We had gone to bed Friday thinking that if Jersey tried to get up in the middle of the night to pee in the basement, she might hurt herself going down the stairs and not be able to get back up. You see, the "accidents" Jersey has had have been in the basement (it's also my "man cave" where I keep all my little treasures, my books, my guitars, my leather couch, my TV, etc.) far away from where she eats, sleeps and otherwise lives her life. You have to know her to understand that she gets humiliated when she has an accident and I think feels ashamed of herself. It's probably my projections about that but if she does feel those things, they're totally unwarrated.
She had been having a lot of trouble walking. Her left foreleg had been going lame and didn't seem to be getting any better. Since I was so overly concerned, I took her to the vet for a check over, mainly to make sure whatever was going on, wasn't related to the cancer. I also thought it would be a good idea to have her blood tested to see what her various levels were as a result of the chemo. After an x-ray and limb palpation, the vet didn't find anything overtly unusual though she did make Jersey visibly flinch when she manipulated her elbow. The x-ray didn't show anything. We decided she should maintain her course and if the pain was to bad add a pain killer/anti-inflamatory.
By the time we got back from the vet, Jersey was doing well. She did need help getting out of the car but seemed to have a revived spirit. Based on that assesment, Alexa and I decided to take both dogs and spend the afternoon at the beach.
Without going into detail, we all had a great afternoon. The picture I posted of me and Jersey sitting on the sand was taken that afternoon so it's a very recent snap.
When we got home, you could tell she was feeling a little stressed and was probably in pain. She had walked alot. She made a determined effort to walk the length of the beach to the rock jetty which juts out into the bay. She had to get to the end of it to feel the breeze in her face and smell the smell of the water and look at the ducks which bob up and down around the edge where the boulders of the jetty meet the water.
I gave her a very minimal dose of her pain med and utlimately watched her suffer because of it. It's supposed to make her lethargic. She couldn't get comfortable, grunted everytime she shifted position and generally was not having much fun. She actually looked scared. I imagine if she could talk she probably would have said something like "I don't know what's happening to me, I don't like it. Help me, please."
When we went to bed that night, she was still tossing and turning and fitfully sleeping. She was restless and not resting well at all.
At about 4 am, we were jolted bolt upright from bed when we heard an otherwordly scream come from downstairs. It was the sound of horrendous pain mixed with the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard mixed with an expression of absolute, unbridled terror. I had NEVER heard anything like it and I'm sure she never felt anything like the pain I'm sure she experienced.
After flying down the stairs to her side, it appeared she had tried to stand up and have a pee somehwere. She couldn't make it and apparently hurt something in her leg. She could not be coaxed to go outside, she could not be coaxed to move, it was almost to the point when she couldn't be comforted; she looked that terrified.
To keep todays post from dragging on too, too long, she spent the day in one of her two beds. She was depressed, I think she was in pain, she ignored us and seemed to only want to be alone. She did have an appetite though and drank water throughout the day. By the time five o'clock in the afternoon rolled around, she hadn't been outside; hadn't pooped or peed.
We where in the kitchen making dinner when both dogs suddenly started barking frantically. Jersey had been lying on the floor in the front room. The windows go to the floor and it's easy for her to see out to the street. Someone or something must have gone past because it was enough to make her pop-up and ferociously bark.
I snapped at the chance to get her outside to relieve herself. She willingly was led out where she had a good long pee. That alone was enough to make me heart rejoice. She had peed.
Fast forwad to three am this morning. I had set my alarm for 3:30 thinking I would get up to help Jersey stand up if she needed to go out. I was awoken to the sound of heavy breathing outside my door. She had climbed the stairs and was lying on the floor. I was thunderstruck! This dog had not been able to stand all day and here she was on the second floor of our house waiting to be let outside. She made her way down the stairs and with a little help, got outside to have another long pee. When she was done, she went back in the house, lay down on the floor in her front room and fell back to sleep.
This morning she ate a hearty breakfast, drank her share of water and is now resting comfortably. She continues to astound and prove that it is indeed best to take life one step at a time. you never know what's going to happen.
The spirit and the life within Jersey run strong and I think she was blessed with a small miracle. I think we were all blessed with a small miracle yesterday.
So goes the life of our Jersey. God bless her and keep her free from pain today. Small steps are all it takes.
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