2012 Iowa Swim and Dive Thanksgiving

Operation Team Turkey Dinner was a success...I'm keeping this short and sweet.
We ate nearly if not all three 25 lb turkeys, I didn't get to taste my own casserole (it was all gone by the time I got to it while in line), there were leftover (which is rare), and many of us voiced our opinions on what we think our fellow teammates are thankful for. What a riot. Great food and great people. I love this team. Go Hawks.

Team Thanksgiving Preview

Today, the Team is continuing its Thanksgiving dinner tradition. A sign up sheet was placed in the Team Room this past week, and many of us signed up to bring our favorite dishes. Several women's team members are making festive desserts and other classic Turkey Day dishes, like cheesy mashed potatoes and stuffing. For those who aren't kitchen savvy, their was a financial contribution option that will help to pay for the three 25 lbs. turkeys! Yum!
I'm very much looking forward to tasting everyone's creations and revisiting my own cooking abilities. I might be a little rusty because it's been a year since I Iast made green bean casserole...good thing I have a very detail recipe to follow. I was told to make two batches of my casserole, so I need to go get the ingredients for one more.
What's so wonderful about this occasion is that so many teammates are willing to pitch in and participate. Among many other things, I'm thankful for my college team, in that they are willing and eager to schedule events that all team members can join in on. Even though our group is nearly 70 people, we have strong bonds with one another, which has definitely created a family-like atmosphere. Today will be a fantastic opportunity to continue strengthening our ties.
Please check back later this evening and tomorrow to read my blog about how the dinner turned out!
Go Hawks!

Throwback Thursday: Halloween Edition

Although October 31st has come and gone, Halloween festivities are still prevalent on campus. This year's holiday has fallen at the middle of the week and is bracketed by two weekends with equally great opportunity to celebrate. Many people that I've talked to don't know which weekend to celebrate on, so they've extended it to a week-long spook-fest. Even though I didn't purchase or wear a costume or even eat a single piece of candy during "Halloween Week," I was reminded of an article I wrote while on the student newspaper at Ames high school. Hopefully this can make up for my lack of Halloween spirit this week. Enjoy your Throwback Thursday...

"Unsanitary Halloween"

October 29, 2010

On a rather chilly night, great festivities will soon begin. Jack-o-lanterns are lit, the candy bowl is full, the haunted-house music is playing, and Halloween spirit is swirling in the air. Giddy trick-or-treaters put on their costumes, smear make-up on their faces, grab pillowcases from their moms, and head out the door to load up on sweets. One trick-or-treater, dressed as Ron Weasley, hasn’t been feeling his best lately. Actually, he missed school earlier in the week because of flu-like symptoms. He has been feeling better recently, but his nose has been running a lot.

The group of trick-or-treaters arrives at the first house. One kid rings the door bell, an annoyed teenager opens the door... “Trick-or-Treat!” The boy realizes that he forgot his tissues back at home, so before reaching into the candy bowl, he wipes his snotty nose on his hand and puts his hand into the bowl. The last trick-or-treater grabs some candy and decides to eat it now. Not noticing that the chocolate bar that she has chosen to eat and her hand are covered with snot, the girl rips open the wrapper, and the candy is gone in an instant.

I have few memories of having a “Happy Halloween”. One visual that sticks out in my mind was from second grade. I was standing in front of my closet looking at my “Pop-Star Diva” costume that my mom and I bought together. A feeling of sadness came over me because I wasn’t going to have the chance to wear it. I was too sick to go outside. In fact, I was sick most of the time when I was younger. Since then, I have adopted many good hygiene habits, practice them daily, and have gotten better at keeping myself healthy. Most importantly, I have avoided a number of unsanitary Halloween traditions.

            Trick-or-treating has come to a close, so same group of kids goes back to the house this story first began at. The moms have put together lots of activities for the trick-or-treaters to participate in, so they go out to the garage to begin the fun. The first station is bobbing for apples, and what a way to start out this party with dunking your face into a bucket of bacteria and viruses! According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, water-borne diseases include MRSA, mononucleosis, and many others. It isn’t likely that these diseases can be transferred after only having the head in a bucket of water for a few seconds, but it could happen. The classic Halloween tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns is another activity in the garage and this is what these kids are most excited about. However, pumpkins have a history of being infected with Salmonella and E. Coli bacteria. Let’s hope that these pumpkins are carved using wand-power, not kid-power.

The parents of three of the kids from this trick-or-treating group have something better to do than take care of their children on this night, so these three must walk home from the party. The first kid takes a route that leads him into a haunted forest, and while dodging branches, one hits him in the eye. A few weeks later, this kid ends up in the hospital because a parasite is living in his eye. The second kid walks through an open field. She suddenly trips over a rock, or at least that’s what she explained to her parents in her recovery room after a long series of shots to prevent the rabies virus from spreading through her body from a Werewolf bite. The last kid also walks through the same open field, and wakes up in a hospital bed after a blood transfusion due to a Vampire bite.

            The following morning, one kid wakes up and begins to scratch her head. She tells her mom that her head itches. Her mom then goes into “Mommy-on-a-Mission-Mode” to seek out what’s wrong with her daughter. She checks her head, thinking all it is is a dry scalp, but she finds a louse in her hair.

            Perhaps being sick a lot wasn’t bad after all. It seems like I didn’t miss much. Of course, I will carry out my healthy habits, but I’m considering participating in Halloween this year. Maybe I can go trick-or-treating for some leftover Ames High band candy.

Saying Goodbye

Buster passed away at home at two this morning. My parents and I have been up since then. Dad just got up from a nap, but Mom and I haven't slept yet. The last thing I said to Buster when I kissed him goodnight last night was, "You can fight through it. I know you can. You can." And he couldn't. 

Oh, how I miss that dog. It's hard to project my feelings right now. Limited sleep and my depressed mood have me in a daze. I asked Mom at about 10 this morning if this is a dream. My family can't get over the fact that Buster is gone. We will never be able to kiss, hug, pet, or talk to him again. We will never be able to see his wagging tail or touch his soothing, blonde fur again. My heart hurts. I've never loved anything more than that dog.

Buster was a charmer. It's said that you get the dog you need, not the one you want. I needed a kind heart to get me through elementary, middle, and high school. From him, I learned that no matter how another person is (stubborn, arrogant, etc.), it's possible to treat them with kindness. There were so many times I would come home from school frustrated. Buster was able to break down the barrier of anger that I had and get through to me. He always made me feel wanted and that I was worth it.

My favorite memory of Buster was when Dad and I took him to a reservoir back when we lived in California. Lake Hennessey was its name. Buster was pretty young then, maybe 3 years old. We walked from the truck down to the lake shore and told Buster to jump in. And he did! (This lake was a water source for Napa County, so he wasn't really allowed to swim there. Don't tell.) This was one of his first experiences in the water. Even though he's a lab, he's never liked water. He got nervous when he couldn't touch the bottom. Part of his fear is from a lack of experience. My family says Buster left the swimming up to me ;) After getting him out of the water Dad and I tried fishing. There was so much debris from fallen trees that we kept loosing our lures. We moved on and took Buster for a hike. We walked for hours around the lake on a dirt path. Dad eventually dropped the leash and let Buster walk on his own. He stayed with us the entire rest of the hike. I was so proud of him for doing that. We had mutual trust for each other from that point on. Buster was so filthy that day, too.

I feel a sense of relief now that he's no longer in pain, breathing rapidly, or anxious. It hurt me to see such a wonderful being in distress. I did my best to cover up my sadness with a smile when I looked at him yesterday.

One of my club coaches said it best, "Be strong." (Thanks Arkady.) I move into my dorm on Monday and I'm not anywhere close to being packed. It's important for me to stay on track and celebrate the great life Buster had.

Thank you for your thoughts, everyone. Even if you never got to meet him, I'm sure you heard me talking about him and/or saw pictures of him on Facebook. 

Buster did a lot for our family. Without a doubt, he made the last (20 days shy of) 10 years the most enjoyable of my life. Thank you, Buster.

"Weeks to live"

The vet at the Iowa State University Vet Clinic told my parents yesterday that Buster has only "weeks to live." That kind of news stuns your heart. In the past weeks, I never imagined that these days leading up to my move to college would be my last with him. I've never been more sad in my life.

A well-deserved kiss

Much of Buster's distress is from worrying about not being able to breath. We see this especially when he's put to bed.  He pants while in his crate, probably because he's a little claustrophobic. Our goal is to make him as comfortable as possible. My mom has slept with him in the living room for many nights now. I decided last night that I'd take my turn. Mom has lost sleep and I felt the need to do something meaningful for Buster. I got up and sat with Buster on the floor once or twice (can't remember...my memory is a little foggy) and petted him. I, too, lost sleep, but my selfless act was definitely worth it.

Buster had another appointment at 9am this morning, but my parents cancelled it. The vet was going to take cells from his liver to see if they are cancerous. The thing is the test is accurate only 75% of the time, and we can't starve Buster any longer. That isn't fair to him. Buster is so thin right now that I can see the structure of his skull through his skin. Not only has a lack of food caused this, but the Lasix medication has reduced much of his water weight. His skin isn't plump anymore. His fur is beginning to feel dry and has lost its volume. Also, his stomach was shaved for an ultrasound. Every discomfort adds up. He's in pain, so I'm going to make sure these last 3 days are the best we can possibly have together.

I'm sitting on the floor with him and he has finally fallen asleep. It's possible that he didn't sleep at all last night.

Thank you for your thoughts.

Buster goes to ISU vet school

Since tapering Buster off Prednisone and Lasix, his rapid breathing and hard coughing has returned.

Our vet at the Ames Pet Hospital suggested we visit the Iowa State vet college. She said they have better technology and perhaps more answers than what the Pet Hospital and she have to offer.

Buster has an appointment scheduled at 9am tomorrow. The vets there will perform tests based on his condition.

Buster has been put back on Lasix as of yesterday, and he started Prednisone this morning. My family is remaining optimistic. It is unfortunate that all of this is happening before my big move to college.

Buster just set this head down on my foot and started sleeping. He truly is the best dog in the world.

Birthday Cliche

It's common for someone to say that he/she doesn't feel any older on his/her birthday. It makes since. You are just a few seconds older than when the clock struck at the time making you one year older.

I feel similarly. However, 18 is more than a number. It's a milestone. It's a new way of being.

I'm now legally an adult. My voice can be heard through a vote, which I plan on doing. I can buy cigarettes. (Nah, I'm not doing that anytime soon) I can get a tattoo without parents' permission (Not doing that either.) Heck, I now have less security on my Facebook account.

It's odd to think that at one moment I'm a "minor" and the next I've reached "adulthood". There's some pressure there. But I'm not one to follow the cliche that adults can't do what they love.

Buster's on the mend!

I'm sorry that I haven't written an update about Buster's condition since his test last Wednesday. I was out of town over the weekend, but I am truly happy to write this blog post.

Buster has neither lung cancer nor a fungal infection in his lungs. Even though the vet still doesn't know what it is, she said it can be treated with antibiotics and Prednisone. My mom said home over the weekend and gave Buster his medication and some extra TLC while my dad and I went to Iowa City for the swim meet. Buster's breathing is back to normal and I haven't heard a hork or cough out of him since we left last Wednesday.

Thank dog ;)

News about Buster

Buster Bro's breathing has worsened since picking him up from "camp" on Sunday after Sectionals. Mom and Dad took him to the vet this morning to get some answers. An x-ray of Buster's lungs showed he either has a fungal infection or lung cancer. He will have a test tomorrow, and we will find out later this week which it is.
Buster's laying next to me while I sit in the recliner in our living room. I don't want him to ever leave my side.

Buster is truly an angel and I know I am luckiest person in the world to have a dog so well-mannered and kind.

Through this experience with Buster so far, I've learning that life is precious and the "good times" need to be greatly appreciated. He's been so positive throughout his distress, showing nearly no signs of pain. The only things my parents and I can do is to stay positive just like him and enjoy the time we have with him.

"Lights will guide you home/And ignite your bones/And I will try to fix you." ~Fix You, Coldplay

Thank you for your thoughts.

Buster's breathing

Since Buster's abrupt sickness last week, he has made great improvements. However, we started noticing Buster's heavy breathing again after picking him up from "camp" after the meet yesterday evening. The gagging is new, or horking, as we call it, which has happened several times last night and today.
This morning, Mom took off his collar to see if it was constricting his air flow, but the horking continued. Maybe there's something irritating his throat that's making it swell up and laboring his breathing...?
Buster has another vet appointment scheduled for tomorrow morning. Hopefully we can get more answers then.

More on Buster

One test result came back saying Buster has a low thyroid. He'll be taking supplements, which will make him feel better right away. He's still acting like he feels better.

Good news for Buster

"I'm feeling better and my vet didn't find anything wrong! She did some tests and will let us know if she sees anything. I guess I've just been overheated and I'm not as young as I used to be."

Is Buster sick?

We had a little bit of a scare with Buster last night. Labored breathing, not acknowledging us calling his name, slow walking, and no tail wagging. These seem to be flu-like symptoms, but I'm no vet. Mom's taking him in to the vet right now to see what might be wrong. Dad's going to drive them and help lift Buster if necessary.

Buster's already made great progress this morning. He's no longer breathing hard and he's able to walk faster than he did last night. He's more alert and his rapid tail wagging has returned. My parents and I are hoping that it's just a fever or fatigue.

More updates to come later today.

Getting Contacts

Today is Day 5 of having contacts. I've decided that this was a great idea. It's been a good transition from glasses so far. I'm getting the feel for putting them in the contacts and taking them out--actually much faster than I thought I would. I'm also happy that the U of Iowa Athletic Department will pay for a portion of the cost once I'm competing for the swim team. It'll put less pressure on my parents' checkbook.

No more "four-eyes"

On the first day of having them, I attended a "contacts class". There, I learned proper cleaning techniques and how to put them in a take them out. Throughout the class, my instructor said that getting used to contacts should take a while. My eyes had never had anything put into them, so she said to take it slow and learn to trust that I'm not going to hurt myself. I needed to learn to trust myself.

I kept my contacts in for about 4.5 hours that day. In the days since then, I've increased the amount of time by one hour each day. So I'm up to 9 hours today.

My contacts made my eyes sting during the first three days, but I can barely feel them now.

My next step is wearing them while swimming. I am on taper right now and will be competing the next two weekends. I'll wait to try them out after my last summer meet. I also only have a trial pair. If I lose one or both, I'll have to wait until I receive my first box.

Buster tooth removal (Continued)

Buster is home now, sleeping in his bed.

Turns out that he didn't need his tooth removed. He only had a teeth cleaning. The vet said the roots of his fractured tooth are healthy, so it wouldn't need to be taken out.

Even though he's been out from under the anesthesia for a few hours, he's pretty unaware of things. He wasn't wagging is tail very much when he was awake earlier. He leans to the side when he walks, and he's whining a lot. (I just visited him after writing the previous sentence because I could hear him whining.) I was scared for him when I saw him act this way, but the vet said he should be back to normal tomorrow. There  were a couple of times where I'd say his name and he wouldn't acknowledge it. I got pretty emotional after seeing him like this. Hopefully a good night sleep will do him good.

Buster's tooth removal

Early this morning, my mom took Buster to the vet's office. Buster is having a tooth removed that was broken maybe a year ago. It's one of his back left teeth, a molar maybe, and it hurts enough that he can't chew with that side of his mouth. Mom has come back home since dropping him off and said Buster was very excited to be there. He enjoyed seeing Dr. Rachel and the vet assistants.

It's been a few hours since the surgery was supposed to start. Luckily, we haven't gotten any calls from the vet's office. This is when the phrase, "no news is good news," is important. Mom said that while she was still at the office, she signed off on what the vet's could and couldn't perform during the surgery. If something went wrong and more than what she "okayed" needed to be done, the vet's office would call and ask for permission.

Buster is under full anesthesia. I wonder if he'll be loopy or overly-tired when he comes home. I don't remember how he acted after being neutered, so this might be kind of entertaining.

If time permits, I'll compose another post or comment after he comes home, hopefully with a picture.

We love you, Buster!

HSUS helping out

What a job would this be!

http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2012/07/animals-wildfires.html

Helping those who can't help themselves.

Not Blogging

I can't believe how often I think about not blogging. It's like this big monkey on my back...Maddie, you know you won't get better at writing and no one will see it if you don't do it! (Yes, my conscience sounds like a nagging mother who constant reminds me to do things. I created that voice in my head to ensure that I get stuff done. That voice isn't the most comforting.)

When I'm at home watching TV, I sometimes think, you know...you could be doing something more productive like blogging...Then I think....oh, I'll have time later. I don't have to right now.

This internal conversation is the thing that can get me in trouble. I can't start procrastinating and putting things off this summer. It won't put me in good stead for my first semester of college this fall.

The line, "I don't have to right now," shows that I turned this blogging thing into an undesired chore. And it's not! Looking back, I signed up for a blog because I thought it would be something that I get to do not have to do.

By forcing myself to blog even when I don't want to, I'll eventually find the initial joy I had when I created "Maddie's Blog."

...I also need to work on brainstorming blog topics because I have none at this point in time...

Questions about Dogs

I'm sitting on the brown leather couch in our living room. My yellow Labrador, Buster, was just rewarded with a Milkbone biscuit after getting it out of his favorite toy that we call Bobo (which is in the picture). Buster knows the toy by name, too. 
He gets up. His nails click on the cherry hardwood floor as he moseys around the house.  He just headed down the hall to visit my parents in the office.
I sometimes wonder what occupies a dog's brain while he/she relaxes during the day. Buster just laid/lied (whatever the correct tense is) down in front of the black Laz-E-Boy recliner right as I typed the previous sentence. Even though his eyes aren't facing me, I can tell he hasn't fallen asleep yet. He never sleeps on both shoulders, always on one side. As he stares at the brick fireplace, what is he thinking about?

• His next meal?
• Does he daydream? Maybe about things that he's never done but he's seen other dogs do. Like chasing rabbits or hunting.
• Does he think about other dogs in our neighborhood? There's a female black Labrador that lives at the beginning of our street. He really enjoys seeing her when my dad and I take him for walks. Does he think about her? Is it possible for him to miss her?
• Is he anticipating the next time I get up and take him outside?
• I also wonder if he thinks in pictures or his dog language. Does a "conscience" speak to him, or do only images flash in his brain?
• Does he think about anything?

I'll be waiting for the day that these questions can be answered. If only Buster could tell me himself. Now, he sits up, and is looking right into my eyes. He starts whining at me. Does he know that I'm writing about him?

The Lorax = Wall-E

It’s Father’s Day. So to celebrate, my parents, grandma and I grilled out on our deck surrounded by shaggy hickory trees and overwhelming humidity. We went to see The Lorax in 3D later in the afternoon. While sitting in the theater and enjoying scenes with singing fishes that could walk on land and fuzzy bears gobbling up marshmallows, something festered in the back of my mind. Where had I seen this before?...Conflict over plants… The same ideas had been presented to me before. Then it finally came to me. 

Wall-E.

When I saw Pixar’s Wall-E in 2008, I began to feel guilty about most of my actions. Everything I eat, buy, and throw away affects someone or something else in the world. This movie introduced me to the negative effects; the effects that I and many others choose to ignore.

Today, I revisited that guilt, but with a side of a “beating a dead horse”. The Lorax and Wall-E are just too similar.

Highly controlling governments are present in both films. Those governing bodies try to avoid rebellion of its citizens by playing “keep away” with plants. If the citizens are able to plant the plant, society will start fresh with more eco-friendly practices that should let the environment survive. If the plant is destroyed, the government's reign will continue. Both movies had this structure.

Lorax and Wall-E do contain good messages, like avoiding the overuse of natural resources. However, they also included the “extremes” to emphasize the ridiculousness of the reigning society, such as bottled air and chair-ridden blob people. It’s depressing that the “extremes” are and will become reality, like bottled water and increasing obesity rates. It’s also depressing that this has gotten worse since Dr. Seuss wrote his book in the 1970s.

Those who see the similarities between the two films should know that the book, The Lorax, was written before Wall-E was released, so please do not think Lorax copied Pixar.

I’ve always tried to do my part for the well-being of the environment. I participate in Meatless Monday, I turn off lights in room that aren’t being used, and I do other things, too. I wanted to learn something new from the green movement in The Lorax. All I got was reiteration of “plant a tree”. At least my family and I hadn’t seen singing fish before.