This last week has been an exhausting, crazy one. Pressures of life, work, volunteering and social inclinations have built up and it was a crazy busy week. My own health started to take a turn over the last few weeks with severe foot pain which has now turned into severe hip pain. Spirit and I powered through the week together, he was tired from his agility course that we’ve been doing and from some good walks because it’s been a pretty warm few weeks.
Wednesday came around and I was so excited to go home from work and watch “P.s. I still love you” and take a chill day. I decided to go for a quick run before the evening rolled around and on the run I pushed myself to tears from how sore my hip was. My running strides turned to a limp and every step was excruciating pain, but my stubbornness refused to stop. My mind was running away from the pressures of work, future and the worst of all…an eating disorder. I was diagnosed with anorexia when I was 20 years old and it’s been a constant battle over the last three years. Spirit has been an excellent help to provide slower walks, cuddles when things become overwhelming and a constant reminder that everyone should love food as much as he does. Spirit is one of the only things that I want when I have a bad day and as I pushed myself to get back home, I found my pup in a bad state.
Spirit has always had a sensitive stomach, but this round of sickness was different. He refused to eat, stopped drinking water and woke me up at 2am desperate to go outside. I let it linger for a day or two hoping that he would get better, but he got worse. So Wednesday night I quickly changed my plans and made a trip to the emergency room. Sitting in the emergency office, as they rushed him back due to his history of having a previous stomach surgery. I sat in the blue chair anxious for any updates or news. The vet agreed that he was in a great deal of discomfort and they had found something on his X-Rays, and that was the last update we had for about an hour. In that hour, I felt my entire world start to crash down. Everything that had been built up over the last few weeks came to the surface and I feared for the worst. You never truly know the power that someone or something has on your soul, until you fear that you may lose it.
To sum up the vet visit, the thing in his stomach seems to be just something from his prior surgery, he had a bad bout of a stomach flu/virus and needed some antibiotics and probiotics to help clear that up, and he is a possible candidate for Addison’s disease. So as we wait for further knowledge and results about Addison’s disease, I learned an important lesson. You never truly know what each day in life will bring, some days it brings sick dogs, and immense pain but others bring immeasurable amounts of joy and sunshine.
It was by far one of the most mentally and physically challenging weeks, but as I write this I have Spirit snoozing peacefully by my side after his walk, and I spent the weekend full of laughter, coffee and dogs. So this week’s lesson isn’t necessarily from the shelter, but it’s a lesson learned from one of the best boys…Spirit.
Lessons From the Shelter: Life is full of uncertainty, and nothing is guaranteed. Sometimes things get challenging, and it’s okay to cry and be upset. Take time to think of all the things in life that you are grateful for, and remember that no matter how hard things get, you are never alone.
Lessons From the Shelter 