Leaving Joshua & Dessie's ...

We are leaving Joshua and Dessie's tomorrow. We have a couple of weeks of doctors' appointments. Been packing stuff that we might need or want. Loading the car. 

This morning, Cheri woke up as playful as always. Rick and Kyla played and played with her. She needed a bath, so Rick bathed her and Dessie blow-dried her. She was still in a playful mood. 
But then ... as the day went on, she got quieter and stiller. We thought she was just tired. She went to her bed, but wouldn't stay. It was as if she could find no where that was comfortable all afternoon. She got on the couch between Rick and Kyla and was loved on, chewed on their fingers some. Shell picked her up and got her in the recliner with him, loving on her. Supper time came ... and she just wandered round and round all of us. We all talked to her. Rick tried to give her a French fry (one of her favorite treats) and she wouldn't have it. Her nose was still cold and wet. But Joshua picked her up and looked at her gums - they were white. He said that he didn't know what was wrong, but she was definitely sick. All we could think was that maybe (?) she had drank some of the soapy water when Rick bathed her. ??? The evening began, and as I went to the back bathroom to get Rick's cycler supplies, we found a mess on the floor. She had pooped in the bathroom floor, and it was thin and icky. As I cleaned it up, we realized it was bloody. We went to her bed, and found that she had pooped on the pad in the other bathroom - it too was bloody. After a little while, Joshua came in and he said, "I hate to say this, but do you smell that? The odor from her poop? Daddy, that is Parvo." Sigh. 
She is just a baby still. This is not supposed to happen. This is not what we need right now. Life is tough enough with everything that we are dealing with - why this to her? 
So, here we sit at 10:30 p.m. -- Rick on the edge of bed, me here. We think, we pray, and we wait. Wondering. Waiting. Trying to prepare ourselves for the worst - that she won't make it thru the night. And yet, hoping for the best, that this isn't Parvo, or if it is - that she will be strong enough to fight it off, and she will LIVE and not die. 

At this point, I worry more about Rick's attitude and perspective of this. He seems so fragile at times - emotionally and mentally. I know that Cheri is a dog. But she came to us for Rick. To help him deal with the dialysis. I worry now. If she dies, will he? They seem to be so tied to one another in so many ways. God, I am afraid. Shaking like a leaf. How many more "strikes" can he bear??? God, help us please. Please. 


UPDATE ... Cheri was much better the next morning, and has continued to be better and better. The day after we got back to the house she was "herself" all over again. Playing, getting into stuff, being ornery - LOL ... "Daddy's baby girl" who isn't worth a nickel! LOL 
Thank you God for answering prayers ... for caring about our animals. Thank you. 

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