Thank You.

We received the following post yesterday from our veterinarian, Dr. Laurie, and wanted to pass it along to you. Thanks to everyone who have sent messages of comfort and sympathy. We are grateful.

Our Sympathies to Tom and Shelley

  

The best thing about being a ”small town” veterinarian is that we get to know our patients and their families so well.   The worst thing about about being a small town veterinarian is losing one of our young patients unexpectedly.

Bella was the beloved companion of Tom and Shelley, and she even had her own blog about Belize – (go to bellainbelize.blogspot.com).  A 6 lb, three year-old Maltese, we first met her when she came in one day for grooming.  When she left that day she looked so adorable with her new haircut and pink bow that she became famous.  Every owner that came in with a Maltese for grooming after her said, “Please groom her and make her look just like that other Maltese I see around town named Bella!”

When she came in with urinary problems it was discovered that her bladder was full of bladder stones.  In a female dog this is rarely a serious problem, but for Bella, likely due to her exceptionally small size, it became very serious as her urinary tract became obstructed and she was unable to urinate the day of her surgery.  Even now we do not know if her problem was a tiny stone lodged within her urethra or if it was scar tissue which had built up over time.  But whatever the cause Bella had to undergo two surgeries before we were able to clear the obstruction enough for her to urinate normally again.  Her urinary tract disease was so severe that I recommended that she go to the United States to a specialty hospital where her urinary tract could be properly evaluated using a scope, a procedure called cystoscopy.  As this was not a reasonable course of action for her owners we did our best for Bella, but she developed what appeared to be peritonitis, a severe inflammation of her abdominal cavity which eventually took her life.

From the very beginning Bella was such a tolerant patient.  Allowing us to draw blood without squirming and cooperating with all her procedures despite all of the discomfort she was in from her urinary obstruction.  She was a fighter and she did not succumb to her disease until five days after her second surgery.

Veterinarians lose patients often compared to our counterparts, doctors with human patients.  But ask any committed veterinarian and they will tell you that there are certain losses that haunt us.  Sometimes it may be because of an error in judgement that was made.  Sometimes there was no error, but we wonder had we done things differently would there have been a different outcome.  And sometimes, as with Bella, even though we did our very best it just wasn’t good enough.  I think that Bella is a patient I will remember for a very long time.

All of us at San Pedro Animal Hospital would like to send our heartfelt sympathies to Bella’s family and friends, and especially Tom and Shelley who have been devastated by her loss.  We know that she touched so many lives, and thanks to the internet and Tom’s blog, she reached people all around the world and taught them about our little country of Belize.

There are millions of us dog lovers out there who understand that your loss was much more than just a little white dog.

Bella Has Passed Away

Bella, our little Maltese dog, passed away Thursday, June 7, 2012, after two abdominal surgeries at the age of three years, nine months. The veterinarian removed 41 stones from a bladder about the size of a coin purse, but the rigors of the surgeries proved to be overwhelming.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the huge void this little dog has left in my life, and it comes down to this. Bella brought us joy. Whether she was sitting high up on the back of the couch, or perched on my shoulder, or lying at the side of the bed, she lived her life pretty much on her own terms. When it was time for her to play, she would bring her toys and drop them by us. (She knew each one by name.) When she was hungry, she ate. When she wanted to go out, she rang the bells hanging on the door knob. (Yes, really.) When she was ready to go to bed, she went to bed. This little six-pound dog was packed full of spirit, life, and overall feistiness. She grew up around big dogs and even bigger people and was never intimidated. Bella was always in charge of her domain. I have said on many occasions that only God could put so much personality and character into such a little frame.

Bella and I liked to take walks together. She would walk for about a block, then sit down and wait for me to pick her up and carry her. It was always quite matter-of-fact. “Carry me now. I’m tired.” And I carried her a lot of places. Everyone wanted to pet her, of course, but she was quite selective. And when she accepted you, you were her friend from that moment on.

Right now there are so many rough edges. We know, of course, that there are many negative situations in our community and world of great importance, and we don’t expect everyone to understand the grief we feel. But right now, there is an empty spot in our hearts that only a little Maltese can fill.

Some people have argued that there are no dogs in heaven.  They are wrong.  Scripture tells us that someday Jesus will return on a white horse.  And there just might be a little white Maltese at His side.  

Bella, we miss you.

P.S. from Shelley:  

Please send your email address to my husband if you’d like us to contact you in the future or if you’d like to leave any comments.  We’ve appreciated your input so much regarding “Bella in Belize,” and we’re astounded that within four to five months of originating a blog, the audience stretches around the world.  Thank you. Tom’s email follows.

tfay5000@gmail.com

Bella's Surgery Update

This is an update on Bella.  She had major surgery on Friday and 41 bladder stones were removed!  Three were quite large, the size of a small finger nail. Bella seemed to be fine, but the next day when she still couldn't urinate, Bella had to undergo a second operation.  Afterwards, the veterinarian said to get her to the USA.  Tomorrow!   Equipment for more sophisticated surgery is available in Houston.  But it's expensive and no guarantees.

Bella has had two serious bladder infections in the past, each requiring a one night hospital stay.  The stones were probably forming back then, but were too small to detect.  After a gut wrenching Saturday night thinking we'd have to her put to sleep, a spirit of prayer kicked in, faith began to rise, and we prayed for God to heal Bella.  When Dr. Laurie called Sunday morning from the San Pedro Animal Hospital, we were prepared to tell her we'd made a decision----not to take Bella to Houston.  But we were met with a good report:  Bella was making puddles on the floor!  The blockage was cleared, the prognosis was good.  

Bella is home now, lying beside me on the sofa.  She's panting.  But Tom just returned from the clinic where Bella had another injection and the medication makes her sleepy and causes some panting.  She has way too many stitches to count!  And to get everything in perspective, Bella weighs 6 lbs, 3 oz.  (She'll be four years old in September.)  But on this follow up visit Dr. Laurie said, "Bella looks a hundred times better! I'm amazed." 

We say, "Thank you Lord."  Our God hears and answers prayer. That in no way takes away from Dr. Laurie Droke and her staff at the San Pedro Animal Hospital (sanpedroanimalhospital.com).  They're skilled, committed, and compassionate, and we can't thank you enough.  

A special thanks, also, to an all night, every night, security guard named Neftali who in the middle of Saturday night prayed with Tom for Bella. Thanks, Neftali, for your faithfulness on the job and your heartfelt prayers.

Finally, a big thank you to our faithful readers, literally around the world.  We wish we knew all of you personally!  Thanks for encouraging my husband with Bella in Belize, his first ever attempt at blogging.  I appreciate it.  We're both astounded at the number of countries where Bella in Belize is being read!  Please check back soon, tell your friends, and remember to come visit. You're gonna love Belize!

                                             Shelley


  

Bella Gets Ready for "V" Day

Pibil

I know this is totally random, but after reporting yesterday on pibil, the Maya specialty found at the Cacoa Festival in Punta Gorda, I just read today that Geo's Hideaway in San Pedro  has a weekend "Pibil Bonanza." Just when you think you can only get this slow-roasted specialty at remote locales, here it pops up in our own back yard. By the way, Geo's also serves marinated arracheras. Wow!

Yo, mon!

Not being one to judge, I'm still thinking it just may be time for Grandma Jane to leave Belize--now that the dreadlocks have grown out. The new hair style should really go over big at the Sikeston Country Club in southeast Missouri. Once again, her children are mortified. In a related incident, Tom asked his barber, Mustafo, to "just cut it short." Mustafo did. End of story.

Tomorrow morning is "V" Day. I'm scheduled to go to the vet for xrays and who knows what else to determine what's going on with my bladder. My faithful and concerned readers will be glad to know that I still have a pretty good appetite, but I'm sleeping a lot and have a very difficult time going pee-pee. I'd be plenty happy if you prayed for me. Surgery is not out of the question. Thanks.

This bad boy is living at our house--well, in the front yard. He/she (I mean, who really knows) is actually pretty tame. It eats grass and herbs and generally just hangs around. The creepy thing about iguanas, though, is that they have three eyes. (I'm not making this up.) The "parietal eye" is very small and sits on the top of the head. If you're interested, it serves primarily as a kind of radar/motion detector, but I still think it's creepy. And here's another heads up from your faithful reporter: Only eat green iguanas. The grey ones will make you really, really sick.

Which reminds me, in a recent post I indicated how good the barracuda was that we ate--and even gave you a recipe. Well, scratch that. We just met a guy whose entire family of eight people got sick and almost died from eating barracuda.I have now learned that barracuda are bottom feeders and are inclined to ingest some really bad heavy metals like mercury. Stick with fish sticks. Of course, I'm partial to Iams ProActive Health Dog Food for adult small & toy breeds.

A Friendly Game

An "Uh Oh, Look Out" Game

In a recent phenomenon, the women who live in and visit our house are playing dominoes on an increasingly more frequent basis, and, frankly, I'm getting a little worried. Phrases like "You're cheating" and "Don't make me rearrange your face, girl" are becoming far too commonplace around here! Play nice, ladies. Play nice. To be fair, Shelley mostly just says, "Have I won yet?"

Y'all come visit and bring me some Iams ProActive Health Dog Food for adult small & toy breeds with you. Don't make me rearrange your face. You're gonna love Belize.

Bella Goes to Caye Caulker

Okay, guys, WE'RE BACK! I'm still pretty sick, but I have an appointment in two days with Dr. Laurie when she gets back from the U.S. In the meantime, grin and bear it, right?

Kindest Kid

Mariano Calderon was just named "Kindest Kid in San Pedro, 2012" in a contest for school children between the ages of six to ten. (If that won't get you beat up in Texas, I don't know will!) The contest was sponsored by "Be Kind Belize" to recognize children who are especially kind. Way to go Mariano! Proud of you.

 

Caye Caulkering!

We took off for Caye Caulker yesterday: Tom, Shelley, Jane, Karen, Angie and moi! It's been raining just about every day, but we lucked out. The water taxi over and back was sunny and smooth, and there was only one brief "pineapple shower" while we were there. 

 

Srimp, anyone?

Paradiso

We thought about stopping at a "roadside" barbecue place (even though there are no roads) where the barbecued shrimp kebabs looked delicious. But you know Tom. He refuses to eat anywhere where the food, to-wit: "srimp." is misspelled. So we opted for lunch at a tiny little place called Paradiso where you sit outside after you order at the counter. Fresh salads, fresh bread, wonderful sandwiches. Yum. The big hit was a Greek salad with tons of feta cheese. The amazing thing was how good the ingredients were, because--as I've pointed out before--we live on an island! Fresh lettuce is a rarity let alone romaine lettuce. When you see Paradiso, you may have the same reaction I did: "Can't we go to a real restaurant, guys?" But am I ever glad we stopped there. It will be a "must stop" the next time we go to Caye Caulker.

 It's considered "low season" here, so the tourists were sparse. We had a great time swimming, sunning, laughing, shopping, and otherwise tourist-ing. 

 While waiting for the water taxi for the return trip, we had the opportunity to read the "no parking" sign near the dock. Please note that these rules are not just made up on the spot. In fact, they are by order of C.C.V.C./C.C.T.C.C. and C.C.T.O.A.L. Don't mess around with those folks.

Here's a link to a great video from Emily and Jared Akers who came from Kansas to San Pedro to go scuba diving. Really good content and high quality. You'll like it! Thanks for sharing, guys.
http://vimeo.com/42514435

Fruit Stand at Caye Caulker

Oh, by the way, the Toledo Chocolate Festival in Punta Gorda was a big success. The newspaper pointed out  that guests, in addition to all kinds of chocolatley foods and desserts, were treated to a "traditional Maya dinner of pork pibil with side dishes." This is not a misprint.

Y'all come visit. Maybe we can go to a pibil and srimp barbecue. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Doesn't Feel So Good

Bella has a urinary infection and is being treated with antibiotics. However, it is possible she also has a bladder "stone" that might require surgery. Our veterinarian will check on her again when she returns to San Pedro next week. Bella doesn't seem to be in any kind of pain, but does have a problem wetting--and that causes some accidents through no fault of her own.

Tom--our fearless, feckless editor--hurt his back swinging a 5-gallon water bottle up onto the counter AND has gotten some kind of general sore throat, doesn't feel all that good, kind of thing. He is taking antibiotics, also, and is somewhat grumpy.

Sorry!

The result is: No dictation, no editing, no blog for the past few days. Sorry about that. We should be back to speed soon, but can't say when. Bear with us. 

Bella Salutes the Queen

Today is Sovereign's Day, aka "Commonwealth Day." This is the day we pay homage to the Queen and find yet another excuse to have a party. All the stores are closed, Tom's back is thrown out plus he has a sore throat, Shelley is recovering from her shoulder injury, I have a urinary infection, and it's raining. Party, party, party. Whoo hoo! Go, Sovereign, go!  

As always, we wish you to be aware that Queen Elizabeth's real (versus official) birthday is April 21st, the same day as Melissa Higgins (my aunt) and Grandma Shelley. Mark your calendars. Mark your Facebook pages. Send gifts.

Lexy begging. Pathetic.

This is my next-door neighbor, Lexy. She is not allowed to come inside our house because she eats all my food. I am supposed to be nice to Lexy, but would you be nice to someone who eats all your food? 

We're coming into the "slow season" here in San Pedro. But that's a good thing for you if you're interested in visiting. The weather here is summer all year long, and, c'mon, who can't work around the rainy season, the mosquito season, and the hurricane season? Prices will be way down for accomodations and your travel dollar will go a lot further. So get brave, and come on down.

Y'all come visit. We'll have a few hot toddies ready if you're feeling a little sick, and we'll chase away the rain and any unwanted dogs! You're gonna love Belize!

Editor's Note: Yesterday, our cousin Judy passed away into glory. She was the life, the light, and the matriarch of her family, and an absolute delight to be around. We will miss you greatly, Judy, but, the best part, we will see you again in Heaven.

Bella Goes Swimming

Chillin' after church.

 One of the best parts of going to church is a potluck dinner afterwards! Today six of us went over to Karen's for a fresh fruit platter, ravioli, pasta salad, fresh green beans with ham, onions, and new potatoes. Delicious!   I got to go in the swimming pool--although only up to my tail. (That's enough for me.) Afterwards I wrapped up in a couple of tee shirts to avoid sunburn--seriously. This Caribbean sun is hot!

Getting my tail wet!

Karen lives at Paradise Villas between the famous Phoenix Resort and Wet Willy's Dock. Talk about location, location, location. She has two condos, upstairs and downstairs, that she rents out. You can see the listing on www.airbnb.com.  

Last night Tom and Michael (whose wife was presenting seminars in the United States for a couple of weeks) went to Casa Picasso for a traditional Vietnamese dinner. (Grandmas Shelley and Jane opted to stay home for grilled cheese sandwiches with fresh tomato slices.)  Anyhow, Michael and Tom joined six other guests already seated where Michael, with a career background in law enforcement, introduced Tom as his "partner." Tom began talking frenetically explaining how his wife wasn't able to be there for the occasion.

Vietnamese Pho Beef

Tien Vo, the executive chef, told the guests about what to expect. The first course was a salad called xà lách with spring rolls and barbecued beef. Then Phở, rice noodles served in a bowl with clear beef broth and slim cuts of beef. Dessert was freshly-baked almond cookies over homemade coconut ice cream.  They said the food was delicious but reminded them of the old Wendy's commercial.

At the end of the feast, fireworks were set off. Several of the guests talked about how that was a traditional Vietnamese custom. Only when Tom and Michael were pedaling back home on their bicycles did they pass the wedding reception that was taking place about five blocks from the restaurant, complete with fireworks!

Y'all come visit. We'll go swimming and eat great food and watch the birds fly in at dusk when the fishermen return to shore. You're gonna love Belize!

Bella Says Hello and Goodbye

From the What's-in-Your-Golf-Cart Desk:

Two recent (yesterday) photos show even more creative uses of San Pedro golf carts. To the left, we have barracuda transport, and, to the right, a traveling chiropractor is ready to begin therapy at any moment.

Dr. Mike prior to his unexpected bout of fear.

Today, we say another sad goodbye, this time to Tom Hixon and  Mike Watson, both new doctors from Keele University Medical School in England, and both who have been up to NO GOOD since visiting San Pedro. Tom and Mike are leaving today for San Ignacio (not very far from Belmopan) where they shall continue their no-goodness until they get it out of their systems and return home. 

Dr. Tom

Mike, I apologize for almost biting your hand last night causing you to yelp in terror like a little girl. I forget how dangerous I can look. The picture of Tom Hixon has been cropped to remove the indecent parts.

Michael at Wine de Vine

As a happy hello, we're heading out tonight with new next-door-neighbor Michael  to "Casa Picasso" to keep him out of trouble while his wife, Pamela, is back in the United States. Owners Adam and Jackie are featuring a Vietnamese five-course feast tonight with the help of executive chef Tien Vo and his staff. Casa Picasso is not particularly easy to find, and at first blush you might think you were going in the wrong direction, but it's a not-to-be-missed dining experience. It's "south of town on Stingray Street just past the Crystal Water Plant." There, that should help.

The Big Four-OH

It was Helga's 40th birthday party yesterday at Roadkill Bar and Grill. Helga sang a stirring rendition of "Whatever Helga Wants/Helga Gets" after yelling at passing golf cart drivers and pedestrians to join her at the celebration. By the way, her voice is amazingly good.

Y'all come visit. We'll carry strange things in our golf carts, then go out to eat fabulous food--again! You're gonna love Belize.

Bella Joins the Marines

It sure ain't algebra!

The Belize Marine Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) is now in its 18th year of advancing coral reef education and research here in San Pedro. 

These guys don't mess around. They have a research library, natural history museum, classrooms, laboratory, fresh water swimming pool for SCUBA training, a fleet of boats, and a remote field station, Atlantis. PLUS they have marine biologists (with PhD's), SCUBA instructors, licensed captains, and tour guides. If you just happen to be a teacher (not an English professor, Tom), take note that TREC can accommodate more than 50 students for room, board, and course work for undergraduates, graduate students, and high school students with marine biology interests. And I've heard they greet you with nachos and grilled cheese sandwiches. Doesn't get any better than that!

But there's one small problem for you turistos: TREC is an academically dedicated facility. That means there are no people at the facility but students and staff.  Sorry, but they are not open to the general public. But, heck, it's not too late to sign up for marine biology at your local junior college and organize a group of 50! C'mon down!

Richard Carey in uniform.

What happens in June in San Pedro, kids? LOBSTER SEASON OPENS! That's right. Don't forget "Lobsterfest 2012." It's coming up soon. Larry the Lobster is waiting for you!

Richard Carey out of uniform.

From the "Can You Believe That?" Desk": Richard Carey, from Nenagh Town, Tipperary, Ireland, who has consistently claimed to be a pilot, was actually seen today in San Pedro Town in uniform thus, sorta, kinda, proving that he actually is a pilot. (Okay, Richard, I take it back.) Incidentally, Richard is a graduate of the University of Limerick. Can you believe that? Richard can also be seen performing in the Belize City Little Theatre's production of Auntie Mame--in the title role.

We went out for papusas last night. Fresh, warm "masa" grilled to perfection right on the street grill, then filled with wonderful goodies like spinach and cheese, beans, fish, lobster (in season), or a ton of other choices. Oh my gosh! You can't believe how good they are! In fact, they just may be better than the Central Park street tacos! About the size of a "dollar pancake," they cost $1 US apiece. A full meal for under five bucks.  

Getting Ready for Grandma Jane

Well, it's time for me to go to bed. Grandma Jane is flying in tomorrow, and if I know Shelley, we'll all be working our papusas off  all day long getting ready!

Y'all come visit! We'll see if we can crash the TREC facility, then eat some street food and laugh at limericks! You're gonna love Belize!