I had only the one to bloom yesterday,and of course it is gone today. when the next one blooms I will get my daughter to show me how to post a picture of it. Seems only fair since I enjoy the pictures so much,I should learn how to share.I had seen the ditch lily forever,but thought the name was something my neice had made up. then I got on this forum and found out that, that was what people realy called them. when I lived in a little town in N.C. they were every where,but they seem to have a purpose. They seem to be saying this is where the old homestead was, with all of the laughter and tears. I am all thats left. Gail

My golden retriever Camden had anal gland issues where I was taking her to get them purged at the vet every 3 weeks…. Before learning to do it myself. Ewww. Ha! I started her on “Perfect Form” by honest kitchen - it’s a supplement powder you mix into her food. No more issues with her butt ever since! Highly recommend. She is 9 now and we’ve been using this powder since she was around 2. She has “loose” glands so the perfect form made her have to work just a little harder and squeeze her stool out which lets her purge her glands naturally and on her own now! Praise be! My other golden retriever Cara is 12 and has been battling some type of undiagnosed skin dermatitis/autoimmune disorder of some kind. Her belly area gets scaly and turns into open lesions. Started as dry skin about three years ago and then she lost her belly hair. We finally saw a dermatologist and her first thought was food allergies. We’ve switched her food a few times, tried elimination diets, and now have her on a hydrolyzed protein diet by Royal Canin. No real improvement yet so hopefully we can see what the dermatologist says at the follow up. It still may be environmental allergies however it seems unlikely since we have never moved. It’s been almost 8 weeks on the HP food. 8 is the minimum amount of time to see results with food/diet Changes from what we have been told. We shall see! We’ve been spot washing her a few times a week with Maleseb (leaving on 5-10 min) and putting neo predef powder on the wounds when her skin flares up (when we forget to treat her for too long). Doing this clears up the issues in about a week or less….but only temporary…. When we stop then the scales come back and area gets inflamed and oozy and scabby again. Looking forward to trying the COAT DEFENSE canine powder listed above. Just ordered it so please send prayers please! Hope this helps some other pet owners out there!

I use a recipe a nose, ear and throat doctor recommended. It is 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water. I keep it refrigerated and you don't get the stringy white stuff in it. It helps with any sores in the mouth. I have burning tongue syndrome, my tongue is very tender and occasionally has painful cracks in it. This recipe heals it in 24 hours.

The Nissen Fundoplication is usually a last resort for uncontrolled GERD. As you know, the biggest downside is the inability to vomit. Another problem is that if the esophagus has lost much of its elasticity due to the acid, it can keep the food from moving on to the stomach, causing a blockage. Then surgery must be done to both remove the blockage and usually to reverse the Fundoplication. My gastroenterologist said it's a very tricky surgery. There are other new minimally invasive surgeries out there. Cleveland Clinic is the place to go - they are doing the most research on this issue. Unfortunately, I'm not a candidate for either the minimally invasive surgery or the Fundoplication. We have tried two drugs - the first caused such vertigo I could not take it. I haven't been that dizzy since I drank way too much bourbon while in college! It was awful! I'm now on a drug for anxiety (which I do NOT have) but which is used off-label for GERD. I think it is helping some. I'm VERY careful about my diet. It killed me this past winter not to be able to eat a bowl of tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold winter's night! No Italian food for me, either. No citrus fruits, cranberries, rhubarb, chocolate - the list goes on and on... I really try to follow these restrictions as I tend to aspirate stomach contents and end up with infection and pneumonia. It really has made my pulmonary problems far worse. I need a full renovation of my esophagus!