Hospital Blog Part 2 - Doggie Style

I woke up VERY EARLY perfectly rested and ready for the day. Basically all went down from there.

I wanted to get to work SUPER early so that I could be an awesome employee and get all caught up before everyone else got to work. Well, that went out the window, definitely no employee of the month coming my way anytime soon.

I get in the shower and once I'm all wet and lathered with soap my nose starts to bleed. It's hard to tell exactly how bad it was bleeding, because blood and soapy water do not go well together. Right when I was thinking how crappy this moment was, I sneezed. My shower looked like a friggen murder scene! I regret thinking "well this couldn't get worse," over my pathetic bloody nose this morning.

Once I got all ready for work I went upstairs and could smell poop. Awesome, Makita got sick in the night. I open up her kennel and sure enough there is a massive steamy pile of diarrhea, just for me. I clean that up, throw her blankets in the wash and call her to come to the door, but she didn't come. I walk upstairs and she was just lying on the couch. I called her again, and she didn't even look up at me. I remember being so irritated with her, because the whole nose bleed ordeal had set me behind, and then having to clean up her crap was making me even more late...I definitely did not have time to play her stupid games right now. After calling her a third time with her completely ignoring me I got frustrated. Obviously you need to go to the bathroom, and obviously I need to go to work, WHY ARE YOU JUST LAYING ON THE COUCH!?! So I go up to her and kind of pull her collar towards the stairs and she just falls off the couch, like her legs didn't even catch her. Right away I knew something wasn't right. I sat on the floor and pet her for awhile, and the coaxed her towards the stairs. She went down two stairs and then stopped (and if you know my dog, you know she would NEVER stop on the stairs because she is afraid of stairs). I had to pick her up, carry her down the stairs, and set her outside. I set her on the side walk, and she collapsed. Right there on the cement.... just laid there.

Brandon was still sleeping, but I woke him up and said something was wrong with Makita. I don't think he took me to seriously, because I worry ALL the time, and I always think something is wrong with her. Unfortunately this happened at 7am, so our vet was not open. I called the emergency pet hospital just to ask advice, and they said I need to get her seen right away.

So I pack her up and off we go. It was such a sad car ride. Normally she gets so excited, and she just kept falling over with every corner I took. Once I got to the hospital the receptionist was awesome. She got us in a room right away, and had already filled out the papers from the information I had given her on the phone. The nurse came in and he was just as awesome. He was very gentle with Makita, and made sure she had sniffed the stethoscope before he brought it close to her. Then the Dr. came in...I'm sure he is a super nice guy, but his english was CRAP. I have no tolerance for that (I know, not nice of me, I'm working on it. But lets face it, this is my blog, if you didn't like my opinion you wouldn't read it). He wanted to run a bacterial test on her poo, and said it would be an additional $40...ok I can handle that (it's not my butt, I guess it shouldn't really be my call. Poor Makita had attention back there 4 different times).

Then he comes back and starts talking in East Indian medical terms. He starts talking about viruses, and parvo, and bacteria, and IV fluids, and antibiotics...and then finally gets to the money portion. He says if I want to take her home and give her antibiotics there the total for the bill will be around $220, but if I leave her in the hospital he said it will be a minimum of $600. Little bit of a difference there. I asked him if it would be ok if I just took the day off, brought her home and monitored him, and his response was "Well, there is a 70% chance she will be ok"....so I say "And the other 30%?" He replies with "She dies." Really buddy. I don't care what friggen country you come from, you don't tell someone their dog is going to die in the same tone of voice you talk about the weather in.

I love my dog. That is a huge understatement. People know as soon as I start talking about her I light right up, and will not shut up. And this doctor just told me there is a 30% chance she is going to DIE. I'm taking this all in while my dog is laying on the floor shaking, and I'm staring at a minimum bill of $600 (after taking a week off of work). Not going to lie I totally lost it.

I told the vet I would need a couple mins to think about what to do. Thankfully in that time I was able to talk to Brandon who (after the initial price shock) was able to calm me down. I was also able to text my family for advice (and their prayers....thanks guys), and a friend from work. My friend from work has mom who is very knowledgeable in ...well...everything actually. When Brandon got cellulitis her mom made him special creams, and recommended special oils that I believe helped more than the prescriptions. When we were in Mexico and my little brother broke out in some random hives, it was her moms cream that fixed it. So when her mom said Makita needs to be hooked up to the IV right away, I didn't second guess it.

In order for her to be hospitalized, they had to run more tests to see if she was contagious or not. After I left her (by this point she was just laying in the floor basically with no movement) I just sat in my car and cried. I kept trying to pull myself together so I could get to work, but then I would just start up again.

I got to work at around 10:30. I must say, I work with some of the most amazing people. Everyone was very worried and concerned for Makita. People kept checking up on me throughout the day to see if I had heard anything, and how I was holding up. At around 1pm I called to check up on her. The nurse said she was keeping her food down, and was hydrated enough to be up and walking around. She said she would have the doctor call me in an hour. I asked her (in the most politically correct and polite way I could) to please have someone who speaks English call me. She laughed, and said she would personally call me. An hour or so later she said Makita was getting her personality back, and she is quite the "Spunky puppy." They were afraid that as soon as they took her off the IV, she would not continue to get better like she had, so they wanted to keep her over night. If all goes well, I can pick her up tomorrow.


Very emotional day, but on the bright side, IT IS MY PARENTS 26TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!! They were driving home from Vegas, and past through Lethbridge, so they got to take us out for dinner for their anniversary (I love my family lol). It amazes me that they have been together longer than I have been alive. I mean, logically, it makes sence, I guess that's the way it should always be, but it still amazes me. They have spent more of their lives together than they have apart!! I guess they are in it to win it! Congrats Mom and Dad, you really have set an amazing example, and I hope I'm still having as much fun as you guys are when I've been married 26 years (and have some wicked awesome jewlery to show for it..hint hint Brandon, have you seen Moms new rock?!?)

Another awesome thing about today...9 months until my birthday ;) (Super awkward mom and Dad, Super awkward).

Vegas 2011!

Another annual family Vegas trip has come to a close (Mom and Dad...key word annual... its happened twice now so its tradition, lets not break it).

Before we get into details of the trip, here are some fun facts for you:

1- The number of doorbells our room had
2- The number of Jacuzzi's our room had
3- The number of flat screen TVs our room had
4- The number of bathrooms our room had
5- The number of toilets our room had
6- The number of lights the chandelier above the table had
7- The number of sinks our room had
8- The number of chairs around our dining room table
8.5- The number of people in our room

No that is not an announcement from us, but my brother Callin and his wife Meagan are due to have a baby boy February 29 2012!!! I have known for awhile now, and its been killing me to keep it a secret! We are very excited for "Little Leo" to join the Layton family! They told us at our last family get together in Calgary the start of July. They made everyone T-Shirts that said Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle and Aunt (which we still did not get a picture in! I guess we need to plan another Vacation!)

Did you notice anything else weird about those numbers (other than the obvious...we had a wicked awesome room!). If you said there are more toilets than bathrooms, you would be right (Unless that's a normal thing for you :S). One of our bathrooms had a baday..bday..budea......badae?? A pressure washer for your butt lol. Such a weird concept. Can you imagine the person who invented that trying to get investors. "Once your done on one toilet, you sit on another which is much like a water fountain..for a thirsty bum." I totally wish I was a fly on the wall in that meeting!

We were very fortunate enough to go to Vegas and celebrate my cousins wedding (and gamble). My family stayed in Ceasers Palace (which was established on a few different occasions that it was indeed NOT the real Ceasers Palace..I know, I was a little disappointed myself). Even though I have FANTASTIC parents, we didn't plan on staying in such a high class room. We had asked for 2 rooms, with 2 beds (Callin, Meagan, Brandon and I in one. Mom, Dad, Shaffer and Preston in the other). So we get there, and they check us in. Two rooms, each with a queen sized bed. Now, if any of you know my Dad, you know he rarely ever loses his cool. I wasn't here for this conversation, but from what I was told the cool was lost. The lady tried to tell my dad that 2 beds per room were not guaranteed, they were only given out if they were available, which they were not. She then proceeded to tell my dad that he could rent a caught (For $50/night/bed) and if all else failed he was more than welcome to go to another hotel, A+ customer service if you ask me. Because there was a convention that weekend, all of their rooms were sold out except for the wicked awesome (expensive) rooms. Remember my blogs about me getting what I want? Well, that trait didn't just show up from no where. We got an AMAZING room, and I'm sure once all is said and done there will be another trip or 2 for mom and Dad to enjoy that room without us, compliments of Ceaser (not the real Ceaser).

Vegas was great!! I've been there quite a few times, but this was the first time I was able to gamble (Really aged myself low with that comment..don't judge lol). Bottom line, I love to gamble! The first night was a practice round at the black jack table (aka lost lol). The second night of gambling was amazing! Brandon my Dad and I went out after everyone went to sleep. We sat at the tables until 3:30! I tripled my money that night! The dealer was laughing so hard at me and my strategies. I think that is actually the signal for "This girl is going to bankrupt Vegas." For the greater good of the City I invested more money into the tables the last night (I didn't think it would be fair for me to win so much and take the experience away for future generations. That and "Invested" sounds a lot better than "Lost" when it comes to describing gambling money lol).

There were so many amazing moments about our trip! Most of these moments are only funny to my family, because our humor is a little messed up. We had a chain text between the entire family to keep us all updated, and the comments were SO funny (at least I thought they were) I had to save it. My favorite comment went like this:

Dad:

Where is everyone? I am in the BIG room all along.

Well. Just me...and a Coke.

Okay..A case of coke

Some Chips

A lot of Chips

A Mars Bar

.... and a Midget named Roland

.......... and a goat

Meagan:

B&K Are Grabbing some gelato and we are headed back. Don't let the midget leave before we get there!

And save me a Coke

Dad:

It is Pepsi. Don't hurry

And the midget is handcuffed. He is not going anywhere

If you see a goat wearing Kinsley's bra bring it back.

The goat. Don't care about the bra

Mom:

Bring it up a notch. Dad is bored. Someone PLEASE find him



It is a freaking miracle that I turned out even somewhat normal! Basically the entire trip had moments like that. That was in the middle of the day, imagine the kind of things that were being said once we past the 2am mark!

All in all the trip was awesome. Had a rough start with the whole "Room ordeal" and the 3hr delay on the way home was not great (spending over and hour in a boarded plan with 100 people and no air conditioning fits under the "not great" category) but everything else fits under the amazing category. I am so glad I have such a great family, we sure do have a lot of fun together. So Dad, now that you read my blog...when/where is the next vacation?!

Hospital Blog!

Where to begin? How about a few months ago! I started to get this horrible cough! At first I thought it was allergies (because my allergies were SOO bad this year), and then I got a bad cold, so I thought it was that. After a fews weeks of no allergy symptoms, and no cold symptoms, I knew this cough wasn't normal.

The start of last week I went to the walk in clinic. He said that this cough was indeed from allergies. My lungs had filled with mucous, and the cough was just due to irritation. He gave me a pill to take during the day (which was a chewable tablet that seriously tasted fantastic), and a narcotic cough syrup that taste crappy, but was AMAZING! (One night I fought the urge to sleep, and started talking about the fibers in my sheets brushing up against my skin cells....What can I say? Cough syrup brings out the party in me!)

By the end of last week I had seen no improvement. I was unable to go to the gym, I couldn't hold on a conversation, and my cough had gotten worse. By the time Friday came around I knew something was wrong. I couldn't decide if I should go to the hospital, or just the walk in clinic. For some reason I had this feeling I should go right to the hospital.

By the time I had gotten to the hospital, things had gotten progressively worse. I was so out of breath I felt faint and nauseous, and could hardly tell the nurse who I was or why I was there. Once they had me sitting I had expected to be in the waiting room for hours, but they had me back right away.

They asked for me to put a gown on, because they would need to do a series of chest x-rays. I was less than impressed about this, had I had service on my phone I would have blogged about it right then. If you don't understand why this pissed me off, your probably a man. Let me enlighten you. I have no top on, no bra on, and no tank top on. I also have an open back, which is making me FREEZING and the only thing between my boob and a room FULL of people, is a sick thin layer of fabric. Enough said.

There wasn't much time for my anger to grow, as they started doing tests on me right away. All that is the boring part (which lasted around 6 hrs). The fun part is when they had me hooked up to oxygenated Ventalin! When you take a Ventalin puffer you get a SMALL dose of the actual drug, I'm talking like a drop. THEY HAD ME INHALE OVER HALF A CUP! I tried to tell them I am a light weight, but they insisted that's what my height and weight needed to open my lungs. Well, it sure did that! Within minutes my body was shaking, my arms were tingling, and my fingers were numb. That feeling stayed for a good day or two (was not a fun weekend).

Despite being slightly drugged, I was still able to find hospital people to be rather entertaining. There is always the "Drunk Native" (No racism intended, but if you have been to Emerg in Lethbridge, you know its true) who crashed their car into something and insists they have only had water and milk to drink today. Then there is the "Stupid Man" that totally deserves to be there. In my case it was a guy who twisted his ankle (because he wasn't wearing the ankle brace he was supposed to) and is complaining because he has been waiting so long. Really buddy? Your stupid, you deserve to be hurt. If someone comes in holding their own limbs, in labor, not breathing, having a stroke, having chest pain, swallowed a quarter, stubbed their toe, had a weird color poo.....actually anything. You are the least priority because your stupid, deal with it. Next time ice and elevate! Then there is the "Show Off". The one who thinks there rather hot stuff because they are there. This was the guy who was bragging about how he drove his dirt bike off the coulees 8 weeks ago and his knee cap popped out the side..and his leg is still bent. You should be here, Ice and elevate wont fix that, but its always to watch the "Show Off" shut up when an old male Dr asks them to take their pants off ;)

All in all I have been diagnosed as asthmatic, and I have been having an asthma attack for over a month. The Dr. gave me a couple different puffers (which allow me to breath, but make me feel like death...lose lose situation) and a steroid. He said had I come to him right away it would have been much better, but because my lungs have been closed for so long, its going to take a few weeks for them to fully open up again. Which means no Abs Core and More class for awhile :(

On the bright side, I got the greatest news on Sunday. Brandon and I teach the 5yr olds in Sunday school at church. One of our darling 5yr olds (Stratton) was in Walmart with his family this past week, and saw one of those work out DVDs in the electronic sections. Apparntly the girl on the cover was wearing booty shorts, a tiny sports bra, had ripped abs and beach blond hair. Right away he looks at his parents and says "Is that Kinsley Phillips?!?!". Oh Stratton! How I love you! Thanks for noticing how hard I have been working, despite the fact just carrying on a converstaion with someone makes me need to nap.

That Person at the Gym

I have been taking my "ABS CORE AND MORE" class for a few months now, and I must say I am starting to look less like a fool (still can't do a push up to save my life....but were getting there). I remember the first time I went, and an old lady came up to my friend and I after and told us we were "Refreshing" to watch. Wasn't sure how to take that, so I took it as a compliment :D

So I wake up at 5:30 every Tuesday to make it to the gym for their 6am class. I never judge people at the gym, I think that's wrong. No matter your age, or size, or ability, we are all there to better ourselves and that is all that matters.

Well, I broke my rule this week. I judged a girl at the gym (and now I'm blogging about her haha). She is useless and annoying. Please let me explain.

I get there and we are all getting out mats and dumb bells and abs balls, and this lady is walking around huffing and puffing. "Great" I thought to myself "whoever ends up beside this girl is going to be lucky enough to hear her do this the entire class". Well, that lucky person... was me.

We are sitting on the abs balls just warming up, literally just swinging our arms in circles and she is freaking doing labor breathing!! I've clearly never been in labor, but according to movies where you do the stupid annoying breath in breath out (with sound effects)...ya she had that going on.

So then when we actually starting working out, clearly that gets worse. I can understand a grunt, or a groan from time to time. Heck, if your not grunting and groaning you need to be working harder! However, I don't think there is any reason to be flat out SCREAMING while your doing a sit up.

The teacher then told us to get into partners (I almost ended up with her :S). Thankfully I didn't, because at 6am, I really cant handle screaming (once again, hence I have no kids).

I'm paired with this other nice lady. So we are doing our partner stuff, passing medicine balls back and forth and what not. Then the next drill I offered to go first. I laid on the ground while my partner stood at my head. I held on to her ankles and lifted my legs up, while she would push them back to the ground. I did not bad. Then we switched.

I stood up, she grabbed on to my ankles. Stopped. Then grabbed on to my shoes.

Then is when I realize I totally didn't shave my legs...for a SUPER long time.

Once again, I'm "That person at the gym"