View allAll Photos Tagged difficultchoice
Eeny meeny mine moe. A wild flanged (dominant) male Bornean orangutan trying to choose a banana from a large pile, Tanjung Puting NP, Kalimantan, Indonesia.
22/05/2017 www.allenfotowild.com
What was the last difficult decision you had to make? How did you feel? What kept you grounded? We all wrestle with decisions that test our resolve and challenge our emotions. Whether it’s choosing between two paths with unknown outcomes or navigating a dilemma that affects the people we care about, these moments often feel overwhelming. There’s a mix of anxiety, self-doubt, and mental exhaustion as you weigh your options and search for clarity.
But in the midst of the struggle, there’s an opportunity to discover strength and perspective. Taking time to pause, reflect, and prioritize what truly matters can be grounding. Seeking advice from trusted voices, focusing on your values, and accepting that no decision is perfect are crucial steps in finding peace with your choice. While wrestling with difficult decisions can feel like an uphill battle, it’s often these moments that shape character, teach resilience, and pave the way for growth. These challenges are more than just obstacles—they’re the turning points that define us.
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
I paint my body and the body of others to do a inner portrait of people. Thoughts, feelings, emotions and moments of the life are represented in every part of the picture using lots of symbolism and metaphor. I do all the artwork by her own. No retouch
is been used. I paint and take the picture using a tripod when taking it to myself..
Casey died last night at 7:05 p.m. She died within 17 hours after having surgery for a twisted stomach (also known as bloat or Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus).
This came completely out of the blue and it was so sudden which makes this all the more difficult and painful to deal with.
If you go here: www.marvistavet.com/html/body_bloat.html this explains what the problem is.
If you have a larger breed dog (which are the ones that tend to be affected), PLEASE go to website and read this so you know what the symptoms are and what they look like.
According to the site, there are many injuries and physical disorders which represent life-threatening emergencies. There is only one condition so drastic that it over shadows them all in terms of rapidity of consequences and effort in emergency treatment...and this is the one.
Basically what happened to Casey was that she had two seizures last Tuesday (February 5th) during the night. Never had them before. She had another one on Monday, February 11th. This was was more intense and the duration was much longer.
The vet said to bring her in Tuesday, February 12th to have blood and urine work done to see if there's an underlying reason for the seizures. So, I brought her in for the tests in the morning. Picked her up in the afternoon.
Fed her a normal dinner when she got home since I figured she be hungry after a long day at the vet. Montague (the golden retreiver) and Casey had dinner.
After her dinner, I tried giving Casey her first pill to control seizures. Put it in a peach. She didn't want it (normally she would have eaten it). Put it in a piece of cheese. She struggled to eat it. Thought that was unusual.
Then I noticed she was starting to pace, drink water, wanted to outside. Repeatedly. Wouldn't sit down or rest. Felt her side and her heart was beating VERY rapidly. This went on for a little while.
Called the vet. He thought, perhaps, it could have been overstimulation at the vet...too many things going on, new noises, etc. Suggested letting her go outside on walks since that seems to calm her down a bit.
Bundled up and took her for a walk. She walked very slowly through the backyard and then out into the pasture. Stopped a couple of times. Paws were cold. Warmed them up for her.
Then she didn't want to go any further once she got to the corner of the pasture. Tried to encourage her. Ended up picking her up (a good 65+ pounds) and carrying her back to the house. This was VERY strange because normally she does not let me carry her...especially on walks (not that I ever tried to do that..but she didn't like to be picked up even to help her get into the car).
Back inside, I looked at her and she seemed large right around the lower ribs and immediately below that. She kept pacing, breathing heavily, wouldn't sit down. I thought she may know a seizure is coming. Turned the lights out. Had the girls go upstairs so it was quiet. Finally she found a spot and rested for a while.
Read bedtime stories to the girls. Came back downstairs to check on Casey. Now she was sitting on the couch where I like to sit. Hadn't seen her there for AGES. Okay. Something strange IS going on.
Sat down next to her and put my hand under her chin and lifted it up. Looked into her eyes and just KNEW something wasn't right. Called the vet. Described what was going on. Told me to get there right away.
At the vet, an ultrasound was done. Looked fine. For some reason, the x-ray machine didn't work (which would have immediately showed a twisted stomach)...suggested having her walk outside to observe her.
Outside, she didn't want to go to the bathroom. Just walked slowly away. Didn't respond to my voice. "Is this normal behavior for Casey?" he asked. "No, not at all." Looked at her and her back seemed to be arching a bit and she was still rather large.
Ended up heading down to the emergency animal hospital about 50 minutes away (the closest one) while the vet called in the information and prepared them for Casey's arrival.
Once there, they immediately x-rayed her. Her stomach was twisted. Two options: surgery or euthanasia. Chose surgery. Wanted her to have a chance. There were no guarantees since some dogs do well after surgery while others don't survive surgery or the critical couple days following surgery. Still...go ahead and try.
Surgery was difficult and there were complications. She was bleeding a lot and had to have a blood transfusion. Blood pressure was VERY low. Spleen was removed since it was necrotic. A growth was on the spleen (not sure if it was cancerous or not).
She spent the remainder of the night there on IVs and monitors. She was released at 7:30 so I could transport her to the University of Minnesota's Veterinary Hospital.
They literally ran her on a gurney into the emergency room. Within a 15-20 minute car ride there, her heart rate elevated substantially and blood pressure dropped dangerously low. She was bleeding from the incision site.
She was hooked up to multiple IVs and monitors. From 8-11 a.m., I stayed there. She was unstable and in critical condition throughout this time period. Multiple problems. However, she was heavily sedated and had lots of pain medicine so she wouldn't feel any pain. This was SO critical for me to know that she wasn't feeling any pain.
I visited her back in the emergency room about every 20 minutes. During one of the visits when they had placed her on oxygen and she was still heavily sedated and non-responsive, I leaned down and said, "Hi Casey. It's Ann. What a good girl you are..." and she lifted her head off the table and looked at me. (Later when talking with one of Casey's regular vets at Osceola, she said that it is amazing what animals will do to let their owners know they can hear them despite the pain or compromised situation they are in.)
By 11, Casey had stabalized, but was still critical. They were transferring her to an ICU unit (rather than the emergency room). At that point the team that was working with her suggested I go home and rest. They would call with updates. "No news is good news," they said.
So I said "goodbye" to Casey. Pet her for a long time. Told her I would see her later and that she was a good girl...and that everyone...and all the animals are looking forward to seeing her again. "I love you, Casey," was the last thing I said to her.
At 3, I called for an update. There was some progress, albeit small. But there were more issues (protein and electrolyte levels were low; clotting issues - she needed a plasma transfusion; red blood cell count was low; white blood cell count was low; etc. etc.). It was pretty dismal.
Around 7:00, I received a call from the U of M. Casey was arresting. Her heart rate was plummeting. Her breathing was labored. I could hear a dog whimpering loudly in the background. "Please tell me that isn't Casey," I said to the vet.
"No, that's another dog. Casey is quiet. It looks like she is making the choice to leave us. You have two choices: CPR or we can help her along by doing euthanasia. What would you like us to do?"
"Please take her out of her suffering. Euthanasia."
The vet immediately told the team what to do. "They are giving her the shot as we speak." Of course...then I start crying even more knowing that I'm not there holding her as she's dying. I had to end the phone call.
The other vet who worked with Casey from when she was admitted (11 hours earlier) called me back a few minutes later to explain what had happened in more detail.
So, at 7:05 p.m., Casey died. "You did everything you could for Casey. You gave her every opportunity to help her recover. I'm so sorry for your loss," the vet said.
Casey tried as hard as she could during and after the surgery. Teams of people tried to help her. It was just Casey's time to go.
She lived 12 years (would have been 13 in April). For a large-breed dog, that's like being a 94 year old human.
She had a great life. She was a devoted, loving, friendly dog. She loved to make snow angels. She was a good sport about wearing clothes and costumes the girls put her in. She loved the nature trail, chasing bunnies, and finding pheasants and watch them fly off from the tall grass.
She got to be around two other dogs (Montague and Sydne), six cats, horses, sheep, chickens, and turkeys. She was curious and loving towards new life on the farm...from the lambs and chicks...to Sophia and Olivia when they were infants to young girls.
She was one of the official "camp dogs" when I ran an art and farm camp for children here at the farm (she and Sydne were the two dogs here at the time). She touched the lives of literally hundreds of children, teens, and adults through that program. There were children who were very fearful of large dogs who, during their week at camp, overcame their fear of dogs thanks to Casey.
Needless to say, last night was a VERY sad. Lots of tears.
This morning, I took Casey's collar out from my bag for Montague. He heard the jingle of Casey's metal nametag. He immediately stopped eating breakfast and ran over, his tail wagging. Obviously thinking his friend was back. He looked sad as he sniffed her collar...realizing she was no longer there.
We all miss Casey. A lot.
1. Close-up of Casey, 2. Casey, Sophia, and Olivia on 1-1, 3. Casey Making a Snow Angel, 4. #3 - All Resolved, 5. Casey in Tutu, 6. Casey as St. Lucia, 7. The Girls with Casey in the Snow, 8. Casey Covered in Snow, 9. Casey with Snow on Her Face, 10. Olivia and Casey, 11. Smiling Casey, 12. Casey, 13. Sophia and Casey on 1-114. Not available15. Not available16. Not available
7.365
Next week our library system is holding our second Mock Printz discussion. The Printz Award is given annually to a book published the previous year for teens (or young adults if you prefer) that shows great literary merit. The committee works in secret, and until the award is announced nobody knows what books are even being considered.
This year we've read eight books for our discussion, and this was the last one for me to finish. YAY! I'm really looking forward to the discussion - it will be interesting to see what other people think about the various books we read. Here's the full list:
North of Beautiful - Justina Chen Headly
Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Charles and Emma: the Darwin's Leap of Faith - Deborah Heligman
Jumped - Rita Williams-Garcia
The Miles Between - Mary Pearson
If I Stay - Gayle Forman
Marcelo in the Real World - Francisco X. Stork
Oh dear, I can't remember the last book... it must not be a contender!
This one was particularly good, and may well get my vote for the top book. The first time I started reading it, I couldn't get into it. But it turned out to be very good! It's told from the point of view of Marcelo, a young man with Asperger's Syndrome. His father wants him to enter the "real world," so he goes to work at his father's law firm for the summer. As Marcelo becomes more comfortable in his new environment, he's faced with dealing with issues of right and wrong, and discovering emotions that he's not felt before. Very compelling.
And oh yeah, that's my new phone.
I do things you dream about doing.
I'm not bragging. I'm just sharing.
#grimdaiz #godhasaplan #gasface #gacc #thegacc #goodgossip #donewithbutton #shrewd #difficultchoice #shrewdstories #sadbuttrue #wordoftheday #wisdom #wwe #thewalkingdead #onehundredfortyseven #prophesy #PlayStation4 #Xbox #xboxone #xbox360 #foodforthought #faithful #faith #youtube #yearofepic2014 #yoe2014 #yearofepic #yugioh #year #joyful #MARTA
Tolerate the Intolerable!
You Offended Me Today!
I shall defeat YOU!
I shall not YIELD!
Work Among Recreation!
This is my W.A.R.
I win because my resolve never ceases. I win because my resources never depleat. I win because my work is a hobby, therefore it is fun.
This war will be Long and Arduous. I am entrenched. I am fortified.
God is on my side.
At the end of the day, I have the ultimate weapons.
Children & Luck!!!
#GRIMDAIZ #godhasaplan #gasface #goodgossip #surrender #sermononthemount #sermon #storyteller #sinisobvious #shrewd #difficultchoice #donewithbutton #dailynews #drama #difficult #decision #defiance #faith #faithful #foodforthought #fightasateamdieasanindividual #freedomofspeech #falsedoctrine #thewalkingdead #thegacc #truthistruth #truth #onehundredfortyseven #prophesy #PlayStation4 #xboxone #Xbox #xbox360 #gacc #jesusislordindeed #jesusislord #hypocrisy #harddecision
Been so unhealthy I literally look brittle. I kind of like it though .
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#shiny #hairoftheday #saturdayselfie #difficulttimes #mobilephotography #cyberghetto #camera #difficulttime #difficultchoices #mylife #grimygirl #intags #photobasics #sparkles #polish #bitchbye #lifestyleblogger #bitchplease #style #gliter #eyesmakeup #eyesshadow #1 #facelook #saturdaynight #restingbitchface #vloglife #saturday #grimystyle #grunge #pretty #me #look #technicaldifficulties #difficultdays #difficult
Naturally my face is not this editorial .
.
#shiny #hairoftheday #saturdayselfie #difficulttimes #mobilephotography #cyberghetto #camera #difficulttime #difficultchoices #mylife #grimygirl #intags #photobasics #sparkles #polish #bitchbye #lifestyleblogger #bitchplease #style #gliter #eyesmakeup #eyesshadow #1 #facelook #saturdaynight #restingbitchface #vloglife #saturday #grimystyle #grunge #pretty #me #look #technicaldifficulties #difficultdays #difficult
I simply don't have time for games. People do not understand that there is a War going on right now. A war that seeks to remove your freedom to choose.
Choice. You will lose Choice. You give Choice away Every Hour.
Reality: You do not Give Choice away. Choice is Stolen from You.
#grimdaiz #godhasaplan #gasface #goodgossip #sadness #surrender #sermononthemount #sermon #shrewdstories #sinisobvious #shrewd #wordoftheday #wisdom #onehundredfortyseven #fightasateamdieasanindividual #faithful #faith #freedomofspeech #falsedoctrine #donewithbutton #difficultchoice #monologue #jesusislord #harddecision
GOVERNMENT MEETING DOWNTOWN
INTO THE POLITICAL AEENA
WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS GOD DONE TO ME
AMEN
#GRIMDAIZ #godhasaplan #goodgossip #difficultchoice #shrewdstories #reality #thisaintagameitsrealson #fightasateamdieasanindividual #yearofepic2014 #upandcoming #onehundredfortyseven #harddecision #thenarrowgate #jesusislordindeed #donewithbutton #allthat4christ #wwjd2014
Some say beauty is only skin deep & you shouldn't be superficial.
They have low standards & low self esteem.
Choice.
Never Settle for less than Your Standard!
You live with Your Choices &.Decisions. Not your friends, family or society. YOU!!!
#GRIMDAIZ #godhasaplan #gasface #goodgossip #gacc #thewalkingdead #thegacc #thatisthetruth #truthistruth #truth #amen #allthat4christ #difficultchoice #donewithbutton #yearofepic2014 #onehundredfortyseven #letthechurchsayamen #fightasateamdieasanindividual #faithful #faith
RACISM:
YOU CHOOSE YOUR BEHAVIOR PEOPLE.
I'm a Racist. I choose to Love Black Women. The group I have 'issue' with.
Choice! Choice! Choice! Choice! Choice! Choice! Choice!
Is my message sinking in? Repentance is a Choice! Openness is a Choice!
Do not trade the #Truth for a #Lie
#jesusislord #jesusislordindeed #ilovetransparancy
#GRIMDAIZ #godhasaplan #gasface #gacc #thewalkingdead #thegacc #thatisthetruth #truthistruth #sermon #sermononthemount #difficultchoice #faith #faithful #foodforthought #fightasateamdieasanindividual #freedomofspeech #goodgossip #donewithbutton #sinisobvious #shrewdstories #allthat4christ #onehundredfortyseven #realtalk #really #Racism