4 posts tagged “dog”

I've been so busy the last few weeks it feels good to take a day or two to slow down and catch up on the things I enjoy.  Our cooperative gallery is moving locations and although I can't work on painting, etc.  I offered to work at the old gallery to free up those who could.  I ended up working three extra days in a 1 week period.  I'm pretty tired now as a result, but I know that I helped to make a difference.  I'm a little disappointed that others didn't make the same offer, but that's life in a coop, unfortunately.

It's time to get busy organizing the show I help organize and run.  Even though it takes place in May, there are so many things to start on now, including recruiting new artists. 

The muscle relaxants are helping.  They don't seem to make me sleepy unless I'm already tired.  My hubby is worried about how tired I am.  Somehow he never seems to remember that it is part of my disease.  He stays up all hours and takes only brief afternoon rests, so he doesn't understand why I need to sleep so much.  I've learned that if I push myself to stay up my body always fights back, demanding the rest it needs. 

My dog's condition continues to deteriorate.  He has a large visible mass on his chin now.  The doctors aren't ready to give up yet, but I'm not sure how much more I want to put him through.  We're doing our best to make him comfortable and happy. 

Talk about your stream of consciousness writing!  There you have it.   Five minute tour through my brain.

A couple of weeks ago my oldest dog, Daffy, had an abscess in his mouth, so we took him to the emergency vet.  He cleaned the area and x-rayed.  He found a mass in Daffy's jaw and suggested we follow up with our regular vet after the infection was treated with antibiotics.  Daffy seemed to feel a little better, but was tired and clingy, which is unusual for him.

We had Daffy's teeth cleaned and the doctor did a biopsy of the mass in his jaw.  After the teeth cleaning, Daffy was listless and clingy, so we took him back to the vet to get the results of the biopsy and to find out what to do about Daffy.
Unfortunately, the mass in his jaw is squamous cell carcinoma. 

Daffy is quite an old dog.  He was found as a stray, kept for a few months by the people that found him, then turned in to the shelter where I volunteer.  I had just lost a small dog so I adopted him within a few hours of seeing him.  He's a Pomeranian.  I've had him for 3 years, and we estimate he is 10-12 now.  He's losing his hearing and his eyes are getting cloudy.

The plan is to try to keep treating the symptoms and to keep him comfortable as long as Daffy is enjoying life.  The doctor said he was not ready to give up yet, but I know the time is coming.  The current medicine has pepped him up quite a bit and he has his appetite and energy back which is very good to see.  My family, and especially my husband and I, are enjoying this extra time with him.  We know it won't last forever and we will be ready to let him go when the time comes.

Daffy

Just like the old Beatles song, I'm improving gradually.  The damage from the fall has healed and the colds have passed.  Other than my regular problems and spring allergies, I'm doing OK.  Hello again, Dogwood!

The dog recovered from his injuries and has no lasting problems, which is great!  We were really worried for a while. 

I've been working really hard but my project is starting to slow down a little, so hopefully I can get busy in the studio on my own work.

That's about it for today.  Just an update .  Hope you, too, are "getting so much better all the time."

The phone has been ringing off the hook and the emails just kept coming. this is all related to the crafts show I help organize, of course.  People don't call to talk to me....

The deadline for applying to the show was last night at midnight and so yesterday was extra crazy.  I had people complaining to me when they were reading some other show's application, people who waited until the last minute and beyond, etc.  In the midst of all this, I was at the dr for a routine check, Then had to go pick up my husband because his ride fell through.

When we got home, our youngest pomeranian was acting odd, so we ended up taking it to the emergency vet.  The doctor thinks he hurt his back and so the poor doggy has to stay in his crate for a week.  He's confused, to say the least, but so far he is looking a little better and we're keeping our fingers crossed that he will recover ok.

Work related to the show will continue for the next couple of weeks, then I should get a break for a little while.