I Want Off This Crazy Ride!

My bi-polar experience continues. I no longer care that Cadi is not competing at the Specialty -- I just want her to live. The vet called a bit ago and the bleeding has stopped, and her gum color is back to normal. We do not really know what happened.

The vet called me at 9:30 this morning and told me that Cadi had made a faster recovery than she had ever seen and was clearly demanding to see me and go home. I arrived and Cadi did such a happy dance that she started oozing blood -- that got cleared up and the vet put on a belly wrap to serve as a pressure bandage, loaded me up with meds and IV fluids and etc. and off we went.

Cadi went directly to her crate in the car -- if you show dogs you know this is no big deal for them and they are perfectly fine in their crates. I went to the university and left her sleeping peacefully in her crate -- walking her to the office seemed unwise and I knew I would be back quickly.

I came back to find her in a pool of blood and looking poorly. I was in a panic. Galen was in class so I texted him to come out immediately and while I waited I stripped off the bloody wrapping and put pressure on her incision -- it was dripping blood.

I called the vet, who was in her mobile clinic ten minutes away. Galen held pressure and we raced over.

When we got there Cadi had pale gums and was about 30% of what she had been just two hours before. The vet -- once again -- told me to leave Cadi and go home and she would call me. There are simply no words to describe what that is like for me -- I just do not do things like that but I knew I had no choice if what I wanted was the vet to be able to do her best for Cadi. It was not the time to explain to this vet that I cannot work this way -- instead it was time to walk away, pray, call friends and cry harder than I have cried in a long, long time. I left truly convinced Cadi was going to die.

The vet called after about two hours of tears and despair, and told me the bleeding had stopped, Cadi's gum color was normal and she was sleeping at their feet. She wonders if Cadi's happy dance at seeing me had caused an issue, and nicely suggested I will need to stay away tonight. I have not had a more recent update, and yes, I dread the phone calls because it has been so up and down and I am just exhausted by all this.

Thanks to Joan and Cali, whose medical expertise and support is so helpful, and thanks to Elizabethanne whose sensible problem-solving approach got me calmed down for a bit. And thanks to everyone for caring about us.

I do not know what the next episode will bring but appreciate your company on this roller coaster ride -- next time let's do something more sedate -- maybe a little train that goes very slowly in small, flat circles?