For the Love of a Dog

About a year and a half ago, my husband told me of a dog a friend of his had rescued and that he, my husband, wanted us to adopt. I vehemently opposed. I am not, have never been and will never be a dog person.

After much cajoling on my husband's part, I finally agreed to at least meet the dog, thinking there was no way a dog would ever break my steely resolve to not bring a dog into our home.

And then, WHAM! I took one look at this face and was undone.

I, of course, agreed that this dog could come live with us but only if:

1. She was an outdoor dog only - had to live outside OR if she did live inside she would not be allowed on the furniture

You can see how well that worked out for me. The dog, now named Bristol, walked into our house and pretty much made it hers. She's been here just over a year, and all my "rules and conditions" of her coming to live here flew out the window the moment she walked through the door.

This week, we had to hospitalize this sweet baby girl. For the last few months, on and off, she'd been vomiting, seemed dehydrated and lethargic, was disinterested in eating, and was having "accidents" almost daily. This was not normal for her, and even after treating her for what we believed was a gastric virus, her symptoms persisted. Most perplexing was that one day she'd seem fine, and then the next day she was sick again. I could no longer stand to see her so miserable.

For the second time in two weeks, we found ourselves at the vet, describing symptoms that had persisted with our furry little princess, on and off, for several months.

The vet took X-rays and performed some quick tests, only to tell us she couldn't find anything. We knew there was something wrong with this precious pup, so we asked what our options were. The vet told us she recommended exploratory surgery on her abdomen to inspect, biopsy and determine what the root of the evil plaguing our girl might be. Or, they might not find anything.

I was undone at the thought of them cutting into my baby girl. I was terrified of what they might find, or that they might not find anything. Reluctantly, we agreed to the surgery. I cried. And cried. And then, I sobbed.

With nothing left to do, we went home, where I proceeded to cry some more. An hour later, we got a call from the vet. They'd decided against the surgery, for now, as Bristol's pre-op blood work exhibited indicators of Addison's disease, an adrenal gland malfunction. The vet explained she would keep Bristol overnight and on an IV to get her electrolyte levels stabilized, then they'd draw more blood to test for Addison's disease specifically.

I immediately did some research and found that all the symptoms of Addison's disease were those my sweet girl had exhibited. I learned that it's manageable and treatable, if not curable. And it meant no surgery for our adorable fur baby.

Relieved, I was finally able to relax a bit. I looked forward to spending time with a healthy baby Bris, taking her for long runs, snuggling with her while we watched TV, having her sit for portraits, hopefully with a big Boxer grin on her face.

She's home today, and I am cooking her some boiled chicken and rice for dinner. Her spirits are restored and she is full of energy, the light back in her eyes again.

As I look over the top of my Macbook screen at her, I remind myself that I am not now, never have been, never will be, a dog person.

Yeah right.

Here's to getting my sweet precious baby girl, Bris, healthy!

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Observations from Married Life

I have never been one to watch the news. Prior to being married, I lived in a bubble, a bubble where the morning, evening, or nightly news simply did not exist. Neither did televised sporting events. Sure, I might have gone to a SuperBowl party here and there, but honestly I was in it for the commercials. And the food, of course.

As luck would have it, I married a man who is a news and sports junkie. He can watch CNN for hours. And he loves watching almost any televised sporting event. I've even caught him watching bowling tournaments!

When we first got married, his constant news watching really grated on my nerves. Seriously. But after a time, the news became white noise. And then, much to my surprise, and not infrequently to my chagrin, I actually started wanting to watch the news.

Same with the sports. Now granted, I won't voluntarily watch a bowling tournament. Don't ever expect that to change, either, but one never knows. Football, however, I've actually learned to love. So much so that during the AFC Championship game this year, he keep flipping the channels during the game. I finally had to tell him to put the game on and leave it on, as I wanted to watch it. HA! Even as I type that, I can't help but wonder, "who are you?!"

Some might think I'm trying to change myself to accomodate who my husband is. And maybe I am, to some degree. I, however, prefer to call it evolution. After all, don't we all grow, change, evolve over time? And if my husband and I evolve together, won't that ultimately make us a stronger couple?

Here's to healthy evolution!

Today Was a Blessing

Today, we blessed a friend. A group of 20 wonderful people came together and collected between them $690, a Wii game console, extra controllers, a few games and a DVD. These were given to a very special lady, that she might breathe a little easier during this difficult financial time, and give her twin, teenage boys a few small Christmas gifts and a big helping of Christmas cheer.

To those of you who reached out to help a stranger, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul. To those of you who reached out to help a friend, I extend these thanks as well and am blessed and proud to call you friends. And to all of you, I pray that God would bless each of you sevenfold for opening your hearts and hearing the call of someone in need, and then acting upon it.

Today, we were all blessed. We were given the gift and privilege of being God's hands and feet, and doing HIS work. I can think of no better gift to receive this Christmas.

May God bless you all this Christmas and throughout the new year.

It Really is Just Stuff

Ever wonder how you would handle losing all of your possessions? Think about it. What would you do if you lost your home, your car, your clothes, jewelry, electronic gadgets, every thing that meant something to you? In a time when amassing stuff seems to be the norm, we often convince ourselves that our lives would be incomplete without these things, that somehow, we would be less of a person if not surrounded by our worldly items.

I am guilty of this. I like to think I'm above it, that I have a loose grip on the things of this world and could move through the rest of my life without so much. And in my heart, I know it's true. But every now and then, I catch glimpses of a person who sometimes feels she is defined by how much, or how little, she has. 

Today, as I learned of dear friends losing their jobs during one of the worst economic times our country has seen in memorable history, I was reminded of what is really important, of who I really am and what defines me. I am grateful to still have a job, my health, a husband who loves me, and my family around me. If all else went away, even my job, I would still be wealthy beyond measure.

I pray those faced with the challenges of this economic downturn remember what is important this holiday season. Hold your families close, bask in the little things, and remember that God has a plan.

Praying peace, love and hope for all those affected.

Merry Christmas and may the new year be filled with the wealths that can not be taken from you.