Kidney Disease in Dogs- Bella's battle

Anyone that knows me personally, knows I'm madly in love with my little Yorkie, Bella. She is my absolute best friend, going on 6 years. She makes my heart want to burst (in a good way), and I literally wake up and fall asleep to her every night. I think all dog lovers can relate to being smitten with their animals.

Bell and I have been through it all. And recently, she was diagnosed with kidney disease. On 4/22, to be exact. She's had kidney problems before. Last may, we took her to the beach in Corpus, and she got into something, salt water or something else, and her body just couldn't handle it. Her kidneys started to fail, she was vomiting and couldn't hold anything down. After 5 days in the vet, her being hooked up to an IV, and multiple medications, she survived. I'll never forget how the doctors spoke in "what if" terminology, things like "well IF we can turn this around, " and "IF her kidneys take to the medication.." It was horrifying. Heartwrenching, and I didn't know if I could personally make it through it. Thank God she survived that, and that was almost exactly a year ago. 

So you can imagine my distress when they diagnose her with kidney disease. And I feel the need to write about it, because it turns out this is something she could have had for a long time. I take her to the wonderful people at Banfield (In your local Petsmart), who I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, recommend. They are fantastic. And we went to get a routine heartworm test, which they draw blood for. They found in that blood sample that her kidney levels were elevated, so they had us wait a week and bring her back in. Well we brought her back, on 4/22, and they said it was Kidney disease, or at least that was the underlying thing. They said they don't know how long she's had it, she could've been born with it or it could've developed over time. They see it usually when a dog gets into something toxic, like over the counter medicine, or toxic plants. Things like that can fry their kidneys. They said her event last May more than likely wasn't the cause of the kidney disease, it was just a crisis in reaction to it. And now we are taking steps to avoid any further crisis'. 

So where we go from here:

 1) Change in diet. She is on special diet, kidney/renal disease diet, and she has to be eating and drinking a lot daily. Her body can't break down the protein, and it's getting stuck in her kidneys. So she is now on a less-protein diet. 

2) Making her comfortable. The doctor's keep using this term. After her body adjusts to the food it's all about keeping her comfortable. Keeping her hydrated and making sure she eats regularly. Dogs with Kidney disease can become lethargic. 

3) Making sure it doesn't get worse. On a scale of 1 - 4, she is a 3. Not good, at all. 

4) Bacteria infection. Today, they called and said they found traces of ecoli in her urine, basically a bacterial infection in her kidneys or bladder. From here, we go to antibiotics. This should hopefully clear up this bacterial infection, which has been agitating the kidney disease. They also found high levels of protein in her kidneys, which is not good. But the doctor said this could be skewed due to the bacteria.

5) Once the bacteria is gone, we retest her urine. They said that hopefully the bacteria being gone will allow her urine tests to come back normal. If so, we just keep maintaining her diet and keep things up as they are now. However, if they come back with high protein levels again, we have to switch her onto enzyme educed medication. Her kidneys can't bind the phosphorus in the protein properly, so she will get binding enzymes to help with that process. 

6) Possibilities: If things start looking bad, she may have to have a fluid "flush", or another stint in the hospital where she has to be hooked up to a drip for a few days. Also, I could possibly have to administer fluids to her at home. As of now, this doesn't look like it's going to be necessary. 

7) A Sonogram. I'm planning on getting her one of these as soon as I can come up with the $. This will allow the doctor's to see if one kidney is swollen, if there's kidney stones, or of a kidney needs to be removed. The doctor's said this isn't an immediate need, but will help us to diagnose the direct problem easier. 

Lots & Lots of water. And food for this little lady. 

Overall, her temperament is good. She's still loud and happy and running around. So that gives me hope. I'm really scared, and really emotional about the whole thing. 

The reason I'm writing this whole blog is to tell you, if you have a dog, to get some preliminary bloodwork done. The doctor's asked me when the last time she had "good" bloodwork, and I didn't know. I've had her on heartworm medicine for years, but apparently my old doctor's office in Corpus didn't look at her bloodwork closely for any kidney level issues. And luckily, Banfield did. This could have been treatable a long time ago, if only I had known. And now that's guilt that I have to live with. They said that it's unusual for Yorkie's to have this kidney disease, they usually have liver issues. And any article you read on the internet will say that kidney disease is usually discovered only when it's already in the worse stages. 

So:

1. Get your dog some bloodwork tests. It's expensive, but trust me when I tell you it's worth it. Ask your doctor to specifically look at kidney levels. 

2. Get your dog on a wellness plan at Banfield. I pay $33 a month, and i have unlimited doctor's visits, all her shots are included in that price as well as some routine examinations. worth it, trust me. especially when you end up in a crisis, like I am now. 

3. Look for signs. Frequent urination and drinking of water, lack of appetite, lethargy. There are tons of articles on the internet that discuss kidney disease in great lengths. Kidney disease takes years off of the dog's life span. 

Kidney disease is not curable, but it is treatable. I'm trying to view it as being one of those parents who has a child with a livable disease, something that takes maintenance and caution. If you're reading this, pray for us. My little Yorkie is a trooper, but she could use all the help she can get. We are going to get through this. 

XoXo 

Stay Primitive - the creativity process

Another shout out to BzzAgent, one of the campaigns I'm a part of now is a Kindle campaign. I downloaded the app on my Iphone, and we get a free copy of author Steven Pressfield's new book, "Do the Work", three weeks before it's released to the public. I wasn't sure what to expect, but so far I'm THRILLED. It's a motivational book, that walks you through FINISHING whatever it is you're trying to accomplish. Writing a book, dieting, changing your life, mending a relationship, learning a trade, whatever it is. and I love it.

This is an excerpt from page 217, talking about keeping things simple in the beginning of the creativity process:

"1. Stay Primitive
The creative act is primitive. Its principles are of birth and genesis. Babies are born in blood and chaos; stars and galaxies come into being amid the release of massive primordial cataclysms. Conception occurs at the primal level. I'm not being facetious when I stress, throughout this book, that it is better to be primitive than to be sophisticated, and better to be stupid than to be smart. The most highly cultured mother gives birth sweating and dislocated and cursing like a sailor. That's the place we inhabit as artists and innovators. It's the place we must be comfortable with. The hospital room may be spotless and sterile, but birth itself will always take place amid chaos, pain, and blood."  - Steven Pressfield

This book is all about resistance, how to fight of resistance, and how to accomplish what you're goals are. Find more info here.

I know it seems weird, amidst all my entries about couponing, thrifting, & what not, but it speaks volumes. Whatever it is you're doing, dieting, budgeting, writing a novel, making a movie, keep going! And stay primitive, when starting out, do the most basic, simple, outline of whatever it is you're doing. The details will all fall into place!

-Ash

More great sites for deals, samples, & cash back!

I'm a member of about a bazillion websites, deal sites, etc., and it seems to all run together sometimes, but in general I think it's totally worth it. Here's a few more that I may not have mentioned in the past:

Kraft first taste is Kraft's website that is dedicated to letting consumers try before they buy, and rate products. I signed up here and had offers in my inbox almost immediately, for their new cooking cream cheese (which I'm excited to try) and a new shredded cheese that is made with cream cheese. I know others also had offers in their inbox's for Breakstone's cottage cheese, but I personally didn't receive that one. (They mail you the coupons, so it takes a little while for them to come in.)

Vocal Point is great, too. They have free samples and stuff all the time. I'm awaiting samples/coupons for Frosted Mini Wheats-Touch of Fruit, and Breve coffee creamer. They do a lot of giveaways, as well :)

Ebates , which I posted about previously, is one I'm super excited about. You do your online shopping like you normally would, and you get a % cash back into your account. I signed up and the offer was a free $10 gift card to a store of your choice, and I chose Target. So once you make your first purchase through Ebates to any store that qualifies, (any listed through their site) they send you the gift card. I'm especially excited because I can shop for Mark products THROUGH ebates, and get the gift card as well as the cash back. Can't beat it!

Other sites that are great for just sign up credit and things:

No More Rack. I absolutely love this site, they post great deals, daily at 11AM Central time. Also, you get $10 for FREE just for signing up! Shipping is always a $2 flat rate, too. I ordered from them before and was very happy.

Rue La La . Similar to No More Rack, they always have different deals going on with clothing, shoes, accessories, and even housewares. They were/are doing a $20 credit just for signing up!

Beyond the Rack Similar to stated above sites, $10 credit just for signing up!

Gaggle of Chicks this site is geared towards mom's, I've mentioned it before, but I've ordered multiple times and I'm really happy with all the products I've ordered.

Some Facebook coupon-istas to follow: 


Hip 2 Save coupons, freebies, & giveaways on her blog.
Daily Goodie Bag
Cuckoo for Coupon Deals
Frugals, Freebies, & more

and of course my all time, swear by, Sweeties Freebies

Hope this helps in your frugal adventures!

xoxo

Earth Day - creative uses for reusable items

With Earth day just around the corner, (tomorrow, for those of you who are naughty and didn't know..) The internet is teeming with Earth day promos, freebies, and "go green" content. I stumbled upon this great article,  The Art of Reuse on www.etsy.com.

The article discusses a contest Etsy did about reusing products, and sustainability. I thought it to be only fitting that a discussion be opened up on creative ways to upcycle.

I especially loved this idea from shearmoresheep 's Etsy store, a card wallet made from crocheting plastic bags. I am determined to try it, because let's face it, we are all guilty of wasting plastic bags. I try my best to reuse them, taking my lunch in them, using them for trash, etc. But they are a significant part of our trash problem in America, and if we can reuse them, well then why not!

So this led me to search for creative ideas for plastic bags, and I found... well, nothing really. Simple things like "use as trash can liners," or "put dirty laundry in them". All great ideas, but basic, and not so creative. I'm looking for something like the above etsy seller had in mind, making something new out of something old, you know, Upcycling. So, naturally, I turned to Etsy. :)

This crafter at FFFlowers made these adorable daisies from plastic bags. Genius!

This etsy crafter, Arny , made these adorable bracelets by knitting plastic bags together! I will definitely be trying this, with my newfound knitting capabilities ;)

Over at Acleverspark, there's reusable (zippers installed!) bags made from plastic bags that would have otherwise ended up in the trash.

And Saribellum made a wallet from recycled bags, pretty nifty!

Leave it to Etsy to make me feel better about the world, that there are those of us out there who are truly intent on upcycling and reducing our waste. I know it's hard, it's definitely nowhere near easy, and I'm not great at it myself. But there are some adorable crafty items out there with a great cause!

On that note, seeing as though tomorrow is Earth Day, here are a few freebies going on in celebration:

Starbucks is giving away a free brewed coffee or tea when you take in a reusable mug tomorrow only, April 22. (You may want to make sure your local store is participating. ) 

Lowes hardware stores are giving away a million tree seedlings on Saturday, April 23rd starting at 7a.m. I hope I can get in on this deal! 

Free entry into national parks all over the country until April 24th!

Not too bad, free stuff to celebrate mother earth. There has to be more out there, what have you found? I know I'll definitely be taking part in the starbucks & the Lowe's one (if I can get up that early)  ;) 

XoXo, and happy Earth Day a day early!

-Ash 

Ebates - rebates for shopping online

This site I'm REALLY excited about. Cash back & online discounts and codes for just doing your regular shopping! They've got tons of discount codes for stores like JCPenny's, Kohls, Target, & more. Plus you get a % cash back at the stores you shop at through Ebates!

I'm particularly excited about this because you can shop through Mark here! Sign up and you get a $5 credit automatically, can't beat that!

:)

StyleFind website from In Style Mag

Style find is a website that's got great designer finds at a discounted price! It was refferred to me by www.bzzagent.com and is free to sign up for! Click the badge above and get registered to score some sweet discounts!

Also, you should sign up at www.bzzagent.com if you haven't already!

xoxo

Home is wherever I'm with you..

This is my absolute favorite song. EVER. It makes my heart swell and want to implode! (in a good way). This song will play at our wedding, probably on repeat if I have my way..

If you haven't heard of Edwarde Sharpe and the magnetic zero's, GOOGLE THEM. seriously. Life changing music, :)

All in all, I thought Friday's should end on happy, loving notes like such.

It makes me happy and thankful to have someone in my life who I feel this way about. Love is grand, isn't it folks?

Mark Rep - my journey into direct selling..

I've never been much of a salesman.. er, sales woman? sales lady? Either way.. I'm not one to push a product on someone, because I hate having it done to me.

However, I have recently been looking into a direct selling opportunity, and just hadn't figured out exactly what to do. I looked into jewelry, there are some great lines like Stella & Dot which a good friend of mine sells, and then there's the newly launched Bamboo Pink , which is fun and slightly more affordable. I just didn't see myself being able to market jewelry very well, with a small friend base here in my new home town of Austin.

I stumbled upon Mark. and just sort of fell into it, and I'm glad I did. There's no huge investment, no hidden sales quotes, no deadlines, etc. You pay a one time fee of $20, get a free awesome starter kit, and if you're lucky to have a great mentor like me, http://www.facebook.com/Becomeamark.girl (Tiffany), then you're good to go! Even if you don't ever sell anything, you'll never be penalized.

Mark has EVERYTHING a girl could want, from makeup to fashion to jewelry and shoes. Here's a sneak peak:
Flora Dress

On clearance, $17.99. And new buyers get free shipping on their entire order :) Not to mention it can be worn together or as two separate dresses! (Mark. is great about versatility)














Frill Factor dress (which I can't wait to buy, next paycheck! )

I love this, Talk about "the little black dress." It's only $30, you get FREE shipping through my shop, and you can dress it up or down. This is around the same price that you would purchase a dress from Target or XXI, and Mark is much better quality!












What a Line Felt tip Eyeliner

$9, and did I mention FREE shipping? The look of liquid eyeliner without the mess. FINALLY! :)







And there's so much more, I'd be here all day trying to show you. Check it out for yourself at My Mark shop. Trust me you're bound to find something you like :)

-Ash

Sampling items / Free swag!

So I have recently learned about a few websites that are great for sampling products & reviewing them, which is just another way to get free swag, if you ask me!

And normally, most people probably wouldn't waste their time trying this, but if you're into that sort of thing, I highly recommend it! I just got my first campaign from BZZagent , and it's full size products from Covergirl's new line. (free makeup, F* yeah!) Review to follow on that.. :)

I also signed up with them for a Kindle campaign, where a specific author will send his newest books into your kindle account (you can download a kindle app on iphone/smart phone/etc.) and you rate & review the books! Bzzagent is great for a few reasons:

1. you take surveys every time you log in that allows BzzAgent to match you up with products that may be right for you. For example, those of you that are mom's out there, this would be a great way to sample some baby/children's products. Your answers then direct BzzAgent to give you "campaign" options to sign up for, which is basically the company (i.e. Covergirl) mailing you products, you spread the word, and then review!
2. They have a great, easy to navigate website. Also, they're very well connected to facebook & twitter.
3. For different activities, such as filling out surveys & participating in campaigns, you get points to your "My Points account, and the mypoints site has a reward system for points you earn doing different things. You can earn gift cards, prizes, cash, etc.

So sign up at www.bzzagent.com and you too could score free swag!

Another cool site is Crowd Tap. Same concept, you can be chosen to test out products and "campaigns," then write reviews and spread the word. Crowd tap is on a points based system as well as a dollar system, plus a portion of everything you earn automatically goes to the charity of your choice! Not bad, right? Crowdtap makes it easy to earn points by doing what they call "quick hits", where you fill out polls that pop up on your front page. You get points for each "quick hit" you take and then after so many points you move up to different levels, and from there you get the opportunity to test products.

So far, I've been invited to host a "Hawaiian Tropic" testing party, which is going to be sweet!

The host gets goodies for themselves, as well as goodies to pass out to "party guests." Then you write a review, and if it's one of the top reviews chosen, you get points AND money credited to your account. Free stuff, free money & goodies! I love it. So make sure you sign up at www.crowdtap.com and get registered!







Most of you are probably thinking, "wow this woman has too much time on her hands." But honestly, I've become slightly obsessed with the quest of finding what I want for cheaper. And honestly, if I can get what I want for free or seriously discounted, I'm going to do it. My boyfriend has learned to accept it, my family has accepted it, so I'm on a mission y'all. Join  me? :)

XoXo

Cheap Thrills

So I've began my journey into crazy coupon kingdom, and so far, so good! You can't beat all the freebies that are out there these days. It's crazy how much money you can save when you really look for it. Here are a few things that I've learned to do before purchasing something or going out to eat.

1. Check the website. Whether it's TX Roadhouse or buying something from CVS or another store, there is almost always a reward program or coupons. Almost all Restaurants (especially chains) will have coupons on their website or an email list you can sign up for that you'll get emails for free appetizers, free deserts, etc. This comes in pretty handy! (Also, this is where the email address specifically for shopping comes in handy.) Even Target has a coupon link at the bottom of their homepage (who knew?!)

2. Print and have coupons with me at all times. It seems extreme, but it's totally worth it. I keep a little coupon book in my purse with small coupons for groceries, makeup, personal care items, etc. I have an entire binder at home with food & dining, activities (like museums) and more.

3. Sign up for as many deal sites as possible. Also, seemingly annoying with all the emails, but you're never obligated to purchase anything. And there are sites like www.groupon.com who will post deals that are nationwide, so if there's nothing good in your particular city, there could be a great deal at an online retailer. Also, there are so many companies that give you credit just for signing up! (www.nomorerack.com is one of my favorite sites, such cheap stuff and they give sign up & referral credit.) The local sites are great because you will get chances to do things you wouldn't normally want to spend money on (the zoo, putt putt, etc.)

4. Follow your favorite brands, companies, etc. on Facebook & twitter. SERIOUSLY. I've found out about free hair care products, free makeup, sweepstakes, giveaways, etc. More and more brands are using social media to get the word out, and they're notorious for giving stuff away on facebook! I recommend Covergirl, Tide, Suave hair care, TOMS, and any food brands you like as well!

So since I'm fairly new to all this, you could imagine how excited I get about freebies in the mail. This freebie obsession takes the place of my online shopping addiction! So here's just a preview of what I've gotten in the mail:

A site called Gaggle of Chicks had a sign up credit of $15, and i used this to purchase $15 worth of products from a site called Lets go green. I got a filtered water bottle and this eco friendly cleaner for your fruits and veggies. I've yet to try it out yet, but I'm not overly impressed with the water bottle. Regardless:FREE!

These glasses I was particularly THRILLED with! Coastal Contacts runs promotions where they give away free glasses to the first so many customers, I got lucky and got in on the Texas give away and got both of these pairs of good quality glasses for FREE. I paid $15 shipping on each, one for my sweetie and one pair for me. LOVE THEM. you get a great case, cleaning cloth, and tool to tweak them. I will definitely order from this company in the future! 

Here's a few random things. Free tester instant coffee from Nescafe, a free Jiffy cookbook (which I'm excited about trying out..) And a bunch of coupons from Proctor & Gamble. Coupons for glade, swiffer, makeup, and much more. You can only order these quarterly, but it's worth it! You can find the info here. As for the other two, Sweeties Freebies has a link of freebies always available. :) 

Free nail polish (very spring!) from TOMS shoes and essie. TOMS facebook page had a giveaway where you sign up and BAM it's in your mail :) love it!

I was especially excited about this one. Target was giving away a free goodie bag filled with makeup and personal care samples, I ordered two! We got a great little makeup mag, Fekkai shampoo & conditioner samples, Neutrogena chapstick, Nivea skin care sample, Pantene shampoo, and a lipstick sample from Revlon. A few of my friends got in on this deal, too!

This freebie I was pretty impressed with! Avon sent this to me and it's an entire skin kit, no trial samples here. It was through their facebook page, and you entered to see if you were one of the lucky selected, and turns out, I was! 

Pretty exciting for me, these cheap thrills! (well, FREE thrills!) Keep 'em coming!

xoxo: Ash