[tri-wings] Rebecca's birthday/Singery update

Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement.....to know that someone is 
thinking of you is always so uplifting!
I have survived another night of grumpy beds and lumpy staff, or was that lumpy 
beds and grumpy...??? Anyway!  We need to wait a few hours for Daniels MRI, but 
I am confident that the damage is from stretched ligaments and muscle 
spasm...(Medical diagnosis according to dr singery!!) 

It appears that Michael (my ex) had possibly died of malaria.  He lived in 
Mozambique, a small country to the north of us and terrible malaria area.  
After Tim died, he apparently stopped eating much and started drinking much! He 
had contracted malaria a few times, but this time did not take his medication 
as he should have....he was 'fine' on Saturday, according to friends, and was 
found on Sunday morning. They will be doing an autopsy to determine the cause 
of death.  Although I don't have any regrets over him, I do have a deep sadness 
over how his life just seemed to fizzle out........I had always hoped for a 
turn around in his relationship with his daughters, but I guess he gave all he 
was capable of..........

My husband has been transferred to a place called Langebaan.  It is on the west 
coast of South Africa.  We currently live on the east coast!! To think that we 
will be watching the sun setting over the ocean, instead of rising over the 
ocean, is quite weird! And of course, the Atlantic instead of the Indian 
ocean.....we leave in 4 short weeks, and so far I haven't packed a box!!

But the news I wanted to share involves my dog.....yeah yeah!!!  I have an 
American Staffie that my husband bought for me when I had Matthew.....(Yes, I 
know, what was he thinking?!?) Anyhow, shortly after that, my son Tim came back 
home to live with us, and took over the major care of Jake.  He bathed him, fed 
him and ran him etc.  The dog loved him!! After Tim died, Jake really pined for 
him, and got out of the gate one day.  It seemed he ran along the route they 
used to run, looking for Tim, I think.  He was hit by a car.  The damage was 
severe.  His one front leg was smashed, his one back leg broken, and the other 
back leg had a dislocated hip.  The vet operated on him for hours.  After a few 
days they couldn't understand why his pain was so bad, and then discovered his 
back was broken.  We were advised to put him down.  Anyway.......I told the vet 
that there was no way I was going to make that decision then.....he had just 
had major trauma, and I was going to give him a chance.  After a month I took 
him home, paralysed, no deep pain in his back feet (a biggie for vets! :-)) and 
unable to even wee by himself....I had to catheterise him 4 times a day.  
Slowly slowly we started to see improvement.  Eventually we had to do a hip 
replacement on the one side, and replace the pins in his front leg.  In 
December they did another op and replaced the pins with a plate.  All the 
while, he has been getting more and more movement in his legs.  He can now move 
his tail and legs, all his ablutions etc!  He gets about very well, but not 
walking yet.  Anyway.  In Feb we went back for more x-rays, and I was given the 
news that the bone in his front leg had not grown.....not even a bit. And the 
prognosis was not good! It should have started to grow by then.....so now they 
are talking bone grafts etc.  I said to both of the surgeons.....just give me a 
month, and I will pray for him!  Imagine the looks I got??  So for a month I 
prayed, and every one who came to visit had to pray for the dog!!!  I took him 
back for x-rays on Friday, and the bone has HEALED!!! Not started to grow, not 
getting better.......healed!! Grown!!!! Filled in!!! They are astounded!!!! (Me 
too actually!!) The vet said, Kath, we could take this plate off!! If they had 
done that a month ago, his leg would have fallen in half!!  I was smiling like 
I had won the lotto!!!  And so there is another story of beating the odds. 
Believing in a different outcome from the one that has been 
professed.....seeing and hearing all the medical evidence but refusing to 
accept them for the one you love (furry or not) 

So in the midst of the current sadness and emotional upheaval is this beacon of 
hope and joy.........and me, I'm the eternal optimist!! There has to be a good 
side to every happening.......(Except when I'm in a slump!!!)

If you have read ths far, please know that I now have cramp in my 2 thumbs from 
typing this out on my blackberry!!

Much love

Kathy s


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