Ava Update

Well, on Monday Ava went back to MSU to have some tests done. She has not been able to keep food or water down, so the vet wanted to do some tests. They ended up doing some sort of test called a flourostudy or something. Basically, they gave her water, soft dog food, and then kibble and watched it go down her esophagus. They wanted to see if there is a stricture at the site where the pig ear was removed and also if she is having esophagal dysfunction. When I got there to pick her up the doctor took me to watch the films that were created during the tests. As I watched the water and soft dog food tests I really couldn't see much. The doc said that the water and soft food looked like it flowed just fine to her stomach. I did see the water enter her stomach and it was quite amazing. The last films he showed me were from kibble. It was very clear as to where the trouble is happening. You could clearly see the food getting stuck in the spot where the pig ear had been stuck. You could also see the esophagus stretching in front of the stricture, which can be bad because it could stretch out permanently and its not fixable. The stricture is fixable, but the dysfunction is not. The dysfunction can be handled by feeding a certain way as long as the area that is not working doesn't get larger. So, right now I'm saving up my pennies to take her in for an endoscopy so they can look at the stricture and also check her stomach for any foreign bodies. Its probably going to cost me another $1,000 to get the stricture stretched and there is not guarantee that it will work or that it won't have to be done again. Oh, and she has lost alot of weight. The doctor was actually concerned because at the end of December (after all the horrible post surgery stuff) she weighed 91 pounds, now she is down to 75 pounds. He suggested getting her a higher calorie food. Of course, dog food companies don't list the calorie count on food bags, so the store clerk suggested a high protein, high fat food since that should mean more calories. I bought a bag of EVO, which has no grain, it is all meat (80%) and vegetables. I can't believe how expensive it is, but if it works it will be worth it. Also, the kibble size is tiny compared to Iams. I'm still soaking the food in water because she has also been dehydrated due to not keeping water down. Last night was very rough I think because of the testing. She didn't keep anything down. She has been better today but she is still vomiting periodically. Hopefully, things will turn around for her. Its been such a long road, but I'm not ready to give up on my girl.

Double Delight finished

Its finally finished!! I started this quilt on New Year's Eve of 2008/2009. It got put away all last summer and I finally finished it up this fall. Diana Swihart of Tranquil Quilting did the quilting for me. She did a great job. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I still have to get the label sewn on, but at least its not a UFO any longer. I seem to have too many quilts at home because I haven't even used it yet. Actually I have 7 quilts in my living room at this moment. That doesn't even include the one on my bed and the others on a quilt rack in my bedroom. It is so hard for me to give them away because I put so much time, money, and love into creating them. I always worry that the receiver won't love them as much as I do. I've heard some horror stories from people who gave away quilts thinking that they would be loved to only find out that they were put away or used as dog beds. I think that I may give the one I'm working on now away. I have a few family members that haven't received one yet and I know one special person who might appreciate receiving a quilt.

Surprise Quilt

I started this quilt back in 2008 in hopes to give it to my sister for Christmas. Well, I finally got it finished this month. I sent it to her and she was completely surprised. It is super cute fabric and I happened to find the panels on E-bay that go with it. Its all dog Christmas fabric. The panels are the 12 dog days of Christmas. It is very cute. It was hard for me to give it to her because I really like the fabric and haven't been able to find it anywhere. I just happened to find a jelly roll in my closet the other day. I wanted to make this bigger, but thought I had run out of fabric. Well, of course I found the jelly roll after I sent the quilt to the long-armer. Oh well, maybe I can make something small for myself. I wish I had some close up shots, but I didn't get any. I believe the fabric was called Christmas Lights, but I might be wrong.