Sponsored by Sandisk and Other Important Things

Wow, people. I have my first corporate sponsor! Arriving all the way from California, and shipped with love from my dear friends Minnie and Jon, my recovery is now sponsored by Sandisk.

Minnie can relate to the crutches business, having spent several months out – and housebound! – after fracturing her pelvis on a ride in 2006. Jon can relate because he’s awesome, and because I taught that bad boy how to swim and then he did an Ironman.

Brought to you by Sandisk! (and the US Postal Service)

This poor package took the pony express to get across the USA. Shipped from NorCal on 1/11 it arrived only today – my dad went to the tiny post office of their town (population 756) (town, not the post office) and the postmaster lady (postmistress?) was able to dig it up. It had only just arrived, leading me to believe it was shipped by mule. Or in a Pinto.

I also received a mystery delivery yesterday, of a gorgeous and tasty-looking gift basket.

Still life with snacks. Thanks, Whitney!

Amazon has stopped putting gift notes in their packages (apparently), so I had to put out the Facebook call to figure out who it was from. Whitney! Who thoughtfully found one with only almonds, so I can eat it. Though I’m keeping it all sealed til I return to NoVA, lest it be eaten by my parents.

Today I crutched 3/4 mile at the “track.” Sadly, though, today is also the last day I will be track-crutching, because tomorrow I’m going back to NoVA and being abandoned by my servants…err, parents. There is a lovely track near my apartment (real red track, with lines) but without being able to drive, I will not be able to get there. Sadly at the track is also the pool (ot that I even know when I’m going to be cleared to swim).

Why yes, we do bribe Turkey to exercise

After the intensive track workout, I had to go home and take a nap (no kidding). Then we headed into town as Miss Turkey had an appointment at the vet. Back in December, when she was out playing with a neighborhood dog pal, I found a suspicious lump on her back. I took her in to the vet the next day, and they aspirated it and sent it off for cytology. They reported back that it was “inflammatory cells” and not cancer, and everyone in Turkey-land was very relieved.

Well. Since mid-December that lump has almost doubled in size, and she’s sprouted a new, second one on the opposite side of her spine, in almost the same place. So I wanted to get her checked out. We took her in to Dr. Vicky, who I worked for when I was a wee lass (ok, a freshman in college. Still wish I would’ve switched majors, done hard science and become a vet! Then I could’ve even used all those free organic textbooks). Dr. Vicky read the lab report, and aspirated the new lump. She is pretty certain the new one is just a fatty lipoma (speaking of fatty, Miss Turkey weighed in at 35 lbs. Someone was into the Christmas cookies a bit much). She also re-aspirated the original lump (twice. That makes three needle sticks in the backside. But Brave Dog did not cry or squeal once, which is a record).

Please don't stick me again!

Because the original lump has been growing so quickly, we decided the best course of action would be to remove it, before it gets any bigger. This will also allow them (her husband is also a vet, and he’s the one who hired me oh-so-long ago. I won’t say the year because it makes me feel too freaking old) to determine for sure what the lump is.

Soooo my poor baby is scheduled for surgery of her own on February 7. While she’s under they will also clean her teeth, snip a baby tumor on her eyelid (she’s had it forever and they’re very common) and clip her nails. Hopefully this will all be nothing. I am just very sad that I won’t be here for it (unless I convince my parents to bring be back here after their trip, since I’ll be working from home that whole week anyway I could do it from here!). She will most likely have to wear a lampshade, which you can be sure will lead to many fun photos.

No idea what I'm in for, but I better get some salmon as a reward for enduring all these needles!