Sleet - Snow - Ice and Wind

Hello Valentine's Day. I was hoping to reach February with a winding down feeling for the farm. Rather like a warm month near the woodstove, waiting for spring. I knew when we had no snow, warm temps and sunny balmy days throughout Dec. and Jan. we would pay, but believe me I'd rather pay with snow any day, not ice!

4x4 trucks and all of us with 4 wheel or all wheel were not safe out there. As I slowly crept home I could see the "drive off the road locations" on both side of the road. So many people fell off the road. Mind you , I know up in Oswego, Parish and Mexico New York they're dealing with 6 feet of snow in places. I don't envy them.

I'm just complaining that driving on ice is so scary. When you feel the vehicle slipping away and you're only going 9mph. That's slippery.
There enough said.

Friends, they mean a lot to me and I've got some really sincere ones. About 3 years ago I fell into a group of friends that all live out of state in different states, but we meet 4-6 times a year and I consider them to be family now. God has blessed people who have many friends.

Vinnie:
My beloved pet Vinnie is going through a strange time. The CT Scan came back and the specialist from another state wanted to talk to me in person. I sighed. They also brought in two other Doctors. I worry.
The Caved in Head - Muscle around his head has atrophied on one side giving the caved in look. Looks like the head is dented but it's actually the shape of the skull.

Took Him for X-Rays - Nothing Showed. X-Rays only work for bone, not soft tissue, growths etc.
Took Him for CT Scan - (which shows all matter of soft tissue, tumors, infections etc) But on him it showed massive infection, no tumor, but severe infection. The infection has migrated throughout the entire half of his head affecting many bones. We are hoping it's not fungal as that is so hard to treat. The infection they found does one of two things, it either adds bone or eats bone. In my sweet Vinnie it's doing both which further stumped the specialist because they have never seen this happen before. It's adding bone to the cheek area and eating bone in the back of his jaw area. The Lab part of him so so pain tolerant. He still chews his food although in the last 3 days he has slowed down on that.

1. We are hoping it's a bacterial infection, treated aggressively with antibiotic's, (not usually stocked by vets) But what does one do ????? Last night cost $440, just for the meds for 30 days.

2. If they is no improvement in 10 days it's probably bone cancer, it's been 14 days and there is little improvement. We probably cleared up only the ear infection he had as well.

Bone Cancer requires a biopsy for testing to be sure. My spending has reached $1800. I am not rich but I always thought I was rich with mother nature, my best friend, my dog. He has traveled all over New England with me and I have his presence every day in my life. We speak.
We have serious eye contact. He knows many commands as well as about 7 sign language commands, used completely with nonverbal hand signs.

I really don't want to put my 8 year old dog through bone surgery and recovery. He has so many bones infected it would be radical bone reconstruction. Cost would soar upwards to $5,000 - $12,000.

Pray it's an infection and I get to keep my best friend a few more years.
I pray every day he lives. Losing a pet (best friend) is so very hard.

Well, 6 more weeks of meds and we'll see, so 'till then I will give him his 7 pills a day and wash out his eye and nose. I hope Spring brings his health back.

Always,
jurn