I don’t like March. Not only does it come in like a lion and out like a dragon in Wyoming (we had gust of winds up to 60 mph yesterday) but something strange and dramatic always happens in March. From massive migraines, to vehicle accidents, to sick dogs, can we skip March next year?
About two weeks ago our hound dog, Tillie started to act funny. She wasn’t eating and was having accidents in the house. We took her to our local vet (who is amazing by the way) and the first theory is that she had a tumor in her tummy. After two sets of X-rays, the tumor was ruled out but there was still something amiss so we opted for exploratory surgery. Turns out Tillie’s intestine was backed up. After the vet “unplugged” things, Tillie had a difficult recovery. She was in so much pain that she started having seizures. Jason and I took care of her round the clock for about a week. She’d show signs of improvement, eating again, good blood work, cancer was ruled out, then, as if she had a stroke or picked up a virus, she adopted some strange mental behavior. She would walk in circles for hours, only turning to the right. After the vet suggested a change in medicine and a lower does of pain pills, she seemed to get better again than bam, 36 straight hours of pacing, pacing, pacing… She stopped eating and drinking and would cry and wine if we tried to get her to lay down or sit still. She wouldn’t sleep. She was burning calories at such a fast rate that her ribs started to show through. After many sleepless nights and inefficient schedules, we made the very difficult decision to say our final goodbyes. In the end she didn’t seem to recognize us anymore and would have starved to death had we let her continue to pace.
Tillie was cremated and we have a special spot in mind to spread her ashes.
The Christmas photo we didn't use
Loyal hound, always watching out for Jason
Her noise always got her in trouble!
She didn't like it if we would fuss over her. She was very independent and to "mature" for silly things like toys. But if we weren't looking...
Some playful moments
So after a week in hell, it was a nice surprise to experience some moments in heaven. We said goodbye to Tillie on Monday and by Tuesday it was like God had his hand on the nitro button for positive energy (at least for me, Jason’s schedule was still quite hectic). From Tuesday on it has been blessing, blessing, blessing! Complements from coworkers, a job well done, free lunch, an interview on Channel 5, a good night’s sleep, successful work products, time to walk and reflect with Shelby (even if it was windy, it is finally warming up here with temperatures into the low 50s) and, although short, quality moments with each other.
So yes, life is difficult but I refuse to let it knock me down. Life is also a balance, of the good, bad, ugly and beautiful. I might be a closet pessimist but once and awhile, I can shut that door and stand through the storm knowing there is a rainbow on the other side.
Thanks to all our family and friends for calling and leaving messages of condolences. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and are so lucky to have you in our lives.
