Oh My It's Been AWHILE......

I have been gone sooo long where to start I don't even know!  Well I have been back home for a little over a year.  No more work for me.  I lost two of my clients, my boyfriend's father, who lived with us and my grandpapa in about four month.  Was all I could take, no more.   That and my health has not been the best.  I Have fibromyalia and it has gotten to the point I am afraid to take care of clients for their sake.  The feeling in my hand and legs are not good.  I drop things, and fall at time, I don't need to drop or fall with a client.  So I am staying home with my fur babies. I have had a few losses there too. My beautiful canary died will I was gone.  The cats all letf home and I parted ways with the dragons.

I still have my big mastiff boy Bounce and now he has a wife.  Her name is Elektra, but I call her LuLu most of the time.  We are expecting puppies about the 10th of December.  I am very excited.  They are the most awesome dogs I love them to death  I still have all three of the little dogs.  All are just as spoiled as ever.    
Since Dad died Saddie has returned to being the other half's dog and sleeps with him.  Since I have been back home Teddy, and Miley both sleep with me and the two mastiffs are on the floor beside my bed.  You could say I have a four dog night every night whether I want it or not!  Well must finish dinner but will try to post more often...... I'm out!

The Babies

Well the babies are three weeks old today. They are maturing a lot faster then other babies I have raised. They are in a playpen with a bed and have been getting in and out for about a week now. They are so little and still a little bit wobbly but fun to watch. They have also learned they have a voice! It is funny. Mom will make them chase her around the playpen and they get tired so they plop down on their little butts, stick their heads in the air and howl. Mom just looks at them like this is "tuff love" and goes about her business. They really are going to be hard to part with, but I will not let them go to their new homes until they are 10-16 weeks old so I will have them for a while yet.

I took pictures of them today, so I am sharing. The other picture is of their dad Teddy. Both parents have really awesome personalities so these little guys should be over the top. Teddy has came along ways from when I first got him. He had been abused by a male I think as he did not like men at all. He would jump in my lap shake and growl when one was around. Now he loves everyone! He stays home while I work so he has adopted the other half's 87 year old dad. He no longer sleeps with me but with Dad and you usually will find him and Dad asleep in the chair during the day. He is a very proud little dog and prances everywhere he goes. In the summer I keep him shaved but he loves to be outdoors so he looks scruffy in the winter. He has little dog syndrome and is always putting the English Mastiff in his place. I have to roll when the little dogs and the big dog play, it is very funny, but Bounce is very protective of them and so careful when they play.

I also weighed the babies today. The little girl weighs 12 ozs. which by the growth chart means she should weigh 4-4-1/2-lbs as an adult. The little male weighs 8 ozs. which means he should weigh 3-lbs. That doesn't make for very big adults but then mom only weighs 3-lbs. herself. So I hope I can find them homes that I know they will be truly loved, cared, and protected in.

Well that's about it from here for now. I am out....................

The Job

Good Day!

Yesterday I told you a little about my critter family, today I will tell you a bit about my extended family with my job. I have been in health care off and on for 32+ years. Out of all the jobs I have had I always seem to go back to health care. At the present time I do home health care. I have worked in many Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Homes but I really like the home health care system. Having only one client at a times gives me one on one and I feel they get much better care. I strive to keep the elderly or those with terminal diseases in their home if that is what they want. One does become very attached even to the crabbiest of them which makes it even harder when one passes but it also makes you feel very good to know you helped make it possible for them to live out their last wish. They very much become my other family and I grieve when I loose them but it really does the heart and soul good to know you truly gave them the best possible care and confront you could at the end of their life.

My last client the family called to see if I would interested in helping with his 24-7 care. He had been treated for throat cancer and then it went to lung cancer. He was an elderly gentleman still fully aware of what was going on in his life (this was a first for me) he had accepted what he was dealt but by no means happy about it. He was very easy to care for but he grumble about they had taken his smokes and Crown Royle away from me. He stated to me one day, Why did they take these things I enjoy away as it isn't going to make me better? I had to agree. My shift was from 8:00 A.M. Friday to 8:00 A.M. Monday. One Friday morning after I got there and the girl before me had left, he told me to shut his oxygen off and he lit up a smoke, I said nothing. He had his smoke and we turn the oxygen back on. The next time I came the same thing, then he went to his chair in the living room and pointed to a hiding place, I opened the door a bottle of Crown. "Pour some in my coffee cup" he said I did. Nervous his family would catch us and be mad at me but it was his wish and after what was I there for? To make him as happy and comfortable to the end. The family told me they knew and were fine with it what a relief. This sweet little ole' man had his crabby days but I never flinched when bit and we went on. This was a family that truly care and made me a part of their family. I was able to send almost a month with man before the angels came. He passed when I was not there in his sleep, he went very peacefully. His favorite song was Waltz across Texas and I was doing good at the funeral until they played his song then I lost it. We had listened to that song many times in the short time I was there and he was so happy listening to it. He will always be in my heart!

My current client is a feisty 87 year old man. An acquaintance of ours called me one night to see if I could come up and help him out. I got there and I could tell he was sick. I didn't realize until I got there I was going to be staying. The next day he was worse and one of his boys called to see how he was doing and I said not good. We both tried to get him to go to the hospital but he was having none of it. Did I mention this man is stubborn, well this would be an understatement! By the next day it was like he has to go I couldn't get him to eat or drink much and he was dehydrated and I figured his kidneys were starting to shut down. I decided he was going to the hospital! Still he fought the hired man and myself. We finally got him up but he tried to sit back down, I told him, " You know as a kid I was my grandfather's cattle dog and if you don't help us a little here I will bite you in the butt!" He looked at me and grinned but he went along willing then. He ended up in the hospital for two weeks before I got him back. He had told me before we took him he wanted to die in his cabin and I promised him he could but we had to get him well because it wasn't his time yet. When I we to visit him in the hospital he did not remember our first few days together. He was a very sick man and if we hadn't gotten him to the hospital when we did he probably would not of made it, it was touch and go for awhile. I spend nine days at a time with him, the hired man spends five. He is a joy to be around even though he tries to be intimidating at times. He says everyone is afraid of him and I look him in the eye and say,"Everyone but me!" His reply is always, "I know" He too smoked and like his drink. Well I flat refused to let him smoke as he would be right back in the hospital. He gets his drink and complains how mean I am not to let him smoke. He came home on oxygen 24-7 and I am proud to say he no long needs it! His last trip to the doctor he got a clean bill of heath and told him to listen to his care giver. This week is my week off and he called me yesterday to tell me he missed me and what a good job I had been doing for him. I cried when I got off the phone. It is so nice to know that by helping a total stranger at first they have grown to love and treat you like family. My days of staying nine days at a time are going to come to an end some I think but I will still be going up and clean, cook and help him out. Although this man is 97 he is working on a new project to make money and I am sure he will pull it off. We got him well and he doesn't need us 24-7 now but I will still be a big part of his life until its his time. Like I told him though he is a strong and fairly healthy man yet he will probably out live me! And at times I truly believe that.

So this is my other job and I love it very much! I am here for anyone that needs although I would rather no one ever need me! So if I do not post for long periods you will know I am at work and cannot get to the Internet. Until next time.....

2010

Ok it is a new year and good things are suppose to come in a new year. I am hopping this is my year! Anyone who has known me for very long knows how much I have always loved animals ..... well things haven't changed. My four children are grown and have flown the nest so now my dear animals have become my children once again. They are all loved and spoiled very much and at times I truely feel they would just rather I go away but it isn't going to happen. It is sorta like the old woman in the show who had so many children she....well with me, I am the old woman in the show who had so many animals she didn't know what to do. Have you ever noticed how your dear pets love you no matter what? They listen to all your problems, let you cry on them, scream and hollar and they are right there to try and comfort you. To bab more humans were not like that. They never judge you, well not out load anyway but I swear there are times if mine could talk they would ask me if I had totally lost it. But that is okay there are days I ask myself that!

This year started off with two new members added to my family. My little 3-lb Yorkey Miley presented me with two babies Jan.2 a little boy and a little girl. They are very adorable and going to be very hard to part with when the time comes for then to go to their new home. They are growing fast already getting out of their basket and even howling if you can call it that. Miley has been going with me to work so her and the little ones are in travel mode all the time.

Soon it will be time for the Bearded Dragons to wake up from winter. I have six.
Very interesting little creatures to say the list. Hopefully this year we will get eggs as I have people waiting for young. Guess only time will tell.

The rest of the children are doing very well. There is Sadie the 9-lb Pom. Teddy the 5-lb Chorkie, Bounce the 130+lb English Mastiff and of course, Abby, Jigs, Nurmal, and Meathead the manx cats and last but not least Mr. Peepers the canery who has a lovely song for me each and every day.

Well that is about all for this old lady in a shoe for now but will keep you up-dated on my crazy world.