I Feel Better Now...

We  took Ham for his second shot today. The mobile vet was in a neighboring county today so we had to drive about thirty minutes . Ham's done nothing but lay around. It's takes him a while to even put his head down. In other words...he's extremely uncomfortable. He tries to follow me from room to room like he always did and it makes me feel guilty when I leave the room. Yesterday he didn't move...only when we put his leash on and took him outside. I got home from work last night and thought I may wake up to a dead dog...he was pitiful so I did what any momma would do with a sick young'un , I got a blanket and slept next  to him on the dining room floor. This morning he seemed a bit stronger and I took him out for a short walk, gave him his meds , loaded him up in my tiny car and headed to Carrollton to see the vet for shot number two. Today the mobile vet was parked in the Tractor Supply parking lot in Carrollton. Zach stayed in the car with Ham and I got out to sign us in. The vet came out of the unit to see  another animal and saw me sitting on the curb by  myself, cocked his head to the side and gave me a questioning thumbs up? I gave him a thumbs up and pointed to Ham in the car with Zach. He nodded and took care of the four pets in front of us.

After about ten minutes he came over to us with his big bottle of rubbing alcohol and a syringe stuck between his teeth. He pulled out the syringe and asked if we were ready?

Zach held Ham upright, I held his head and the doc once again counted outloud as he moved down Ham's vertebrae.  He stuck  the needle in and five seconds later we were done. Zach asked where he was administering the shot and he said "Into the muscle." I  thought it was going into his heart...I know it felt like it was going into mine but now I knew.

He finished the shot and patted Ham on both sides and commented "This dog is nothing BUT muscle. He is one strong dog."

He said the first shot killed 50% of the adult heart worms. He said the one just injected killed the other 50%. He said  bring him back in three weeks for one final shot to  kill  the offspring. Then he will put him on preventative and retest him for heart worms in twelve weeks. I asked what Ham's chances were and he said 90%.
I like those odds.

Came home from work tonight...day number eleven in a row and three more to go. I'm not complaining just commiserating. I walked into  the kitchen from the garage and there stood Ham! He wasn't jumping for joy but had that nub of a tail wagging and was at least standing up. Call me crazy...you certainly won't be the first but I am camping out with him again in the dining room floor. Our bedroom is up two flights of stairs and I am pretty sure Tim is doing just fine...although he is stuck in a room with Ziggy "The destroyer."

My Christmas is complete. My kids are healthy... spoiled (if you ask me) but that's MY bad. Not financially spoiled but cut WAY too much slack around the house. My husband is working again and we have gone from being six months behind on our mortgage to eight weeks behind. I call that serious progress.

Add to the mix a sick pup, a daughter headed for college next  fall and the IRS breathing down our neck for something four business partners went into (with Tim) and only two willing to paying for.

I still call it a win. I still call it the best Christmas ever.

I might even go out and buy a tree! I might even get crazy and make cheese straws!

Christmas is all about giving and being grateful.  I am one grateful Bee-otch.

May sound even more crazy but Ham making it through has hands down made my Christmas. If  you ever want to meet the best dog in the universe...feel free to drop by my house.

Thanks again Jerry (you're the captain of  Ham's team.) To  David, Kathy, Dennis, Ellen, Terri, Kristal,  Paulette and most certainly Elaine...What you have all done for my dog  blows me away. What you have done  not only saved my pup but inspired me even more.

"PAY IT FORWARD"

It's a concept that could and CAN change the world...just like you have changed mine!

Merry Christmas.

Til next  time  COTTON