Fun with family and new friends

Happy Sunday!  It is a gray, humid August day here in Lansing and we are happily spending the morning indoors enjoying some peace and quiet .  We have been keeping busy over the last couple of weeks trying to focus on making memories and having fun together.  I have mentioned to a couple of people that it almost feels like we're on a farewell tour.  We've been spending time with people who are important and going to places we love while still adding in some new adventures along the way.  It just feels like we are taking time now, while Imke is feeling well, to say all of our final goodbyes to the people and places we love so that when that horrible time comes, we can let go in peace knowing that we left nothing undone. 

Last weekend, I took Maddie and Imke to Soldan's for their Dog Fro-yo eating contest.  This wouldn't have been a good event for Peaches, but Maddie and Imke were so excited to meet new people and new dogs, and especially to eat a special treat. Maddie took her time to savor her treat.

Imke didn't waste time enjoying her yogurt.  It was gone in just a couple of gulps and she took 2nd place! 

We then spent the afternoon visiting my parents.  Three acres in the country to run, sniff, and explore.  It is a GSP paradise and Imke has always loved going there.  Imke jumped out of the Jeep and started to run around the yard (well it's was running for a little old lady).  After we spent some good time walking around and exploring the yard, we then sat down to relax and enjoy the day.

It was a really nice way to spend our Saturday afternoon and the girls went home very happy and very tired!

On Sunday, we were excited to visit our friends Barb and Tom.  They are ISR adopters who's home visit I did last Fall.  They have wanted to meet Peaches and I have wanted to meet Sherman so we were excited for the visit.

The dogs were all treated to Frosty Paws and it was the one opportunity I had to get all five of them in a picture.  It was so much fun having the five of them together.

We had a great visit with them.  Peaches enjoyed exploring the yard and spent most of her day watching the birds.  She also got in some quality time playing with Charlie and Sherman.  Imke spent her time exploring and resting and Maddie spent most of the day lounging in the sun.

Tom got some really great pictures of all of the dogs.  I'm so glad he sent them to me.  The next several pictures are courtesy of Tom.

It was such a nice way to spend our Sunday afternoon.  The girls had the best time with their new friends.  Peaches has never had the chance to play with another young GSP and she loved it!  We will definitely have to visit again.  Just look at the happy faces!

We all left Barb and Tom's happy that we had visited.  The trip home was very quiet and once we got home, the girls ate dinner and went straight to bed for the night.  A tired GSP makes a happy GSP and they were all very happy with our weekend.

Being Present

Being Present.  Living in the moment.  Those are things that, in our world of constant stimulation and always being "connected", are becoming more difficult to do unless you really make it a focus of your daily life.  While I try to live this way as much as I can, it is easy to get distracted.  It is easy to get caught up in the chatter, the noise, the busyness of the world around us.  But this week, I have been reminded of the importance of really trying to focus on living in this moment, right now.  Because once a moment has passed, we will never get it back.

This refocus on being present has been important this week because of all that we went through with Imke last weekend.  It's was like a slap-in-the-face reminder that our time is so limited;  all of us live such a short life in the grand scheme of things.  But our dogs, they are here for a brief moment and then they are gone.  And, at least for me, they make such a huge impact on our lives while they are here.  It is truly a shame that they can't live longer. 

This week, I've spent time reflecting on our history together and the memories we made...the amazing journey that we have had, but then I remind myself, she is still here and we are still making memories.  Pay attention now. 

Earlier in the week I was following her around snapping pictures of everything.  And while pictures are awesome and will be comforting to have when she's gone, I don't want to spend all of the time I have left with her looking through a camera.  I want to be with her, living in that moment, together. 

At this moment, I'm sitting on the bed with Peaches and Imke beside me and Maddie is happily snuggled up on her cozy cave.  I am struggling with writing in this moment because I really just want to lie down next to Imke and snuggle.  But I am trying to keep living life as normally as possible and I do want to share our adventures from the week. 

Since having lots of fluid drained from her chest last Saturday, she has been feeling better.  She is back to her sassy, bossy, food-loving, fun-loving self.  She seems so happy and her tail is wagging more and she even has a little more pep in her step.  It is great to see her feeling so well, even though I know it won't last forever. 

With her feeling so well, I decided we needed to get out for a mom and Imke adventure.  Just the two of us together for the day.  I've been promising her one ever since crazy Peaches came into our lives.  So I took a vacation day on Thursday and we headed North.

She insisted on having the windows rolled down so she could sniff the air and I obliged.  I can't deny her one of her greatest joys!  She was so excited to be traveling North, she was barking with excitement for a big chunk of our trip.  I'm sure she knew exactly where we were going. 

When we arrived in Mackinaw, we headed straight for the beach.  We met a very nice couple with their sweet old lab, Nellie, and we talked about our old girls and how we were making the most of the time that we had left with them. I gladly shared with them the story of Imke and her travels to 49 States and 49 State Capitols and the amazing life she has led.

We then were off for a short walk.  While in Mackinaw, we were going to add to our miles on the North Country Trail, even if she could only go a short distance.  It isn't the most exciting part of the trail, but it counts!

After a couple of hours in Mackinaw City, we made our way back to the Jeep for our trip across the Bridge to St. Ignace and the Lake Michigan beach. Time for our first trip across the Bridge with the top off of the Jeep.  This girl loves to have her ears flapping in the wind and her head is out the window any time we go across, even in the dead of winter.  That's some dedication! 

When we got to the beach, she headed right for the water.  Although Imke isn't much of a swimmer, she does love the to wade around and take a big drink.  I jumped in with her for a bit and then she was off on a mission to sniff every inch of the beach.

Once she gets moving at the beach, it is hard to get her to slow down.  Although it was a good thing we were on the move because the black flies were horrible!  They certainly did put a damper on an otherwise perfect day at the beach, but we were still happy to be there

Finally, after lots of exploring we sat down on the beach blanket to relax and enjoy the sun. 

And of course, Imke took her place on my lap, like she has done a thousand times before.  Silly girl!

It was a great day in the U.P, a great day at the beach, and a great way to clear my mind and get regrounded.  Everything feels better after some time at the beach.

When the flies finally got too much to handle, we packed up and headed into town for a walk on the boardwalk in St. Ignace-which also happens to be part of the NCT. 

Our final stop was at a park along the trail to enjoy Lake Huron and to share a Veggie Pastie from Mackinaw Pastie Company.  Someone was very happy that I shared with her.

It has been a great day, but it was time to head home.  So we got back in the Jeep and headed South across the Bridge satisfied with our day.  As I watched for the final view of the Mighty Mac in the rearview, I hoped that we'd be able to get back there to make more memories together.  But if not, I was glad we had made the trip.  There is nothing quite like an adventure with my girl and I will always cherish our day together.

She's Home.

When I brought Imke home from the hospital yesterday,  she was in better spirits than when I had last seen her.  We drove home with her in the co-pilot seat and she happily stuck her head out the window as we drove along.  As soon as she walked into the house  she immediately started looking for food.  That made me happy because that is the Imke I know and love. 

She was tired and slept a lot through the day, but did make a couple of trips out to spend some time sniffing around the yard.

We were happy to have Nicol join us for the day too.  She wanted to come spend some quality time with her girl.  They really love each other.

Peaches was happy to have Nicol here too.

Imke spent most of the evening resting on her favorite bed.  She's pretty adorable when she's sleeping.

Maddie spent a lot of time worrying about where Imke was when she didn't come home with me on Saturday.  She was happy to have her big sis home again and was finally able to relax.

I didn't know what to expect when I woke up today, but I am thankful for an amazing boss and an awesome team who are always supportive and allowed me to spend the day working from home so I could keep an eye on Imke.  She kept a close eye on me today too.

She was definitely returning to her normal, sassy self.  If I put on shoes, she barked with excitement because she thought we were going for a ride. If I opened the refrigerator, she came looking for snacks.  I had an audience as I cut veggies for my lunch.  

And this evening when I got ready to take Peaches and Maddie for a walk, Imke refused to be left behind.  So I took all three for a short walk around the neighborhood.  I'm going to let her do the things she loves while she still can.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but at least for now, my girl is feeling better and things feel like they are going to be okay, at least short-term. I am happy to know she's feeling better and I've still got some quality time to spend with her.  I know this won't last forever and I know our reamining time together is short, but I will cherish every moment, every sassy bark, and every silly , goofy, sassy part of her personality.   I will spoil her and love her and we will make more great memories until the very last moment.  And then I will send her off with a piece of my heart.  

Lemons

Ever have one of those weeks where things just seem to go haywire?  That has been my week.  It's not something you can predict and you'll probably never understand why, but sometimes it just happens.  It started last Friday night when I made a forgetful mistake which led to my need to get a new cell phone after breaking my old one.  Sometimes when you've got a lot on your mind or you are distracted by three silly girls, things happen!  And in the grand scheme of things, a broken cell phone isn't a big deal.  But that was just the beginning.

After a normal Saturday at home with the routine of volunteer time at the shelter, spending time with the girls, running errands, and cleaning the house, I planned to spend a relaxing day at home on Sunday.  With high heat and humidity, I spent most of the day inside, but of course, Imke and Peaches had other ideas.  In and out, in and out they went.  Sniffing in the yard, lounging in the sun, barking at the squirrel who visited, and then, eventually, they'd come in for a little cool down in the A/C.  Finally, I decided that I'd go out and do a little yard work and relax a bit in the sun, but shortly into my time outside, I had the most bizarre experience ever-a little bout of vertigo-which brought us all back inside to rest for the rest of the evening.  If you've never experienced vertigo, feel very lucky!  It was horrible and the lingering effects of the nauseousness the rest of the evening made it even worse.  But luckily, I had my trusty nurse, Imke, to watch over me while I recovered.

We had other silly experiences during the week, like the downpour that happened right in the middle of our walk one night, but nothing serious.  Just things that happen now and then in the course of life.   And I got a great picture of the girls while we were out exploring!

And then in the wee hours of Friday morning, I let Imke and Peaches out for Imke's 4:45am potty break, and bam!  Peaches was sprayed by a skunk.  This was a first for me, and I am not surprised that Peaches was the one to get sprayed.  Before I even realized what had happened she was in the house spreading that lovely aroma everywhere.  I gave her a peroxide, baking soda, and Dawn dish soap bath before heading off to work...thinking that I had solved the problem.  But when I arrived at work, I was informed that I too smelled like skunk!

I headed home about mid-day to spend my lunch doing more skunk scent removal.  More peroxide baths for Peaches, then an Apple Cider Vinegar and Dawn bath for both of us.  I stripped bedding and gathered dog bedding and everything went into the wash with vinegar and then baking soda before hanging it out in the sun and fresh air to dry.  I boiled vinegar on the stove, opened all of the windows, and turned on all of the fans.  Peaches spent most of the afternoon out in the sun drying in the fresh air.  

I worked from home that afternoon and as soon as I was done for the day, I went out and purchased more supplies and Peaches got two more wash downs, the final one with tea tree oil added to her doggy shampoo.  From what I could tell, the smell was dissipating, and we were going to be okay.  What an ordeal for all of us! By the end of the afternoon, Peaches was avoiding me and hiding behind Maddie for protection.

When I was finally done with all of the bathing and cleaning.  I say down exhausted from my day.  As soon as I did, I got some immediate snuggles from my girls.  Imke was just glad I spent the day at home.  She sure does love me.

Finally we had reached the weekend!  I had been considering a trip to the Lake for the day Saturday, but decided we'd spend the weekend at home instead.  I was hoping for a chance to recover from my crazy week.  But that was not to be.  

As I went to bed Friday night, Imke became restless and wanted outside.  She apparently wasn't feeling well and vomited a couple of times.  We headed back into the house, thinking that she'd be feeling better and we'd get some sleep.  But that was just the beginning of what would become one really hard day.  She was restless on and off all night, I laid on the dog bed with her hoping to help her rest better.  We'd sleep in short spurts.  She was up several times getting sick throughout the night.  Things seemed to get a bit better around 8am and I called the vet about bringing her in to be seen, just to be safe. I agreed to bring her in around 10:30 am.

I took her with me for my Saturday morning dog walk at the shelter and she got to hang out in the front office with her buddies, Michelle and Lauren.  She was happy to be sniffing around new areas, watching people eat, and barking at the cats.  She seemed so much better...alert and happy.

We left the shelter and headed to the Vet where they immediately took her back to check her vitals.  Her heart rate was high and they took chest x-rays, and then we waited.  I knew that something was wrong when Imke refused food and didn't bark to greet the other dogs as they walked in the door.  She just laid there, waiting.

Finally, we met with Dr. Ann, and she explained that there were some issues with an enlarged heart and potential fluid in her chest.  They took blood and did a few other things and then after a short discussion, we were sent to MSU Veterinary Clinic to see a cardiologist.  Everyone at Dr. Patterson's office sent us off with positive thoughts and well wishes.  

I ran home to let Maddie and Peaches out for a potty break, got gas and a Mt. Dew, and headed to MSU.  I had called Nicol and she made the drive from Ann Arbor to meet us.  

When we arrived at MSU, a triage nurse was waiting and with barely 2 seconds to give a kiss on the head and tell her that everything was going to be okay, the whisked her away.  We had a couple of visits from the Vet Tech and the emergency vet, and then we waited for what seemed like an eternity.  They were draining fluid from her chest and running it for testing.  Nicol and I were starving...I hadn't eaten since 8:15am and it was approaching 3pm, the snack shop was closed, and we were not leaving until we knew more.  Nicol saved the day by ordering food for delivery and finally, the Vet came in for more discussions.  

Finally, we made the decision to leave her for monitoring overnight.  I wanted nothing more than to bring her home, but she's in better hands there.  Actually, I would have loved to leave her there and just crawl right into her kennel with her overnight.  They will be doing a chest ultrasound this morning and checking fluid levels in her chest again. 

I got home after 6:30pm, I fed the girls and I sat down feeling exhausted and with the beginnings of  a migraine.  I ate some yogurt because I felt like I was starving...and I was in bed by 8pm.  Although the first few hours were restless, I finally got some good sleep.  Peaches was by my side all night...Maddie stayed in the living room.  I think she's confused about Imke being gone.  We're not used to her not being around all of the time.

Most likely the cause of all of Imke's issues is a cancerous tumor.  Although the vet thought a chest CT and a visit with oncology may be useful and it would give us more answers, there really isn't much that can be done.  I'm at the point of making the decision of how much I am willing to spend to help her vs. how much quality life will be added.  It's a tough choice and it sucks.  But I will always do what I feel is right for her.  

I just got a call from the overnight nurse and Imke did well overnight.  She is happy and alert this morning.  That's the best news I could hope for at this point.  Now I wait to hear from the Vet after rounds this morning.  The best we can hope for is that the fluid levels in her chest are really low.  That will give me more time to make decisions and more time just to enjoy having her around.  If the fluid levels are high, more difficult decisions may need to be made much sooner.  But no matter what, she's coming home with me today to be spoiled until the end.