Howling Bones

Luna's very first friend Ike, otherwise known as Ikey Bones, or just Bones, was a Red Bone Coonhound. Their first meeting was just like a scene out of a romantic movie where the couple runs to each other across a field of wild flowers. However, Ike & Luna's backdrop was on the sandy beach of Lake McConaughy. Fletch & I had already been there for a few days & were expecting the Fasnachts, from Colorado, at some point on this particular day. This was in a day when there was no cell phone coverage on the beach so you just waited for people to arrive. We were going about our day & were playing in the big sand dunes, when all of a sudden we see Mark & Ike also at the top of this dune about 100 yards away. It was like slow motion. First, Luna & Ike sat and just stared at each other from afar. Then, as if they had rehearsed their roles in this romantic beach film a dozen times, they both started running straight towards each other. None of us knew what to expect; a collision, a fight, injuries? It was out of our control at this point. They ran straight into each other, tumbling over & somersaulting & rolling around in the sand together as if they were long lost loves & having a long overdue reunion. That was it! They were friends, each other's first! From the time they were puppies to no matter how big & lanky Ike got, they both loved sitting in low rider beach chairs .

Another trip, or maybe it was the same trip, they ran away from camp. They didn't come to our calls & were missing for quite a bit. I was starting to worry, but then I got a phone call from a woman saying she found a brown dog & a white Pit Bull puppy. Pit Bull? Luna's not a Pit Bull, she's a Yellow Labrador that's actually white! I still swear my little angel would never run off. She was just following that troublemaker Ike, who's hound nose took him on many journeys. I remember one time, watching as he was at the camp down the beach. He grabbed their foil packet of chicken right off the grill, as they were all obliviously enjoying water sports. Oh, Ikey!

Ikey liked to bark at fireworks & kites. I'm sorry, did I say bark? Ike didn't bark. He howled! That's what Coonhounds do. He howled & he howled & he howled & he never shut up. Yes, I did get annoyed w/ it at times, but I also thought it was cute. It was just his way of talking. I liked talking back to him by howling myself, it was such a cute howl. I didn't do it as much as I would've liked because his howl annoyed most others & they would get annoyed w/ me for egging him on. Now, I wish I would've talked to him more.

One night, Ike wouldn't stop howling at the fireworks. And he didn't just howl at them, he chased them. He was annoying the rest of the lake & Mark was passed out in the sand, so some of us hatched a plan. We decided to tie Ike's leash to Mark, so that when Ike went to run at the fireworks, he would take Mark w/ him. I wanted to tie it to Mark's hoodie string so that it would pull Mark straight up to a sitting position, but we all agreed that might cause some injury. We tied it to his leg instead. The next time fireworks went off, Ike took off, pulling Mark's leg & howling the whole time. It didn't even phase Mark. He just rolled over, reaching down to the leash tied to his leg & reeled Ike back in, pulling Ike into him, basically spooning him & went back to sleep in the sand.

I could tell you many stories of Ike & his escapades, but these are my favorite memories of Ikey Bones. I will miss rubbing my face in those ears of his. They were so silky soft & they were so long that I could tie them in a bow on top of his head. In the last few years, Ikey has had some grays coming in on his face. He would let me kiss that face even as he howled away.

As we camp here at the lake, where we expected to see him at some point on this trip, we got a text from Ikey's momma, Ailie. She said Ikey had to be put to sleep. He fractured his thigh doing nothing at all & they found bone cancer. He was only 9 years old, like my Luna. I expected to watch Ike get old & start moving slower, but even w/ the few grays, he seemed so young & healthy. Ailie said that night, Ike would be leading the parade w/ Sunny at his side. I couldnt help but look over at the Sunny tree, where Sunny spent her last days. She was Ike's friend too & she will be happy to see him. They were there for us then & I so wish we could be there for them now.

Ike had many tags. I dont know why he had so many but Ailie said her & the kids were each wearing one of his many tags the next day.
She also said they were just looking at puppies the day before all this happened. It's too bad that a new pup won't get the chance to meet Ike, or put up w/ his howl, or get lost following Ike's nose. It might be a good thing that this pup doesn't have the chance to be influenced by that troublemaker that we all loved & adored & will miss around camp.
Rest in Peace & howl away Ikey! ❤

My MS Story... part eight

After all of that hullabaloo, I called UNMC to make an appointment w/ a neurologist. That's where my cousin recommended that I go. However, it wasn’t as easy as you would think it would be. My insurance wasn’t the problem. They said I could go to any neurologist I wanted to & that I didn’t even need a referral. UNMC felt differently though. THEY wanted a referral before they would let me schedule an appointment. I had already been referred to a neurologist by Dr. Jackass back in February, so what’s the problem? It was a different neurologist. I wanted to see one that specializes in MS. This required me to call Dr. Jackass & get a new referral.

That was kind of an awkward thing to do. I think I forgot to mention that when I was still scheming & trying to get the long term care insurance, one of the things I did was go back to Dr. Jackass in June w/ another brilliant plan. I made up a reason to see him, saying I was having summer allergies. I had no sign of allergies at all but this brilliant jackass looked down my throat & up my nose & agreed that I did indeed have allergies. What a joke! It was all made up so that I could put into action what happened next.


While he was writing me a prescription for my non-existent allergies, that I never had filled,
I said: “Oh hey, I went to a chiropractor like we had discussed when I was having leg issues.”
Dr. J.A: “Oh ya? How’d that go?”
Me: “Awesome. He said I had so many things out of line, probably due to my 2 falls, which needed adjusting. So I went for a few months & I have no problems w/ my leg anymore.” (Not totally a lie, he DID say that)
Dr. J.A: “That’s great.”
I paused for a bit while he was writing away & then as if the idea had just come to me, I said: “Oh hey, can you add that to my medical records?”
Dr. J.A: “Sure, I can do that.”
And this is exactly what he added to my records: “The chiropractor said she had significant but correctable misalignment in her low back. After a few visits she is not experiencing any weakness or discomfort in the lower extremity. Her strength is good, strong and symmetrical. She is participating in a lot of physical activities w/o any difficulty. I had considered sending her to the neurologist but it does not seem that she needs that now.”
Hook, line & sinker!! So now we know that not only is he a jackass, he is also a dumbass! It is so obvious that my left leg is weaker.

I thought that would be enough to get the long term care but as we know, it was explained to me that it wouldn’t be. However, after re-reading what he added, I’m having second thoughts about whether or not it could have worked. I’m wishing I would have continued with that attempt. I bet it would have worked. But it’s too late now.
It still feels good to have fooled that jerk though. As I’ve said before, I needed something else to focus on & that felt like a huge accomplishment of revenge at least. I know, revenge isn’t very yoga-like or good for the soul, but that’s where I was at that particular time. And even though Dr. J.A. has no idea I fooled him, it STILL feels good.

So that’s why it was somewhat awkward calling up for a referral to a neurologist less than 2 months later. He didn’t even question it though, he just referred me.
So back to getting that appointment scheduled. Not quite yet! UNMC wanted a copy of my medical records, which of course I had to stop in to Dr. J.A.’s office one last time and sign a release in order for them to be sent. Now it should be easy.

Nope. Once UNMC got the records, a nurse called to ask “Why?” I was being referred. Are you kidding me?? Can’t you read my medical records? I was getting a little frustrated by now and said “Because I have MS & I need to get a diagnosis”. She then asks, “Who told you that you have MS?” I said “Nobody! But I know that I have it & I need to get diagnosed!” Of course her next question was “Why do you think you have it?” REALLY!!?? Why the hell did they need my medical records if they weren’t going to read them? I said “Didn’t you get my records?” She did, but she couldn’t find anything in them mentioning MS symptoms and they needed a reason to see me before they could schedule an appointment. Are you freaking kidding me?? How ironic!! I spend months trying to hide the fact that I have MS, only to give up, accepting that Long Term Care Insurance wasn’t in my future. And NOW I am having to prove that I have sufficient reason to be seen by a neurologist.

Since I had my own copy of my medical records, I went through them while I had the nurse on the phone. I had to direct her to the correct page & show her where it was mentioned. Again, I wonder if it would’ve been this easy to fool the insurance folks. She finally sees it but still has to discuss it w/ the doctor to see if he agrees that I need to be seen. I’m starting to feel like this a Seth Myers/Amy Poehler SNL segment; REALLY!!??

So finally, after all of THAT hullabaloo, which took about a week, she called me back and said the neurologist agreed that I needed to be seen. DUHHH!!!! We scheduled an appointment for the end of August, which was a month away. More waiting.