JAPANFEST 2007

What a riot! There were tons of people (last year they had over 17,000 in 2 days!) and not a lot of space!

The food was interesting, I had some kind of beef over rice and chris had udon noodles with something that looked like spam on top! We saw some martial arts demos and lots of cute little japanese people! I just love the kids, especially when they are all dressed up. I have some photos but they are not cooperating at this moment, I will post them later. Overall it was neat but way too many people and not enough space. Also they did not have nearly the amount of japanese art, decor, etc. that I thought they would. I probably will not go again.

The last day of freedom...

So today is it. Our last day of being unemployed. Chris starts school tomorrow and I start my new job. Not too excited yet (Chris is!) I hate it that we are having to deal with this health issue right at the beginning of my job. Makes it really hard to concentrate. I really hope they are cool with the fact that I may be having to deal with some issues with him and not the type of place that does not understand why I care so much for my dog. We'll see!


We went to visit Max again. They said he had been eating and feeling better all day. The test for Adrenal malfunction (cushings or addison's disease) came back negative. I know it sounds crazy but we were really hoping that was it...it is the easiest and best disease he could have at this point. He is going to have to go to an internal medicine specialist tomorrow to have an ultrasound done. The vet took an xray and saw some small abnormalities around his spine and chest so we are going to check them out further. Should have the lymphoma test back tomorrow or tuesday.

We went to see my boy today... they gave him a steroid shot that seemed to make him feel much better. Plus while we were there we got him to eat for the first time since Wed. morning! It was encouraging! They are running all kinds of tests so hopefully we will know something sooner than later. I am so tired of the rollercoaster. I just want my Max back.

We finally got the house in order today. It finally is liveable! YAY! I'll post pics soon!

Max is in the hospital

Finally we wised up and took Max to a different vet. He was trying to throw up this morning and then started eating tons of grass so we decided to take him into the doggy emergency room. They admitted him and put him on an IV so that they could replenish his nutrients and fluids. They did more blood work and said his calcium levels so high, they did not even register. So tonight they are going to give him an injection that will flush his system and hopefully start bringing those levels down. That is what I had been trying to get the other vet to do for a week! So hopefully he will start feeling better once his calcium levels come down. They are keeping him until Sunday at least. Actually it makes me feel so much better to know that he is in their care and not laying around here just getting worse. He has lost another 5 lbs. and is down to 55lbs now. Normally he runs between 65 and 70lbs. He is almost as small as samus now...

No test results yet but this vet also was skeptical that he had lymphoma. She seemed to think he was more symptomatic of the Hyperthyroidism. So, that would be great if she is right...Chris and I have a glimmer of hope again!

Tomorrow we are going to try and get out since we don't have to care for Max and go to the Japan Fest here in Atlanta! We are so intrigued by their culture...I think it will be really fun! Hopefully we'll get some good food as well. I'll post pictures tomorrow night...

Thanks again for all your thoughts, kind words, and prayers. It means so much to all of us.

rollercoaster of emotion

Well, the feeling good Max did not last very long. He has not eaten in a day and a half, we are force feeding him liquids at this point. When we came home today, he would not even come out of his cage, he is so weak. I am so sad, I cry at the drop of a hat. We should hear some results soon but if we don't start treating something soon, I don't know if he'll make it much longer. Why us? Why such a crappy year? First a baby, then me (almost) and now max. It is just heartbreaking. I don't know any other way to describe it.
Sorry to be so down...that is just the way it is for us right now. It is hard to be joyful about anything.

a little bit of good news...

Max seems to be feeling better! He has been eating (a whole pound of ground beef last night!) and I even heard a few woo-woo's out of him! It makes me feel so much better to see him acting somewhat normal again. Still do not have the test results so keep praying!!! It's working so far!

Life in Atlanta...

has been fairly lazy so far. I feel like we keep working on getting our stuff put away but it just does not seem to be getting any better! I start my new job a week from yesterday. I will be an Art Director at a place called Odyssey Marketing Group in Alpharetta. I think it will be great experience for me...they want me to be very involved in the strategy behind the advertising and the branding. I am excited about that opportunity! I should learn a lot!

The only fun thing we have gotten to do is go out to eat. We just can't leave the house for long periods of time because of Max. There are a few great places to eat really close to our condo, we can walk to them...mexican, italian, wolfgang pucks! We ate at Benihana's last night which has really good japanese food...expensive though! We won't be eating there much unless our parents come and take us out...hint, hint!

Chris already has a list of supplies and a chapter to read before school starts next week. Time has just flown by, it is hard to believe that 6 months ago, we were not even thinking about Atlanta.

As for Max...it really makes it hard for us to enjoy our time off. We have been so worried that it just seems to consume us (not to mention the time it takes to take him outside all the time and hand feed him several times a day!) I feel so bad for him. He will not eat hardly anything, even the food I slaved over for him. The only think he has eaten today is some bacon, a few chicken jerky treats and some turkey and ham lunchmeat. He is getting really weak, it is hard for him to stand up sometimes. I really wish the vet would give us something to make him feel better but she does not want to mess with anything in case we have to do more tests. Poor guy has been getting worse for a week now... I hate it that these tests can not be expedited.

Keep praying for him please!!!

inconclusive

So, since the first test came back as inconclusive... we have to run another test to see if he has lymphoma or not. It will take 5-7 business days for us to get the results. The other possibility is that he has hyperthyroidism. I really hope it is just his thyroid. That would be great.

He is feeling ok, a little better it seems than a few days ago. Basically he seems really worn out all the time, drinks a lot of water, goes to the bathroom a lot and he has high calcium in his blood which causes him to twitch constantly. If you know Max, you know that usually you cannot keep him from the food bowl but lately we have been having to give him turkey and eggs to make him eat. We are going to switch to a diet that is high protein that I have to cook for him (that is crazy...I don't even cook for us very much!) But I would do anything for that boy. He's my baby!

We greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers this week and next. We are just trying to forget about it until the end of the week so that we can get some stuff done around here! We have been here since Monday and still have boxes everywhere...it's a mess!

Max

Well...I am just heartbroken. The vet called today and said that he either has early lymphoma or reactive lymphoid hyperplasia which is basically where his body has some type of infection or bacteria that the lymph nodes are fighting against that causes them to create abnormal cells. More tests have to be done. We are going back tomorrow. Please continue to pray for us all...Pray that it is the reactive lymphoid hyperplasia instead of cancer.

I just can't bear the thought of losing my baby boy...

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

I need your prayers badly right now. We took Max to the vet yesterday and they ran all kinds of tests and x-rays. We are waiting on a test right now that will tell us if he has lymphoma. I am crushed and am praying so hard that the test comes back negative. I don't know what I would do without my baby boy and I don't even want to think about chemo or anything like that. He is only 5...way too young for anything like this. Please pray for him and that this test result comes back negative.

I'll update on ATL later. We just got internet hooked up today.

Goodbye LifeWay friends...

So, I have 2 days remaining at LW. Missey and the creative crew took me out to eat today at Amerigos. What fun that was! I hate that I just now learned who keeps a nap mat in their office...dang, I could have been napping all those times I had my door shut! And if anyone has an extra accountability checklist, Amy might need it...(love you amy!) And now that Missey knows how to text message, you guys better watch out...there is no place to hide! Or maybe that will work the other way around, now Missey can't hide from us anymore...what she really needs a personal GPS so that we know where to find her!

Anyways, I hope my next job is as great as this one has been, and I hope that the people that I work with are halfway as great as this group. I don't know how I could ever top such a great place... or people. I love you guys and will miss you dearly. Keep in touch...my place is always open!

This will be my last post until I get to the big city. If you think about it, keep Chris and I in your prayers this weekend and Monday. We are packing up the truck on Sat. morning, cleaning and turning over the house to our renters on Sunday evening, and getting up around 3 or 4 am to drive down on Monday. I am ready for a few days of doing nothing...I can see a teeny tiny light at the end of this loooonnnggggg tunnel we have been climbing through!

with mixed emotion

I am getting ready to leave. I go through moments of excitement and sadness...mostly sadness at this point. I know that will change once we get there, it's just so hard to leave when I have it good where I am...but I know I have to look ahead.

So, I think I have eaten more in the past week than I have in a long time! We have had so many dinner and lunch dates! We went out with Brian and Meleah to Maggiano's last weekend, it was soooo good! This past Saturday, we went to Stoney River with Tony, Jennifer and Jim. I think it was the best steak I have ever had... I actually felt hungover the next day just from eating too much! By the way, if you like creme brulee, you have to try Stoney Rivers...it was incredible!


Sunday, we had to take out a candidate for Chris's position at the church so we went to brunch at Ellendale's then headed to Heather and Jeremy's for a going-away party. I sure am going to miss those guys...

Chris and I were so blessed to get such a great care group, it just hasn't been the same since! Here are some pics from the party...the ones that were acceptable at least! No, I am not going to post the ones I got in the frame from the Harts! Heather and Jeremy, you are off the hook (but they are staying in the frame, haha!) and I have no idea why Chris is flying in this pic!

To all of you who have been our friends here in Nashville, we sure are going to miss you. I think that is starting to get to me...one of the reasons I am so sad. We don't know ANYONE in Atlanta! Most of you have said you will come visit, I want to see some action behind those words! We will have the blowup bed ready and waiting anytime, just let us know.

10 days left

Wow... I cannot believe that I only have 10 days left in Nashville. Part of me is really excited about the new place and part of me is really sad to leave my home and job. My boss, Missey, made me cry today in our Marketing meeting...talking about me leaving in a week. I am really going to hate leaving all the great people I work with.

So, on a happier note: I found a home for us in Atlanta! YEA! We are going to be living between Midtown and Buckhead. It is a condo, on the 5th floor of a mid-rise complex, with huge windows. It is a beautiful place, we got so lucky. The majority of what I looked at smelled, had cobwebs and looked like no one had lived in the place for ages. I don't understand how people rent those places...especially for 1200-1300 a month! I kept hearing "the best thing about this place is proximity..." you got that right!

So, our place has all the nice things (i.e. no smells, cobwebs, granite countertops, newer appliances, pool, tennis court, etc.) and it is within walking distance of mellow mushroom, 2 mexican places, an italian joint, wolfgang pucks and a kroger! AND the biggest plus...I am only 5 minutes from IKEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, for anyone who wants to come visit...we'll have the blow-up bed ready!