Mirya's Mini Garden (Nuvo 8) - Yasha Love Shack

[Mirya]

Thanks Annette! I'm a little sad that I will be breaking up the matching appearance of the tanks with the upgrade, but really excited to get more width in the new tank.

[FlowerMama]

I don't blame ya. It'll look amazing and then you still have the other 2 stands for your home for anything else as a matching piece of furniture so it all works out.

[spectra]

That Blasto looks great! And sorry to hear about Tanaka those are wonderful fish. I am thinking of one for my set up once it is broken in and going good.

 

Good luck with the leg....I had a accident in 13 and just got back on track in April of this year....3 surgeries later and can walk normal....I broke the same bone. Well mine was crushed.....as the dr stated corn flakes

 

I ended up with an external fixator hopefully you don't get one of those

[teenyreef]

Sorry about Tanaka. And your leg! The blastos and pipe organ look great, though.

[righttirefire]

Your "stands" are beautiful. I did a similar thing. I have and Ethan Allen buffet server that I added security to. I am sumpef and don't a moisture in mine... yet. I love the granite top. Beautiful tanks

[kimberbee]

Thanks Annette! I'm a little sad that I will be breaking up the matching appearance of the tanks with the upgrade, but really excited to get more width in the new tank.

I love love love your cart stands!! What do the backs of them look like? I was thinking about using one of those carts if its the right size, but I might use it "peninsula style"

[Mirya]

They could definitely be used peninsula style! The backs have 1/4" finished wood in the back. Of course, I've drilled a bunch of holes in the back of mine to go to my Apex bars and such.

[Guits]

Sorry about the fish and your leg! I'm an anesthesiologist so I take care of patients with ortho issues frequently and I know it can really suck. I'd say make sure you weight the pros and cons of either procedure, and if necessary get more than one opinion!

[Mirya]

Sorry about the fish and your leg! I'm an anesthesiologist so I take care of patients with ortho issues frequently and I know it can really suck. I'd say make sure you weight the pros and cons of either procedure, and if necessary get more than one opinion!

 

Hey Guits -- I figure I'm going to be one of those annoying patients... Back when I was first diagnosed in November, I did a PubMed search on anterior tibial stress fractures for outcomes with medical vs surgical management. I have PDFs saved of all the articles that described surgical fixation. It's not a common type of stress fracture, so there isn't a lot of literature on it. Honestly, it kinda reminded me of veterinary literature. In vet med we rarely have case series of more than a dozen patients. It was the same numbers for these anterior tibial stress fracture papers, instead of the normal thousands of patients in most human articles. Anyway, I plan on going through PubMed again if it looks like I'm going to surgery, printing out all the articles, and bringing them with me when I get to meet the surgeon. (As I don't think my sports physician does surgery himself.)

 

I had 3 anesthesias over the course of 3 days back in January for my gall bladder. (First EUS, then lap cholecystectomy, then ERCP) Before each induction I thought to myself, "I want to remember what induction feels like when I wake up!" so I could better relate to my own patients when I anesthetize them. Of course the last thing I would really remember was getting premed'd with midazolam. Damn that retrograde amnesia! I hope cats and dogs experience that too. I did wake up from one of the anesthesias where I was intubated with neuropraxia to my tongue tip. I hope I haven't done that to any of my patients. It was a really weird sensation -- I had motor but no sensory to my distal tongue. It slowly resolved over several weeks.

[FlowerMama]

weeks, geez!

[Guits]

 

Hey Guits -- I figure I'm going to be one of those annoying patients... Back when I was first diagnosed in November, I did a PubMed search on anterior tibial stress fractures for outcomes with medical vs surgical management. I have PDFs saved of all the articles that described surgical fixation. It's not a common type of stress fracture, so there isn't a lot of literature on it. Honestly, it kinda reminded me of veterinary literature. In vet med we rarely have case series of more than a dozen patients. It was the same numbers for these anterior tibial stress fracture papers, instead of the normal thousands of patients in most human articles. Anyway, I plan on going through PubMed again if it looks like I'm going to surgery, printing out all the articles, and bringing them with me when I get to meet the surgeon. (As I don't think my sports physician does surgery himself.)

 

I had 3 anesthesias over the course of 3 days back in January for my gall bladder. (First EUS, then lap cholecystectomy, then ERCP) Before each induction I thought to myself, "I want to remember what induction feels like when I wake up!" so I could better relate to my own patients when I anesthetize them. Of course the last thing I would really remember was getting premed'd with midazolam. Damn that retrograde amnesia! I hope cats and dogs experience that too. I did wake up from one of the anesthesias where I was intubated with neuropraxia to my tongue tip. I hope I haven't done that to any of my patients. It was a really weird sensation -- I had motor but no sensory to my distal tongue. It slowly resolved over several weeks.

 

Midazolam is your friend You probably would have remembered very little anyways once they gave the propofol for induction.

 

For your upcoming procedure - depending on the local practice of the anesthesia department at that hospital, it might be regional anesthesia and you won't require intubation.

[spectra]

I am sure they will not do regional. They will want you out like a light so they can work on your leg. I think I went through 4 surgeries between my leg and hand and all were intubation. I hated the feeling of the meds when I was done. I would rather be alert and not feel it.

 

I wish you well with the surgery.

[Guits]

I am sure they will not do regional. They will want you out like a light so they can work on your leg. I think I went through 4 surgeries between my leg and hand and all were intubation. I hated the feeling of the meds when I was done. I would rather be alert and not feel it.

 

I wish you well with the surgery.

 

Actually, that's very hospital/department dependent. In my department, we almost always do regional instead of general for lower extremity orthopedic procedures, and keep our patients asleep but breathing on their own (so no intubation) with a propofol infusion so almost always the patient remembers absolutely nothing from the OR. In fact, one of the hospitals I trained at did only orthopedic surgeries, and you could go months without intubating anyone for both lower and upper extremity procedures, because they were huge proponents of regional anesthesia. And the patients would not remember anything about the OR, because of heavy sedation during the procedure itself.

[spectra]

 

Actually, that's very hospital/department dependent. In my department, we almost always do regional instead of general for lower extremity orthopedic procedures, and keep our patients asleep but breathing on their own (so no intubation) with a propofol infusion so almost always the patient remembers absolutely nothing from the OR. In fact, one of the hospitals I trained at did only orthopedic surgeries, and you could go months without intubating anyone for both lower and upper extremity procedures, because they were huge proponents of regional anesthesia. And the patients would not remember anything about the OR, because of heavy sedation during the procedure itself.

 

I wanted to watch.....and just not feel it.

 

I was mad when they told me I could not have any of my hardware that they took out......

[Mirya]

You never know what you will see in your tank after lights out...

 

Tonight I saw part of a bristleworm woven through my rockwork. What I could see of the worm was that its body was nearly as big around as my pinky!

 

Sweet jesus. Who needs crabs in your CUC when you have a monster bristleworm apparently!

 

Actually, that's very hospital/department dependent. In my department, we almost always do regional instead of general for lower extremity orthopedic procedures, and keep our patients asleep but breathing on their own (so no intubation) with a propofol infusion so almost always the patient remembers absolutely nothing from the OR.

 

Talking of regional blocks makes me think of this from my vet school days:

 

All the nerve blocks done in horses to try to diagnose lameness. Ugh, I worked very hard to to memorize them for the tests, then forget them.

 

So what type of regional anesthesia would be done for tibial surgery? We do epidurals in dogs getting CCL (aka ACL) repairs.

[spectra]

I think they will just put you out if you are going in for a tibial surgery.

 

I was out three times I think for my leg issues. Every time it was gas to get you out......who knows what was given after words.....Dilaudid is one good one for pain though oh what a feeling when that was injected......I think I slept for almost 24 hours.....I am one who hates the way pain meds feel and do not take them but that one was not bad when I was in the hospital.

[FlowerMama]

Oh gosh, my husband was on Dilaudid after 2 surgeries 8 mos apart, his favorite drug of choice. Yeah, esp you could feel it go through your veins he said and feeling the numbing up to your brain.

[Guits]

 

So what type of regional anesthesia would be done for tibial surgery? We do epidurals in dogs getting CCL (aka ACL) repairs.

 

Personally as an anesthesiologist I hate it when a patient comes in and another anesthesiologist has already told the patient what they should get, so at the end of the day I would just go with your anesthesiologist's plan because that is what they are most comfortable with. The decision for the exact anesthetic takes into account many considerations (patient selection, patient preference, specific contraindications, surgeon preference, whether your surgery is ambulatory vs post-operative admision, etc).

 

For a tibial surgery, we would probably do a spinal or a combined spinal/epidural for the surgical block, then during the case run a propofol infusion, such that you are completely asleep and unaware but maintaining spontaneous ventilation with no intubation (so essentially IV general with a natural airway). Depending the type of tibial surgery, the surgeon may not want a prolonged block for post-operative pain control due to concern for masking the signs of compartment syndrome, so we may remove the epidural at the end and pain control will be with oral or IV medications. If the local practice at that hospital is to use regional as well for post-op pain control, possibilities include epidural or peripheral nerve block such as popliteal + saphenous, +/- catheter.

 

General, of course, is also perfectly acceptable. There is more than one way to do the anesthesia safely, so I would just go by what your team is comfortable with.

[Mirya]

Personally as an anesthesiologist I hate it when a patient comes in and another anesthesiologist has already told the patient what they should get, so at the end of the day I would just go with your anesthesiologist's plan because that is what they are most comfortable with. The decision for the exact anesthetic takes into many considerations (patient selection, patient preference, specific contraindications, surgeon preference, whether your surgery is ambulatory vs post-operative admision, etc).

 

I understand. I hate the "Well my cousin's neighbor is a vet and they said you can just treat X with Y." I'm not going to hold any future anesthesiologist to anything. I was just curious. For some reason, I never really thought about regional anesthesia as a thing to allow sedated surgery in humans, just for standing surgeries in cows and horses.

[spectra]

Oh gosh, my husband was on Dilaudid after 2 surgeries 8 mos apart, his favorite drug of choice. Yeah, esp you could feel it go through your veins he said and feeling the numbing up to your brain.

 

Yep when they pumped into the IV I could feel it from head to toe......oh what a feeling

 

They gave it to me again and I started itching real bad so no more after that

So when is the surgery?

 

Hope it all works out for the best.

 

After 2 years I am actually feeling pretty good....can walk normal but leg looks like a puzzle with all the scars....

[FlowerMama]

 

Yep when they pumped into the IV I could feel it from head to toe......oh what a feeling

 

They gave it to me again and I started itching real bad so no more after that

So when is the surgery?

 

Hope it all works out for the best.

 

After 2 years I am actually feeling pretty good....can walk normal but leg looks like a puzzle with all the scars....

 

So get a zipper tattooed over your scars!

[spectra]

 

So get a zipper tattooed over your scars!

 

I never thought of that.... Great idea! I have one that goes from my knee to my ankle....I am going to look into that now. All the other ones are holes from the external fixator and a few when the bone tried to escape

 

Ok sorry to Hi Jack the thread we need more pics of the Mini Garden

[Mirya]

Super long post incoming!!!

 

Dilaudid is one good one for pain though oh what a feeling when that was injected......

 

Oh gosh, my husband was on Dilaudid after 2 surgeries 8 mos apart, his favorite drug of choice. Yeah, esp you could feel it go through your veins he said and feeling the numbing up to your brain.

 

Oh yeah, I really have loved Dilaudid when I have had it. (After blacking out from hypoglycemia and smashing my face open and during during my gall bladder/pancreatitis stuff.) It is like a full body hug from the inside.

 

So when is the surgery?

 

Hope it all works out for the best.

 

After 2 years I am actually feeling pretty good....can walk normal but leg looks like a puzzle with all the scars....

 

Don't know yet. Theoretically the bone growth stimulator could work... My next recheck is scheduled in 6 weeks.

 

So get a zipper tattooed over your scars!

 

 

I never thought of that.... Great idea! I have one that goes from my knee to my ankle....I am going to look into that now. All the other ones are holes from the external fixator and a few when the bone tried to escape

 

Ok sorry to Hi Jack the thread we need more pics of the Mini Garden

 

Or you could get something like this:

 

Actually, I have decided that I will get a tattoo once this is all said and done -- surgery or no. My husband suggested I get one to commemorate the first race I run once I'm healed. I was really struck by the idea and am planning on going forward with it. I don't even have any tattoos right now, but have long thought about it. Anyway, what I am thinking of getting is Winged Victory of Samothrace tattoo'd on the side of my fractured leg. Winged Victory (or Winged Nike) is an ancient Greek statue that now resides in the Louvre. I remember being awe-struck by the statue the first time I saw it back in a Classics class in undergrad. The fact that she represents victory, but is also broken seems just fitting. This is a photo of the statue if you aren't familiar with it:

 

So, you also asked for pictures of the tank. I'll need to do that as I got a new Blasto wellsi from my LFS. But, I haven't photographed it yet. However I do have some pictures to share! Last week Monday my husband and I went out to The Wilds for an early wedding anniversary celebration. Our 12 yr wedding anniversary is today (the 15th). It is also the 19th anniversary of when we started dating.

 

The Wilds is a nature preserve that is part of the Columbus Zoo. If anyone is in Ohio, it is an awesome place to go visit. It is 9,000 acres of reclaimed land that used to be a strip mine over 30 years ago. Now it has dozens of different species from Africa and Asia in free-roaming pastures. You can take safari bus tours through the park, hike, horseback ride, zipline... They even have some classy yurts that you can rent to spend the night in which is what my husband and I did.

 

This is the Grand Yurt. It is booked pretty far in advance, so is not the one we stayed in. Even though we were in one of the middle tier yurts it was still awesome:

 

The yurt guests have a group patio they share with a firepit that overlooks one of the valleys where Bactrian camels, Grevy's zebras, and Pere David's deer roam.

 

Directly looking into the valley:

 

One of the open-air bus safaris was included in our night's stay. The ostriches were really curious:

 

Grevy's zebra herd we saw on the safari. That is a little zebra foal nursing at her dam's flank:

 

Reticulated and Rothschild giraffes:

 

Most of the species at The Wilds are herbivores. There are 3 types of carnivores there, kept in a far separate area. Cheetahs, Painted dogs, and Dholes. This was the sign that was outside their area:

 

My husband and I also went horseback riding -- which was awesome since my husband has never even touched a horse before much less ridden one. Of course these are trail riding horses that are used to people with no experience. The were more interested in stealing grass during our ride than being otherwise rowdy.

 

The evening in the yurt was fantastic. The Wilds is about 1.5 hours east of Columbus in a very rural area. Cell phone reception is very spotty, which was nice being able to unplug. There is no light pollution, so we were able to just stare at the stars and could even see the Milky Way.

[spectra]

Now that looks like a relaxing time!

[kimberbee]

That sounds awesome! Glad you had a nice time away for a night!