Emergency

Where to begin...

This has been a truly extreme past forty-eight hours and I'm still putting it all together in my head. I have had so many things to manage lately and the last thing I expected was an emergency. The intention was to take Jack in for humane euthanasia (that's what the shelter calls it so it doesn't sound traumatic to humans) at some point on Monday, preferably first thing that morning since I was starting to feel upset about it, but when I called at 8am their recording spelled out a four day closure for construction that was continuing through that day. Resolved to make the best of it for another day, I put everyone in their crates as usual and headed off to work for what was sure to be delightful Monday. (And by delightful I mean like a dental appointment that lasts nine hours.)

Lucca was sick when I came home at lunch, but I really didn't think much of it when I was cleaning up after him and organizing the whole pack to head out for a pee break. He had urped up something horrifyingly wretched right when I had walked in the door and then seemed to be feeling obviously "punk," but that's sort of a weekly event at our house. Needless to say, I wrapped up the lunch visit and headed back to the office without thinking twice about my littlest, perhaps because the loss of Jack was up front in my pee brain. When 6pm rolled around and I was preparing to head home again Hans called and was expressing concern that Lucca was "really sick" and I just assured him that he had in fact spewed bile earlier, but that he was likely to recover fine just like any other time. Wrong. Well, wrong that it would be just like any other time.

Once home I found Lucca with labored breathing and shivering (very unlike him) and glued to the ottoman where he looked clearly in some abnormal discomfort. I racked my brain and recalled giving him a bully stick the night before and wondered if that could have caused a bowel obstruction. Not knowing fully how to determine if this was an emergency or not and aware of the inconvenience/difficulty of getting to an animal hospital after hours and specifically any later than it already was, I called the VCA Specialty Center off Island and gave them the triage. Of course, it was highly recommended that I bring him in. So, thirty minutes after I arrived home I was packed up and headed to the ferry for an evening at the ER with the Luccaman.


This is the part that gets even longer and more irritating so, I'll condense it for you. We waited TWO HOURS to be seen (not their fault, it's an ER and there were actual emergencies that arrived at the same time or just after us) and when we were finally seen (at 10pm) it was decided that some tests should be done the results of which I didn't receive for another 25min. Once X-rayed and blood panelled however, Lucca was found to have pneumonia from the aspiration of some of his puke into his lungs and the doctor was quite concerned about treating it aggressively before it became any worse thus asking that I leave him overnight. Oh hells no! Not right now. Dude, give us the drugs and we'll take the under $1000 bill please not the "overnight stay" bill. I informed her that I had WAY TO MUCH on my plate right now to leave him there and that I was more than capable of keeping a close watch on his recovery. I also explained that I could take him to our vet the very next morning if need be (heck I was going to be there anyway to address another dog) so, she reluctantly agreed to send home antibiotics only after she administered some meds via IV and also IV fluids to get him through the night. Poor little bully, he looked so pooped.


After all the ER drama, Lucca and I caught the midnight ferry home and slid into bed next to the rest of my boys for a very brief slumber before starting all over again today. Just like yesterday, I called the vet at the stroke of 8am and inquired about when I might be able to bring Jack in... noon I was told, "come at noon today and if its' really busy you can leave him, but we'll try to make the time for you to stay." They made time, there was plenty of time and I was glad to have forced myself to be there, I felt it was the right thing even though it was so hard to stay by his side, but I did it and I can have peace knowing that he is forever safe. How bitter sweet this thing is... most of the time you taste both in the same dish. My afternoon at work seemed to drag on forever and I could just collapse now from the exhaustion, but it's important to move forward to, to do the chores and play with the boys and put the house back to "normal." Seeing Jack off to the rainbow bridge made me miss Lily, will that always be the case? How I miss her so.

I'm ready for an easier rescue now. Please?