I'm crazy thankful for my dear friend, she gave up a chunk of her day to stay with the Pups. Originally, it was only going to be for medicine hour, but because Sir Beau was in rare form she stayed to make sure he was okay. He was fine, he was simply being his usual spoiled self and giving her a minor heart attack along with a solid aerobic workout moving from floor to floor and leaving her to play hide and seek.
Thankfully, Belle minded her guest manners... or it would have been total chaos.
As I hung out in the tiny pre/post procedure room I struggled to keep myself entertained and active. There is only so much you can do in a space roughly 8 ft square. Painted in that old hospital classic, super light green color to top it off. The sunshine outside was teasing through the glazed windows, hinting of the beauty just out of reach.
As I had plenty of time to kill, I decided to try some chair yoga. Interesting. Unsure if I like it or not. I know there are many yoga poses a fake knee prevents me from doing, but I am not sure the modifications were really for me.
I ended up doing QiGong afterwards, I really enjoy that. Then I paced, updated my calendar, read my book, read up about Belle's injury and the surgery/recovery involved, scheduled her surgery, laughed on the phone with my friend about Beau's mischief and waited... It felt like the time was moving backwards.
Just as suddenly it was over. The doc came in told me he'd done great, they were waking him up and what to watch for over the next few days.
In a few short weeks we will take him for the last of the series of injections/laser treatments and with any luck before his birthday rolls around he will be out of pain for the first time in many months.
It was difficult emotionally for me to schedule Belle. It's not the financial piece, although whew - that is a bit of change, no that never figured in to it. What was and still is difficult is knowing the journey we are about to embark on. For at least 4 weeks she will be on strict lock down, no walks, no playing, nothing but restrained rest and very short potty breaks. We've opted out of a full kennel, because our freedom loving baby would lose her mind. But she will be in a very confined area, with one of us near her at all times. How do you explain all of this to a sweet trusting pup?
Gradually she will get a few more freedoms as she moves through an additional 4 - 8 weeks of recovery and rehabilitation. Anyone that has spent time with Belle knows that she has more energy and boundless jumping joy in her spirit than a little puppy. My heart hurts for the confusion she is going to feel.
I am also afraid of surgeries and major medical procedures as a whole. Doesn't matter if it is a human or animal, it stresses me terribly. So of course, I decided to get it all out of the way at once. On the 31st my little girl dog goes in for surgery in the morning, Hubs has his injections in the afternoon and we pick her up and the world shifts for a few months after his treatment.
Beau has his one year check up on the 30th. I am praying his phenol levels are still in the therapeutic range and that is liver levels are still low and safe.
Hello anxiety, I see you, I feel your presence.
I need a lamb like exit for this month. The lion has definitely already arrived.
As we head into these last few weeks of normal, I am spoiling my fur babies, with all the walks and outside that the weather and Belle's leg will allow. I'm still figuring out how I will keep Beau on his health journey through Belle's recovery. We'll figure it out. We always do.
And in the midst of it all we will continue living and loving life, because that is what we do. As we move from Hubs birthday month to mine, a mere five months, life will be full of navigation points, challenges and healing.
Anyone else feeling dropped into unknown waters and needing to learn to swim in the new current?
much love,
b
Good one! 381+
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