Everything Sven

09/02/2026

Contrary to popular belief, it's not just operating rooms that service dogs aren't allowed into. Despite Federal Laws, there's a lot of Hospital Policy rules as well., regarding patient safety and sanitation. in treatment areas, like eye doctors, dentists, etc.

I had to go for a CT scan and supposedly metal interferes with the imaging, I thought that pertained more to MRIs, but it is what it is. I would have had to bring a friend or pay a sitter to wait with him in the waiting area and then worry about their needs or if they're being hassled, etc.

While I need my service dog and enjoy my independence in daily life, I didn't make a big issue out of this. In response, they offered me a wheelchair ride if I needed it, I declined, because getting whipped and zipped around at Mach II down bright and shiny hallways by a younger whipper snapper undoubtedly would have just made me sicker. I opted to get there on my own.

And truth be told, wait times could be long, lugging water and being mindful of toileting a dog in the rain at an urban hospital on someone else's time frame can be a real hassle especially with Sven just coming off of medicates for his ears, nature's call is still a bit unpredictable. I have more peace of mind to just let him sit one out at home in relative comfort and safety. I could see him on our security monitors anyway. and came home to pick him up afterwards.

Currently awaiting the scan results. to see if surgery is needed. again.

08/31/2026

Glorious New England Weather Day and we made it out to the again.

Picture of our haul this week are down below. I didn't do so good by myself, I was more of a one armed paper hanger on new years eve trying to manage the dog and our bags.

Treats included Peaches, Berries, Mixed Greens, Cucumber, Tomato, Corn Orange-Creanberry Bread and Sourdough Bread, and two Empanadas that area already gone and down the gullet. LOL

Grammy didn't make it this week, she is declining in her dementia and had a tough day. Grampy was home waiting on a freight delivery., so maybe next time. As it was I forgot the scallions for making Gumbo.

08/30/2026

08/27/2026

Well, here we are yet again at the ER Vet Dt. this week.

Sven had another ear infection in the opposite ear, this time due to the "rods" bacteria. It's natural in the environment, but honestly not sure how he got it. He really hasn't been out running around this summer due to recovering from the other ear infection and the excessive heat this summer. But stuff happens. It could have been from being on antibiotics for the other ear, weakening his immune system, sleeping on his ear making sweat and moisture, could have scratched it, but then again it was really down deep in the canal and I would think that's hard to scratch or would hurt. In either case, it grew fast, thick and bloody. He got it cleaned, flushed, medicated, bloodwork and sent home with medications and pain killers. did a fabulous job with him, can't say enough about how great they are. Glad they are now so local.

I had a few medical appointments and I had Sven sit them out due t he ear pain, no fair to have him dealing with the public when he feels like crap. As for me..... I need a CT scan on Sept 1st... undoubtedly leading to surgery #5 on my rotten guts. Oh Joy. But it is what it is. And hopefully we can schedule it rather than landing in the ER like the last four.

Sadly, our normal kennel lady id going to be away on vacation, Sven is too much for Grampy these days with all of his medical conditions and Grammy is a handful. We have some time, but i'll be looking for another one that is service dog specific and experienced with large breed dogs.

08/22/2026

Last week in review...

Didn't go so well, Mom forgot her phone in the car, so no pictures.

Went with Grampy & Grammy to a medical visit, lunch at and then took grammy shopping at Savers while gramps went to another appointment. Boy was that place ever busy, it was rather a challenge to stay upright, the traffic flow of customers made it really hard to look at anything. The shelves all had way too much crammed onto them, ready to fall off and break toes. Grammy had fun looking at things, but she was a bit of a spaz too, wanting to see everything at once, hard to keep an eye on her and people trying to touch Sven, he's like fly paper now that his fur is all healed up. Omgs. Ugh. Staples was just as bad, they have all these kiosks in the isles making it a real fire evacuation risk, can barely get by anything single file, let alone with a service dog or wheelchair. sigh. Glas we were in and out quickly.

I had a few medical visits of my own as well. Things are picking up in that area, one referral after another with hematology, endocrinology, neurology, rheumatology and back to ophthalmology, I'm booked out till October already. In one sense that's good, I have a lot of catching up to do now that I have a new P*P following up on me, but it's also a lot all at once. Hopefully it settles down before the holiday season. Not a big fan of holiday traffic in this area, New England is a spier web vs a grid.

Pictures, preview of Sven's Halloween costume this year. I'm going to have to get a hair pick and fluff up the fur, right now it's all flat and He looks like a blond Gene Simmions, LOL. It comes with a tail pouf too, just needed to order some gord locks so that it stays on.

I also managed to find a new nail grinder for Sven's nails, fingers crossed.

08/14/2026

All's quiet, as Mom's off to another eye procedure today,

08/12/2026

VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE: WHEN MIGRAINE AFFECTS BALANCE AND THE INNER EAR

Vestibular migraine (VM) is a type of migraine that affects the inner ear’s balance system.

Unlike typical migraine, VM may occur with little or no head pain. Instead, people experience symptoms related to balance and inner ear function.

Vestibular migraine symptoms may include:
* Ear fullness or ear pressure

* Vertigo (spinning sensation) - A feeling that you or the room is spinning. Vertigo is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and is commonly seen in vestibular migraine.

* Feeling off balance

* Motion sensitivity

* Nausea or dizziness

* Head pressure

* Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

Because vestibular migraine symptoms overlap with inner ear disorders like Ménière’s disease, vestibular migraine is often misdiagnosed or overlooked. Yet it is actually one of the most common causes of unexplained vertigo. In fact, about half of people with migraine experience vertigo or dizziness at some point.

https://www.daniellefoundation.org/blog/migraine-ear-symptoms

08/08/2026

Sales Tax-Free weekend here in Massachusetts. I don't usually partake in all the hype, but this year. I did. I found a walk pad on Amazon for $99, so I went for it. It was more expensive on it's own website and Amazon is pretty trustworthy if I have problems with it, so I went for it. I think it'll help us both on the hot summer days and blistering cold winter days when we can't walk outdoors and with the gas prices to drive to the mall to walk... I'll save more than it cost to buy it. .

And the lettuce greens food cyclospora apocalypse has been expanded to berries. Also heard jalapenos & avocados had issues with salmonella. Fortunately for me I had some canned goods in stock and put together a not-so antipasto, antipasto. When I added some ziti and then kept adding more and more things.

Green beans, English garden cucumber & tomatoes, artichoke quarters, roasted red peppers, chicken, salami, mozzarella balls and ziti with some Italian dressing. It was really delicious and got me thru this latest heat wave. So ready for fall y;all

Here's to hoping I can get the walk pad thru the unit door when it gets here.

08/07/2026

I'm not a big fan of ponds for so m any reasons, & here's another one.

Officials say water quality tests have not shown E. coli issues, but an algae bloom may have developed rapidly and remains under investigation.

08/07/2026

Rare nightwork photo.

I'm at an age that I just don't really go out or back out after dinner. Night blindness, deer, the area is built up more, crazy wrong way drivers, OUS & DUI drivers. etc. We got enough problems during daylight.

Anyway, I'm only ever a morning person when I've been up all night and it just turns into morning, the weather was supposed to be really hot in the morning, chance of storms, humidity etc. I didn't want to put Sven into a hot car, takes a long time for the AC to fill the back seat, so I decided almost last minute that I'd probably never get up early enough to beat the heat and it was better to take a trip to the store for a few things, right then and there. As it was, it was still 80+ degrees at almost 10pm

Sven has always been a very alert dog, but he is a different dog at night, He's more silent, watches and accesses everything. He didn't like the car that was backing into a parking space and not getting out of the car, most likely waiting to pick up a worker at closing time. Sven and I have our own language, of woofs, aroos, grunts and growls when something is going down. I've learnt to trust every one of them. Tonight the parking lot was particularly dark and spooky,they shut the lifhts off alredy. Sven's posture changed slightly, more intently as he gave me the heads-up woof... he got between myself and the shopping cart and I quickly got everything into the car and off we went, no harm, no foul. It was a car that was exactly like someone else's that gave us a hard time once where we lived, and Sven remembered it, never ceasing to amaze me he can remember sighs, sounds and smells of cars, but a cardboard box will confound him.