A Special Dog Comes with Special Needs

Lucy is resting this weekend after having a severe allergic reaction to something outside (pollen, bee sting, spider bite). We haven't been able to pinpoint the source. It all started on Wednesday when she all of a sudden couldn't control bodily functions, then immediately threw up (gross, sorry!). After she threw up, she wouldn't move. I picked her up and she went limp then sort of collapsed in the house. After checking her gums and seeing that they were completely white (the severity of this is equivalent to you turning blue because you can't breathe), we rushed her to the vet.

After a day of platelet tests, clotting tests, full blood panels, IVs, shots and Benadryl, she was improving. We took her home, and she immediately went to the bedroom dresser where we had left her ball that morning. I believe she must have been thinking about her ball all day.

Today, we had a follow-up to make sure her platelet count was back to normal. Good news is her platelet count is perfect, but one of her liver enzymes is still high. No big deal, but we have to go back to get that checked in a month.

Because this is the second time she has had an allergic reaction, the vet seems to think it will be a pattern. The reaction this week was so severe, it is highly likely she would not be here if we had not taken her to the vet. All of this means she will be on Benadryl for the rest of her life.

At 4 years old, Lucy's medical history includes two severe allergic reactions, an obsessive compulsive disorder, an infected toe and an intolerance to cheap anesthesia (the kind she requires is significantly more expensive).

Lucy is a special dog indeed.

These are a few of my favorite things....and not so favorite things

Snow? Yes please!

 

A bath? No thank you!

I'm so pretty, oh so pretty

Lucy started to look like a little sheep, so she went to the groomer last week to get rid of her winter coat. She took a few minutes to pose and show off her new do.

Life is tough.

Lucy was punished this morning for knocking her ball under our dresser and then scratching the furniture repeatedly to try and retrieve it. Punishment meant putting her ball away for 15 minutes. She was mopey but waited patiently by the dresser for her punishment time to end.

Oh how I love the weekend

The first few weeks of the year have been long and challenging because of work schedules, but long weeks give you a greater appreciation for weekend time to play and rest. Last weekend, Matt brought me to Lockhart to try one of his new favorite restaurants, Kreuz Market.

Not only is the bbq delicious, but Kreuz's gives you a unique dining experience that seems to make the food taste that much better. You order your meat in the "pit room" which is the room where they actually smoke the meat. You then carry your meat wrapped inside a large piece of paper (which will also serve as your plate) into a separate room to order your sides and drinks.

The most suprising thing you need to be prepared for is you do not eat with silverware. You eat with your hands.

It was a fantastic little adventure and a great way to spend our afternoon together. This weekend we watched a lot of movies and rested to regain our energy. Our lives finally go back to normal this week. We look forward to what normalcy will bring!

Have a great one!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Matt, Lucy and I headed up to Fort Worth for Christmas this year and were surprised by 3 inches of snow.

Lucy absolutely loved the snow especially when she was wearing her Christmas sweater.

It was hard to get her back inside even though she was freezing.

We made our way to Grandma and Grandpa McClure's for Christmas Eve festivities. It was a Christmas of firsts. We had two new family members, Chandra was sadly in Jamaica and John didn't break out any clown gear.

Like father, like son?

Because Puppy (Kari) and I are on the same holiday schedule, we get to see each other in Fort Worth. She's not looking preggers yet, but it's only a matter of time! She's going to be a wonderful momma. I can't wait to meet that little one!

Christmas always goes by so fast. Despite the fast pace of the holidays, we always take time to remember how truly blessed we are with wonderful friends and family.

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to what the new year brings!

Christmas is here already?

It's been a while since I posted and it's already Christmas. I'll spare you Thanksgiving pictures since that was a month ago, but good times were had by all at the Carrens/Trevino Thanksgiving spectacular. All of my cousins are so grown up! The youngest is 12 now and looks completely different than she looked 6 months ago. I just can't get over how our family gatherings went from 11 little kids running around everywhere to grown people bringing over boyfriends, girlfriends, and husbands!

Nostalgic moment over. Christmas is in full swing at the Markum house. Since last weekend, we have had non-stop Christmas events and activities.

We didn't get to the outside decorations because of the weather, but the inside is decked out. Lucy has not been happy about the Christmas decorations. She has been going through a phase where she is scared of ANYTHING out of the norm. We did get her to pose by the Christmas tree.

Although she is doing better with the decorations, she is still afraid of this snowman.

Mr. Snowman was sitting on the floor, but Lucy refused to exist in the same room as him. He now lives on a shelf where she can't see him.

We are trying to work through her issues.