So I'm going to have LASIK surgery to correct my nearsightedness next month. Has anyone here had this procedure done to them, or to anyone they know? If so, what was the experience like, & how did it turn out?

For those folks who are unsatisfied with the choices left for President, would you consider voting for Ralph Nader? Why, or why not?

http://www.newsday.com/news...

My poor little sweetie gave us quite a scare last night. I was just settling in for the evening, climbing into bed in our up stair's bedroom. Usually our female Akita stays downstairs through the night, but she came upstairs and started to circle around the bed & seemed much more animated than normal for that late in the evening.

A few minutes later my hubby came upstairs and said she was bloated; look at her stomach. This is probably our worst fear: large breeds are very prone to stomach bloating, and we had lost our last Akita (the day after we had moved to Tehachapi) to just this condition. Sure enough, all the signs were there. We loaded her into the car & hoped we could catch this one in time.

The AEUC in Bakersfield is a wonderful clinic for overnight emergency situations. Of course, the whole drive down there & spent in the waiting room was the worst Deja Vu for me. It was exactly like that awful night seven years ago when we had to make the decision to let Tasha, our first Akita, go. It happens so fast, and so slow.

But we got better news this time: the Vet, Dr. Osten, was much more confident with the surgical option available. Aki had a torn spleen, so that had to go, but there's just a small area of compromised tissue to worry about & no signs of an underlying cause, like cancer. We drove her to Tehachapi Vet Hospital this morning, & they're monitoring her heart & vitals today to see how she progresses. She was pretty drugged up in the car, but she perked up during the ride so my hopes are a little higher right now.

So, now I'm just sitting here waiting for good news. I hope it's good news...