world
head on, unafraid and always with a smile on her face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is the single biggest influence on who I
am today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has taught me more about
myself and our world in last 18 months than I had learned in the previous 37
years of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My husband and I adopted Asha from
OHS in July of 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asha had 6
brothers and sisters, the entire litter of 7 puppies was born deaf and
blind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the person who bred her realized
this, he drowned the pups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asha was
spared and ended up at OHS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
placed in a foster home and we adopted her when she was 5 months old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asha seemed like a normal puppy, she just
needed a little extra attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then,
two weeks after we she came home to us, she had her first seizure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, she was never the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that point forward, Asha struggled with
anxiety, obsessive compulsive behaviors, spinning, barking, restlessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our house was chaos, our lives unmanageable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asha could not sleep through the night and so
I slept on the bathroom floor with her so I could be close when she woke in a
panic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our other animals started
exhibiting behavioral issues because of all the mayhem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had no idea what we<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were going to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We searched for help and boy did we find it.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Having Asha in our lives has allowed
us to find so many regular people doing extraordinary things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has allowed regular people to become
heros and to me, that is part of what its all about;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>inspire others to be heros in their own way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asha has certainly done that.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> We currently work with a
behavorial vet, a trainer who comes to our home and a Chinese Medicine
practitioner who treats Asha with acupuncture, Chinese herbs and food
therapy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people have worked
tirelessly to get Asha to a place of equilibrium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without them, I don’t know where we would
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of them, we thrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wouldn’t know these people if it weren’t
for Asha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They share her story and are
always asking us to talk to someone who is having issues with their pet or
struggling with treatments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asha’s story
always inspires. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No matter how bad things have been
and how hopeless we have felt, Asha has always been happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loves to meet new people and experience
new things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is never afraid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is excited to get into the car because
she can’t wait to see where we are going and who we will meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people comment how beautiful she is,
they are surprised that she is deaf and blind. They will ask “what do you do
with a deaf and blind dog?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or they will
feel sorry for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she is not sorry
for herself and she leads a very full life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She loves having the opportunity to educate people about special need
pets and irresponsible breeding.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorite experiences with Asha was
when she met a deaf woman at the pet store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The woman could tell Asha was different and asked me about her, if she
was deaf. I said yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She asked if Asha
knew sign language and I said that she was also blind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woman<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>sat down on the floor and cried while she pet Asha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asha, leaned into her, closed her eyes and
comforted the woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was beautiful
and really made me realize what an effect this sweet creature has on others. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Asha story caused me and my husband
to become much more involved in animal welfare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We started to research double merle Aussies, which is what Asha is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We learned about breeders and rescues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After we had Asha for about six
months, we contacted her foster father and asked if he wanted to meet her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Asha met Davis, it was obvious that she
remembered him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watching the two of them
together made us want to return the favor and pay it forward in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we truly realized the impact that this
foster home had on our Asha, we decided that we wanted to be foster parents as
well.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> In July of 2012, we took in
our first foster pets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have fostered
over 20 dogs and cats since then.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I know all the compassion and hard
work that went into caring for Asha before she came to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The staff and volunteers at OHS who worked
with her, who searched for information about her, who let her sit under their
desk (and chew their computer wires), who longed for information about her
after she was adopted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were at the
OHS Top Dog contest last year and a woman in OHS scrubs come up and asked me if
Asha was “Pinky”, I said yes and she started to cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that she worked in the vet clinic at
OHS and treated Asha (Pinky) when she came into the shelter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so inspired by all that and in August
of 2012, I became a staff member at the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society in
Washougal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While some of these things may have happened
at some point in my life, they have happened now because Asha entered my
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know patience and compassion
because of her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know meaning and
purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know hope and life and
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many dark nights, I laid on the
bathroom floor with her, wondering how in the world we would ever survive her.
I knew we couldn’t give her up, but I didn’t know how we could keep her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some days I would cry at the impossibility of
the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At those times, Asha
would come and lean into me, if only for a moment, as if to say “hang in there,
it will get better”. She has taught me a thousand lessons about everything
under the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She held a mirror up to
me and allowed me to see so many things that I had ignored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of her, I took action on the things
that I have always believed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
things are now my truths – compassion, selflessness, commitment, love, hope,
service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A true hero doesn’t just save
you, they inspire you to save yourself and to save others. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am alive, in the true sense of the
word, because of Asha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t pull
me from a burning building or sense that I was having a heart attack, but she
gave my life meaning, direction and purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In that sense, she saved me…she saved me from an ordinary life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for that, she will forever be my hero. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I didn't tell anyone that I was
nominating Asha. It really just felt good to write it all down and send
it off to someone. Last week I got the email that she was chosen.
Next week we will attend an awards luncheon at the MAC Club in downtown
Portland. Asha will be recognized as well as one other dog - we know him - his
name is London and he's pretty amazing too! I am very proud of Asha, a little
nervous about how she'll do at a luncheon with several hundreds of
people. I expect it will be her dream come true since she loves meeting
new people. Hopefully she won't jump up on the table and eat anyone's
lunch! I'll be sure to give a full report here...stay tuned..</span><br />
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<![endif]-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804524849206793320.post-51803644104165330392013-02-09T17:02:00.000-08:002013-02-09T17:02:19.815-08:00Happy 2nd Birthday AshaOur sweet Asha is two years old today. Two years ago today, our girl and her six brothers and sisters arrived in this world. They belonged to a breeder. They were raised as if they would be sold - dew claws were removed. Then, around 7 weeks old, he realized they were all deaf and blind. Double Merles, "lethal whites", the statistical result of breeding two merle Australian Shepherds, irresponsible breeding. The solution? Drown them. Four of Asha's siblings were dead before the breeder's wife intervened. She took the remaining three pups to Oregon Humane Society. They could only take one and that one was Asha.<br />
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From what the people at OHS tell me, they had a heck of a time with Asha. She didn't do well in a kennel, so they would bring her into their offices and let her lay under their desks where she would chew on their wires and take naps. They searched for information about dogs like Asha and struggled to find anything. They were able to place her in a foster home and she was doing okay. I am sure they wondered how in the world they would find a home for her. Well, Trevor and I found her and in July of 2011 she came to live with us. We kept in touch with some of the people at OHS. About a year after we adopted Asha, one of them told me that she always expected to get a call from us saying that it was too much and we were bringing her back. <br />
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Its been a long road, as I have documented here in my blog. Its been way more than we ever imagined and had lead to so many different things for our family.<br />
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I have wondered a lot of things over the last 18 months - were we the right home for Asha, would she be happier some other place, are we doing the right things, what else should we do, have we totally screwed this up, will our lives ever be normal (what's that even mean?), the list goes on and on. But I have NEVER wondered if Asha would have been better off dead. Others have wondered that, but not me. EVER. Asha is happy to be alive and it shows....every single day.<br />
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The fact that Asha lived is a miracle. For whatever reason, she wasn't drowned - maybe she was the furthest away, maybe she was the cutest, who knows....but she survived. She was the one who was taken in at OHS, again, who knows why she was the one...but she was. The staff took care of her and fought for her, advocated for her, worked for her....working at the shelter, I totally get this part. Then she came to us and we didn't know what the hell to do. But we found help....lots and lots of help. We all survived.<br />
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Asha is the best she has ever been. She still doesn't sleep through the night. I come down and sleep on the couch with her around 2 am every night. For a long time I was angry about that. But I am not anymore. Now I feel like its a priveledge to have that time with her. She wants her mom. And that is me. During the day she is pretty calm. Right now she is laying at my feet while I type. A year ago, that just didn't happen. She is growing up, we are learning how best to meet her needs and we have the treatments for her epilpesy, anxiety, restlessness and mania dialed in. We have a team - "Team Asha" and they have saved our lives.<br />
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Asha is part of our family and I can't imagine our lives without her. Today we celebrate her life and thank the Universe for helping her survive. Here is what I can tell you about Asha - forget about the running and barking, the OCD, the not sleeping at night. Here are the things that matter the most: Asha LOVES to ride in the car, she jumps right in and can't wait to see where we are going. She loves to lay on the deck and look up at the sun. She likes to play with the other dogs and they have figured out how to play with her so that she doesn't lose track of them. Asha gives hugs to people she really likes. When Trevor and I get home, she knows if there is one of us there or both of us. If we both come home together, she finds one of us and then goes to the other and hugs them, then back to the first for a hug.<br />
Asha constantly amazed me with the way she navigates the world. She lifts her paws higher when she is walking around a new place. She uses her nose and face to map out a room. She can go up and down stairs with no problem. She has a million little routines and doesn't like when those routines are interrupted.<br />
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Our nickname for her is Sissy. We call her Sissy or Sister most of the time. Sissy doesn't mind getting a bath but when she gets out, she is always really mad and will chase me down to bite my feet. She can hear a monkey noise on TV and Maggie's highest pitched bark. She likes soft toys and will carry them around.<br />
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Asha loves new things, she is unafraid and goes full speed ahead. We had a garden this year and Asha really liked the feel of the corn stalks. She would walk through it and lay in it. She liked pulling the cucumbers off the vine and eating them out in the yard.<br />
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She snores loud and often dreams. I always wonder how she dreams - when you can't see or hear, how do you dream?<br />
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She is stubborn and smart and has crooked lower teeth. And the fur behind her ears crimps when its wet. She has a little nubbin' tail that wags furiously when she is happy.<br />
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She exists for all the wrong reasons and she survives for all the right ones. Today, we celebrate her life and hope that she has many more birthdays. We know that we were meant to be her family.<br />
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Happy Birthday Sissy. We love you.<br />
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