Monday, January 28, 2013

Quick update

I wanted to stop in real quick to let you know the update on George, who had a visit to the vet today. It’s really no big deal – for now, anyway.

Last Wednesday, my husband and I noticed a very small bump on his face. Within four days it had grown to over three times the size and is soft to the touch. My husband, who loves this dog like there’s no tomorrow, was so upset and worried which is why I took the dog to the vet today just to put his mind at ease. He thought it was a tumor.

It appears to be what I suspected, which is an abscess. He’s on a strong antibiotic, and had a shot for the inflammation. We’ll keep an eye on it because it could be due to an old chipped tooth that he has. Chipped teeth are prone to bacterial infections and, although it’s a long shot, it could be that this is the issue.

If it is, they’ll have to put him under and remove the tooth.

 

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I had no intention of taking photos and showing you our dog’s lump. That sounds funny, reading this back. But if you look closely, you may notice it in the photo below.

 

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Under his eye,, you see where the white fur is, it’s sticking out on the right. He is in no pain at all and is happy and calm.

And he loves riding in the car with the window down as we go up the driveway.

 

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We were at Hopkins last week for an issue my husband has been having. He has gone deaf in the one ear where he had the radiation last fall. We’ve been trying to deal with it through a local ENT but it came time to call in the big guns. And luckily, they’re only an hour’s drive away.

I have hope now that some of his hearing can be restored. They said that they see this sort of thing all the time, when people have radiation to the head.

 

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On this snow day, which was really an ice morning which eventually warmed up, I made the most delicious potato soup. Seriously, I love this soup. I sprinkled cheese and a little bacon on mine and also some fresh parsley.

Here’s what my husband said about it: “It’s ok, I guess, but bacon is for breakfast.” I told myself that it was creamy and delicious and I thanked myself for making it. The only problem is that it’s not recommended if you’re trying to lose weight. Which is what I should be trying to do. Right now though, I’m into comfort and I’m not going to beat myself up about it.

Perfect Potato Soup

So bottom line – George is ok. Husband is ok. And I have enough soup to last a month.

Thanks for stopping by ~

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49 comments:

Deb said...

So happy that George is ok. We do worry about them when we love them so much. I think your soup sounds delicious even if it's not on the diet food list.

Cheryl said...

Kate,
I'm so happy that George is going to be fine! He is such a cutie!
I do understand the comfort food..... it looks so yummy!!
~Cheryl

Sweetpea said...

whew. Didn't realize it, but think I was holding my breath just a little bit. YAY, George...YAY hubs!

And I think I've mislaid your address? I'll be dashing right over to *assist* in the scarfing down of that soup. I don't even have snow and I still think it will cure every winter blah that ails me.

Keep the porch light on....I've a bit of a distance to go...
;>]

jinxxxygirl said...

I'm so glad everything turned out okay for hubby and pup! Daughter makes a wonderful potato soup...puts kale in it....wouldn't think i would like it but i do!!
Yours looks yummy....cheese and bacon !can't go wrong there....Hugs!deb

Sabrina Steyling said...

One of my friend's cats had an abscess not too long ago, but he was in pain with it, so I was so worried about George! Glad to know he's not in pain and is happy! Sweet puppy. <3

Michelle said...

Thanks for sharing your good news! As for the soup, the less he eats, the more YOU get. :-)

Artful Gathering said...

Glad all is well with your family. Your soups looks and sounds great! Yum.....

JaneK said...

Oh thanks for the update!!! Glad you got George on his way to healing again and a plan to get your hubby hearing again :-) our dog had many a lump removed and abscess drained and did just fine. Hopefully your George will not have to have an operation but if he does, he'll do great!! I'm glad you took him in. It's nice when the timing works out with work and vet visits. And that potato soup looks awesome. Tell your husband that bacon is most certainly not for breakfast!! (I'll let you decide which ear to tell him that in :) )

PS: love the mirror shots of George!

GailO said...

I'm super happy that your two boys have some good medical news:)

...and does PW cook anything that isn't super high in calories?!!

Veronica Roth said...

Hi Kate. Just landed on your blog...no idea from where...lol. Look at your lovely cuddle boy! I love him. In England we have neighbours who have border collies, some of them mad as a box of frogs. But Georgie look lovely. One of our cats, a stray who adopted us, needed some teeth out and, after some recovery, he’s a new cat and catches mice better than ever. He’s out British country cat. We also have Canadian city cats but they wouldn’t know what to do with a mouse if one waggled his tail at them. Potato soup sounds like a wonderfully warming idea. My grandmother used to make potato-leek soup. I still love that, with loads of garlic. (only thing is you have to make sure everyone eats it or else be prepared not to breathe for the rest of the day) Well, now that I’m here I’m going to go have a nice mooch around your lovely blog and get to know you.

Reena said...

Glad to hear everyone is going to be fine. And that soup and crunchy bread! All is good with the world!

Cloudia said...

Your final line is the finest display of savoir faire it has been my pleasure to enjoy in some time. Bless your two guys, you and SOUP!


Happy Aloha to YOU
from Honolulu,
Comfort Spiral
~ > < } } ( ° >

Cloudia said...

Ah! Mo` Bettha:

Savoir Vivre

- Literally, "knowing how to live" or knowing how to get the most out of life"

Brynwood Needleworks said...

Dear Kate:
I'm so glad that George and your hubby are ok. And, as far as I'm concerned, you just can never have enough bacon. Don't care what time of day, bacon is ok. (I rhymed and didn't even mean to. snort!)
Hope you have a great week.
xo
Donna and Tag

Bluebird49 said...

Poor Georgie@ I could see the abscess-but I'm thankful they can fix it--yes a chipped tooth, in humans, too can cause a lot of damage with infections. If the root gets a chip or crack in it--LOTS of trouble.
I hope they can fix your dearest's hearing--that has got to be a bummer.
The soup--that's really funny. Lsst night I was looking for potato soup recipes on the Net, and I decided I'd try Pioneer Woman's too, but today I didn't feel like going and getting all the fixings for it, but plan to as soon as I feel better. It looks seriously yummy. Bacon--a breakfast food? Oh no! It's an anytime food, but we'll just let him think that! Hope YOU are feeling well!

Em Parkinson said...

Great news about George, the soup looks fabulous, especially the bacon and fingers crossed for your husband's ear. I lost a lot of the hearing in one ear a couple of years ago and no one can explain why. They offered me a hearing aid which I refused and I've just adapted over time. I do hope they sort it out for him as it's just another thing to cope with isn't it!

wildbanshee said...

Me thinks George is required a new toy out of all he is having to go through. lol.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Has the husband never had a bacon cheeseburger? scallops wrapped in bacon? ... how about chocolate covered bacon (there is such a thing, I swear).

I make similar recipe and we love it too, BUT.. it's so freak'n fattening.. heart attack soup, lol.

George's expresion in his eyes in that second photo.. I just love it.

Peppermint Ph.D. said...

My Layla had an abscess once behind her eye in the orbital socket (inside her head). Can you even imagine?? She had punctured the space with a stick that she carried around in her mouth, and the hidden wound had gotten infected before it had time to heal. We didn't know anything about it until it was obvious she was in excruciating pain and almost lethargic. We rushed her to the Animal ER thinking she had been poisoned...one of the scariest drives of my life. The vet on duty that night is the son of some friends of ours and he is incredible. He diagnosed my girl when he tried to look into her mouth and found that she could only painlessly open her mouth so far. He doped her up that night and put her on heavy IV antibiotics. By morning would tell us whether or not the antibiotics would do the trick or if surgery would be needed. My daughters and I cried all the way home to see our girl in such misery. $700 later she was back to her normal self without surgery! Even though I would have paid for the surgery somehow if it had been needed, I'll let you imagine how much that was going to cost...to open up my German Shepherd's head and clean out the orbital space behind her eye. We don't play with sticks anymore...just sayin' :/ Hang in there, George!

Kerri Farley said...

George OK - Hubby Ok - Soup is Wonderful = Life is Good!

Never beat yourself up Kate!!

Debra R said...

What wouldn't we do for our pups? One week ago today our 9 year old Westie, Kady, had surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus. Fortunately we could afford the surgery whereas due to the declining economy many people cannot. We noticed a slight limp and favoring of her back paw. A quick trip to the vet verified the problem and after a 12 week recovery she will be running and playing with her two younger siblings. Glad it isn't more serious for George and hoping your hubs' hearing is restored. Best wishes to you, Kate.

Connie in Hartwood said...

Good to hear that your husband and George are both okay. I think you just provided the recipe for tonight's dinner at my house! My husband is out of town, and I like to put on a pot of soup while I'm without him, so I can eat whenever I feel like it.

Two years ago, when we were shopping for a bakery to make our daughter's wedding cake, one of the samples we tried was called a Man Cake. It was a dark chocolate cake with bacon buttercream filling. Such a seemingly strange combination, but it was totally delicious!! My motto is, "Everything is better with bacon ... and guacamole."

Enjoy the warmer temps for the next couple of days!

Nellie said...

It's good to hear that George is going to be all right. There is nothing like potato soup for true comfort food!

JC said...

I am so glad that George will be ok. It's worse, I think, when our beloved furballs are sick. They can't talk to us and we worry so.

Also, so sorry about your h and the hearing issue. I do hope they can help him.

Been busy with life so I hadn't stopped by the blogging world and missed that you had a snow day.

Stay warm,

JC

RURAL said...

That looks like amazing potato soup...there, feel good about it.

Glad to hear that they are going to try and fix up the hearing in your husbands ear. I had no idea that was a side effect.

And George, poor baby, if he isn't in pain, that's great...he's a love.

Let's hope that the antibiotics work quickly.

Jen

The Weaver of Grass said...

Sounds as though your husband is like mine. ok I guess is as near as you can get to praise!!

Hope George is soon restored to full health and hope your husband's hearing problem is treatable.

mudmaven said...

So glad to hear that they are both okay. Hope they both continue to improve! That soup looks absolutely divine - it's cold, snowy and icy here today - a perfect day for that soup! Thanks! ~chris

The JR said...

Hopefully those will knock it out. We all love that guy like nobody's business too.

My name is Riet said...

Hopefully dear George and your husband soon will be alright..that soup sounds delicious, . Love that recipe.

Hilary said...

Thank goodness about George.....his face is too beautiful to be messin' with.
I just this minute finished whipping up potato leek soup.
It's a wintry day thing.

Linda said...

Yay for happy endings!

Ellen said...

Glad to hear that George does not have a serious problem. Though we all know that all problems are serious. I had an abscess after a tooth extraction and wound up with a lump like George has - in my cheek - it looked like I had a shooter marble under my skin. In my case, the tooth was gone so it meant putting in a drain and antibiotics.

So sorry to hear about your husband's latest issue. It seem so unfair that some people get one problem after another. You are both in my prayers.

I have made that potato soup twice. Delish. So much so that even my nephew asked for the recipe. And he is the asst. general manager of a restaurant so he eats well.

beth said...

thanks for the update....i was thinking of george since our grand-dog went to the vet today after running into a wall....now he has a "muscle issue" and they gave him pain pills....poor thing.

i'm so glad george is ok...and that your hubby is ok and that soup.....oh wow, yum yum yum !!!
xo

Christie - Fine Lines said...

On may way home today I was thinking about potato soup and how much I would love some for dinner. I ended up making a shrimp salad instead, but after seeing this recipe, it is DEFINITELY going to be potato soup tomorrow -- just have to stop and get some milk and cream. YUM!! Can't wait!! THanks.

Anonymous said...

You have been busy with doctor appointments.. So happy to hear that George is okay and also that your husband's hearing could be restored. It gets tiring to have to yell to communicate. Oh, and I think that the bacon looks delicious. Never deny yourself a bit of comfort food when you need it most in life. I work at losing weight as well and sometimes I stumble and eat things I shouldn't... we only live once and spoiling ourselves is sometimes key to being happy. xox

Candace said...

Good news on both (all?) counts.

Anna Nemoy said...

Nice to hear that everything is ok.
The soup looks so tasty! And very creative images by the way.

thotlady said...

I am so glad you updated us on George, I don't know him personally, but since I am a regular reader, I feel like he's part of the family. I am glad your husband may get some of his hearing back. I am sure not hearing out of one ear can be very annoying.

I love potato soup, so thanks for the recipe.

Anonymous said...

Well you know me, I'd have taken him straight to the vet also. Poor fella, though good that he's not in any discomfort. Hope they can sort it out.

CJ x

altar ego said...

So glad for the good report on George. I think of him as one of my extended family, so I let out a sigh of relief I didn't know was in me!

The soup looks fab. I love potato soup, but resist it because of the carbs. But this is winter, after all, and my husband loves potato soup, so I think I'll just say, "carbs, schmarbs" and give it a try. As for bacon, we were just talking about making a shirt that reads, "I speak bacon." Sorry your husband doesn't feel that way. His loss!

Be well. You are appreciated.

Daryl said...

oh George do not fret, Rose once decided to bite my ring ... got her canine caught and cracked .. at some point it broke off .. and then some time after that it got infected .. she had it pulled ... never seemed to stop her ....

the other evening Toonman made some mac&cheese. i said do you want some bacon with that? he said 'bacon is for breakfast' ... i didnt bother asking if BLT sandwiches were for breakfast as well ... sometimes you choose your battles

Mental P Mama said...

Oh no! {{{{George}}}} {{{{{Kate}}}}}

Anonymous said...

OMG! I have missed so much on your blog...the photos are so beautiful, I started tear up...yikes! Love the bird shots and the frost on the window is stunning. Poor George...but he is so handsome and happy...wish I could hug him! And super happy to hear you made it to the hearing specialist and heard something positive. Cannot wait to hear how things progress! (Hmmm, lots of 'hears' here - LOL) I love coming here! (Oh, there's that word again.) Hugs to you!

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Unknown said...

George is ok, husband is ok....you are fabulous!......smiles

Dianne said...

I'm so glad both husband and George are OK
tell George I get abcesses like that and no one lets me ride with my head out the window

soup looks amazing!!
enjoy

Anonymous said...

I hope your husband's hearing will be restored.
I made the exact same soup last night. I loved it. I normally cook potato soup from a different recipe, but this was yummy!

Lisa Gordon said...

So glad that your husband and George are both okay, Kate. This soup looks wonderful. Perfect dinner in this weather (gotten VERY cold here, again).

Mary said...

Glad everyone is OK. Your soup looks wonderful! I may ned to try that this week. Everything's better with bacon. ;) xoxo