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LisaB

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About LisaB

  • Birthday 08/13/1962

Previous Fields

  • Real Name
    Lisa

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Female
  • Location
    Bettendorf, Iowa (IA/IL Quad Cities)
  • Interests
    I am a homemaker, community volunteer, and greyhound adoption freelancer. My husband, Kevin, is a Family Physician (D.O.); we have no skin-kids. We were blessed to share our lives with two wonderful Cairn Terriers, Roxanne and Lucille, for fourteen years before our first Greyhound, Sweetie, came to live with us in the fall of 2005. We've since adopted three more, two have gone to the Bridge, and our fifth will be joining us on Memorial Day 2016.

LisaB's Achievements

Grey Pup

Grey Pup (4/9)

  1. Hi! All will be well! Our 13-yr-old, Sweetie, just had her left eyeball removed on October 15th. She had a teeny, tiny growth inside her eyeball that you could only see in a darkened room with the light just right. We and our regular vet had been just watching it for at least a couple of years. This spring, it started getting bigger, but still didn't seem to be bothering her. As it got larger, she must have been losing vision, and starting compensating for it. For example, she'd pause and tap the doorframes with her nose before going through. In late Sept, early Oct, it started looking "bulge-y" and soon after that, looked red, like it was full of blood. Took her to see the ophthalmologist, who--for a substantial fee--looked, measured pressures, and confirmed that it would need to come out and that my regular vet should do it because he'd be too expensive. SO...that happened. And he DID insert a prosthetic, silicone eyeball form so that it wouldn't take on a concave shape as it healed. Recovery was smooth, even though she HATED the cone. But as stated by others...it's mandatory. One rub or swipe at it could do damage. I mostly kept it on her except when all four of our houndies were napping AND I was in the room. Or if she was going outside by herself, just to give her a break. The lab results were that she had a ciliary body adenoma--a benign neoplasm. Whew. I cried when the doc called with those results because I'd convinced myself it was some horrible cancer that was in her brain and going to be a death sentence. Anyway...that had caused secondary glaucoma which was blocking proper lymph drainage. There were also changes to the optic nerve head because of the swelling, etc. Diane...I'd be interested in hearing your story about the prosthesis...because...the one trouble she has had might be related to that. Last week, she had a little drainage from the inside corner of the incision, and I thought it might be just like the regular stuff, if there was still a tear duct there. But then one evening it looked a little bit swollen (like the size of a pencil eraser, right there at the corner); but then the next morning, it wasn't swollen, but I'd already made an appointment. Well, sometime on the way to the vet that morning, it started oozing some blood. SO, both the regular vet and surgeon looked at it, decided to put her on antibiotics for two weeks and watch it. Which we're in the middle of now. It hasn't drained at all anymore, or looked swollen. But they said that if it doesn't stay good, they may need to go back in and check the prosthetic. I haven't been on GreyTalk much in a long, long time...I don't remember how to post pictures. Are you on Facebook? There are a few there. My user name there is Lisa Collins Blechle--send me a friend request if you'd like, but most of my pics are Public. It was pretty jarring to see her when she first came out of surgery, but we got used to it, and now she's just our same ol' sassy, demented, self...our one-eyed wonder dog!
  2. Hi, all! I came to this discussion via Jennifer's post on Facebook...love all the learning! :-) You may know this, but just in case you don't... Stacy Junk passed away this last fall. Here is an obituary . I just thought that, when communicating with others in the industry in pursuit of info, you'd want to be aware.
  3. Came looking for input/reassurance for the switch. We finally have a Costco within reasonable driving distance (just under an hour), and we will (fingers crossed) be adding a fourth houndie to our pack on Sunday. So I am in the process of switching to ND from TOTW. HUGE $aving$, even counting the membership fee and the extra gas money. Thanks, all for your input...even 2+ years later, it's helping! :-)
  4. LisaB

    Moto Hot Rod

    Like PrairieProf, I'm having a hard time grasping the fact that Hot Rod is gone from this earth--even having had the privilege of being there for his passing. Now, reading everyone's post here, I feel like I really need to tell you about the amazing woman we all know here as 'greytgrandma'. Her son got his own home with a fenced yard and fulfilled his long-time dream of adopting a greyhound. But this wonderful houndie Hot Rod also became the conduit for her jumping right into the WHOLE new world of greyhounds. She started helping us at the adoption kennel by sewing crate blankets and then becoming a dedicated, dependable, enthusiastic Meet & Greeter--where I have no doubt that he inspired MANY, MANY adoptions--to now helping with long-distance dog hauls. I don't think she'd disagree that she was pretty shy & quiet at first, but I have been really tickled to discover how smart, talented, and funny she is--in person and through her photography and posts and crafts, gardening and culinary skills. That she got blessed with a wonderful daughter-in-law who is a great wife and dog-mom is no surprise--just rewards for how much GOOD she puts out into the universe! I am deeply indebted to Hot Rod, the ultimate chill-hound, for bringing a GREYT forever-friend into my life. He may have only run three races, but his HUGE impact-- here in our neck-of-the-woods and world-wide online--as the catalyst for SO many good things--make him every bit as much a champion as the richest stakes winners! Hug your hounds. Adopt another one. Go buy a big box of Milkie Bones and take them to your local shelter. Celebrate all the good...I'm gonna try. And let's keep supporting everyone working so hard to defeat these damn cancers. Love you, Hot Rod. And you, too, Vic. Big Hugs.
  5. Got your FB messages...anything you need, any time you need it, just call.
  6. LisaB

    Jc's Havok

    There's nothing I can say to you, Cully, that I didn't say on the phone last night. But to anyone else reading this (and I know a lot of you already know this)--don't breeze past those black, scarred, bare-butt, half-tailed houndies at the adoption kennel without taking a minute to look into those beautiful, golden-brown eyes and introducing yourself. You could be missing out on a pearl like Havok. He wiggled his way into my heart early-on when he arrived at the shelter, but I was still holding on to that notion of "only two dogs," (and there was another guy in my heart, too, who ended up breaking that resolve shortly thereafter). As frustrating as it was to see him stay at the shelter for a year, it was just as thrilling to see him go to Cully's "five-star home for houndies" when the time was eventually right! He was a brilliant Ambassadog at Meet'n'Greets. F***ing Cancer!!! See you again, someday, Havok! Love you, sweet boy! (Cully, I watched those couple of videos on his Greyhound-Data races page again; couldn't help but think it's how he's doing now--full-tailed, full-stride, pain-free and full of himself and the world--and looking greyt in that red #1 silk!)
  7. Just checking in. You know I'm here--and can be there--if/when you need it.
  8. Sorry I just found this; hoping I can alleviate some worry for you. Your description sounds exactly like what our Moody has been having. The first was back in 2009; had the ones earlier this year removed and tested. Diagnosis is HAMARTOMA, rather than hemangioma. Check it out. Just found another one on him today. Just leaving it alone, if it breaks open, keeping it clean and putting a little antibiotic cream on it, and putting a t-shirt on him. They "re-absorb" and all is well. We're supposed to go have them looked at again if their nature changes or frequency greatly increases. (I have pics, but I'm not sure I remember how to post pics here; I do remember that it was kind of "involved.")
  9. Yeah! Good to be starting at "normal" --hope all goes well! Looks like the temperature has crept above freezing, so that the precipitation we get tonight is minimal, and the sun shines as forecasted for the next few in case she's feelin' yucky.
  10. Yep, to all of it, and this part is why I really didn't look around too much before choosing to go where we are now. With mine getting older and pretty much every vet in town making referrals to these guys for "the big stuff" anyway...no brainer. BUT--THIS was something interesting: when I'd mention that I was thinking about going there for ALL of my kids' care, I had several people who said I couldn't because "they only do specialized, referral stuff." SO...let's just let everyone keep thinking that, okay, so we never have a problem getting an appointment! ALL OF YOU reading this are sworn to secrecy, okay?!
  11. W :gh_run2 :gh_runner KC Kristin, I'm not sure if it's me you're referring to (the friend who made this switch), but I did make it, and felt the same way you do. He's a great vet, so good with every dog I ever had in there--and you know that, for awhile, that was many, many more than just my three. I loved how he was always so excited and interested in learning about new things I'd come across and sharing cool/interesting things he'd learned. Very thoughtful about approaching each dog's problem individually, it seemed, not just slapping out standard protocols. As great as he is, though, the only reason I was making the longer drive out there was because I thought it was the right, reciprocal thing to do--even though I'd heard a story about the receptionist before I'd even set foot in there for the first time. But, yes--when that whole situation (that could be most efficiently described as "the mean girls' bullying") came to a head (almost a YEAR ago?! Wow)--and his receptionist had played a part in all of that for quite some time--I couldn't stay there. Sad. In a lot of ways. Other than wishing the "new guys" had a chiropractor and accupuncturist on staff, I think they're great. I was excited to find that Dr. Bahns was there, too; she's our "regular," but I think we've seen everyone else. Well, not the surgeons and, frankly, I'd like to keep it that way! Just do it. He obviously still has plenty of clients, and you can put the extra gas money in the "Vet Bills" part of your budget!
  12. And she'll be riding on a big, bright cloud of love and admiration gathered from far & wide. Wishing you peace... (I'm so blessed to not be a "card-carrying" member of this group, but am SO comforted by knowing it's here.)
  13. Mine have their bowls raised on little tables my dad built for his "granddogs" that are about 12" high. Haven't had any trouble in 6 years. I agree with the Lisa B. above --when mine try to eat from floor level (or pick up rabbit poo in the yard), it seems very awkward for them, they look uncomfortable and their legs tremble if they try to stay in that position very long.
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