Doggie Dilemmas

I seriously think that my dog is depressed. I don't know what else to call it. Despite the fact that she is an outstanding dog, her fabulous bloodlines appear tainted at times...you see, as a German Shepherd breed, her ears are guaranteed to be up, pointy and, you know, German Shepherd- looking. But frequently (and recently, all the time) only one ear is pointy and the other ear just flops down to the side. It makes her look kind of sad, or even like (should I say it?)...a mutt.

I must first say, that Katie is an outstanding dog, bred for good looks and temperament. She is beautiful, and extremely obedient. She understands her masters and will do whatever we say (she even obeys the 3 year old). "Come here, sit, lay down, go away, stop sniffing me!, etc" She is the most obedient dog I've seen (for as little training as we are able to put into her). In addition, she keeps us active. We are never at a loss for things to do, because she drags so much dirt and hair around the house, that dusting and vacuuming have become a daily chore. Also, we are constantly seeking ways to keep her entertained. She loves to play tag and hide-n-seek in the house. And she can demolish $20 worth of doggie toys in less than 10 minutes (I'm totally serious about that). No rubber or stuffed toy is safe. And, the girl is a serious food disposal---she can tear up hock bones, deer meat, and fresh salmon faster than you can blink.

Back to the point, Katie's ears are the topic of frequent conversation around here. "Gee girl, get your ears up, you look like a sissy." or "Aww look, her ears are down. Is she exhausted?" and just recently, "I totally think that she is sad, the one ear is just droopy all the time." On a walk, it is just plain embarrassing if your GSD has sloppy ears!

It seems very odd that with so many other pressing topics to discuss, we will mope around and lament about a dog's ears. However, just like anything amiss with your own children, you worry about your dog and if something is wrong. No one else will understand this of course, because just like your children, no one else can comprehend or love them like you do.

As a plus, she does have a written "guarantee" that her ears will be up by a certain age. Jason teased her last night and told her we wanted our money back....poor girl, I'm sure she was totally insulted. I thought about that and how ridiculous it is....that you would take an animal into your family, let her sleep at your feet, eat from your plate, allow her to protect your butt, and then say "no good, I'd like a refund please." It's ludicrous...we would never return her!

Last night, it became so distressing (the floppy ear) that we began to google solutions to her auricle (you can fix it you know, with a bit of masking tape and a spongy pink curler). It seems simple enough. Insert the pink spongy curler into the ear so that it stands upright, then tape it up....I just can't see how she would tolerate that. And instead of a nice pointy ear, I would find the pink blob shredded to bits around the house.

This morning however, I was relieved to see that both ears were up (and for a long time). After romping and sprinting through the icy backyard like a crazed beast, she came in, ears up and pointy, ready for the world. Thus, my theory....she is depressed by this winter weather and is longing for the green and outdoor activities of Spring...sick of being cooped up in this house and was refreshed this morning to hear the birds singing their spring-like song.

So, I will save the worrying for another day and test this theory. By the end of April, if the floppy ear isn't 100% perfect, out comes the spongy pink curler! I feel your pain pup, I am yearning for the sun to warm my skin and the earth to give forth new life. Soon, we will run and play in the fresh green grass. Don't worry Katie-girl, floppy ear or not, you are ours forever...guarantees are crazy...nothing in life can be guaranteed.

Lydia's dance recital at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art: CNY Celebration. For a 3 year old, she was fabulous! No tears, paid attention, remembered most of the moves, did not fall down, and no costume mishaps...yea! Check out the cutest bunny at center stage :)

Xin Nian Kuai Le (新年快乐) Happy Chinese New Year!

Me: "What do you want to wear to church today Lydia?"
Her: "Pants and a shirt, like the boys!"
Ugh...I thought...this is not good.
Me: "Oh don't you remember, it's Chinese New Year! Why don't you wear some of your Chinese clothes?"
Me: "Chinese New Year? Yea! Yes, I will wear my Chinese clothes."

Whew, a sigh of relief. The Year of the Tiger begins on a happy note in the Kemper house. Well, not really I guess...if you count that we never actually made it to church, due to: late showers, spending too much time fluffing freshly washed girlie hair, ironing boys' shirts, searching the house for belts and shoes...and, oh yes Jason tripped on a toy on the staircase, sprained his ankle, and proceeded to ruin the spiritual atmosphere with very dramatic ranting.

We piled into the van at exactly 10:05, which means already LATE for church, and we weren't even there yet. I really dislike being late. I mean really...especially when it is impossible to make a covert entrance. People at our church insist on filling the pews from the back...meaning any late comers have to file up to the front, making a very noticable and dramatic arrival. I just can't do it.

All dressed up, nowhere (on-time) to go...I seriously thought about driving around town until we found a church that didn't start until 11:00. However, an unfamiliar church is similar to being late (in how it makes you feel), so the ultimate decision was made...(terrible)...we instead headed down to PF Chang's (shh, don't tell our pastor that we skipped and instead indulged in lettuce wraps and shrimp wontons!)

All spiritual mindset was not lost, however. Serious theological discussion did take place in the van (about what, I can't remember). But, the most meaningful moment was Sam's description of the time Moses had to hold up his arm/staff in order for the Isrealites to win the battle. If he put his arm down, they would start to lose. And his arm was so tired that Joshua and Aaron had to hold it up for him, so that they wouldn't perish!

Ah, the lesson of the day...straight from the 9 year old...persist and do what you are supposed to do, God will hold you up, and He will work it out and fight the battles for you. In the end, you will succeed in what he has given you. You may get tired, you may stumble, you may feel like quitting...but God has the plan, and you have a job to do.


Wishing you much good fortune in the Year of the Tiger...also prosperity, persistence, and punctuality ;)

New Day, New Diagnosis

Today was filled with more surprises (nothing earth shattering), but actually the news is better about Jack's eye condition!   

On Monday, Dr. Capone was certain that the condition was a genetic disorder which results in deterioration of the retina due to a shortage (or lack of) the "glue" substance that the body creates to hold the retina layers together.  This condition is passed from mothers to their sons, thus all of my boys might have been affected, and my nephews/male cousins as well.  There is no treatment/cure for this eye disease and leads to a lifetime of vision problems that cannot be corrected to 20/20.  AND, doc told Jack that he could never play contact sports :(  BUT, call off those eye doctor appts, sisters!  This diagnosis is no longer!

Jack had a fitful sleep last night.  He tossed and turned and talked out.  At one time, he was having a conversation with someone in the dream  world and was explaining his eye problem to them..."Glasses will be good for me, but they won't help me" he told them.  :( 

The purpose of today's visit to the surgical center was for Dr. Capone to confirm his suspicions by viewing jack's eyes while under anesthesia.  After he put Jack under, he came out and discussed more thoroughly the ultrasound pictures that they had taken on Mon and gave a more confident explanation that he was sure it was X-linked Retinoschesis.  He was going to take more pictures and look more closely at the extent of the damage to the retina.  I sat there watching the other sleepy parents.  One couple looked distraught after Dr. Capone talked to them, others dozed.  I'm not sure what we looked like....on our first trip, the front desk workers asked us if we were from out of the country (?!)....was it our "look" or our accent that gave it away?  Wonder where they thought we were from...did we look Euro or Canadian? :)

To my surprise, Dr. Capone emerged again after only about 15 minutes and called us back to a private room.  He had a look of concern and I started to worry a bit.  His first words, "Well, it wasn't what I thought it was." was actually somewhat comforting and also freaky at the same time.  "It is not the genetic disorder that I've been describing to you in detail for the past 2 days, but it does present with similar visual characteristics." I realized later that his look of concern, was really a bit of embarrassment that he had misdiagnosed in the first place.

SO, enter diagnosis #2, which is:  Intermediate Uveitis, or more specifically Pars Planitis.  It is an idiopathic (unidentified cause), very uncommon, condition in which the body begins to attack itself and causes an inflammatory response, in this case, in the eye.  The result is a haze in the gel that fills the eye, and inflammatory debris settles in the bottom portion of the eyeball, creating a "snowbank" look and also cystic-like changes in the retina layers (which was similar to the other disorder).  Bottom line, the debris causes the blurry vision and the cysts created the initial retinal bleed...AND, the "snowbank" must be eliminated to prevent more damage.

The good news...my other boys and the rest of my family are not affected and there is treatment for this condition.  AND, more great news, this disorder, once treated, will be gone with no residual vision loss (hopefully, any recurrence is treated successfully with drops) And, he can play sports :) The not so great news is the treatment.  He's starting with steroid drops 6x a day (they sting), and then Jack must return here in 6 weeks to see if the "snowbank" has dissolved or decreasing...at that time Dr. Capone will probably do procedures on both eyes to get rid of the junk in there...they freeze it out!  So, all around this is a more positive diagnosis, but with a bit of upcoming discomfort.

Jack emerged from the anesthesia just fine; however, his eyes were a bit sore.  He looked so pathetic laying there, not able to open his eyes :(  Dr. Capone felt very badly that he had told Jack, "no pain today"....but then when he was in there and checking the underneath side (and saw the snowbank) he had to prod and squeeze on his eyeball a bit to get a better view...ouch!

In all, our doc was SO thorough and quite humble in explaining the new information to us.  He spent more time with us than any other doctor has...ever, I think.  What a great experience we have had here...I'm so thankful :)

Thanks for all of the prayers everyone!  We have received what we came for, and that is a proper diagnosis and plan for treatment.  The goal then, is to eliminate the present cause and prevent further damage.  Detroit, we'll be back in 6 weeks...please no snow next time.

Passing the Time

The time here has been going more quickly than I thought.  Monday, our appt lasted most of the morning and then Jack was super-antsy.  We found a bowling alley nearby and then went to the mall.  We thought he would really enjoy the time alone with us...but he's being CRAZY!  I think he is trying to take in the eye problems and what the doc has told us so far.   We've also crept him into the fitness center to help release some energy! 

Today, we went down to the lobby to play cards and watch the snow swirl around the windows....that was after we aborted our trip to the Henry Ford Museum and scarcely made it back to the safety of our lodging.  We started out with high hopes...to see some cars (woo hoo).  But, as we got further into downtown, cars were flying all over the highway, smashing into the sidewalls.  Despite my best efforts to remain calm, the high-pitched complaining emerged.  I couldn't believe that we were risking our lives to go to a museum.  On a normal snowy day, I don't even leave my house except in emergencies.  Much to my surprise, Jason agreed to turn back.  About ten minutes at crawling speed on smaller highways and side streets, the radio announced that I-94 (our previous path) was now closed due to a huge pile-up and flipped semi.....a narrow (and harrowing) escape!

Today, a two hour nap and tonight, The Office :)  to the hospital at 6:45 in the morning for more testing under anesthesia.  They took our blood on Mon to do some genetic workups....hey, I didn't know I would need tests...needles aren't my favorite.  Honestly, if they could seep the liquid out of my retinas to put into his, I would do it in an instant.  If it were only that simple...it appears there is no fix for this problem.  I will work tomorrow on explaining it more thoroughly....now off to sleep.

Flashback...Travels With Technology

On our second day of travel (from Springfield to Detroit) I got really good with Jason's Droid.  Google maps and GPS location finder are totally cool, but takes a little practice to add-in points of interest or to veer off the path (and not get lost).  I sadly tossed out the printouts from MapQuest at the next gas station break (that is so 2007-2008, I guess).  Beforehand feeling so prepared, I now realized that I was a waster of tree pulp and totally out-of-date. 

As the GPS co-pilot, I was intent on keeping us on target for the final destination; but my propensity to veer off the plan often crept up.  I would see an intruiging billboard boasting the finest little winery in southern Michigan, or even better, the one that said "Chocolate Garden---next exit, then left 1 mile"  Now, I'm not really a chocolate lover, but anyplace that combines the names of tastiness and beauty in one title, must have something sweet and irrestible to look at and consume.  When I mentioned it though, the guys in the car only moaned. Jason did pretend to be somewhat interested (at least for a few seconds)..."Do you really want me to exit?" He must have been clued in when I said "Chocolate Garden, next exit" ??   I pretty soon figured out the male ploy to avoid the time-delay.  You know, "the Dad-trucker-style-traveler" emerges covertly, which is "don't stop until you get there."  He hesitates, and continues the speed limit, until we get right to the exit.  "Here it is!" I yell. "What?  This one? Are  you sure?" ....all the while, we blow past it....so wrong.  I see the secret smile..."Oops, did you want to go there?" he says, and happily keeps on.

I did manage to get off the path in Ann Arbor....the crucial place one MUST go to when in MI, and that is Zingerman's Deli.   I have several times sent Zing's yummy deli-style gift baskets, but never had the chance to taste the to-die-for food myself.  "We HAVE to stop at Zingerman's!" I plead....I snatched up the Droid (which now was becoming my fast friend) and poked in a search for Z's.  The diversion from the Interstate was clearly so easy that even Jack could navigate his way there, so they only complained a bit.  I tried to entice by oozing about the imported cheeses, the fantastic home-baked breads and sweet treats, and the New York style deli sandwiches (made to order and to perfection).  We found the deli, no problem, and emerged with on a few embarrassed complaints from them as I pulled out the camera.  Boy, did their attitudes change when they viewed all of the luscious food offerings!  We managed to taste nearly everything of worth in the Deli, and came away with a basket full of yummys to eat at the hotel:  creamy French Gouda, Italian hard salami, a fresh-baked crusty baguette, a nosher-sized sourcream coffeecake, and a pile of heavenly brownies.  My dream, to eat at the infamous Zingerman's...fulfilled :)

The Droid brought us all the way from KC to our hotel lobby with no issues (Jason only argued with it one time) and since then, we have used it all over Detroit....can I even remember the days of planning a roadtrip with a paper map?  I tried to get Jack interested in plotting his route with a marker on a real map, "Why would I do that? I can see us moving right on the screen.  Aren't we the little blue dot moving along the purple line?"  That seems wrong.  Will my little guy ever learn to read a map or plan a route on his own, or will his sense of direction always be governed by an electronic droid-friend?  If his satellite crashes, then what?  I love the technology, but totally believe in the old-school method...just as accurate, only takes a little longer (and some brain power).  Seems a bit wrong to avoid thinking about how you will get somewhere...perhaps Jack's generation will grow into early-dementia from lack of brain use...relying too much on technology.  Anyway, we got here no problem...that's the point I guess :))

Yes! Finally some answers....

Here's the quick version of what we found out today.  GREAT doctor---pediatric/genetic retina specialist and prof.  He identified it right away and spent much time explaining the diagnosis to us.  They will be doing some genetic testing and some more testing on Wed under anesthesia.  I'll update more later...Jack is already sick of the hotel room and he is whining VERY loudly about getting out of here...going to find something to do.  See below for the diagnosis:

"Juvenile X-linked Retinoschisis" is a genetic disease of the retina and affects primarily boys and young men. It is estimated that retinoschisis affects one in 5,000 to 25,000 individuals, primarily young males. Affected males are usually identified in grade school, but occasionally are identified as young infants.

Retinoschisis is a disease of the nerve tissue in the eye. It affects the retinal cells in the macula (the central fixation point of vision at the back of the eye). Retinoschisis is technically a form of macular degeneration. However there are different types of macular degeneration and many people diagnosed with macular degeneration do not have retinoschisis.



Retinoschisis is a genetic eye disease that affects the vision of men who inherit the disease from their mothers. This condition frequently starts during childhood and is officially called Juvenile X-linked Retinoschisis. Affected men inherit this trait from their mothers who carry the condition but retain normal vision.

This Road I'm On

Gray and a bit cold, but absolutely no precipitation in view (or hiding on the road). I'm very happy to say that we are off to Detroit...with no bad weather! When you prepare for the worst, you are pleasantly surprised when things turn out fine :) With a trip full of uncertainty, I'm thankful that bad weather isn't a part of the journey.

In preparing for this 12-hour voyage, Jack packed his bags 3 days ago, stuffed full of Lego's, army guys, books, drawing paper, stuffed animals, a 1-inch packet of homework, and snacks of course...4 Reese's bars, 3 packs of gum, and who knows what else. I happened to find in the bottom of the suitcase...a bag of miniature marshmallows! (just in case?)

I'm sure a few people think we are wacky, but we opted to rent a car. We couldn't swing the Hummer, but did manage the sweet Cadillac crossover....thanks to the sweet agent guy at Budget. After hearing the purpose of our trip, our rental transformed from "yeah, I don't know what kind of car we'll have for you" to "oh yes, I see here that you'll be in the Cadillac...nice. It always helps to inquire and tell people what you want :) Seriously, not like we were renting just to drive around KC, traveling 1400 miles necessitates comfort and safety! And, crazy to trust the trip to our 10-12 year old, 200K mile vehicles, when you can have a 2010 with no issues for the price of a few dinners out.

After picking up the rental, Jack is officially on his way to find out why he can't see and to possibly have retina surgery.

Just like a kid, after a couple of hours outside of KC, Jason got bored and began messing around with all of the buttons and dials on the dash..."Hmm, what's this?" he says. Beep...and a silky, female voice says, "OnStar at your service." Me.."That's the OnStar button!" Him.."oh, what's this red one?" as he pushes it. The smooth voice again, "Connecting to OnStar Emergency." What!? Geez, he dialed 911. "This is OnStar, what's your emergency?" Gosh, what do you say? I was having flashbacks. Um sorry, we don't really have an emergency...unless you count that the 7 year-old has to use the restroom and we are in the middle of Missouri nowhere. We frantically pushed every button nearby, but couldn't figure out how to hang up. We apologized to the woman in the ceiling, explaining our rental situation! That kept us busy for the next hundred miles, deciding what types of emergencies that one could announce in their car....and also discussed how long it would take our kids to push that button if it were in the driveway longer than a few minutes ;) So far it took the Dad one hour to find it :)

Typical...

Am I surprised that our entire driving path to Detroit will be mauled by snow and ice, just as we are preparing to leave? I don't typically view myself as a pessimist; however, I have secretly known all along that this would happen. It is as I suspected...we will battle the weather in order to get Jack safely to his mysterious appointments. Sadly, not surprised at all :(