Stickhorse Cowgirl V: As Iron Sharpens Iron


I was just reading Brin at messythrillinglife and pondering her last thought of hope in the new year to come after a particularly difficult year. If you have never read Brin's blog, I really encourage you to peruse her archives. "C" and I have often marveled at the depth, wisdom and insight that could come from a much younger woman! I think anyone who favors a Judeo-Christian moral tradition (by this I refer to how Christianity holds Old Testament teachings in reverance),could glean much from her writing. There is some really meaty material there--especially her Monday Moments!! I love her vintage decorating style too --and she will soon be writing an online column for AOL! She will be great!


Life is really busy round here right now. I'm back at work after Christmas break, but still helping to tend the home of eldest daughter who is suffering from severe pregnancy complications. She has a condition known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum, and I also suffered from it, especially with my last pregnancy years ago. Many of us have suffered the normal queasiness and nausea associated with pregnancy, but an unfortunate few suffer a severe form that is disabling and life threatening. A home health nurse informed me that many of their patients are women suffering this terrible form of nausea and often require intraveneous liquids to prevent dehydration (my daughter required an iv picc line for 8 weeks). Over 42,000 women are hospitalized each year due to this condition. My mother, aunt, sister and I all suffered this more severe form and would like to help inform the sometimes unsympathetic public (usually due to ignorance, even astonishingly in the medical community) regarding this disorder. Please go to www.hyperemesis.org to learn more about this condition, and thereby perhaps helping and encouraging other women who you know who may suffer from it. I had my share of nausea for my first two pregnancies, but it was the last one that just about did me in! I was so debilitated by relentless nausea for the entire term, I decided then and there I was RETIRED from pregnancy! My daughter says this will be it for her too!



Although I'm a little weary I do love spending time with and cooking for my grandkids, and plan to freeze some meals for them for the time when "C" and I are gone hoping to sail our cares away! I would like to share some of these recipes with you! Hubby can cope with missing me by stepping into my shoes and cooking up some of those frozen home-cooked dinners for the grandkids! Son-in-law's father is ill and he is in the midst of helping to care for his parent's needs, so additional help is appreciated. "Ten days? Ten days?", hubby exclaimed! "You'll be gone for ten days?" I'm certain they can get by without me for ten days. Maybe even I need to realize that!


Ive been thinking for some time about the amazing talent in the blogging community and how I could share with others what wonderful writers are out there! Often I decide not to write, because I put such pressure on myself to produce something I hope is worth reading. Not every post can be a prize-winning essay and I don't think that is really the purpose of blogging. It's simply sharing a little bit of yourself everyday - some good, some bad, but always real and something will be meaningful to somebody. I love the blogs I visit, but we know that sometimes there will be a particular post that really "grabs" you and needs to be shared with others. I think we all write a post like that sometimes; just not everyday! So I have stored up a little list of really great posts that others have written, and I hope to forward those on to you in the coming year.


On a sad note, I lost my joyous little dog, Wendy, two days after Christmas. While she was outside with my husband and son, she darted out into the street and was struck by a car. We had to have her put to sleep that day. This followed weeks of begging hubby and son to put up the new fencing materials we recently got from "C". They were regretful and sad, but she is still gone. Need I say more how I feel about that? She had a Wheaten terrier's typical joye de vivre and charmed us all. Perhaps later I will write a post about her. Not just yet. When C and I get back from the cruise, I plan to get another terrier mix (a rescue dog for sure), after the new fence is put up! Not as a replacement for Wendy, for who could ever replace her, but a new pet I can love for her own self and a companion for Dudley, our other dog, who grieves her loss as well.

Recently as I was lamenting my losses to eldest daugher; she in the midst of her suffering reminded me that I have also enjoyed the marriage celebrations of two children and the birth of a precious new grandson. There is also the hope of the impending birth of this new grandchild in a few months, so that really helped me get things in perspective. Wishing you all a prosperous and blessed New Year full of hope and joy! V.

Comments

Lucy said…
Life is always throwing curves at us, isn't it? The wonder of the human is that we somehow adapt and some actually thrive. Our thoughts are with you and also our condolences on the loss of your little dog. A horrid thing a car's hit. Been there. So sorry...
T said…
I think many of us have had a rough year!

I hope your daughter gets better soon - I understand the dibiliating morning sickness - 24/7 for the first 3 months!

So sorry about your pup - I understand how hard a loss it is....they are family!
Vickie said…
V, I'm SO sorry to hear about your dog. The same thing happened to our Chocolate Lab Jake last July, and it WAS hard. Be thinkin' about you...

C, yep, Stretch Marks is Southren. She's just so funny and she writes so well, and I just love to read her posts!
jan said…
So sorry about your loss! I have experienced the same thing and the regret and 'if only's' are hard to let go. I hope you enjoy your trip- I am sure your family will be fine, but they will be glad to see you return, for sure!
Kat_RN said…
I am also sorry for your loss. They really do have a way of claiming space in our hearts. Best wishes for your daughter, we studied Hyperemesis Gravidium as part of OBGYN in nursing school and it can be very hard on a Mom.
Kat
Zuzana said…
What a lovely post.
I am so sorry about the loss of your dog, that must have been devastating...
Likewise, I am sorry to hear about the complications of your daughters pregnancy, I hope she can get through this with your help.
Your sentiments about blogging and the quality of posts rings so true. I agree, not every post can be brilliant and appeal to everyone. This does not happen even to the most skillful writers.;) And it is after all a journal; the writing speaks foremost to ourselves.
Happy 2010 to you and yours,
xoxo
Zuzana
Michelle said…
Life is just so full of ups and downs that sometimes it seems hard to keep up. Sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. They become part of the family and I know she will be sorely missed.
Vee said…
So sorry on the loss of your little dog... I applaud your desire to get another. Wendy would surely approve.

Wow. What you had and now your daughter is dealing with sounds awful. My mother was terribly ill throughout her pregnancy with me, but it turned out to be gallbladder disease. I will be keeping your daughter and the wee one in prayer.

Your hubby is so going to appreciate you after your being gone for ten days, if he doesn't already. Ha! It's all going to be great.

Oh, I couldn't agree with you more about Brin's blog. She's an amazing writer and she's wonderfully transparent.
i am so sorry to hear about your sweet dog. they are
such a treasure.

i pray that your daughter gets past this rough patch soon and can enjoy the fun part of being pregnant!

i have really enjoyed your blog and will revisit frequently.

blessings,
lea
Melissa said…
My heart feels your loss for Wendy. I am so sorry. I know it does not help, but it was better to have her for a short time, than to never had known her at all.

She was a blessed doggie to have had you as her friend and "Mommie"

Love and blessings.

Melissa
Mama said…
Great post! Almost like a handwritten letter, catching up friends on the latest. I'm so sorry about your sweet pup; we've lost a couple of pets recently, and it just plain hurts.

Best wishes for your daughter as she battles this tough pregnancy. Will include her in my prayers.

A cruise? jealous over here!
So very sad to hear about your sweet dog...animals have such a WAY of bringing us joy and comfort.
Joolz said…
Happy New Year V!

I'm sorry you lost your sweet little dog, she looked a real cutie.

I do hope you and C have a wow of a time on your cruise - how exciting! Make sure you spoil yourselves rotten in those ten days that you are away.

Cheers - Joolz
KathyB. said…
I love reading what both of you write..and your daughter's wisdom in reminding you in your grief of what you do have reminds me of what we all have, we all have blessings we have taken for granted and a blog like yours helps!So sorry for your loss, a beloved pet is always missed terribly and I look forward to reading about Wendy when you're up to writing about her, and reading about the new little grandchild who is causing your daughter to gladly go through all this misery.

I had never heard about this extreme nausea before. Boy, being nauseous is worse for me than outright pain, so I really sympathize with her, and you.
Iron Needles said…
I am so sorry about the loss of your special little guy. Our furry friends leave giant holes in our lives.

My best to your daughter. Not a fun place, at all.
carla said…
I'm so sorry about you losing your Wendy.

We've lived out here on this country road for over 8 years now and have had many cats (nearly all were rescue ones); most of them have disappeared (we suspect the coyotes we hear howling at night) but our Martha Washington - a stunningly beautiful tuxedo cat - is the only one we've lost on the road. She was hit right in front of our house. The speed limit on our road is 20 m.p.h. but I can almost guarantee you someone was going faster than that.

I still miss her.

God bless you.

And I'm glad you said that every post doesn't have to be a prize winning essay. Mine aren't.

But I love reading both of yours and check nearly every day for a new one. Please write more often if you can.

And God bless your daughter.
Anonymous said…
Oh, V. I am so sorry for your loss. Only those who have deeply loved a pet of their own can truly understand the depth of grief that can be felt for a pet.

And I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's nausea. How awful to suffer with it constantly.

I hope you and C have a WONDERFUL time on your cruise and come back restored and refreshed. :)
Anonymous said…
Dee from Tennessee

Oh...hope your daughter feels better and so sorry she is suffering with this. Nausea - UGH, UGH, UGH.

And sorry about your pet...they steal bits of your heart, no doubt about it.

10 Days!!!! Woohoo!
Leslie said…
I am an RN and worked for many years in the Women's Unit and in Labor and Delivery. I know what you mean about the misunderstanding about Hyperemesis Gravidarum. I saw women with this condition suffering through a time that is supposed to be a wonderful, enjoyable time in one's life, pregnancy. It is not just the unpleasant morning sickness that most of us have had. It is waaay beyond that. It is scary and serious, needing medical intervention to preserve the health of the mother and her baby. I wish your daughter the best. It is a good thing that you provided some education about this complication.

I am so sorry about your dog. I can't even imagine how sad that must have been for you to lose her that way. Hugs to you.
Awww, I'm so sorry for your loss. A pet really does become a member of the family. My heart goes out to you.

Ya'll take care and have a blessed day!!!
jerriann said…
Hi, thank you coming by and leaving me a comment. I really enjoyed reading your post, I have sympathy for your daughter being sick, I too was extremely sick during the first four month of my last pregnancy. Morning, noon and night and everything in between. I was awful, but I dilevered boy-girl twins weighing in at, get ready, 6 lbs, 14 oz each. Um hm, that's right.

Have tons of fun on your trip.
Maria said…
I liked everything about your post - I am sad about your dog. I think it's a wonderful idea to adopt another one!
I guess many of us have experienced horrible morning sickness. But I thought I could endure anything in order to get that sweet little bundle in the end!

So glad that you girls are planning a cruise - it should be fun!

Enjoy!
Leann
Malinda said…
Wow, I didn't know there was a name for the unrelenting "all day and night long" sickness I had when I was pregnant. I was 105 lbs. when I became pregnant and 95 lbs after delivery. No wonder my twins were so premature! The doc was completely unimpressed with my condition and was disappointed that I was not having triplets. Poor doc.
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