Getting a 4th Opinion

Two days ago Mr. Hank hurt something in his back or leg, causing him excruciating pain every time he lays down or uses the stairs. At first it was random and occasional, but he still managed to crawl into bed to cuddle for some serious sympathy points Sunday night. Yesterday it got much worse, and he wasn't just crying or yelping... he was SCREAMING. Not screaming, but SCREAMING and every single time it clenched my heart, pulled it out of my chest, slammed it on the ground, and stomped on it.

I took him to the vet as soon as I could and of course she couldn't find a thing wrong with him. Hank hung tough and let her do whatever she wanted because he's the perfect patient, or at least he was until she tried to lay him on his side and he peed on her. Serves her right for telling me there was no possible way Hank's thyroid condition could be caused by a tumor. I'm no genius, but I'm pretty sure a tumor on the thyroid can slow it down. Hank's other vet who unfortunately does not have X-ray equipment agrees and was pretty upset to find out she told me that. I also have a dear friend back home who also happens to be a DVM who agrees and has helped me a lot over the past couple of days. If we ever end up in Tyler, TX he has a customer for life. I'm going to trust the majority and go in for yet another opinion with X-ray or ultrasound confirmation. So frustrating. The good news is at least we know it is his thyroid slowing down and not so much his metabolism. The bad news is he weighs almost 90 lbs. Out of control.

Today Hank is doing much better, but I'm pretty sure it's because he's high on Tramadol. Lucky for us we had some left from his last surgery and it's the only thing that helps, though he hates taking it. He curls his lips and shakes his head. It's kind of cute - he looks like a weasel with his long pointy nose. The vet gave us pain meds equivalent to doggie aspirin, but those can take days to kick in and I just couldn't take the SCREAMING anymore. It was too gut-wrenching. Poor Hank stood up all day and night, afraid to lay down while I fought off tears, scared and unable to help him.

Thank goodness for drugs and good advice from a great friend (thanks Justin!). Since it kicked in he's been wagging his tail non-stop, walking up and down the stairs with ease, and napping in the sun. What a relief!

Just in Time

Last night Ben and I went to the Apple store to get my whacked out cell phone replaced. We parked near Dillards and walked through the store to get to the main part of the mall. First department was little girls clothing, and I couldn't help but admire. There had to be something cute in there for our niece Lily. Ben doesn't get that at all, and since he makes the money, I got dragged along by the elbow out of there before I could find something expensive.

Next up were the cutest panties in animal prints, lace, you name it. They had thongs and boy shorts and everything was adorable but looked kind of small for your typical gal, but I ignored that fact because on the table was a sign that read "Just in Time for Valentine's Day!" My eyes lit up. "HOW CUUUUUUUUUUUUTE ARE THESE, BABY???" And then it hit me and my stomach dropped. We were still in the little girl's section.

There are going to be a lot of things we'll let fly in the Morton household that will not go down in the Grave's, but if I catch Lily with a pair of those before the age of 18, Phil will be the very least of her problems.

The Best Gifts are Homemade

The other day I came home and let Hank out of the bedroom. He gets locked up with the radio on while we're renting this duplex because he's been stalking the next door neighbor from the guest bedroom window and causing a ruckus. He hates that guy. There have been days where it has gotten so bad that I could have tossed him out the window. So annoying. This time he ran to the front door (I came in the side) and started howling his face off and furiously sniffing the cracks. After much reassurance that there was no one there, he continued so I flung open the door to prove my point.

There, laying unannounced on the front step was one of the most fabulous gifts I have ever received. Behold:


I dare you to find a more fitting gift for me than an oil painting of my stinky monkey. I kind of think it would be hilarious to take a family photo of Ben, me and the two dogs sitting in armchairs in front of a roaring fire, blow it up, and hang it over the mantle, but that's one of those things that people don't get and you walk around thinking you're hilarious while they think you're a pretentious jerk.

Back in December the Hodges moved to town and we put them up for awhile so they could stop paying for hotel rooms and find a decent place to live without feeling rushed. Tricia's mom was also in tow and she was a hoot. Her hobby is painting, and to thank us for our hospitality she decided to send us a Diane Grande original. She asked us what we wanted her to paint and I immediately got all awkward. The thought had never crossed my mind and for the life of me I didn't know how to respond. Ben suggested a beachy scene and I think I may have tumbled out a few really stupid words before she came up with the idea to paint Hank. To our surprise, she sent both:


Mind completely blown. Awesomeness.