Saturday, June 16, 2007

Decemberry Days and A Full Moon

(From 12/09/06)

It appears that all will settle down, much as the leaves the trees have surrendered. This was the week I could have done without.

After a rollicking stroll in the woods very off the beaten path, Maggie, Geordie and I settled into the usual routine. Dinner was chicken and veggies for the two, wolfed down with élan. The day progressed as though on autopilot-- but not without its bits of exhilaration.

I left the house at about six-thirty, after TiVoing my way through Countdown With Keith Olbermann, one of my weekday staples (along with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert) for a meeting of the Columbia River Cairn Terrier Club in Clackamas, where I couldn't eat because I had to fast for the yearly physical I was dreading that was to occur at ten o'clock the next morning. The meeting ran its course, despite the lack of quorum, and after chatting with Rachel (a young woman with big plans!), I returned home and started my yoga routine with my DVD best friend, Yolanda, from Victoria-- Melbourne I assume-- Australia.

Maggie was a bit listless, panting as she jumped onto the couch. Geordie was uncharacteristically deferential. Odd but easy to ignore.

Larry arrived home at ten-thirty. Geordie greeted him, but Maggie was nowhere to be seen. I called her, semi-panicked, although I knew there was no way she was outside at large.

She was in hiding, something only a stoical Cairn terrier in major discomfort would do. After some deliberation, we took her to the emergency clinic. . . it was to be a night with no end

(to be continued later)

UPDATE: It's three weeks later (New Years Day) and $2600 later, too. Turns out that Maggie had an acute hepatic infection-- and has some gallstones. Her temperature rose to a horrifying 106. Long story, but now she is home and back to normal after spending a couple of days as a canine voodoo doll due to so much poking and prodding and biopsies (ruling out the absolute worst). She is on the mend, thank goodness.

Tomorrow we follow up at the Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic with a consultation with Dr. J(udkins) and a little acupuncture and some healing herbs. She's eating normally and back on herCanine Essentials Senior. She is doing well and I have had the pleasure of accompanying her on some solo walks. I will have to explain why Geordie has had to sit out for the last week. (He is not a happy camper but I will explain how he has accepted his fate of R and R. . .)

We are waiting for Maggie's coat to grow back fully on her flanks. She is otherwise yak-like. Barbara Schuster came to the rescue with some fabulous fleece coats for her to model throughout the 'hood.


Jill, Geord, and Mag-on-the-mend

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