Sunday, September 18, 2011

WHERE OH WHERE IS MY OLLIE????

Our kitty, Oliver, went missing last Sunday evening. We were not too worried because 2 other times he had refused to come inside at night and he had been anxiously waiting at the door the following morning both times. Monday morning - no Ollie. I called and called him but there was no sign of him. Both Don and I walked the neighborhood calling for him and looking for him - no Ollie. Tuesday and Wednesday we continued our search and placed over 100 flyers on the doors of houses in our neighborhood but still - no Ollie. By Wednesday evening I am a bauling baby during my late night walks in the alley and down the street late at night but still - no Ollie.

Earlier in the week I had gone to the animal shelter and registered Ollie as lost. Thursday morning I received an email from the animal shelter that a cat of Ollie's description had been brought in. I looked over the picture and IT WAS HIM! I knew it 100% - it was him. Don was not so sure. We went to my Dr. appointment then rushed out to pick up Ollie. I was so excited when I walked in there. I couldn't wait to get my arms around him. The man at the front desk walked us back and there he was - a beautiful male that looked almost just like Ollie. Oh the sadness, I just wanted to drop to the floor and cry. Thursday evening I am so distraught thinking of him hiding somewhere sick and dying or locked inside someone's outbuilding starving to death that I can't rest. So, early Friday morning I began walking the neighborhood again. I was much braver by now and way less concerned about what people might think if I was walking in yards that did not belong to me. I searched yards, alleys, and any open shed where I thought he could be trapped.

Several times over the the last several days I had thought I heard him answering me in front of Jessie's house. I would stop and call again and wind up convincing myself I was hearing things because I could not hear it again. I went to the sidewalk in front of Jessie's house again. I called for Ollie and after 3 or 4 times I thought I heard him again. I kept calling, and this time I could hear him louder and louder. My fur baby was answering back LOUDLY. I walked down Jessie's driveway and Ollie was shouting his mews from the garage as loud as he possibly could. There is no way for me to convey the joy I felt in my heart when I heard his cries. I knew it was him!

Excitedly, I rang Jessie's doorbell and peered in her windows. However, Jessie was at work. I ran to the neighbor's house and asked if he had Jessie's phone number, which he graciously shared with me. I burst into the house and called Jessie and left a message on her answering machine. Thinking back to several months ago, when I first met Jessie, I remember her telling me where she worked. Frantically, I looked up the number and called. I was able to leave a message on her voice mail but feared that she may be out of town (since Ollie had been locked in her garage for 5 days). After several assertive messages and a plea for help from the secretary, Jessie called me. She will be home at 3:30 to let me get my fur baby out!

My impatience was getting the best of me and I decided to see if any doors to the garage had been left unlocked so I could get him out NOW. I went in the gate to Jessie's back yard and saw that the garage door had windows in it. I looked in the garage - no Ollie. Shouting his name, and wondering if I was loosing my mind, my hands cupped around my face and my eyes searching that garage - no Ollie. Several calls later, I see him! His beautiful face is right in front of that door looking up at me. He looks great, he looks well, I am so relieved. I tried the door but it was locked. 3:30 could not come fast enough for me.

Sometime between 3:15 and 3:30 Jessie drove up in front of our house and said she would be opening the garage door and let me go in and get Ollie out. She opened the door and Ollie was nowhere in site. I continued to call him and slowly, with great fear in his eyes, he started easing his way out of the small opening in the wall. Any quick move from me sent him running back to the opening. Finally he came out and let me pick him up. At that very moment I am sure that I was, indeed, the happiest person on earth.

Jessie was sitting outside the garage in her running car and was relieved for me when I walked out with Ollie. Ollie, in his nervous state, freaked when he saw her and bolted from me. He ran to our house and waited on the front porch for me to get home.

Jessie said she had not even eaten lunch, feeling terrible that she had not heard him crying over those 5 days. She conveyed several times that she had looked for him (after she received our flyer in her mail slot) because of noises she had heard. Neither one of her searchers ever showed any signs of him. I was so happy to get him, and so grateful that he had been in a safe, dry, warm place that I would never blame her. She did search for him and never saw him. He was probably hiding from her because he is scared of strangers.

Hopefully Ollie has learned to never enter ANY building except our home!

I want to end this blog by giving each person who read it encouragement to know that God hears your prayers and cares about your heart. I had been praying desperately beginning Monday afternoon for God to either bring Ollie home or keep him safe and give him a new family. My emotions were up and down, feeling full of faith at times and at other times feeling like God didn't care about what I was going through or the safety of my cat. I mean really, God has such bigger things to deal with, things much more important than an animal. But (in hind site) I believe in my heart that God knows that Ollie is, as are the other pets we have, a member of our family. We have not been blessed with children and we love these pets with all our hearts. He did keep Ollie safe, and He did help me find him. Thank you God for hearing my prayers and for helping me bring my Ollie home!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Waiting Game

Just to give everyone a quick update. . .

I called my family Dr.'s nurse (Connie) and spoke to her about being more proactive about trying to find out IF I have any health issues other than an appendix that needs to be removed. Dr. Beamer had told me he thinks there is more going on but doesn't seem to be in a hurry to find out what it is. We ran blood tests on July 15th that showed an even higher blood count on my CRP test than the count was while I was in the hospital. The CRP is a test that indicates inflammation in the body. After seeing the results of the blood test Dr. Beamer decided that he just wants to wait and run the test again 8/10. I got the impression from Connie that my family Dr., Dr. Scott, didn't want to step on Dr. Beamer's toes. Dr.Scott reluctantly agreed to call and talk to Dr. Beamer to see what he is thinking could be wrong and then get back with me.

That was on Tuesday and here I am . . . . . . . still waiting.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Surgery Scheduled

Met with Dr. Bemer today. He answered all my questions but left me a bit confused with his comments. He was very surprised that the results of the colonoscopy did not show anything impressive. He said that with the results of that colonoscopy he must conclude that all the inflammation was caused by the appendix being infected. However, he also said that he is still not 100% convinced that there is not another problem. He ordered blood work, which I will have drawn at my family Dr.s office tomorrow, to see if the indicators of inflammation are still decreasing. If they are not, there is another test he wants to run.

After a lot of questioning he did say that he can not force me to have an appendectomy, and that I CAN choose to just wait to see if I have another emergent infection. He also pointed out that the chances are 20% that it will become infected again. He thinks that is a high likelihood of recurrence and that is good reason to just go ahead and take care of it. But, if you think about it, that is also 4/5 chance that it will not. I went ahead and scheduled an appendectomy for 8/19 in the outpatient surgery center. Honestly, I am still thinking about cancelling and waiting it out to see what will happen.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

AWESOME NEWS!

Dr. Bemer said that the colonoscopy showed no signs of Crohns Disease! There was nothing unusual but some infection caused by the appendix. It appears Dr. Scott's original diagnosis of an appendicitis was accurate and I will be going in for an appendectomy in about 8 weeks. I have no idea why I have to wait 8 weeks but hey, this will be a piece of cake!

I will be taking 875 mg of antibiotics twice a day for 2 weeks then meet with Dr. Bemer to schedule the appendectomy.

Thank you all for your love, concern, and prayers!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

I'm Home

Released from the hospital today.

Surgeon's office will call tomorrow with instructions and dates for colonoscopy.

On the way home from the hospital Don took me to Applebee's. We shared a Triple Chocolate Meltdown for my birthday cake. YUM!

Crazy Few Days

I was so excited about my sister having her first baby and about getting to keep my 10-year-old nephew that I continued to power through some increasingly painful stomach symptoms. Toni gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Lynnli Jane - picture in previous post, on Thursday 6/23. That evening and the next morning I was still making excuses in my head for the now severe pain in my abdomen. When I took Gage to the hospital Thursday night to see his baby sister for the last time that day I had to confess to him that my stomach was hurting when I walk and ask him to walk slower with me. Being the wonderful little gentleman he is, he happily shuffled slowly into the hospital with me. By the time we left the hospital I could barely bare the pain of standing up or walking.

Friday morning I took Gage back to the hospital where we joyously took turns holding his beautiful baby sister then we walked over to McDonald's to have lunch together then back for more baby holding. Gage is going to be a terrific big brother - he is so proud of Lynnli and loves her so much.

We left Gage with his parents and Don took me to the Dr. office for my 3:10 'work in' appointment. We finally saw Dr. Scott about 4:15. Things started moving quickly and I had blood and urine tests and a CT scan. The radiologist read the CT scan and Dr. Scott was sending me to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy by 4:30.

To shorten the story a bit I will just say that what should have been a quick surgery and easy solution to my problem became a bit more confusing. During the surgery the surgeon found that my appendix was not the only organ swollen - all my organs were inflamed. He left my appendix in and closed the incisions. They are in the process of trying to find out what is going on. The Dr. thinks it is colon related. Blood tests show a strong white blood count - which ruled out cancer. THANK YOU JESUS!

I have been on two different types of IV Antibiotics and a steroid since Friday night. Last night I FINALLY got to have some clear liquid to eat. That went OK so this morning they let me eat real food for breakfast. Swelling and pain are much improved and I am feeling better than I have for weeks.

The plan for today is to see how my body responds to the food I am eating. I MAY get to go home this evening (which would be great since it is my birthday!). Unfortunately I will have to come back Monday or Tuesday for a colonoscopy. The surgeon said last night that he is thinking I may have Crohn's Disease. I was hoping for a more short-term problem but if it is Crohn's Disease it is something that can be managed many times with diet and medicine.

Please pray for my Dr.s that they will have the wisdom they need to make a correct diagnosis.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Lynnli Jane Storm has arrived!


Look at this beautiful baby! She's my niece, Lynnli Jane Storm. She was born this afternoon and weighed 7 1/2 lbs and was 18 1/2 inches long.

Her mom, my sister Toni, had to have a C-section but both mom and baby and doing great!

We are now at home watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 with Lynnli's proud big brother, Gage. Gage can't wait until after breakfast tomorrow morning so he can go hold his baby sister some more. Today we went shopping and he got a cap that says "Big Brother" and a shirt that says "I love my baby sister". Awesome kid!