Puppy Love!

Hello all.

Well we have a new member to our little family here in Edmonton. No, Katie did not have her baby early, our new addition is Donovan's dog Scout, his beloved Springer Spaniel. Verla, the gal at whose place we have set up residence, has graciously agreed he can stay for the time being...seeing as we're here for a while. And he was welcomed with open arms as Laurier and Stephen brought him this past weekend....oh, and we were happy to see Laurier and Stephen as well, (with open arms! )

So, it was off to explore the dog parks in Edmonton, and with wonderful, warm temps we made it to two different places, and met all sorts of four-legged furballs....wow, folks here all have purebreds, it would seem. The place looked like some sort of dog show, from Chihuahuas to Great Danes, the dogs were out in full force, and our sociable Scout was in doggy heaven.

We also had a great visit from Laurier's niece Julie and her boyfriend Jason this weekend, and it was great to see them. Sunday we celebrated Katie's birthday (which was on Monday) and then said goodbye to Laurier and Stephen on Monday as they headed back to work and school in PA.. So, a busy few days, but a great change of pace.

Now for the health report. I've discovered that "In the next few days" is a favorite quote of the docs. It is used to cover a variety of situations like "when can I go home" to "when am I getting off IV" to "when is the next scan" etc. it doesn't really mean anything in terms of actual measurable time, but it gives them something to say, and alas, it gives us false hope...but now we've got the code cracked, so we don't hold our breath. Hmmmm.

Actually there has been some progress made...Donovan's "ampho-terrible" IV drug, spoken of earlier was discontinued on Sat., and he now has inhalations with the same med. The thinking is that he will be able to be an outpatient with this med, but they have to find a way to fund it, being an out-of-province patient....which is tricky, apparently. So he's still in the hospital, coming out most days for the later afternoon and evening. He feels fine, is no longer napping during the day as he was around xmas time, still needs to eat more, but is not dropping pounds as he was earlier.

And here's some great news! Donovan is now running on the treadmill...yes, running! Building up endurance, a little more each day....so Thank You God! It is more than I ever hoped for to see him run again! It has been years since he had the lung power to run.

Today was a special treat as I got to see my grandbaby on ultrasound. All the bones of the spine, ribs, cute little toes...s/he is adorable, that's for sure. Just wait till I get to see him/her in the flesh!!! And more good news, the little one is no longer breech! Yay! About 3 more weeks till baby day....I hope to be around, but have Donovan all better....let's continue to pray to that end.

Well, "Nana" needs her sleep, so goodnight and God Bless!

love,
Beth