sweet time

If you had asked me a month ago what I would be doing today, I would have told you that I would be walking Ladenburg, Germany where my friend Tracy (@choicemorsel) moved to last summer.  Instead, I am in Seattle, gardening between showers and slaving over my web analytics project.

Life can change in a  moment.  Two Sundays ago,  E. was shivering in pain and looked awful. One emergency vet visit, one visit to the regular vet for x-rays and two visits to the neurologist later, we find out that E. ruptured a disc in his back. How this happened is unknown to us.  He likes to rough house, he runs like a crazy boy and he jumps off the furniture.  E. does everything that a normal dog would do in the course of the day.  The problem lies in the fact that long low dogs are more prone to back injuries. Thanks to great advice from our breeder, the neurologist, some pain killers and benadryl, E is definitely on the road to recovery without surgery.  He is currently mostly kennel or house bound.  He goes for short walks and we have to persuade  him to turn around earlier than normal.  His demeanor and personality are still the same - joyful, stubborn and ebullient.

There is no rough housing, nor jumping any more. We are trying to adhere to the all four paws on the floor concept of life.  We're willing to do these things because E. can walk, run, pounce, commando crawl and curl up like he used to do.  We're happy with this.

E.'s injury changed our summer.  I will see the gardens of Lombardy some other year, eat gelato when it won't melt,  and visit Tracy before too long.   I am wistful as I look at friends' summer pictures as the idea of being home bound for a few weeks is my new reality.   The fact my dog is going to be okay is the most I can ask for as we go slow and take our sweet time towards recovery.