A possible diagnosis...

Immune Mediated Polyarthritis. The vet seems to think all signs are pointing to this since the MRI ruled out any tumors or lesions. The allopathic treatment for this is prednisone and imuran which is very, very hard on the liver. So I have booked an appointment with an integrative vet for Tuesday for some alternatives and/or some ideas of supporting her system if she needs to go on these drugs. I am aware that milk thistle can help her little liver and that fish oils will help with the inflammation, but I want a tx plan from an expert. Just hope they got the diagnosis correct.

Put a call into the vet again today for the MRI results. Still waiting... In the meantime, hoping her hair grows back soon. She's looking pretty sad.

Miss Poppy got her MRI today

A pic of poppy from today. The two shaved legs are from Friday's procedure and the neon green wrap is from today's MRI procedure where the IV was inserted.

I just picked Poppy up from her MRI. She's still a little groggy from the anesthesia and has a cute green bandage on her leg from where the IV was, but the tech said that Poppy was a "rockstar" and handled the procedure beautifully. The next step is for the radiologist to review the images to make a determination. This should take 2 to 3 days. I asked the tech if she could give me any kind of clue and she told me that they thought that there were a few areas that looked "suspicious" but that they really couldn't read them accurately and that I needed to wait for word back from the expert.

On a note of relief, the front desk turned out to be uber sweet when it came to paying for it and took my down payment with the agreement to pay the remainder next week. This is a super enormous help.

Continued thanks to everyone. Every day someone emails me with new information, new suggestions, financial support, you name it. I am so appreciative. It has inspired me, along with a suggestion from a fiber friend, to create a Miss Poppy fiber club series with colorways inspired by Miss Poppy's favorite things, including updates of her journey and hopeful progress.

xoxo Lisa

Today's Poppy scoop

Talked to the vet again today and she believes that an MRI is imperative and needing to be done within the next 48 hours. They are aware of my current financial struggles and are allowing me to put down a down payment with a post-dated check for the remainder that they will cash next week. This is a huge help considering the estimate for the MRI is now at $1600 (they want to flush some dye through her body in certain areas if necessary and some other thing or panel). It's interesting the way they do it. She will be anesthetized at the vet's, then taken by doggie ambulance with a doc to a people's hospital where they will do the MRI. I'm comforted to know that she is having it done at a human hospital. I would think that the techs would be very good there.

So the contributions thus far are going to enable me to make that down payment on the MRI which is remarkable. It's such a help. I'm going to do my best with raising more with maybe some auctions or some different raffles to cover the rest. And of course stocking the store with more fiber hopefully by Friday or this weekend.

Thank you all once again!!! You people are phenomenal!!

xo Lisa

Poppy update

Talked to the vet today and am very frustrated. I don't think she knows what the heck she's talking about. She said her joints showed some inflammation. No, really?! Poppy is still running a fever, still hobbling around, still in a great deal of pain and she wants to give it a couple of more days. Some more time on anti-biotics which are doing *nothing*. Writing this is making me heated, so I'm going to wrap it up now. I'll be talking to her again tomorrow and pushing for a better answer. She still did not have a firm diagnosis for me and MRI is still likely.

Thanks for all the support, peoples. I am deeply touched by how many people have been coming forward in so many ways to help both my pup and me.

Prize Drawing to support Poppy's MRI!

Hi Everyone! I will be giving away two August Uberlicious Fiber Club memberships to one lucky winner. August's Uberlicious fiber is 4 ounces of hand-painted 80/20 SUPERFINE 19.5 micron MERINO/Mongolian CASHMERE combed top. So the lucky winner will be receiving at least 8 ounces of this luxury blend, hand-painted by me AND get to choose the colorway. This is an $80 value and will ship to you free of charge.

Thank you so much for your support! Poppy and I both appreciate it.

Poppy today

poor girl's fur has been shaved on all 4 legs due to the procedures. will talk to the vet tomorrow about how long i can delay the mri until i raise the money and if she can survive a delay.

follow poppy's fundraising story and progress here.

Poppy needs your help

(pics of poppy in better days)
My pup, Miss Poppy Flower, is seriously ill. After multiple blood tests, multiple x-rays, and a procedure which extracted synovial fluid from her joints and is currently being cultured, the docs are gravely concerned. This once 45 pound dog is now 28 pounds and continuing to lose. The docs think an expensive MRI is in order followed by surgery and rehab. I am asking for as much help as I can get because I have a pretty good idea that it is going to be a long and costly haul. My last pups illness set me back $10k. eeek! But I would be forever grateful even to raise just $1k so that she can have her MRI. I have never done this before. Never asked for $$ online, never asked for money from friends, but a friend gave me the suggestion after her kitty was very sick and she had to raise $$ for her kitty's vet expenses. If it wasn't for my bills from my last pup's decline from October to March, my surgery in April, and now Poppy's two back-to-back illnesses which began in April this wouldn't be an issue. The last few months have just broke me.

Thank you all for your consideration. Anything you can give, even $5, even $1, would help so much. And social networking regarding this cause would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!!!!

Follow Poppy's story, fundraising, and progress here.

Introducing hand-dyed YARN and update tonight!

Hey all!

I have a great new addition to my etsy shop. Hand-dyed yarn!!! Dyed in organic tone-on-tone colorways which will not pool. Todays addition being added to the store at 9pm EST will include cashmere lace weight, cashmere/silk DK weight, superwash merino fingering, and superwash merino/tencel fingering. Come on by and have a look! poppyflowerfibers.com

p.s....i'll trim this post later to cut down on the size of the photos. just in a bit of a rush right now. :)













And here are the pics of the fiber being added:

doggie update

I spent several hours at the specialty vet clinic with Poppy yesterday. She was thoroughly examined by an internal medicine doc, had more x-rays taken, more blood work, and sent home with a month's worth of antibiotics and pain meds while they try and figure out what is causing her pain, fever, lethargy, and lameness. They seem to think it is some kind of "disease", but unsure of which system it is affecting. Could be neurological, muscular, bone, tumor, or other. If the blood tests do not reveal anything she will have to undergo an MRI, CT scan, or surgical consult. Hoping for the best...

As far as dyeing goes, I am currently working on my new line of sock yarn which is very exciting. Layers and layers of rich colors. It's a nice change of pace working with squishy, bouncy sock yarn. I also have some tencel/merino, and superfine merino combed top to dye up.

So that's the scoop du jour. Not much of a scoop. I'm sure a scoop of ice cream would be way better.

Time to do some houseworky stuff.

August Luxury Fiber Club spots opening tomorrow!!!!

Hi All!

If you are interested in the August Luxury Fiber Club, 15 slots will be opening tomorrow, July 15, at 1pm MST. Slots will be added to Etsy at that time with sales on a first come, first served basis. I am unable to reserve slots in order to make it fair to all interested. The fiber will be shipped out to you no later than August 15.

August’s fiber club will consist of at least 4 ounces hand-painted 80/20 Super fine 19.5 micron Merino/Mongolian Cashmere combed top. Super duper luxurious and I am so excited about working with this blend!

So stop on by the shop tomorrow at 1pm MST if you would like your opportunity at a slot. :)

Thanks!!!
Lisa ♥

poppyflowerfibers.com

more doggie troubles...

I've fallen out of the TdF for a while b/c there is something seriously wrong with my border collie. I'm not quite sure what b/c the vet couldn't figure it out, so now i have to take her to an internist next week to see if they can find out what is wrong with her. It has really thrown me for a loop and is a bit crushing. I really hope there is something they can do for her.

I also have to focus on dyeing my club fiber, some swap fiber, and some fiber and yarn for the shop. I'm having trouble getting it done with all that's going on and being somewhat of an emotional wreck, but hope to begin no later than tomorrow.

Here's a pic of a yarn I spun several days ago for the TdF. It's BFL from my colorway 1120



14 wpi
220 yds
low twist single
spun modified long draw
fulled

Day 3 Tour de Fleece

This is my first year taking part in the TdF. I skipped it the last few years because I didn't think I could commit to spinning every day, but I figure even if I fit in half an hour a day, it's still spinning. So day 1 I spun one bobbin, day 2 I spun another bobbin, and today I plied. It's 120 yards of 7 wpi Merino.



Tomorrow I will start another yarn. Not sure what to spin. I've got so much fiber here it's hard for me to choose just one. But I do know I'll be spinning it on this:



It's a 40th Anniversary cherry Matchless, and we are still getting to know each other.

Tomorrow I will be mixing massive batches of dye in preparation for dyeing my club fiber for this month. So tonight, I rest...

SALE SALE SALE

***15% off SALE on all combed top to make room for my new line of products coming mid-July. While supplies last!**


poppyflowerfibers.com