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Wintrade Week Women in Trade and Industry Gala Awards & Dinner at Park Plaza Hotel Westminster Bridge London Red Ribbon Positive Runway Catwalk Fashion Show effective advocates in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS www.positiverunway.org/index.php/global-ambassadors

positive and negative... by Roger Casado

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Day 334 - Migration by Meg

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Well, my Flickr friends. This will be my last upload for a while. We are leaving tonight (in about one hour actually) for a week's vacation at the beach! I'm pretty sure I won't have internet access, so I won't be around to upload or comment on anything. After the hellish week we've had, we think this vacation is well-deserved.

On Sunday, our poor doggie woke up stiff and limpy. By Sunday night, she had a very pronounced limp and was in noticeable pain. We took her to the vet Monday morning where she tested positive for Lyme Disease, which causes severe joint pain and inflammation. The vet put her on antibiotics for 30 days and said we need to bring her back for the Lyme vaccine when the pills are gone.

All day Monday she just laid on the floor, and had to be carried outside to go to the bathroom. On Tuesday, we woke up to find her even WORSE. She couldn't stand up, and when we helped her to stand, her legs couldn't hold her and she collapsed. She just laid on the floor unable to do anything at all for a few hours. I was on the phone with the vet in a panic, but he assured me that the antibiotics probably hadn't kicked in just yet, and to wait a bit - and also to give her an asprin in the meantime for the pain. About an hour after taking her asprin, I head her trying to stand up. I helped her and she was able to walk over to her bed by the couch. I sat there with her all day, petting her, bringing her treats and water, and often sobbing and hugging and generally feeling horrible for her.

Throughout the day though, her spirits began to improve, and I could see some spark in her eyes again. When Ian got home that night, we were both delighted to see her successfully haul herself up from her bed at the mention of "going pee". He carried her down again, just to be sure, but she was able to walk around outside, and followed me into the kitchen when she was finished for a treat. :)

Wednesday her personality started to come back, and she was sluggish, but trying to be her usual self. And by today, she was almost back to 100%.

(This is where I jump in to say... if you have a dog PLEASE go get him/her tested for and vaccinated against Lyme Disease!! We didn't think we had to worry too much about ticks (the carriers of Lyme), because our dog is a spoiled indoor dog. She really only goes outside to go to the bathroom, and we don't even have a yard! So if she can somehow get a tick, and contract Lyme... any dog can. I wouldn't want any dog or dog owner to have to endure what we went through this week, so please please please just go have your dogs tested and vaccinated!)

So, I have basically been a complete disaster since Sunday. The dog is my CHILD. She is our baby, and she means more to us than just about anything. It was so terrible to see her sick and not feeling herself. It truly broke my heart. And seeing her back to normal was one of the happiest, most relieved feelings ever.

Especially since she is not joining us on vacation. She is staying at a kennel while we're gone - a very nice place run by a couple who turned their garage into kennels to foster and board dogs. They have 5 of their own, and foster dogs year-round. I'm trying to think of this as a vacation for her too. She'll have a big grassy yard to run around in, someone with her night and day, sleeping in a nice air condition kennel . . . and that makes me feel a tiny bit less sad about leaving her. I'm still quite sad though. :(

But that is the update... I've now wasted sufficient time typing this and must return to actually preparing for our departure. See you all in a week!! xo

Positive Thinking by Hector Mansilla

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This just got released for Johnny Durham clothing. Prints look pretty neat.

Get one here.

522e by Brad Renken