A New Week

Monday, June 14, 2010
Today is Flag Day in the US. It made me think that we don't have a flag anymore after the wind ripped our last one. I never replaced it and now I miss having one.

This morning started slowly - I barely heard Eric after he got up and began getting ready for work. He kissed me goodbye and told me something but I have no idea what. TJ wandered in a little later so I got up. Saw right away that Eric had forgotten to take his cell phone to work, leaving it plugged in to charge. This didn't bother me as much as it would have last week. I knowing my way around and having a vehicle to use makes a world of difference!

As I was getting fresh coffee ground and TJ's breakfast dished up I noticed that Chip was acting a bit strange. His head was down and he was walking very carefully. I poured out his dog food and he went over and sniffed it so I figured he was ok. When we got back from the festival last night he was perky and dashing around with me, seemingly fully recovered from his illness from a week ago.

I sat at the computer with a cup of steaming coffee, ready to catch up on what happened half a world away during my night, when Chip came next to me, head down and trembling. Instantly I was kneeling next to him, petting him and speaking gently to him when he let out a pitiful moan which turned into a high pitched cry. Chills went through me - he sounded and acted so much like our sweet Buddy (our Jack Russell Terrier) did just before he died of a liver disease several years ago. I went to get my phone to call the vet (thankfully Lisa had given me that number on Sat) to see about getting Chip seen. I was told his wife speaks English so was hopeful I could make myself understood, although I had no idea how I was going to lift him into the car let alone find my way to the vet office. Just as I reached for my purse to get my phone I noticed the keys to the Reeds car missing. Heart sinking, I walked out to check and sure enough, Eric had taken the car. The only reason I was surprised was because I had planned on taking TJ to the HAW's Family Center by TJ's school today. I had thought Eric was going to take Dan's car into work (Dan and Cherub won't be back until Thurs) so I could use the other car. Suddenly not having a car combined with Eric leaving his cell phone home made for a more serious situation! The only other phone numbers to anyone I personally knew was Lisa and Corey - and they were both flying to Ramstein today! I had to reassess what I could actually do now and quickly undertstood, not very much!

I helped my sweet Chippy curl up on TJ's bed, covered him with a sheet so only his face was visible (as warm as it is today, he seemed cold) and lay by him, whispering what a perfect, wonderful dog he is. Tears flowed as I struggled with the knowlege that he is over 11 yrs old, which for a Whippet is a long life, and he might not recover this time. All I could do until Eric got home from work was to give him comfort and be close to him....and hope that this spell works itself out and he once again is back to normal. He is the most gentle soul I have ever known and I'm not prepared to lose him just yet. Currently he is resting comfortably and seems a little better. I will take my nook, sit beside him and read. TJ is busy with his new friend (Shandor's daughter) which will help keep him occupied.

At 11 AM Eric called to tell me he had forgotten his phone. As soon as he heard about Chip he asked what I wanted him to do. He was home within 1/2 hour and although there was no answer at the vet, we all climbed in the car and set off to find him, TJ me and Chip crowded into the back seat with Chips head on my lap. Numbers on houses and businesses don't run exactly the same way they do in the states, so it took a bit of searching, but finally we arrived at the vet with the English speaking wife. Eric went in to make sure we could be seen and then came out to carry Chip in. Dr Attila was with another patient so we waited in the waiting area. His wife immediately came out to talk to us and get the story of what was happening. She is a small woman, very direct and very attentive. Of course being in a strange place that had obviously been teeming with other pets seemed to energize Chip (how many of you with children have taken an ill child to the Dr only to have them perk up and seem totally fine?!), but even so it became clear he wasn't quite right.

When it was our turn, we brought Chip into the examination room. Dr Attila is a big bear of a man who handed the young toddler he was holding in his arms back to his wife, then instantly turned his kind attention on Chip as he listened to his wife tell what we had told her. He listened and nodded then knelt to examine Chip himself, running those big hands over his head, along his neck and over his back and sides. He would ask questions in Hungarian as his wife nodded and listened, then she would in turn tell us what he said and ask his questions for us to respond. Often as I explained he would begin to nod and ask more questions for her to translate, leading us to believe his understanding of English is far better though he feels comfortable relying on it alone. As I explained things I knelt beside Chip to keep him calm. It brought fresh tears to my eyes and I found I could barely talk as I wept with the fear of my sweet pup being frightened and in pain. The exam continued in another darkened room where Chip was given an ultra sound of his chest and stomach, his eyes were examined as well as having blood drawn and sent to a lab to be tested. It seems he didn't have a stroke but his spleen is very enlarged. Hopefully the blood test will come back with some answers or at least some clues. In the meantime we were given 2 medicines and a 3 written down to pick up at the pharmacy and an appt to return when they open around 10 AM tomorrow. In Jersey an appt like this would have been hundreds of dollars and mounting - in Papa it was about $80 - which we were told we could pay after our next visit, no rush. WOW

After we got home I tucked Chip into bed and ran to Inter Spar to get a few groceries and to the pharmacy for Chips other med. I'm getting around with ease and was totally confident finding the pharmacy and requesting what I needed. I even counted out the correct coins to pay for it without any problem. Amazing the difference a week makes. We returned to the apt to find workers inside installing the new air conditioner. With moving day tomorrow it won't do us as much good as the people that follow, but at least tonight we can sleep with the windows shut and no mosquitoes - if Chips condition allows for sleep that is.

I've spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with Chip. Poor dog can't get comfortable and his need to be constantly in sight of me makes it difficult to even use the bathroom without him painfully getting up and following me. Once Eric got home and could keep an eye on TJ, I went into our room and lay down for over an hour with Chip stretched out by me, hoping it would bring him comfort and reassurance. We've searched the internet for what he might be suffering from, but in truth we have no idea and hope so much the vet will have an answer that includes a full recovery. Tomorrow we move - I'm so hoping Chip gets a chance to love this new house with the yard we chose in part for him.