Forgot to post for a while...

Monday was hopefully the last day I have to stay in bed. The visiting nurse didn’t come until 1 o’clock and Daniel was coming to fix my chair at 3:30 PM, he is always early. The nurse said everything looked really good and I think they’re getting ready to release me… yay finally! I was hoping that I would be able to get up by Thanksgiving and it’s going to come true. Kelly and I picked a date for our road trip from here to Florida, where her and Tom live, and back. She is going to get here on Wednesday, February 15 and we’re going to leave on Saturday the 18th, I am so excited and I think were going to have a lot of fun. Karen agreed to come with us so we don’t have to find a caregiver in every state that we stop. Heather came over and made a bunch of food for me yesterday, it smelled so good I wanted to eat it all right then. She brought over this savory mushroom bread pudding from work that was AWESOME!

"My sunshine doesn't come from the skies, it comes from the love in my dog's eyes." ~ unknown

Tuesday I kept trying to decide if I want to do all of my personal care and take a bath today or tomorrow. Luckily I picked today because tomorrow they are FINALLY going to come and replace my mattress with the new one, I ordered the 7th of last month and they told me it would take 3 to 5 days… isn’t that the way it usually goes? Anyways it will be nice to get up tomorrow and take Robbie for a really long needed cruise. It’s going to be cold but we will just have to find a way to do it.

“Women and cats will do as they please,
and men and Dogs should relax and get used to the idea.” ~ Robert Heinlein

Wednesday I finally got to get up and it felt great. I thought it was going to be cold but it was actually pretty warm. Robby and I cruised through the lagoon and to the end of the wharf and back twice. We came back and Teresa waxed my face and then put me to bed.

Thursday was Thanksgiving and all I could think about all day was stuffing and mashed potatoes. I got up just in time to cruise over to my uncles house for dinner, unfortunately I didn’t get to run Robby and I couldn’t take him with me because my cousin had his dog over there and they have never met before. The food was amazing. The turkey was so moist, the stuffing was awesome, mashed potatoes and gravy were killer, she made spinach with bacon and cheddar cheese and cauliflower with cheddar cheese. They wanted to eat early so they could go to a friends house and watch a football game so Karen and I came back and she put me to bed. She was going to go home but it was getting late, dark and cold so she decided to stay here.

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." - Gilda Radner

Friday was another day of personal care but I got a nice long hot bath and I feel rested and comfortable. My brother Stanley, his wife and daughter are coming down to spend the weekend so I’m glad I got everything done today. I really need to take Robby out for a nice long cruise.

Saturday Teresa called me at 7 AM say that she wasn’t coming in, she was really dizzy and shouldn’t be doing anything. I ended up just staying in bed and visiting with my family. They went and got me a tree and decorated my house, I can’t wait to get up tomorrow and check it out… I am just love Christmas. It sounds like my Modesto family is going to be here for Christmas, I am so excited. Corinne is going to stay the week after Christmas, it will be awesome to spend some time with her. We ended up playing cribbage for the 2nd night in a row, Janet was my partner both nights and we kick their butts.

Sunday was a great day. I got to get up in the weather outside was gorgeous. I decided to run Robby and meet my sister-in-law at Costco, I need to find a tree topper but we didn’t have any luck there and we needed to get back because they had to leave. I think I’ll try cost plus and while I’m there I might as well look around Ross and see what they have. While I was eating my chicken bake from Costco yesterday another one of my teeth broke. I’m going to try to get a dentist appointment today but it’s not hurting so tomorrow is more likely. I came home and Heather was cooking a bunch of stuff, I haven’t seen her much lately and I really miss her. While I was eating my chicken bake from Cosco I felt something funny in my mouth and sure enough I broke another tooth, they just seem to be breaking like chalk these days. Luckily it was time to go to bed and it wasn’t that noticeable from the outside, I just couldn’t help but play with it all night long.

Monday 1st thing I made an appointment for Tuesday at the dentist, luckily they know me and my brittle teeth so they got me in right away. I decided to get all my personal care and bath done on Monday so I would be ready to go on Tuesday. It was a nice relaxing day in bed.

Tuesday Karen got me up really quick. I actually had time to make a couple of phone calls before I had to leave for the dentist. The weather turned out to be just beautiful so Robby and I cruised down to the dentist office. We had to pass by the occupy Santa Cruz campsites and it was a little embarrassing. I got to the dentist and she cleaned my teeth and took x-rays. The doctor looked at my tooth and told me I would have to come back the next day to get the tooth fixed so Robby and I cruised back. I got home and the housekeeper still did not clean my room or my bathroom but I had to get to bed so Karen can go home. Teresa called in sick to Karen was waiting for me so she could put me to bed and go home. The housekeepers tried to knock on my door to say they were ready to clean my room and I guess I just snapped and said we’re going to have to miss my room again and this was their last day cleaning my house. The schedule is just not right and I keep having to get my room skipped plus I have everything meticulously placed in my room so it is where I need it when I need it and my caregivers know where that is so I’m just going to have them cleaned my house. I went to bed and my uncle brought over some split pea soup, he’s upstairs right now doctoring it up with my mom but I’m waiting patiently.

Wednesday I got up and went through my Christmas decorations and lights and got some stuff together for my cousin and his family. I was glad to get rid of a lot of stuff that I got rid of, I would have gotten rid of it before but it was easier to get rid of knowing it was going to my cousin… I hate getting rid of my stuff. I went back to the dentist to get my tooth that broke replaced and when I got back I had a house full of people decorating, I just love Christmas.

Thursday I ended up staying in bed all day, mostly on my side. I just got my new mattress about a week before but my pressure sore turned into a deep tissue wound, that’s what the visiting nurse called it. She came over here ready to release me and when she felt my new mattress she said it was no better than the old one so she was on the phone all night and got it set up so that they were going to bring me a mattress that will work for me. This is getting to be ridiculous.

Friday Karen got me up by 10 o’clock when the hill-rom technician got here. He said that the new mattress, the one he had installed a week ago, is bottoming out where my bottom is an recommended I get a different kind of mattress. Unfortunately the one that I need they don’t sell anymore, it’s only for the rentals. It looks like I’m buying all whole new bed that will come with the right mattress, the sales guy promised me several times I would not bottom out on this new mattress in this new frame. It also has a scale so I can weigh myself, I have always wanted that option. Hopefully I can pick a weight that I like for me and by being weighed every day I can keep it at that. I met Theresa and her classmates at the red room for appetizers, what a neat group of people. I met one of them before because he works there at the red room and I met another one that came to help Teresa clean my house one time. I came home and Lee and Claudia, my uncle and aunt and my mom and I played a couple games of cribbage… I lost a dollar.

Saturday was a great day of shopping and eating. I had some groupuns that were about to expire. Teresa came in the morning and got me up and I took Robby for a run on our usual route and then met Teresa at cost plus. We found some more ornaments for my tree and some hats, scarves and slipper boots. I cruised Robby back through town and we met at this Indian restaurant, I’m so glad we went there because the food was awesome. We went to American apparel, urban outfitters and a couple of other places and it was getting really close to Robby’s dinnertime so we decided to use our last groupon and go home. The last place was also downtown and it was kind of an appetizer/drink place. We were really hungry but we ordered a bacon hamburger and fries and it was excellent. While we were sitting there our neighbors, Alex and Aki came by and saw us in the window and decided to join us. I don’t think they cooked the hamburgers there because the guy that brought them came from behind me and I had my back to the exit, I didn’t realize that until after when Teresa brought it up. I’m going to have to go back and figure out where they could have come from. Both places that we ate at will definitely be going back to.

Sunday was another personal care day although we didn’t get very good results I ended up staying in bed. My pressure sore turned into a deep tissue wound but was looking much better with this new mattress. I did get a nice long hot bath and went back to bed, that always feels great.

Monday we decided to try the personal care again since we didn’t have any results on Sunday, it turned out to be a good day. Heather came over and cooked a bunch of wonderful stuff, it smelled so awesome and here.

The boss isn’t always right but she’s always the boss!


Tuesday I took Robbie for a really long cruise through the lagoon, down to the end of the wharf and back and we started down towards the boardwalk but it was just too cold so we came back home. We practiced a few commands and then when Teresa got here we went to the Indian restaurant again, that place is awesome. Teresa had garlic pasta with artichokes and shrimp and I had pomegranate egg plant with rice that was cooked perfectly and greens. After that we went over to the shoe and sock place and got my mom some ankle socks for Christmas… I hope you’re not reading this mom.

Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don’t !?!

Wednesday Teresa and I went shopping at the world market to look for a tree topper, we didn’t find one but we found a lot of other cool stuff and isn’t that what shopping is all about?

Thursday I ended up waiting for the visiting nurse so I didn’t get up.

Friday was miserable. I was miserable all Thursday night and woke up Friday with a really bad headache every time I had a spasm. I pretty much lived on PMs most of the day.

Saturday I went to see the frog and toad on the UCSC campus with my aunt, my cousins girl Alexia and her friend. It was really warm and I was having an anxiety attack but the play was awesome.

Sunday Robby and I cruised around for a while but it was really cold so we had to come back and warm-up every once in a while. Teresa and I had some awesome Chinese food and watched a movie called the help, 2nd time I had seen it.


Monday was also really cold but we cruised around anyway. When it was too cold to cruise around anymore we came back and waited for Karen to finish cleaning the house so I could go to bed. We ordered pizza, Buffalo wings and garlicky bread and watched the movie the help, excellent movie. We then attempted to watch bag of bones but I fell asleep.

Tuesday I went to go get my hair dyed and get a manicure and pedicure, it turned out really nice. As I was cruising down by the boardwalk a couple of young girls walked by and one of them said “is that Robby”? I said yes it was and it seems like everybody knows Robby. She was one of the visiting nurses daughters and has seen pictures of Robby on Facebook.

Wednesday after we did the personal care the nurse called and said that she would be here at 2:30 PM, not much point in getting out and I would not have had anybody to put me down that early so another day in bed, at least I got a nice hot bath.

Back in bed for a couple of days…

Monday turned out to be a really slow day for personal care so I doubted I would be able to get up but I did. I thought we got everything done yesterday so I could get up early today but it didn’t work out that way… at least I got up. I went to take Robby for really long cruise and I ran into Otis in the yard so I talked to him for a while. He had 3 of his dogs with him so he showed me their Halloween costumes, they all look so cute. I told him about wanting to put planter boxes in the front yard to grow my own vegetables next summer and he thought that was a great idea. He is such a sweet man. Robby and I went on through the lagoon, to the end of the wharf and back, through the boardwalk where we stopped for a while because it was so beautiful and so deserted, down the river and to Ross. I was going to go in Ross and look around but I got such a late start I decided I better just get home and I will check out Ross tomorrow, that way if I find anything I cannot do without I can have Teresa meet me there. I cruised back home through town and got back just in time to go to bed.

Tuesday I got up and took off to my appointment at Claudius for manicure and pedicure, it has been almost a month. I stopped and talked to my uncle for a bit and as I was cruising towards my appointment, which was at 11 AM, my mom texted me and said Claudia called to see if I can, at 12 PM instead. I decided to go down to the end of the wharf and lay back and watch the ocean, it is so gorgeous there. I heard a voice behind me, sounded very intoxicated, saying “oh what a beautiful dog you are, are you friendly” I said “I’m sorry he’s working” I heard the footsteps getting closer and I could see him petting Robby so I said, as I was sitting up in my chair because I knew he wasn’t hearing me “he’s supposed to ignore people when he’s working” I sat up and rolled away. I decided to cruise down by the Boardwalk and try laying back again. After a couple of minutes I heard another intoxicated voice saying “what a beautiful dog, are you going to bite me” again I said, knowing it probably wouldn’t do any good “I’m sorry he’s working” I heard the intoxicated voice say as I was sitting up again “you look too friendly to bite” again I said “he supposed to ignore people when he’s working” as I sat up and rolled away I heard him say “you take care of your mom.” It is so frustrating that I can’t get people to listen to me. I went to my appointment at Claudius and then took Robby for a cruise and then went back home.

Wednesday I got up and took Robby for our regular long cruise and decided I’m not going to stop anywhere I think I will be approached, I have to lay back 15 min. out of every hour so it’s really hard. I try to put Robby in the corner or up against a wall so nobody sees him. There’s so many intoxicated/on drugs people and people who don’t put their dogs on a leash that it’s really hard to keep Robby’s attention from straying, we are trying really hard. I came back home and Teresa brought some buffalo wings from wing stop, plain ones, Parmesan and lemon pepper ones, french fries and for some reason they give you carrots and celery… I can’t imagine anybody eating the carrots and celery, we never do. Teresa put me to bed and my mom and I played cribbage with my uncle and aunt and Lee and Claudia, I lost $4.

Thursday was kind of a bummer day. On Wednesday morning for some reason it took us a really long time to get my back brace in place that we had to redo it a bunch of times. In order to put in my back brace I have to lean forward and we put it down my back. Apparently by doing it so many times we rubbed in bruise on my back. It’s not a good thing but it really won’t hurt anything, it just takes a couple days to heal and go away. Personal care took a really long time but at the end of it I got a nice long hot bath and went back to bed, I’m usually exhausted with the personal care takes that long so I was ready to relax and watch TV.

Friday was of course my weekly massage, it always feels so good. I decided to just stay in bed because the visiting nurse was supposed to be here at 11 AM, of course it was almost noon when she got here. She didn’t have very good news, I’m back to staying off my butt as much as possible. I guess when you get older your skin gets thinner and hopefully this isn’t a preview of what is to come.

Saturday was supposed to be my support group meeting. Of course the visiting nurse and Teresa said that I should not go so I missed another one, I hope more people showed up this time. I have a couple of groupon's that expired today said Theresa went out and got lunch for everyone. The rest of the day was just flipping from one side to the other and me flipping out, it is so frustrating but you got a do what you got to do. Hopefully I’ll be okay by Thanksgiving.

Sunday was another long personal-care day spent in bed. I do love to get a nice long hot bath before I go back to bed but it would be even nicer to get up and out of here, I’m sure Robby agrees. Thankfully it was cold and rainy all day. Heather came over and cooked a bunch of stuff, the smell of everything she cooks is also a treat when I have to stay in bed but I want to eat EVERYTHING right now.

An awesome visit from my brother David and his son JohnPatrick…

Monday I got up and JohnPatrick and I took Robby for a cruise over to the wharf and back, JohnPatrick is so smart he just amazes me. We got back and decided after hanging out for a while and order pizza, pizza is always good.

Tuesday was a day for just hanging out and having fun. Stanley was supposed to come down and stay for a couple days but he wasn’t able to make it. We decided to order Mexican food, David and I decided to split one, my mom got cheese enchiladas and JohnPatrick got chicken nachos.

Wednesday I got up and Teresa took me to get my mammogram, It went really smooth and fast, 1st time ever I think because of all the maneuvering we usually have to do. I came back and just wasn’t feeling very good. We were supposed to go out to dinner with my aunt and uncle so I stuck it out but it just felt awful, after I got home Teresa told me that I should have taken Xanax because even if I didn’t notice it the mammogram is a lot of trauma to your body. We went to the wooden nickel in Watsonville and have an awesome meal, even though I brought three quarters of mine home. I think EVERYTHING at the wooden nickel is killer. David decided to leave on Wednesday evening instead of Thursday morning because there was more flights and he really needed to get home by Friday.

Thursday I got up and took Robbie for a nice long cruise through the lagoon, to the end of the wharf and back and through the boardwalk. We stopped on the boardwalk for a while to just watch the ocean and enjoy the beautiful day, it was perfect. We came back and Teresa brought me some noodles from Hong Kong Charlie’s, my favorite is pad Thai with garlic tofu. After that we went to the post office to mail something to my brother David, of course the package that we ordered got here the day after he left. Part of it was to be left here and part of it to be shipped to him.

Friday my morning routine took so long and I was so exhausted I just went back to sleep, I didn’t even take a bath. Lee and Claudia, my uncle and aunt and my mom and I played cribbage and I did pretty good again. Karen Mason gingersnap cookies and we usually have a lot of snacks, although I try to stay away from them.

Saturday I got up and took Robbie for a next or long cruise, we haven’t been able to go very long cruises lately so we took advantage of today. I was going to stop at pet Smart to get a soft rubber brush for Robby but by the time I got down there I forgot. We came back and practiced some of our commands and Robby did really good. I was down for 3 weeks and we seem to have had company a lot so we neglected our commands and I thought I was going to be sorry but Robbie is always such a trooper.

"We try to replace them but never quite succeed. A new Dog never replaces an old Dog, it merely expands the heart. If you have loved many Dogs, your heart is very big”

Sunday was a really long and miserable day, we barely got time to do the morning routine and take a bath, I think Karen went home at 6 PM. She did make these really cool pinwheel things that we saw on the Pillsbury site. You just roll out the croissants and put bacon, cheese, green onions and it says to put ranch dressing on it but that didn’t sound good so we just left out the dressing. They were really awesome, while we were looking we found a recipe to make stuffed crust pizza. Pillsbury has a dough for pizza crust so you print that out and let it hang over the pan a little bit and then string cheese and put it around the edge and then cover it. Then you put on the marinara sauce and then you put on any toppings that you want, it looks awesome and we are going to try it.

Halloween and brothers…

Monday started off really boring. Teresa came over in the morning to get me some breakfast and coffee. Karen didn’t come in until 1 PM because we were going to get dressed and go downtown for the evening, Halloween downtown in Santa Cruz is always an experience. Cassy came over to hang out for a while, it was really good to see her. Karen came in about 1 PM and started getting me dressed for Halloween. My plan was to be a convict in a electric chair but things started not working out so I was just a convict. I bought some black and white striped boots to go with my outfit and they wouldn’t fit, I got some leg warmers with straps on them but they were too tight around my leg bag, we didn’t have time to put the lights around my head but everything else looked great. We put the convicts Costume on Robbie with a hat that said “bad dog” everybody just loved it and thought he was so cute. We went down to the Palomar and had dinner, checked out the costumes for a while, listen to the music and then came home. It was a really nice evening.

"I explained it to St. Peter,
I'd rather stay here
Outside the pearly gate.
I won't be a nuisance,
I won't even bark, I'll be very patient and wait,
I'll be here, chewing on a celestial bone,
No matter how long you may be.
I'd miss you so much, if I went in alone,
It wouldn't be heaven for me." ~Unknown Poet

Tuesday was a mess. I have a Mac so I needed to install this thing called the lion but in order to install the lion you needed to 1st install the snow leopard. Luckily Karen was here and did all this for me. Now that I have upgraded that my DragonDictate needed to be updated so I had to call and do that. Then the buttons on my trackball got all messed up and when I tried to go in and change that they wanted me to install a driver, which I tried to 3 times and they’re still not working. It’s one of the buttons that I use A lot, especially to play words with friends. Thank goodness my brother will be here in a couple of days.

Wednesday I got out and Robbie and I went for an extra long cruise, through the lagoon, to the end of the wharf and back, through the boardwalk, down the river, I even braved it and went across the red steel bridge and back, down to Ross and back through town. I couldn’t believe how crowded it was at the wharf in the middle of the week but then I remembered everybody is watching for the whales. I had a couple of people ask me if they have been cited already got morning, I saw a picture on Facebook of one of them before I left. I didn’t stay on the wharf for very long because it was just way too crowded and hard to see anything. I came back home and my neighbors left me about for big beautiful stock’s of brussels sprouts, they looks so fresh. She makes tamales and I buy some from her every Saturday but the last couple of Saturdays I haven’t seen her very much. Apparently she got a job which is awesome, I am so happy for her. I’ll still get my tamales when I can.

Thursday I got up and took Robbie to the vet for a follow-up appointment, his itching is almost gone and there is no more yeast. After that we cruise down to the wharf and sat there for a long time, it is such a beautiful view. We cruise down through the vacant Boardwalk, down the river and back through town. I came back home and watch Teresa start to take down my Halloween decorations, goodbye until next year. Next weekend will be putting up Thanksgiving decorations, I need to call Melissa and see if she will come and take my Windows. I got some really bad news tonight, it’s just for breaking. A friend of the family, Steve, is on hospice daily and is basically than just living on pain meds. Steve’s wife, Elaine, was my boss for over 10 years until my injury. Steve has come down here a couple of times and stayed for a while and that’s when I really got to know him, he is an awesome man. I remember we had a surprise party for him a year ago and they didn’t expect to live very long than, he is very strong. We got to be really good friends and him going to be very sad when I hear that he’s gone.

True friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest... It's about who came, and never left your side..."
- Unknown

Friday was a little colder but not raining so Robbie and I took advantage of it and went out for a long cruise. 1 min. it would be nice and warm and then the next minute the sun went behind the clouds and it would be cold. We managed to make it through the lagoon, down to the end of the wharf where we sat and looked out for a long time, through the deserted boardwalk, down the river to Ross and back through town. As we were cruising along the river a guy came by on a bicycle and he was practically laying down flat and peddling with his arms. He asked me if I how spinal cord injury and when I said yes he asked me what level I was and I told him I was C6, he said he was C67 but gained a lot back. I talked to him for a while and told him that we had a support group that met at Dominican rehab the 3rd Saturday of every month and it would be nice to see him there. He said that him and Roger started a support group several years back but people just quit coming to the decided to call it quits, I told him I hoped we didn’t have to do that again but it’s kind of looking like that. I will keep offering people food and hopefully they will keep showing up. We are talking about having some guest speakers so hopefully that will bring people in. Robbie and I cruised back home and watched Karen and Teresa put away almost all of the rest of the Halloween decorations. Heather came over and made us these absolutely killer crab and shrimp filo cups. Lee and Claudia, my uncle and aunt and my mom and I played about 4 games of cribbage and I want every single game, I love winning!

Saturday by personal care took a really long time but I expected it to so I got it out of the way and got to have a nice long hot bath so I can get up tomorrow and spend it with my brother and my nephew. My brother and my nephew are coming tonight instead so I am excited. They’re going to stay until Wednesday or Thursday. Stanley is going to come down on Tuesday and stay for a couple of days also, it will be nice to be all together again.

Sunday was Robby’s 4th birthday. I hung out with my brother and my nephew and the day went by way too fast. John Patrick and I took Robby for a cruise through the lagoon, we even went on the boardwalk over the water. Uncle Dick made some killer stew and brought over that and some really soft French bread, I ate way too much but it was awesome.

I'm out of here...

Monday turned out to be a pretty good day. I flipped from side to side until the nurse got here at 3 PM. She said I looked great and I could start getting up on Wednesday for a couple of hours, I was so excited until I got a call reminding me that Dr. Owens is coming over on Wednesday for a home visit. I think I’m going to try to get out for a couple of hours today at lease to run Robby, that is what I miss the most. My brother David e-mailed me and said that him and his son were going to come and visit November 6th, I’m really going to try to be a more while they’re here. My new mattress is on his way, it should be just a couple of days. What a great day!

Tuesday was a day that I have been waiting for for three weeks, my first day up and out of this bed. It was only for two hours but it was great to be out. I cruised over to the boardwalk, which was almost totally empty, and just sat there and stared at the ocean, it was so beautiful. It got to be a little cold so I taxed Teresa, who was here, and asked her if she wanted to go somewhere and get something to eat. Unfortunately she was cooking bacon so I headed home. When I got to the war the right leg of my chair popped off, luckily Teresa duct taped it so it didn’t fall completely off. I came back home slowly watching my leg so it didn’t come completely off. Well, almost a perfect day. I turned on the headlight on my chair because it was getting dark and as I came up the driveway the lights on the van started blinking, at first I thought Teresa was in it because I text her to tell her I was limping home but then I saw her in the kitchen. What a cool feature on the van. Hopefully ATG will have my parts in and I can go back out on Saturday. At least I got some bacon when I came back home.

Wednesday was just a really anxiety filled day for me, I don’t know why. It seemed like my body was twitching all day and I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. Of course I ran out of my anxiety pills and I was afraid to call them in for a refill because I have been using them a lot and I didn’t want my doctor to think I was getting addicted or anything. I remember when I was in Seton I took one every day and that was for three months, this has only been three weeks, and I never got addicted. My doctor is coming to see me today so hopefully she can see that I’m not addicted to anything.

Thursday turned out to be a pretty good day. I didn’t plan on getting up but Friday night Teresa said she would be here at 1:30 PM so I could get up at 11 a.m. and she will put me back to bed before the visiting nurse got here. It was such a beautiful day outside so Robby and I cruised through the lagoon, down to the end of the wharf, through the vacant boardwalk, back to the end of the wharf and then back home. I stopped a bunch of times just to look, I have forgotten how beautiful everything in Santa Cruz is. It felt really great to be out again and I can’t wait until I don’t have to come back home until it’s time to go to bed. The visiting nurse came in and said that everything looked great and I can get up every day now for a couple of hours.

Friday was a really long and boring day. The newest girl came in the morning so I didn’t even get to turn all day until Teresa got here at 5 PM, by then I was so bored and going crazy. Teresa turned me for a while but then had to put me back on my back because it was cribbage night. Lee and Claudia, my aunt and uncle and my mom and I played and I lost three dollars. I couldn’t keep my eyes open so we quit after three games. Teresa brought Halloween cookies and they were pretty good. The good news is everything is looking great and I get to get up for a couple of hours tomorrow, the weather is supposed to be beautiful but Santa Cruz is probably going to be crowded. I can’t wait to get up and out of here.

Saturday I had planned on getting out but after doing the morning care I was so exhausted I just wanted to take a nice long hot bath and go back to bed. My neighbors were having a Halloween party, they always have the best parties, and I was really looking forward to going but I ended up doing nothing.

Sunday I really did too much and wore myself out. After I got dressed I ran Robby downtown and met Teresa for shopping, I needed some new slippers because everybody is getting tired of looking at the same ones I wear every day... I was told this. Then Robby and I ran down and met Teresa at the Halloween store to see what they had, they didn’t have much. Robby and I then met her at Ross and we found some more slippers. We were supposed to go to Trader Joe’s and CVS but I was exhausted and still needed to drive my chair back home, I don’t know how I did it but I did it. I ended up staying up two hours longer than I had intended and although I had a great time I really need to stick more to the schedule. It was an awesome day.

Getting closer and closer...

Monday I stayed in bed again. I got a nice long hot bath and that felt great, I’m not as anxious about staying in bed anymore... getting used to and I guess but I can’t wait to get up and out again. The visiting nurse today was Brigitte and it was really great to see her, she was my visiting nurse two years ago when I got out of Seton and was nursing my pressure sore. I didn’t sleep much but I was very comfortable. I decided to switch sleeping on my sides during the day and lay on my back that night, but I have to lay flat. My body is getting really tired of being on my side and after a couple of hours I’m starting to sweat and get really uncomfortable.

A Dog’s Plea
Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.
Do not break my spirit with a stick, for although I should lick your hand between blows, your patience and understanding will quickly teach me the things you would have me learn.
Speak to me often, for your voice is the world’s sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps falls upon my waiting ear.
Please take me inside when it is cold and wet, for I am a domesticated animal, no longer accustomed to bitter elements. I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst.
Feed me clean food that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger.
And, my friend, when I am very old, and I no longer enjoy good health, hearing and sight, do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having any fun. Please see that my trusting life is taken gently. I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath I draw that my fate was always safest in your hands.
Author Unknown

Tuesday nothing has really changed, still in bed but getting closer to getting up. Teresa brought some pork tacos and they were awesome. Brigitte, a visiting nurse that came to see me two years ago came to see me again... it was really great to see her.

Wednesday I kind of expected see a visiting nurse but no one called, I want them to tell me that I can get up in my chair for a least a couple of hours... I would be out of your and enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having. We use the electrodes on my back, my butt and my legs. I’m trying to do ever I can to get back into shape for driving my chair. Also doing neck and arm exercises. I will be ready when the time comes.

Thursday was just another day in paradise. Teresa noticed the night before that Robby has a bunch of sores on his belly so we decided we’d better take him to the vet first thing in the morning. Usually they let us drop him off and they will call us when it’s time to get him but they made Karen wait there while they ran a bunch of tests. Is that right levels are low and he was a little bit dehydrated, this puppy drinks a TON of water. They had already tested it before I wanted to test it again and then thinking about putting him on allergy shots... $400 later Karen came back just in time to go home. Teresa got here just as Karen was leaving. Kathy, the wound care nurse called and said she was on her way and the rotor router guy came to fix the sink. Kathy didn’t really give me any indication when I can start getting up for a couple of hours so I guess I just wait and see. I’m waiting for a good clock so I can order some night owl cookies, they come nice and warm and they are so good.

"I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY" 

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.

I would promise to keep her safe.
I would promise to always be by her side.
I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today." ~by Janine Allen

Friday was massage Day and boy did I need it after being stuck in bed for over two weeks. Unfortunately my massage therapists is going on vacation for two weeks so I don’t know if I should ask somebody else or just skip it, I’m really hoping that I’m out of here by Friday.

Saturday was pretty much the same thing except I got to take a nice long hot bath. I can’t wait to get out and cruise around even if it’s only for a couple of hours.

Sunday Karen brought Juno and Lucy, her two cats, so that Teresa could cut their toenails. Teresa made a ravioli lasagna and some garlic bread, it was the best thing I have had for a long time.

Getting closer to freedom...

Monday was just another day of staying in bed. I just about think that I’m going to go crazy and then I remember the days when I was in Seton Hospital eating nothing but oatmeal, cottage cheese and tuna fish sandwiches. It was always so cold and there and I had to watch the same stupid television programs over and over. I guess it’s not so bad here in.

Tuesday was yet another day of staying in bed. I’m trying to eat a lot of protein and drink a lot of tea. The visiting nurses are supposed to come by today and check it out, I hope it’s good news. Teresa and Karen have been on top of everything and taking really good care of me, I don’t know what I would do without them. Jess, Teresa’s boyfriend, has been taking Robby to play with their animals and for long walks.

Wednesday was pretty much the same old thing, laying on my right side until I can’t stand it anymore, two hours on my back and and then back on my left side. It is getting better but it takes a long.

Thursday was the same thing all over again. Thank God for Jess and Teresa for taking Robby to the beach every day to play and thank God for Karen for putting up with my crankiness and. Nothing really exciting happened.

Friday was the same old thing BUT my family came down from Modesto. It was really great to see them and they took turns keeping me company, I hope it wasn’t too cranky. Corinne brought one of her friends, Jordan, to hang out at the Boardwalk with. I have some coupons for some free movie rentals so that kept them pretty busy.

Saturday was my support group Halloween party, I was really sad that I had to miss that. Teresa went to drop off some stuff for me and ended up staying in talking to everybody. Then Robby visited with some patients, she took him to the beach and then came back. My brother barbecued ribs and steak and made some brussels sprouts with bacon and some asparagus, it was awesome. Oh he also made egg and bacon omelette’s and toast for breakfast.

Sunday was the same old thing again, flipping from side to side. For some reason my body REALLY hate being on my left side and after a couple of hours I start sweating and I just can’t stand it any longer. We ordered pizza from Woodstock and my family left for home. I am thankful that I am at home instead of at Seton. They’re coming out on Tuesday to reevaluate my bed and get the low loss air flow mattress I should’ve gotten a couple of years ago. The pressure sores started I’m sure from having too much air in my cushion and then I thought it would be better staying in bed but when the nurse felt the mattress she said it was just making it worse.

Will I ever get out of this bed...

Monday was such a great day. It started out kind of sad because Kelly took Bailey to the vet and found out that he had a heart murmur and bladder stones, she was so sad I wanted to cry with her. We decided to go ahead and go to the Monterey Bay aquarium, we wanted to go there all summer. Before we went into the aquarium we found a restaurant on the Bay simply called C and decided to give it a try, there are restaurants inside the aquarium but the restaurant was so beautiful and had such a great view that we decided to go in and try. It’s a good thing we did because the food was AWESOME, Kelly as a chef and she was very impressed and that says a lot to me. We sat down and looked out the window and watched a couple of otters playing in the water. They brought us some herb bread with goat cheese butter and olive oil drizzled on top, so good. We started with a crab cake with balsamic onions beets white truffle vinaigrette. I had rock shrimp, artichoke, spinach, goat cheese and crispy potatoes and Kelly had local smoked sardines, sundried tomatoes and toasted bread crumbs. That right there made the trip worthwhile, although it only took about 50 minutes to get there so we will definitely go back next year... at least once. We went to the aquarium and did the full loop and took lots of pictures. We went shopping at a little place called “after the quake” and got some really cute stuff. I got a couple of Christmas ornaments, one a really cool angel made out of shells and the other was a starfish with sunglasses, a little bikini... the top of the bikini was made out of shells, some big sunglasses and a surfboard. I also got some seahorse earrings and a matching necklace for my mom and got blown wine bottle collapsed and fold it in half with a Tuscany picture on the front, it looks perfect in my kitchen. It started to rain on the way back so we stopped and got a soy mocha and waited for the rain to die down. On the way back a friend of mine text me and said that there was a bus accident in Marina and would probably slow us way down, there’s really only one way to get from there to here but it was definitely all worth it.

Tuesday was really sad because Kelly was leaving. My mom woke up with a flooded bathroom so we called out the plumber, that was expensive but everything is working now. We visited for most of the day and then Kelly left, very sad. The time usually does go by very fast and her and Tom will be back before we know it, probably around June.

Wednesday my personal care took a long time so I just took a hot bath and went back to bed. I wouldn’t have been able to get up anyway because my wheelchair was in getting a tune up. I wanted to make sure that everything was tightened up and the legs were going to fall off while I was out and about by myself. Teresa brought some boneless wings from wing stop and some french fries, they were really good. Teresa and Karen started decorating for Halloween, I can’t wait to get up tomorrow to see what they did.

Thursday I was so excited to get up and be able to get outside. Unfortunately it rained practically all day. I saw the sun come out so Robby and I made a break for it and went for a cruise, after a while it started raining so we came home. A couple hours later the sun peeked out again so we once again made a break for it. While cruising we found a really cool stick with a bunch of Moss on it, I’m into collecting cool sticks for my air plant terrariums. It was really wet and Robby didn’t like the feel of it in his mouth, I have to have him pick them up and put them on my lap, so he tried to scrape off the moss. He finally got it in my lap and it was soggy and gross but we made it home with a perfect stick. We went out for another cruise and then came home and watched Teresa and Karen decorates the more for Halloween, my house looks so awesome.

"Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them,
Filling an emptiness we don't even know we have." ~ Thom Jones

Friday I got my massage and decided to stay in bed for another day, my pressure sores are getting better but it just takes time and it’s very boring staying in bed all the time. Of course the weather is beautiful outside today.

Saturday was another day stuck in bed. To me the pressure sore doesn’t look that bad and I usually heal very quickly but I have to remember that I’m getting older and skinnier so I just have to treat it like it’s really bad.

Sunday I stayed in bed again and Karen called in sick so Teresa came in to take care of me. Dr. Owens came over to look at it today, and brought the puppies to play, and said that Theresa was doing the right thing and that she would have home health care come out and look at it tomorrow. Thank God I have Teresa and Dr. Owens. It looks like I’m going to be stuck in bed, on my side for a while. Lots of protein and good thoughts.

Will I ever get out of this bed...

Monday started out to be a really bad day and ended up being a really good day. Kelly and I were going to go have sushi and then go to the movies to see “crazy stupid love”, it looked like a really good movie. When Karen was cleaning Robby’s ears he yelped and then was shaking his head so I decided I better get him to the vet quick. I called and they said they had an appointment in 15 minutes so I jammed down there, Kelly and Bailey went with us for moral support... Bailey was so thrilled that nobody was poking him. After that we went to the bank to get a cashiers check so the guy could start working on the additions to my back porch, I am so excited and wanted to do this for a long time. He’s going to put a sink, a pass-through to the kitchen window, some shelves, some drawers, lights and the big heat lamp... I will be able to sit outside even when it’s cold. Kelly rode her bike and we decided to go down to Charlie Hong Kong’s and get some noodles, as usual they were awesome. On the way back we stopped at the battery and got cupcakes and coffee mocha drinks, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Tuesday the weather was beautiful. Years ago I had a support chat room on AOL and I met a lot of great people. One guy I met named Jesse lived in Washington and we always got along really well. He has a sister that lives in Merced and one year he came to visit her so I drove up from San Jose to meet him and his family, a great bunch of people. He was a paraplegic injured when his seatbelt threw him out of the back window of a Hyundai, he had to wait several years for a settlement but finally got one. He was visiting his sister again in Merced and drove up here to Santa Cruz to see me. He got here and then we went to lunch and then he left, a short visit but very nice. I came back and took a nice long hot bath and went to bed, a really great day.

Wednesday was another long day but I got to take another bath, it felt so good. Kelly and her friend brought back some Indian food, it was really good.

Thursday I was supposed to go to San Francisco with Kelly, our last chance to go before she leaves, but I do have an open pressure sore on my butt so I thought it would be better to stay in bed before it got worse. My mom and Kelly went into San Jose saw was nice to have the house all to myself, I just rested all day and played words with friends.

Friday Kelly and I were going to go to Big Sur when Phil called to say he wanted to come and take some measurements, Phil is going to install a sink, counter, passed through to the kitchen, shelves and drawers outside on my patio... I am so excited, I have been wanting to do this for a long time. We went to the roadhouse restaurant and had a great meal, I had a calamari salad and Kelly had an heirloom tomato salad.

Saturday I was supposed to go to Los Gatos to meet a friend’s new baby twin girls but I was just miserable in my chair so I decided to go back to bed. I always miss the fun stuff. Teresa and Karen cleaning the garage and it looked awesome.

Sunday was another really long day with only a bath and then back to bed, getting really tired of this. Kelly made a killer blueberry scones, I saw her take some across the street so I snuck up and had Karen grab us a couple to have with our tea.

Tom leaving :0(

Monday by the time we finished my personal care it was 12:30 PM and 91° outside so I decided to stay in bed, everybody said it was a great decision because it was miserable outside. It was nice to rest all day.

Tuesday I was up by 9:30 AM and ready to go. I had an appointment to get a manicure/pedicure at 11:30 AM so I wanted to take Robby for a cruise in case it was too hot after, it was supposed to be hotter than the day before. We cruised through the lagoon, past the lighthouse, to the end of the wharf and then over to sunshine Villa where I get my nails done. It was surprisingly cool and there was a nice breeze when we left so we were going to go for another cruise when Heather text me and asked if I wanted to go somewhere for lunch, of course I did. I was going to meet her at a Greek place when she texts me and said it was closed so we went to her favorite taco place, I was craving tacos anyway. Robby is barking in his sleep, is it a good dream or a bad dream? How are we supposed to know?

Wednesday I got up just in time to take Robby for a cruise while the housekeeper’s clean the house, they usually clean on Tuesdays but they had a mixup in their schedule so they wanted to skip us this week but I asked them to come a different day if they could because we are having a barbecue here the Saturday. I cruise around for a while and then came back and went to the Farmer’s market with Tom and Kelly, I just had to get some more of those roasted potatoes with Rosemary and lavender sea salt... the best roasted potatoes I’ve ever had. After we came back Teresa brought us some hotdogs from some famous place in Watsonville. Her and I split one with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and one with guacamole, sour cream and salsa... both of them were awesome. We also tried fried pickles and homemade potato chips. My mom got one with sauerkraut and bacon and Tom and Kelly both got some kind of spicy sausage. I really need to start eating better again.

Thursday Tom, Kelly and I took the boys to San Francisco. I always love to go there and the weather was perfect. We got some Ramen noodle soup and Tom and Bailey sat outside for a while while Kelly and I got a “praised the lard” longsleeved shirt from a work company, I can’t remember the name. We also got some more of that killer orange and fennel salami and the couple different kinds of cheeses. We came back and Theresa put me to bed.

Friday I got my weekly massage, took a nice long hot bath and it just went back to bed to rest for the day.

Saturday we had a barbecue and Kelly cooked a ton of food, we will have leftovers for days but that is good. They invited several friends and it was a beautiful day, a little cold at times but they really have some awesome friends. Luckily I was able to be there... earlier I was going too fast out the door and the foot pedal off my chair jammed into the door. I practically ripped the door off the hinges and ripped a foot rest off my chair, luckily I had my braces and my boots on or I would have definitely broken my leg or ankle. I really need to slow down a little bit sometimes. I like him because he smiles at me and means it.

~Anonymous

Sunday we planned on having another puppy play date but that didn’t happen. I ended up staying in bed again because of another long drawn out personal care session. We did play cribbage with Lee and Claudia, my aunt and uncle and my mom and I broke even.

Monday turned out to be another awesome day. I got up and it was already getting kind of warm so I took Robby through the lagoon, through the Lagoon Park, down past the lighthouse and back. On my way back I got a call from Tom saying “let’s go have soup”... that’s all I needed to hear. I have been hearing about this killer Artichoke and green chile soup that they have at Duarte’s  Tavern in Pescadero for a long time, they put them both in one container. We went to pick up the soup and decided to go find a place on the beach to eat. We went to Pescadero State Beach and the weather was perfect, the sun was out but the wind kept it cool. We enjoyed the view and took a couple of pictures and decided to go to Pigeon Point lighthouse. They are in the process of restoring it and it looks so beautiful. We explored there a little bit and took some pictures and then headed home, what a great day!

Tuesday was another awesome day. Tom had plans with a friend so Kelly and I decided to go to San Francisco and spend the day. The weather was gorgeous, I was afraid it was going to be cold and windy. As we pulled up to the ferry building somebody was pulling away from a handicap parking place, how perfect is that? The first place we went is to a place called The slanted door, I have been there once before and Kelly has been there several times. We ordered the imperial roll and lemon grass pork and of course it was delicious. We wandered around for a while and I got a sweatshirt that says “praise the lard” from a pork company. We decided to get a couple of tarts, chocolate and sea salt and lemon, and some Vietnamese coffee... also very delicious. We got a fresh baguette, three different kinds of cheeses, salami and prosciutto and insulated bag from the cowgirl cheese Co. to go on a picnic the next day. We actually drove home and missed most of the traffic.

Wednesday morning it was cold and I just didn’t feel right. Kelly volunteered to redo my scarf valances, I have been really happy with them for a long time. I wanted to take Robby out for a cruise but I just didn’t feel good, I finally had Kelly take off my leg braces and then I felt better. I went to sit in the sun for a while, when I don’t feel good and my back is sweating for some reason when I sit in the sun it makes me feel better. After I fell better I took Robby for a cruise through the lagoon and down to the wharf. I came back and Teresa took me to Costco, I needed a bunch of stuff and I haven’t been there for a while. She put me to bed and I slept really good, Therese always makes me feel better.

Thursday was another really bad long day. I was supposed to go to Big Sur with Tom and Kelly, I have been looking forward to it for a while. I didn’t even get to take a bath because my personal care took so long. I just stayed in bed and rested. Teresa came over to give me a bath but I was too comfortable and she had homework so we decided to just feed me and call it a night. I get a massage on Friday and I need to take a bath after anyway. Yesterday Tom and Kelly got me some organic rotisserie chicken and organic fingerling potatoes with rosemary, lavender salt, they were so good. The same truck goes to San Francisco on Thursdays but there they have a roast that they make sandwiches out of.

Friday was yet another bad day, I hate it when you have more bad days than good ones. I guess as long as the good days outweigh the bad days and are really good then it’s worth it. We did get to play cribbage and that’s always a good thing.

Saturday was our monthly spinal cord injury peer support group meeting. It was only four people there but we really got to discuss a lot. There is a lot of plans that are very exciting. Roger is opening up a wheelchair clinic and they’re looking at a wound care clinic, both of which will be awesome. We talked about having a support group potluck next month, I don’t know why more people don’t come because there’s always lots of food but we always have a good time no matter how many people show up. This year I bought a convict outfit and I’m going to be a woman in the electric chair.

Sunday was another awesome day. Robby has not had Bella and Ozzy over for a play date in a very long time and he had such a good time. I set up the pool and of course Bella was the only one that got in and splashed around but I’m always hoping that Robby will jump in and see how much fun it can be. After they left Tom and Kelly rearranged my patio furniture so that there is more room on the patio and I have a table and chairs down by the van, that’s how I originally wanted it to be. We talk some more about the counter, sink, passed through to the kitchen, cupboards, drawers and shelves for the outside patio. Tom and Kelly are so creative and I’m excited to get started and see what it looks like.

Roaring Camp Railroad...

Monday was a holiday and another long morning for me so again I ended up staying in bed, my neck is really getting sore from staying in bed. My brother and his family left around noon so I just relaxed the rest of the day.

Tuesday was a busy day for everyone. Robby had a bath, the housekeeper’s were coming to clean and I had a dentist appointment. After my dentist appointment I met Tom and Kelly at the bagelry and had an everything bagel with light cream cheese, tomato and capers and some chai tea, my new favorites. I came back and waited for Robby and then we took a nice long cruise down past the lighthouse, it was so beautiful. It has been really warm here the last couple of days so it’s nice to go down by the lighthouse where there is a nice breeze. I came back and Tom, Kelly and I talked about what we wanted on the back porch. The last time we had a barbecue we talked about how nice it would be to have a sink and a pass-through from the kitchen to the porch. There’s not a lot of room but I do have a big Burrell table out there so we decided to incorporate that, it is going to look so awesome. We’re also going to put up some lights.

Wednesday again I ended up staying in bed. My personal care took a really long time and I was really wiped out. I did get to take a nice long hot bath and then just relax the rest of the day.

Thursday I got up and took Robby for a really long cruise through the lagoon, over to the lighthouse and down to the wharf. It was really warm out so it’s nice to get the breeze down by the lighthouse. I came back home and Teresa waxed Karen and I and then we went to Hong Kong Charlie’s to get some noodles, man that place is good. Tom joked about wanting a Slim Jim, a Moon pie and RC Cola instead of noodles so we ran around Santa Cruz to get him what he wanted, the Moon pie was the hardest to find.

Friday I got my much-needed massage, I love Fridays because I get a massage and I get to sleep in. I got up and ran Robby through the lagoon, down to the lighthouse, to the end of the wharf and back. Kelly and I went to see our idiot brother and then we were going to go have sushi but then decided to come back home and order pizza from Woodstock pizza, it was awesome. I wasn’t feeling very good and I think it’s because I haven’t been drinking very much water during the day or tea during the night and my urine was really dark, I think I’m getting a bladder infection. I went to bed and drink as much tea as I could hoping to flush it out.

Saturday was another long, exhausting morning and I just took a bath, went back to bed and rested.

Sunday was such an awesome day. Tom, Kelly and I decided to take the Roaring Camp Railroad ride. We have been trying to find a good day to do it for a long time, we got the tickets months ago. It looked overcast outside but it was really warm so we headed down to the boardwalk and waited by the carousel ride. At first we were thinking maybe they canceled the train again, we try to take it a couple of weeks ago and they canceled it, but pretty soon we saw it coming down the tracks... I was so excited to finally get to ride it. I was surprised how secure I felt in their wheelchair lift. The ride was as awesome as I had imagined, it was just so beautiful. The conductor explained a lot and was very funny. We were running late so we only had about half an hour to eat and we didn’t get to explore as much as we had liked. We boarded the train and headed for home. Such a great day.