Handsome Hunter Is Still Around:

Hunter did (relatively) well over the weekend, although personally, *I* don't think he's doing well at all.

As he walks, he cannot lift his foot up which causes the top of his toes to drag across the ground. When he's not walking but just standing, his leg is really wobbly (liked a cooked spaghetti noodle) and sometimes it just goes out from under him. To stop from falling over completely, he'll put that leg out to his side, kinda like a bicycle kickstand. He's urinating on himself when he *finally* gets up to go, and now he doesn't even get up to defecate. That is so not like him.

This morning Mike loaded him into the Envoy (he's never been a jumper, so lifting a 100lb dog is not easy!) and we went on over to the Vet. As instructed, we pulled around back, and I stayed with Hunter while Mike went to let them know we were there.

Our plan was to not make any sure decision until the Vet really saw Hunter in action. We waited . . . and waited . . . and waited . . . all the while on an asphalt ground. He was dragging his paw alot and he could barely stay upright to relieve himself.

Finally Dr. D. came around to the back and watched Hunter move about. Dr. D. said Hunter's problem is in his spine. He used some real medical jargon that I don't remember now, but I do remember the L5 (vertibrate??) being the issue. According to the vet, Hunter does not feel any pain, and does not have severe enough symptoms that warrant having him put to sleep. He can still wag his tail, and boy is his mind alert!

So, we loaded Hunter back into the Envoy and went back home. I'm scared to death Hunter is going to break his leg since he has it cocked out half the time, bearing his weight. I can just see him putting that leg out and going down - breaking it right in half.

The vet says that his balance/mobility will only deteriorate. It will get to the point where Hunter won't be able to move himself at all. What the hell are we going to do then? It's not like I can back the vehicle up into our back yard and load him up. Our yard isn't set up that way. For Hunter to get from the back yard to a vehicle, there HAS to be some walking on his part.

Hunter has rapidly gotten as bad as he is now. It's not like this has slowly been building up. A few times over the years his back leg gave out on him, but at the time we just thought he was running too fast on the back patio concrete. With the way he is now, we realize it was the precurser to today's diagnosis. His leg turning into a spaghetti noodle and having NO ability to balance has come upon him fast, and it's only getting worse. Other than spinal surgery on a 10+ year old dog or eventually attaching him to some cart contraption, there is nothing else to help him.

I dunno. I'm glad he's still here but I'm very worried about his future and our ability to deal with it. I have to go to work every day and if Hunter hurts himself it could be HOURS until one of us even finds out. If something happens while Mike is out of town, there is no way in hell I can lift a struggling 100lb Labrador into the back of my vehicle.

So, that is The Hunter news.

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Moving on . . .

My back is still jacked, but it has gotten alot better! I have a pinched nerve, and something about a bulging disc or something. Lemme tell ya - this has been quite the anatomy lesson! All those pictures of your muscles and tendons and nerves attached to each other and the spine? I am actually feeling those things inside my body and it is freaky deaky!

Seems my (new to me) chiropractor was told that my insurance covers his treatments 100% and I have ZERO deductible and ZERO co-pay. I KNOW!! I can't believe it either. Finger's crossed it's true when they send their billing in, lol!

On the knitting front, things have been moving along.

I've knit one So-Called Scarf out of red/purple Malabrigo that I gave away at the Bass Club Christmas party, and I also just gave away a previously knit checkerboard scarf made out of Meunch Touch Me (if yarn were clouds, Touch Me would be the softest fluffiest cloud in the sky) at our 'Friday Night Dinner' club Christmas Party. The first scarf present wasn't a big hit (it's 90% dudes though), but the second one? Mike thought some women were going to come to blows over it (I just love that 'stealing' gift giving game!!). There were some other funny/nice things - lotions, chocolate, etc. but the scarf was a hit.

Now I'm working on 'soap socks' for presents. Two years ago I had bought a bunch of nice soaps with the intention of knitting pouches to match, and then I didn't do it. Last year either, lol! Oh well. This is the year.

Currently, my pattern is this one from I'm Knitting As Fast As I Can, although I've modified it.

What is it about me and recipes and patterns? I hardly ever follow them to the letter. I've followed lace patterns exactly, because I don't know how to do anything different, but run-of-the-mill patterns I just do my own thing. My soap sock was started by making the bottom ala the Booga Bag pattern. I just made sure to have an even # of stitches when I was ready to follow the soap sock pattern. Oh, and this is when I decided it was high time to start using the Magic Loop Method!! Not very far into it, I realized that YOs were a tad bit much as my first ML attempt. Back to DPNs I went. It made me lose some time, but tonight I can finish the thing up lickitysplit.

This is how I do recipes too. I know what I'm expecting as my end result, so I just kind of 'back into it' with the recipe. For instance, I've been having a real hankering for Butternut Squash soup. Nope. Never ever made it myself. I did a search, skimmed two different recipes (didn't write anything down) and will go shopping for the ingredients from my memory. Hell, it's just soup.

Thanks you guys for commenting nice things my way on behalf of Hunter (even you Tess!!). I'll make an effort to put up a picture I took of him yesterday (I'm leaving work where I do not have pics available).

Happy Knitting!!