Hips Don't Lie.

I just want to take the time to announce that there is only one more Monday of school left until summer!  This year has crawled and flown by both at the same time. I feel like yesterday was October but it also feels like it was a year ago. I know it is strange but it has been a learning year for both Holland and I.  We both took on challenges we did not foresee especially with going into the second year of our careers.  I am thinking year three may be the lucky one and if not there is always a silver lining. 

So, I am a firm believer that things come in threes. One of the threes that happened recently was Bleu's hips. Well since he has two hips I suppose this was number 1 and 2. Bleu has it in his genes to have problems with his hips as he gets older. He has been on glucosamine for about a year now and I have just felt like it has gotten worse. He over exerts himself and is slow with moving around for the following three days after a long walk or a lake trip. He just looks like an old man sometimes and thats okay because he is. I wanted to know more of his condition so my primary vet did some x rays a few weeks ago to see what was going on. Just to give some background on our vet- he is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. He is an Aggie which makes him fabulous in my book and he is always so positive. I knew it was about to get serious when we walked into the vet to go over Bleu's x rays and the receptionist even said "Poor old Bleu! His hips are looking rough!" Dr. Nichols told us he classified Bleu's hips as severe hip dysplasia.  Basically, Bleu has no socket in his hips so his bones are rubbing together. This is what causes him to sashay his hips and hop like a bunny when he runs or goes up stairs.  Dr. Nichols recommended for us to see a surgeon to see if Bleu would be a good candidate for hip replacement or FHO surgery. We had our appointment today and we got some good news!

Waiting for the Doctor with dad. 

The Surgeon advised us that although Bleu would be a great candidate for a complete hip replacement in his left hip, he did not feel it was needed at this time. Possibly in a year or two if we feel his condition gets worse, we can comeback in to re-evaluate if the surgery should be done or not.He gave us some ideas on how to possibly prevent Bleu from being in pain. One thing is getting some weight off. So I guess that means no more loaves of bread for a snack? :)  We are going to cut 1/3 of his food out and supplement canned green beans since they have low caloric intake.  Another thing is just giving Bleu some pain meds when we know he has been extremely active.

I am still worried about his hips, but at least we know other options we can do to make him more comfortable. He is such a happy go lucky pup. I mean look at that picture. He is just too adorable.

Keep Calm and Call Mom.

My mom and I after I won a pageant show. I was excited about the crown!

Whenever I am having one of those days when I know I want for someone to just listen, be on my side and/or yell with me and cry with me... I call my mom.  No matter what the situation, she stands by me.  If I feel sad, she feels sad.  If I am angry she gets angry too. I usually call her first because she will listen to me vent, then she vents with me. I also call her when the good things happen and usually when I am driving to and from work. It is rare if the day is coming to an end and we have not spoken on the phone.   I love that about us. 

I am lucky to have the relationship I do with my mom. I can quickly refer to her as a best friend and I can ask her any question and she gives me the best advice she can.  She will also drop anything and everything to help me in any way possible.   I am a grown 26 year old woman and the person I still ran to when I felt strep coming on a few weeks ago was my mom. She took me to the doctor, went and got my meds and ran to get me soup. It just feels good to be in your moms presence.

Mom and I at my 2011 M.Ed Graduation!

One of my favorite stories is when my mom encouraged me to do the scariest thing ever in my life- Move away from home.   I was in the middle of my first semester of college at SAC and Holland was in College Station. We were walking laps around a track at Incarnate Word and I was just telling her how much I missed Holland and how much I wanted to be in College Station, even though I probably wouldn't be a student at A&M yet.  A&M was always my top goal, and I just felt so far away from it and even though I was only 18, half my heart was in another city as well.  I remember she said " Amanda, you need to go there". I was worried what my dad would say, thinking I was just going there for Holland. She told me to write a letter to my dad explaining how I felt and why I wanted to make the transfer. Surprisingly,  my dad walked right into my room and said he was fine if I was ready to move.  Within a few months we were packing up and moving my stuff to a one bedroom apartment in College Station and I was enrolled at Blinn. I distinctly remember the feelings I felt when the moment came to tell my parents bye. When I hugged them my heart felt heavy and there was tightness in my throat.  I am still not great at holding back tears, so that day they just came and I welcomed them. They were scared, nervous and happy tears. This was where I was supposed to be and it was just so strange that my parents weren't in this new place of my life.  All throughout my six years in College both my parents were always there, just a phone call or drive away. I can never repay my mom for pushing me out of her nest that day on the track. I know I would have eventually made it to A&M even if I would have stayed in San Antonio longer. However, that move changed my life for the good and I was fully admitted to A&M one year after living in the city.

 My mom still brings out the "kid" in my sister and I. When we go to the lake house, she is always sure to have stuff for s'mores so we can chat and grill treats by the fire. She still chases us with bugs and scares us and laughs at our screaming. Whenever we go shopping, she will purchase clothes for us.  I always tell her " Mom, I HAVE A JOB! I HAVE MONEY!". She always tells me my money is no good.

Ness and I with mom on Mothers Day 2010. Yes Vanessa your hair still looks better dark and that balloon changed our life forever with its catchy tune when you hit it. 

Mom, I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for me for the past 26 years.    I am so lucky to always have someone on my side to tell me that I have a right to feel how I feel and you always have pushed me to the be the best I can be. Thank you for always being a cheerleader on the sidelines for me.  I love you SO much and I do not know if I can ever express how appreciative I am of you. I love you, I love you, I love you.

Happy Mother's Day!

Relay For Life

Last night was amazing.  I was on my first Relay for Life Team with some co-workers from school. One of our colleagues, Mia Altamirano was diagnosed with Breast Cancer this past Fall. She is SO strong and has been missed every day at school.   Every week,  someone from Clear Spring makes a visit to her to keep her spirits up and of course to get our Mia fix.

Our Team name was in honor of Mia. We were called "Mia's Maniacs". Our coach, Michelle was our captain of the team and did an amazing job of organizing and getting every one pumped up for the big day. Purple sashes were made that said "Cinco de Mia" and we had plenty of fiesta wear to show our team spirit! I got to the stadium around 8:15 and walked until 9:30. During that time, there was an illuminaria lighting that was very moving. There were hundreds of white paper bags decorated in honor of people who are currently fighting or who have battled cancer before.  They put candles(battery operated) in each bag and turned off all the lights in the stadium. All the teams then did about two laps in complete silence while music played in the background. Although I am unsure of how many of those illuminarias    were for people who had lost their battle vs. how many were just in honor of people still fighting, it is astounding to see how many peoples lives have been affected by cancer. Then to think that  those bags are just a fraction of people whose lives have been changed forever.

It was a fun evening, we played ultimate frisbee, did the cha cha slide, sat around and talked, laughed and played volleyball. I went home at 12:30 but the event lasted all throughout the night! I was honored to be there in honor of our dear friend Mia and for all the other survivors and fighters.

If you want to see more on our friend Mia and our awesome Coach for putting this team together read this ARTICLE!!!