Saturday, September 28, 2019

Progress: an update

Thank you all for the wonderful comments on my last post. I know that many people might think it strange, but you all (my friends in blogland) and your friendship and support mean the world to me. I love you guys.

Ginger is improving a little each day. She still has a pronounced head tilt and some very minor balance issues, but every day she's a little more back to normal. She's eating well, drinking well, peeing and pooping well.... :)  Yesterday she started going back to her normal spot to sleep (on the rug beside my side of the bed) instead of staying in the den where she's been all week. This morning she made the first sounds we've heard from her since this all started--George ran to the porch door and started barking at the neighbor's Lab, and Ginger hurried over and joined in! She hasn't made a peep during all this ordeal, not even a yelp or a cry. That's one tough girl! She's even managed to give us a doggy grin or two when we've had to scold George for being too rough near her. She's always enjoyed watching George get in trouble! And she wags her tail at us sometimes in the circular motion she uses when she's happy. We're hoping she'll continue to improve and beat this thing altogether.

I had a great talk with Dr. Causey yesterday. First he gave Ginger a thorough exam and went over all her bloodwork with me. Then he closed the doors in the examining room and talked with me for over an hour about the situation the other day with Dr. Harper. He swore to me that it would be addressed and that something like that would never, ever happen at his office again. He hugged me three times and got teary eyed with me when I cried. He remembers Gregg having cancer 8 years ago and how much Ginger meant to us during that time. Then last year, Dr. Causey had cancer himself and had to undergo serious surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. So now those shared experiences are an extra bond between us and he's not just our vet, he's our friend. I feel so much better now that we've had that heart-to-heart! He made some good suggestions regarding Ginger's recovery, like feeding her lots of fish packed in oil to support her brain while she recovers from this (primarily neurological, we think) event. He then talked to me seriously about finding ways to ease the stress Gregg and I have right now and taking care of ourselves. He said that dogs are so naturally empathetic to their people that our stress and fear will easily rub off on them and that might impede Ginger's recovery. He advised cultivating a sense of calm, peace, and as much as possible, normalcy in our home to help her keep her stress hormones down as she recovers. Isn't that wonderful advice? I just love Dr. C. He's going to see us again in two weeks to check on Ginger's progress. We're hopeful she'll be almost totally back to normal by then.

As for me, the congestion in my chest is about 75% gone and I'm feeling better. I'm still tiring easily, and sometimes at work this week I'd break out in a sweat and feel kind of weird for a while, but all in all there's been a lot of improvement. It felt good to go back to work. Two days back to a normal routine were enough to banish the last of that awful, anxious, "end of the world" dark cloud that had been dogging me for days. Keeping busy is good medicine, and it's hard to be sad when you're surrounded by lively young teenagers all day. :)

Thanks again for all the kind comments and concern for us. I'll update again soon. In the meantime, please send our girl plenty of good vibes as she recovers!


Ginger relaxing on the porch this morning after breakfast. She was smiling at me. ❤



31 comments:

  1. This made me so happy to read that I was crying !
    Our pets mean so much to us and we need them as much as they need us to watch over and take care.
    Love love love the smiley gud dug face.
    parsnip

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    1. Oh, I'm sorry I made you cry! But I cry too whenever I see Ginger looking happy and content. She's continuing to improve little by little. Thank you Parsnip. :)

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  2. What a jewel of a friend and a vet you have in Dr. Causey. Seriously. He sounds like one a million. I am so glad that Ginger is recovering and I like the advice he gave you about the stress you and Gregg are experiencing. He is wise.
    And I am so happy to hear that you are feeling better. I hope you can get some rest this weekend to continue in your recovery.

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    1. He is wise, and having gone through cancer this past year has made him really extra thoughtful in how he treats families--the ones with fur, and the humans.

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  3. I have not met Dr. C but I think I love him too. You can certainly trust him and his advice. I never heard of the vestibular disease before your posts. Have a wonderful weekend of R & R, that's rest and relaxation.

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    1. It's valuable for dog owners (especially with older dogs) to learn about vestibular disease because it's somewhat common, and it looks so dramatic when it happens that it can scare you to death. Thank you Terra. I hope you and Bounce are doing well.

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  4. PRETTY GINGER GIRL! and glad you had a talk with the real vet. fur/feather kids are the best. I just woke up from a nap; nyla likes to sleep on top of me.

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    1. Isn't she a pretty girl?! She's the best dog in the world. We love her so much.

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  5. What a wonderful vet and such wise advice. Glad things are progressing well.

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  6. I am happy to read that you are feeling better and wish you good health to you and Ginger.

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    1. Thank you Yael. Ginger and I both are continuing to improve!

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  7. What a nice pretty girl smile!!!

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  8. Ginger is a beauty! So glad that things are on the uptick. Having a vet/psychologist is quite unique but when thinking about it I realized that vets deal with both animals and their owners and are probably better at seeing the true emotions of a person than the family doctor.

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    1. Thank you! And yes, vets deal with a lot of human emotions, too.

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  9. How good to know she has her happy tail back.

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    1. We love her circular wag. That always means she's feeling happy. :)

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  10. I'm glad you and Ginger are recovering. God bless Dr. Causey. I have to be very careful about showing my emotions at home. Franklin and Penelope are sensitive. They get very worried if I'm upset.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. I had not really considered the impact of our emotions on the dogs, but I will in the future. Thank you Janie.

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  11. So good to hear that things are better; Ginger is certainly looking very bright. I'm sure that having your long talk with the Vet' will make things better all round; even with your own current health issues. Feeling more relaxed can make a huge difference to our well being. Best wishes.

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    1. Doesn't she look bright and happy? It does my heart good to see her looking like that.

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  12. So pleased to hear that you and Ginger are on the up. Your vet sounds like a very good man...I hope that Dr Harper gets a good telling off!! Have a relaxing weekend. We have got rain here for most of the day...hoping for a break in it to take the dog out.

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    1. Dr. Causey IS a very good man. We're lucky to have him for our dogs. Thank you! Enjoy the walk when it finally stops raining!

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  13. Dr. C sounds like a great vet and great friend, and I am sure he will indeed address the situation with the other vet.
    Good to know you are on the mend, too! Whenever I have been ill, I have found that the sooner I can get back to normal life, the better, although one has to be careful not to overdo it at first and to avoid a setback.

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    1. Thank you Meike. Going back to work really helped me a lot; a normal routine when things have been bad (not to mention, keeping busy) is good medicine in itself.

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  14. Good to hear you have turned a corner and as for Dr. Causey, he should consider giving up his career as a vet and become a human therapist instead.

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    1. He's a dear man, and his wife (also a vet) is wonderful, too. I have a lot of faith in them. I wouldn't trust my beloved Ginger and Georgie to just anybody!

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  15. I'm so glad things with Ginger appear to be looking up. That vet of yours sounds like a keeper. Most HUMAN doctors aren't that empathetic and understanding, never mind veterinarians!

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  16. So glad things are looking up! And, oh, Ginger's beautiful face! (And I admire you for having that conversation with the vet!)

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  17. I read these 'in reverse' so I see first the relief/the support then I read 'what happened'. I too am glad for the good news and progress.

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