Optimism

Doc called with an update. Eddie is up and about this morning, still obviously sore from surgery but sunshiny anyway. He has had a couple of bm's, albeit loose ones, but those are to be expected for a while post surgery. He is drinking lots of water and eating what he is offered which are all good signs for now.

We are in agreement that all signs point to pythiosis. In fact, I'll be shocked if the tests come back negative, there are just too many coincidences. So now I'm faced with a mountain of guilt. I look at all the pictures of him playing in the pond, something we both relished and rejoiced in doing and think, all the while this was making him ill? Why?

The task now is to keep this from happening in the future. I am looking into invisible fencing and will surely make an investment in this soon. We are also told that there is a vaccine for this now, not a 100% proven one, but it's something. Should Eddie pull through, he will be confined to the yard and leashed when we go outside the perimeters. The thing about Eddie is, he is oh so flexible and cooperative. If we should feel the need to play in the water, we will be going to the river where the water runs clean and clear.

I would also like to say thank you to everybody who is outpouring hope and love on us. I can't live without hope and God has not ceased to work miracles even for the smallest and least of creatures. He is working on my heart in ways I could never have fathomed and it makes me smile to know that he is using a silly boxer named Eddie to do it.

Bleakness

The news is bleak for my darling Eddie.

Dr. Martin had to remove a mass that was between his small and large intestines. The mass was attached to his lymph nodes as well which also had to be removed. He said it was a "mess" and that it looked to him to be some form of cancer. And, the tears stream down my face as I stare at that word and wonder why.

The similarities between Eddie's predicament and Wilson's is eerily similar. It has left us all wondering what the cause could be. I am going to send off some of his dog food to make sure that this wasn't the cause.

As for now, Eddie is in critical condition since the surgery was so tedious, attaching large and small intestines back together. The next 48 hours will be uncertain and precarious.

I am attempting to be optimistic but am heart broken to say the least. I keep thinking that Eddie never really belonged to me in the first place, God has just let me keep him for a while and I'm praying that He will have pity on my heart and let me keep him a little while longer.

It Ain't Over Yet

I love Eddie. Have I ever told you that?

I love when his lip gets stuck in his teeth. It makes him look so goofy and silly which reveals that true side of his character. It also puckers up his cheek which makes it even more fun to nuzzle and kiss.

Eddie is still sick.

After the initial "purging" at the doctor, he came home to me and we all thought that was the end of it. We were wrong.

His appetite has been good but he is not able to eliminate anything but a little bit of bloody crud. This is not for lack of trying, for we had to go out almost every hour, even through the night last night.

So, early this morning, we went back to the vet.

We still haven't gotten any news back on the culture but with the way things are going, it is apparent that something has poor Eddie's bowels tied in a knot. How he can keep this sunny disposition with his bowels screaming is beyond me.

Doc will perform surgery first thing this afternoon.

I'm a skeered.

Feel free to pray.

Bowels of Hell

I got the call from the vet this morning. The good news is that no surgery was required. The bad news is that I had to spend 10 minutes on the phone talking about laxatives, unidentifiable crud, and massive pooping.

Doc gave Eddie a stool softener and a laxative last night and when he took him out to walk this morning, apparently the gates of hell swung open wide and the demons were released from that poor babies bowels. We aren't certain what the blockage was since Doc deemed it indescribable green-nasty-not-niceness. He re-x-rayed his tummy and sounded the all clear. He said that he would give him some food and see how he handles that this morning and I could possibly come pick him up this afternoon.

I did request that he send off a specimen to make sure we weren't dealing with salmonella or any other horrible bacteria. My initial thoughts are that he over did it on the june bugs and/or dragonflies. I was very glad to hear that he is feeling much better now that he has been purged clean. Doc said his ears had perked back up and that his little tail/nub was just wagging away. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord!

I can't wait to give his little cheeks a big kiss and start putting some weight back on him. It has always been so comical to watch him chase and catch bugs, I never thought that it could be harming him. I still don't know for sure if that is what caused this but I am certainly going to be more aware of what he is ingesting.

Thank you all for the prayers and concern.

Eddie Update

Even this sad, pitiful face is so cute I could cry. If this isn't a "mom, I really think I need to go to the hospital" look, I don't know what is.

Taylor and I escorted Eddie to the vet this morning.

And, even though he wasn't feeling well and we were worried sick for him, he still managed to make us giggle.

The verdict is that he has some sort of foreign object in his small intestines. Could be string, could be a piece of a stuffed animal, could be a squeaker...who knows?

There were some Chihuahua's from hell in the waiting room whom Eddie tried to lovingly greet. It didn't go so well for Eddie and he left the waiting room with very hurt feelings and some serious confusion about what the heck had just taken place.

Doc is going to start him on fluids and antibiotics and do surgery in the morning. He said I could call about 10:00 to find out the results. Leaving him behind was so hard, even though he practically skipped away wagging his tail behind him. Even in times of great despair, he still manages to be so sweet.

I'll be sure to post the results as soon as I know something. I'm feeling much more optimistic now that Doc seemed to think it would be quite a simple procedure. Thanks to everyone for their concern and prayers.

What's the matter with Eddie?

This is my Eddie. Carefree, joyful, playful. The dog that thinks EVERYTHING is fun!

Like grass-rolling.

He is always bright and alert.

With green pond slime on his chin.

But something has happened to my Eddie's joy, and I don't know what to do about it.

This is him lately. Sullen, withdrawn, pitiful.

I've looked up information about depression in boxers and, shockingly, there was quite a bit of information. I didn't think it was possible for that kind of joy and cheerfulness to be hindered. There seems to be several reasons that dogs get depressed like;

Separation anxiety

loss of a playmate

a big change like a new home or different schedule

loss of an owner

We haven't been through anything traumatic really.

He is still eating and drinking well, but he just seems so so sad. It really makes me want to cry.

This is the face he made when I said, "you ready to go??" Which always perks his ears up and puts that excited, happy smile on his face. But, this was his response. I even threw his ball for him yesterday and he just stood there. Maybe it's the heat?

This has been going on for a little over a week now. If anybody knows anything about this condition, please let me know. All the hugs and kisses and poor babies haven't helped. If he doesn't improve soon, I will take him to the vet just to make sure nothing is physically wrong with him.

For now, I will just keep trying to cheer him up. It is the least I can do for all the times he has lifted my spirits.

Why I Love Rodney

Sunday, July 4th will be the 19-year anniversary of the day I married Rodney.

I always get a little sentimental and mushy around this time of year and reminiscent of the years past. We have both learned a lot and grown up a lot over the past 19 years and, amazingly, are still completely in love.

I just wanted to share a little bit about why I love that man. You can read on if you wish or you can run for your life, I'll understand.

1. He told me once in an old pick-up-truck, sitting in the dark, that if we were going to do this thing and get married, we were going to do it all the way. There would be no quitting, we're in it for the long haul. And I felt married to him at that moment.

2. He is a good man all the way through to his core.

3. He makes me laugh daily, and he laughs at me too.

4. He loved his grandmother and cherishes her memory.

5. He has loved me through all my insanity and chaos, even though he is so structured and persnickety.

6. Once he sat and listened to me weep and spout out hormonal lunacy and explain to him how nobody loves me, not even the dog, and he told me I needed to go lay down... and then went out and bought me some wind-chimes.

7. When my Papaw was dying and we were told that we needed to say our goodbye's, he sat with me next to his bed, with both our hands wrapped around that beautiful mans hand, and wept together.

8. He loves my mother and does sweet things for her.

9. He puts up with my dad.

10. He calls me from the tractor when he sees baby deer to gush about how little and tiny and cute they are

11. He is a good father.

12. He once had to buy unmentionables for Taylor at Wal-mart and was unsure what exactly to get and asked an associate for help.

13. He once dried a barbie-doll's hair because Taylor asked him to.

14. When he kisses my neck, his beard tickles and I fly off into outer-space and see stars.

15. He doesn't care whether I cook or not, so most of the time...I don't.

16. He is teaching my son how to be a man.

17. He sits beside me in church and holds my hand.

18. He loves God.

19. He brought me to live on a farm in Arkansas.

20. He makes the best coffee ever and we enjoy it together every morning and discuss the day ahead.

21. He does everything slowly and thoroughly and has taught me a lot of patience.

22. He is honest.

23. I can tell him anything and everything...and I do.

24. He has loved me when I was overweight, when I was thin, and now when I am somewhere in between.

25. He is not a gooey romantic, but is sincere, forthright and genuine and I wouldn't have him any other way.

I could continue on. I kind-of wish I hadn't numbered these, because 25 reasons I love Rodney doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. I am a very blessed woman and I pray I never take for granted the gift God has given me in that precious darling man.