This is my sweet fellow, Chico.  He is not doing well and is at the vet's overnight trying to get better.  He was feeling a little under the weather Wednesday and started vomiting up his water and turning his nose up at his food.  When I woke up this morning I couldn't find him and I thought maybe he had gotten out of the fence again.  When I checked outside though I couldn't find anywhere that looked like he could have gotten out.  I called and called and looked in every room and finally found him curled up in the back of my closet under my clothes.  He wouldn't get up but he would at least look at me.  I scooped him up and took him to the vet.  The did an x-ray because he had chewed on some steel wool about a week ago.  The x-ray was negative, but his blood work was really bad.  His creatinine was 15 (supposed to be 1.5 or less) so he was in severe renal failure, the vet also said that his bladder had collapsed and was not making any urine.  I left him there for a few hours getting IV fluids then went back to check on him.  He was only a little less puny but he wagged his tail when Clay came in, however he still had not made any urine.  I am trying to be optimistic tonight, but I am a nurse and I understand what this probably means for my sweet Chico.

 

He has been my friend for the past 9 years.  He has sat with me when I cried, listened to all my stories, played with me, lifted my spirits when I was down, greeted me excitedly EVERY day when I get home, traveled all over with me and Clay and kept us entertained while on trips, he has kept Killer company and looked out for her, he has given me LOVE.  The special doggie kind that never asks for anything in return and covers you in sloppy kisses.

 

I am hoping for a miraculous recovery, but I am realistic and I am trying to prepare myself for the worst.  He is my little fella and my world just won't be quite the same without him.  I have done most of my true "growing up" with him by my side.  He never judged me, I always knew he loved me.

 

I can take solace in the fact that I think that he has enjoyed his life with me and Clay and Killer.  We have become his family.  He became our family.  From a cute little mutt at the Dublin Pound to the best potty trained dog on the planet he transformed.  

 

He loves to have his photo taken, although sometimes he will pretend that he is aloof and looks pretentiously off into the distance.

He loves a good road trip and boy has he been on a many!  St George Island, Huntsville, Chicago, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Franklin (our Honeymoon), Atlanta, back and forth to Marietta many times, back and forth from Statesboro many times, Brunswick, St. Simons, Dudley.

That boy LOVES to wear a coat, sweater, life jacket, etc...anything to help keep his delicate sensibilities warm.

 

He learned to love Clay, even though he is "not his real father."  They have a special relationship.  Chico rarely wants to play with me, he reserves his playtime and toys for when Clay gets home from work.

 

He is a nester, any time you turn around he has rearranged the pillows, the blankets, the pile of clean clothes or whatever in attempts to make a nest and to get under whatever cover he can.  He always sleeps under the covers down between my feet.  

 

Chico, you are my heart.  You have a big piece of me with you.  Know that I am thinking of you tonight and I am wishing you all the best in the world and I will do what is right for you when the time comes tomorrow.  You are a fantastic pup and I couldn't have had a better companion!  I want you to know that you touched everyone you met and made their lives better, even if only for a moment.  I wish I could give you a kiss on the forehead and rub your little white line between your eyes and tell you it will all be ok.  I love you pup, and you will always hold a special place in my heart! 

Double Up

4 things I did well today

(even though I felt like ass - thanks sis for that fantastic photo I knew it would come in handy one day)

Thursday 1/5/12

1. Didn't make excuses - I walked the dogs even though I could feel Clay's nasty cold coming on
2. Looked up a few new stretches and tried them out
3. Was lazy thanks to the cold and didn't let myself feel guilty about it
4. Didn't give into temptation when Clay brought home chicken fingers and tater logs, I had 1 chicken finger and 3 tater logs.

(Yeah I am calling you out for bringing home chicken fingers, tater logs, and giving me this crappy cold!)

Friday 1/6/12

1. Didn't feel guilty about calling in sick (better not to spread it around and I would have felt miserable all night)
2. Didn't use being sick as an excuse for free for all eating (even though I really wanted some SPICY Mexican food so I could breathe again)
3. Finished a book and started a new one
4. Did research on joining a CSA (got to talk to Clay about this one, but I found one that delivers locally and I would like to do this I think)

(It's ok, I love him anyway. I am glad he is feeling better even though he passed it along.)

Goodbye Strep Throat

Last night was the first night back to work after being off and entire week thanks to strep/tonsillitis/oral abscess. It was a decent night, but I was so weak and drained of energy. I almost passed out a couple of times and had to keep sitting down (I usually am on my feet for the majority of my shift). I had been out of the gym and had not exercised in 2 weeks, YIKES! I had been too sick to do much of anything except for move from the bed to the couch and back.

I was still feeling run down after last night but I didn't want to wait too long to get back in the swing of things so I hit the gym with Joey today. 15 on the elliptical, 30 of abs with Joey, then 25 min walk. I couldn't even muster a little jog. That being said, I did feel better after exercising and certainly was glad I went. I bet I will sleep well tonight!