Surgery update and some cyclic pictures

[la_belle_laide]

Haku had his surgery yesterday, and it only took about 40 minutes, although the damage to his leg was much more extensive than she'd thought. He didn't just blow the cruciate, oh, no. He also busted the caudal ligament and both menisci. When she shaved him, his leg was bruised from top to bottom. And apparently the patellar groove was so shallow that his patella had been slipping around and probably causing some wear and tear over the years. This is a congenital thing, it's nothing he did.

But it's all fixed now, and when he comes home tomorrow I have to begin the three months of physical rehab. How the HELL am I going to afford this? Well, I will have to find a way. I have a feeling that holiday gifts are going to be sort of ho-made (hehe, stole that from spatterdash this year.

The good news in all of this is that his bloodwork came back all within range. I worry about that kidney and his liver more than his leg, honestly, so that was a really good thing. Also, when I pick him up tomorrow I get to consult with Dr. J. She is the best vet on the island, I think. She really is like Dr. House except without the addiction and crappy attitude. She thinks around corners the same way he does and she thinks holistically, choosing to diagnose and treat an entire system instead of just a symptom. I wish people dr.s could be like her. Anyway, she told me she would show me some acupuncture points on Haku. How cool is that? I spent two years learning channels and points on people, but I have only the vaguest ideas where they are on dogs. I have to imagine that the obvious ones would be in the same places, but as far as points and bony landmarks go, I could use all the help I can get.

I wonder what the channels and points are like on birds and such?

/tangent.

So I missed the first day of sword-drills at Kung Fu yesterday because I was afraid to be away from the phone all day, in case the vet should call (good news or not, Haku is still forever on seizure watch, especially after surgery.)

I stayed home and decided to try to re-create that picture I did of Havoc and I from when I first got him, when he was a fledgling sitting on my shoulder. He used to come with me to work when I was at The Bad Place, and he would hide his little black body under my hair while I worked. No one knew he was there unless he made a noise. These days he can hardly be bothered to sit on my shoulder, much preferring to hang around on the back of my chair preening himself. But I scooped him up anyway, took him into the bathroom and absolutely made him sit on my shoulder. He was pissy about being handled at first and he kept telling me, "MAH! MAH!" but then he settled down and dealt with it.

So here's how those photos went.

First I did this one,

and you can see, obviously, we're just standing in front of my bathroom door. Then I took out the background and added the "sketch" filter. Taking out the background is always the most tedious part.


This was the result.



Here's one that I like better, from a different photo.


I think that one is cool looking because his feathers look like they blend into my hair. Like when he was a little fledgling. Except obviously now he is huge. ^_^

So that's that.

Tonight, my cousin, Boychild's Mama, is coming over to wrap pressies. Me, I'm still not feeling the holiday spirit, but I love to hang with Boychild's Mama and my Mom. The three of us are going to eat cookies and talk for hours and that's always really cool. Wish Jo-chan could be there and it could be the four gals, but she'll be here tomorrow. I believe tomorrow is her lats day of her first semester. Which kind of makes me sad. I wonder if I'll still be picking her up next semester and we can still have our video game / movie / Family Guy nights. :)

I'm a simple creature, aren't I?

Ah well. So that is the story of today.

Comments

[marrael.livejournal.com]

I must, absolutely must, paint something based on the first photo. It's brilliant. Is that OK? I'm happy to send/give you something in return for permission.

[la-belle-laide.livejournal.com]

When we very first met (over Raistlin Majere!) you asked if you could paint something and I was like, YES, a thousand times yes! :D My answer remains, I would be thrilled and honored - and of course you would have to send nothing in return, because art is its own gift and you would be doing something awesome to begin with. Seriously. ^_^

[marrael.livejournal.com]

There was another picture of you I saved then, and it's still in my reference files (believe or not), waiting... I've attempted it a couple times, but unsuccessfully, because I can still have crap days. :) This new one I've got all planned in my head almost instantaneously when I saw it. But I'm in the middle of a time-sensitive big project right now, and my own stuff has been pushed till after it's taken care of. I may just do a quick sketch first though!

[la-belle-laide.livejournal.com]

Ahh, seriously? Wow, I didn't even think you had remembered that!

I'm flailyhands, I don't know what to say. I can't even describe to people how much I love art and how in awe I am of it.

I hope (and trust) your project will have huge success!

[(Anonymous)]

You look like a queen in that last one.

Good luck to you and Haku. :-)

(stalked you from IK)

[la-belle-laide.livejournal.com]

Thanks, anon! ^_^ That's so completely sweet of you!