Still Researching...

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

        So, my last post was about falling down the research rabbit hole…you won’t be surprised that I’m still there, though I have expanded what I’m trying to find out. I try to learn something—just one thing—new every day. I hope my thirst for knowledge never goes away.

        Here are two of the things I learned since my last post:

        Took my girl Pepper to the vet (I have two fur-babies. German shepherds. The other one is Lacey). So, Pepper hadn’t been feeling well and I have a history of losing dogs too young (which is heartbreaking so needs to be avoided at all costs). I thought, maybe, she was having sympathy sickness because the DH isn’t feeling well either. Here’s a question I may never know the answer to: why is it that dogs—and maybe cats—always head for the carpet when they’re about to be sick instead of the tile or outside (even the vet couldn’t answer that one)?

        Anyway, she wasn’t feeling well—lethargic, didn’t want to eat—just not herself so…off to the vet we went. Now, this isn’t as easy as it sounds…she’s a big girl. She weighs as much as I do and when she doesn’t want to move, well, it can be difficult. She will just sit and no matter how much I try to coax her or tug at her leash, she won’t move until she’s ready. Yeah, she’s stubborn like that and truthfully, she doesn’t like going to the vet. Can’t say I blame her there.

        I finally get her in the office and…she’s fine. The vet thinks she probably ate something she shouldn’t have…like a bug. This is quite possible. I’ve seen a lot of grasshoppers this year and well, like a toddler, it’s always ‘what do you have in your mouth?’ at which point (most times anyway) they’ll drop it. I guess she didn’t drop it this time.

        But here’s what I learned. The vet’s assistant showed me how she cut the Pepper’s nails. And it was easy. Oh my gosh! So easy. No struggle. No chasing them down. No holding on to them so they stay still. It usually takes both the DH and I to do it, both of us on the floor. (They're not small girls so I can't just put them on my lap though they do believe they are lap dogs). Not anymore. I can do it myself…because it works! Took five minutes to cut Lacey’s nails! Why didn’t I know this before!?!?!?!? I've been raising shepherds for over forty years and cutting their nails has always been a pain!

        The other thing I learned? The answer to why the DH has not been feeling well for quite some time. Thank you Google. I researched his symptoms (because neither his PCP or his Gastro came up with any viable options) and found five possible things to test for, and what do you know, the thing he has, the thing that makes him feel so bad? After insisting (all right—down right demanding) that he have a blood draw and an ultrasound (because neither one of these simple tests were done before and I don't know why though it rather ticks me off), we have an answer. He has gallstones. I don’t know how many or how big they are, but we have an appointment with a surgeon this week so I’m thinking his gall bladder needs to come out. I’m hopeful this will fix the issue he’s been having…well, this one at least. He’s got a few others we’re working on getting a handle on, too. One thing at a time.

        See what a little research can do?

        Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie