I am impatient. I want to be healed now and then go back to work and train dogs. But that won’t be for a few weeks so in the meantime I will just have to console myself with taking it easy, healing and getting back into shape. My appetite is back in full force or I have a huge tapeworm.
My groin area still hurts from where they inserted the catheter. It will take a week or so to heal. No lifting more than 5-10 lbs. Back on more drugs!! (Yuck)I did gain some more weight and was almost 118 on Friday. I just need 12 more lbs to go!! I guess that means extra hot fudge on my ice cream.
Today I took it easy. I had Tess take out the locker lambs and do some tending. Tending is where the sheep roam in an area and the dog makes sure they do not stray. Tess has done tending work for many years and once I let her know the boundaries, she will make sure the sheep do not cross the line. I am teaching Nan how to do tending. Tess has learned to just hang out when the sheep are loose. The sheep are at ease with her and then graze. Today we had the sheep on the front lawn. Tess was snoozing under the maple tree and should a sheep try to sneak past her, she would rise up and the sheep would go back. A couple of time in the 60 degree sunny day, I saw her take a snooze. But if a sheep got close to the boundary, her eyes would open.
Nan is very wired and it shows in her posture. I had her do tending next to Tess. The sheep were not at ease and kept an eye on her. I finally moved her much farther back and sat with her and then the sheep settled down. It will take a while for her to figure this new game out but she will.
We put the locker lambs away and then I had Nan take the ewes out. I had her hold them near the barn while I stood and brushed Emma’s mane out. Emma really enjoyed it and her head was on my shoulder and she dozed. After a bit, Nan settled down and so did the sheep.
After Nan put the sheep away, we went to sort a few smaller lambs from the locker lamb group. Tess is an old pro at this but I want Nan to start doing more of the hard chores. Lambs are not the sharpest knife in the drawer and when I was trying to sort them, the lambs were going every which way. I was not in the pen but on the outside as I didn’t want to be knocked down. Finally I got Nan to shed half the group and then we started to shed off the ones I wanted. She did quite well but was worried about the group that I had let slip off.
We got all of the small lambs sorted except for one. We got that lamb and one wether near the gate and I had her hold them. I didn’t want the wether in the pen but only the Dorper lamb.
The Dorper busted away and tried to join the group and Nan cut in front of it and tried to stop it. It then decided to run over her and she got a good grip on it and flipped it. I told her good girl and she turned and held it. Then we got it sorted from the other lamb and it was by itself. It danced one way and Nan matched it step for step. Finally, the lamb turned and darted into the pen. Nan did a great job, shedding the group of about 12 lambs to the four that I wanted. It was tough and she did everything I asked of her. Chores like that will make her a better dog and it had a purpose. Since I was not able to help her, and only could give her commands, it was very tough. When we were done, I praised her and she danced with joy. Nan knew she did a good job and that I was very please. She worked hard today learning to tend sheep and then sorting off lambs. I stood in one place and told her what to do.
That was my day. I also made a bunch of follow-up visits to Dr Mark Reisman on Thursday and Dr Joseph Condon (also) on Thursday. The visit to Dr. Reisman will be a follow-up visit after a week of the surgery. Then they will set up a visit for a month to do the TCD Bubble test. The TransCranial Doppler Bubble Test will see if there is any leakage. An intravenous line is inserted and they will inject agitated saline into your arm several times to see if any of the micro bubbles flow from one side of the atrium to the other.
My groin area still hurts from where they inserted the catheter. It will take a week or so to heal. No lifting more than 5-10 lbs. Back on more drugs!! (Yuck)I did gain some more weight and was almost 118 on Friday. I just need 12 more lbs to go!! I guess that means extra hot fudge on my ice cream.
Today I took it easy. I had Tess take out the locker lambs and do some tending. Tending is where the sheep roam in an area and the dog makes sure they do not stray. Tess has done tending work for many years and once I let her know the boundaries, she will make sure the sheep do not cross the line. I am teaching Nan how to do tending. Tess has learned to just hang out when the sheep are loose. The sheep are at ease with her and then graze. Today we had the sheep on the front lawn. Tess was snoozing under the maple tree and should a sheep try to sneak past her, she would rise up and the sheep would go back. A couple of time in the 60 degree sunny day, I saw her take a snooze. But if a sheep got close to the boundary, her eyes would open.
Nan is very wired and it shows in her posture. I had her do tending next to Tess. The sheep were not at ease and kept an eye on her. I finally moved her much farther back and sat with her and then the sheep settled down. It will take a while for her to figure this new game out but she will.
We put the locker lambs away and then I had Nan take the ewes out. I had her hold them near the barn while I stood and brushed Emma’s mane out. Emma really enjoyed it and her head was on my shoulder and she dozed. After a bit, Nan settled down and so did the sheep.
After Nan put the sheep away, we went to sort a few smaller lambs from the locker lamb group. Tess is an old pro at this but I want Nan to start doing more of the hard chores. Lambs are not the sharpest knife in the drawer and when I was trying to sort them, the lambs were going every which way. I was not in the pen but on the outside as I didn’t want to be knocked down. Finally I got Nan to shed half the group and then we started to shed off the ones I wanted. She did quite well but was worried about the group that I had let slip off.
We got all of the small lambs sorted except for one. We got that lamb and one wether near the gate and I had her hold them. I didn’t want the wether in the pen but only the Dorper lamb.
The Dorper busted away and tried to join the group and Nan cut in front of it and tried to stop it. It then decided to run over her and she got a good grip on it and flipped it. I told her good girl and she turned and held it. Then we got it sorted from the other lamb and it was by itself. It danced one way and Nan matched it step for step. Finally, the lamb turned and darted into the pen. Nan did a great job, shedding the group of about 12 lambs to the four that I wanted. It was tough and she did everything I asked of her. Chores like that will make her a better dog and it had a purpose. Since I was not able to help her, and only could give her commands, it was very tough. When we were done, I praised her and she danced with joy. Nan knew she did a good job and that I was very please. She worked hard today learning to tend sheep and then sorting off lambs. I stood in one place and told her what to do.
That was my day. I also made a bunch of follow-up visits to Dr Mark Reisman on Thursday and Dr Joseph Condon (also) on Thursday. The visit to Dr. Reisman will be a follow-up visit after a week of the surgery. Then they will set up a visit for a month to do the TCD Bubble test. The TransCranial Doppler Bubble Test will see if there is any leakage. An intravenous line is inserted and they will inject agitated saline into your arm several times to see if any of the micro bubbles flow from one side of the atrium to the other.
Then I will have a 6 month and a 12 month visit to make sure the tissue has grown over the mesh (Clam Shell). As well as monitoring the other two issues that I have. I will be also seeing Dr. Condon to follow up on my healing and more tests. It sure seems like every time I leave the farm, I am either going to the Doctor for an appointment or the hospital for a procedure.
I look forward to the day when my life is back to normal. That should be about the time I need to trim hooves or something like that. I won’t have to worm the sheep for a few months since Monique did that for me on Sunday. You know, I have a great support group. People have helped me on the farm with chores or taking some dog for a bit. My mom and Kimiko come over once a week and stuff me full of food and help me clean house. Getty has been good about taking the load of me so I can heal. I am truly blessed to have such great family and friends. Thanks to everyone who called, emailed or showed up.
You are a bunch of great people!!
I look forward to the day when my life is back to normal. That should be about the time I need to trim hooves or something like that. I won’t have to worm the sheep for a few months since Monique did that for me on Sunday. You know, I have a great support group. People have helped me on the farm with chores or taking some dog for a bit. My mom and Kimiko come over once a week and stuff me full of food and help me clean house. Getty has been good about taking the load of me so I can heal. I am truly blessed to have such great family and friends. Thanks to everyone who called, emailed or showed up.
You are a bunch of great people!!
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