Monday, October 10, 2011

Winston at 14 years old

Winston is my first whippet. He came to live with me May 25, 1997, a birthday gift from an ex girl friend. I loved picking him out, I sat on the floor, covered immediately with baby whippets!!! He pushed his way to the front, came up and laid down on me. I moved away from all the pups and he came back, pushing everyone else away and laid down.......I guess he was mine. He slept on the floor right next to me. He was so small, he could fit in my shirt pocket. Winston was very happy and trained quite easily. Fast forward to a bit over a year later, Winston in his crate in the back seat, my rabbit Tahoe in her crate in the front seat, all my clothes, stereo, computer and misc things that were not in storage and we began our trip from San Francisco to North Carolina. What a ride!! We stayed in Super 8 motels as they take dogs. I never told them about the bunny! It took us 4 long days. Now here we are 13 years later - I am a North Carolinian, a Dukie and content and happy. Winston is getting old and deaf and cranky, he is stiff and sometimes, more often lately, confused and stops and stares. Then there are times he can hear me open a bag of chips.....he will come flying out of the bedroom, like a spry little pup! I know his days are coming to an end. I also know I have given him a good, safe life but it is nothing compared to the gifts he has given me everyday of his life. Photobucket

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Thought I would post a poem or two of mine. Never sure if anyone actually reads my blog but here goes:

If you had known me when I was younger
Saw the light in my eye,
Walked with me on the beach,
skipped a rock 5 times
maybe you would love me now.

If you had sat on the porch
Watched a firefly drift to the pine top
Accepted the warmth of the dark night
Moved close to hear the quiet
Maybe you would love me now.

If you had tried to hold what remained, the skeleton of a prior me
Watched the lifeblood drain away
Felt the barricades being erected
Bloodied your knuckles in attempted demolition
Maybe you would love me now.

Maybe the confusion over visible behavior
Stubborn masking fear,
Fear guarding abandonment
Would be clearer, would make sense
If you knew me when I was younger.

If you knew me when I was younger,
When the present fear was replaced by trust.
When my soul was forgiving,
With regular childhood scars,
Would you have loved me?

If you had loved me when I was younger,
will you love me now?
tk 2005

Friday, August 19, 2011

Not Like I Used to Be....

I used to recover quite quick, knee replacements- back at work in 10 days, rotator cuff surgeries back at work - 2 weeks. Numerous scope surgeries on my knees, always quick back. I had surgery on my right ankle- tendon/ligament repair and an osteotomy of my heel (cut it through and moved it over) on June 21st. First 6 weeks a cast and no weight bearing, second 6 weeks a boot with partial,increasing weight til Sept. 12. This surgery has kicked me in the ass! Pain from surgery has been minimal, the exhaustion and just plain bone tired has been extreme. I have gone to work 2-3 days a week then need 3 days to recover. I guess at 56 I expect to recover like I did in my 30's and 40's.

So what I have learned is to slow down, (like I have been telling my pre med students for years), enjoy each day.
And mostly enjoy my dogs- let them lay with me, pet them til they sigh and snuggle in for a nap. I have worked from home but not like I used to, I have kept up with my work but it hasn't been my priority.

I hope I can keep it going- I like this part of me.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Rest in Peace Brigitte Green

Today I and many dog lovers lost a wonderful, kind, strong advocate for whippets, amazing woman.
Brigitte lost a battle with esophageal cancer and it's subsequent surgery today. She will be missed by many.
She made my world of whippets better. She never made me feel dumb, answering any and all of my questions. I never met her, but talked regularly on the computer.
My world is brighter because of her, and darker because of the loss of a bright spirit.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Moment of Peace

The Moment of Peace

"The Moment of Peace" - Turn off the TV and radio, put down your arguments, differences and weapons and just sit and be mindfully silent and present with each other and life for just an hour. The biggest single gathering of meditation, prayer and mindful silence in the history of the world ... ever! www.themomentofpeace.com

Goal
1 million people
in Mindful Silence,
Prayer & Meditation
for one hour

When
8:00pm, Saturday
18th June 2011
(in your local timezone)

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Finally, BACK!!!

So pretty much that last 4 months or so have been hectic and painful and well just damn hard.
So here is a nutshell version of what has been going on here in Durham at the Kruger household.
My ankle decided it would start hurting and swelling just because it wanted to I guess. Started in November and I finally said something to my doctor in January and went to an Ortho doc, but me in a boot for 3 weeks, no change, then an MRI which showed torn ligaments and tendons. I did not hurt it, like sprained my ankle, etc...just falling apart I guess. This coming Wednesday I see the doctor to decide treatment....which is a nice way to say surgery.
Next - my youngest female whippet Grace was diagnosed with hepatitis May 2010. I brought her into the vet after she had thrown up a couple of times in a day and was acting different. After many tests and many dollars they ruled everything else out and we ended with hepatitis. Since last May she has been on medication to take the ammonia out of her blood system that her liver could no longer flush out. Since the beginning of the year she had been declining slowly. The medication that was to take the ammonia out was no longer working well, we increased and increased the dosage and it wasn't working. The ammonia effects the brain and she was becoming more and more confused. It was terrible to watch her walk into the wall and not know how to turn away from the wall, or just circle and circle. I was beside myself I could not to anything to help her. Nights were the worse, she would wander on the bed and around the room, I would hold her for hours and try to lessen the confusion.
March 8, after a couple of terrible days, Grace and I visited my vet and we made the decision to help Gracie leave this world. My vet, Suzy, came to the house at 5 that afternoon to ease Gracie pain. My good friends, Krista and George were here with me. I held Gracie in my arms as she administered the meds,George's hand on my shoulder, Krista's hand on my knee........ I held her until I knew she was gone. Needless to say all were in tears, vet included. It was by far one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make and follow through with. It was best for Grace and had I decided to keep her alive it would have been for me.
Grace now is in a beautiful cherry box on my mantle, waiting for me at the Bridge.
More later,
love your people and your dogs,
tk

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