nasty virus

I'm not talking about a computer virus, either.  
Cliff went to work as usual Tuesday; he hadn't been there long when he called to say he was sick, and needed to come home.  So our ever-faithful son-in-law came over and picked me up, and we went to fetch my husband.  Since he rides to work with someone else, he had no way to get home.  
Now, Cliff is never sick enough to miss work, so as soon as he called I started worrying... because that's my job.  My concern kicked into overdrive when I saw him looking pale as a ghost.  He crawled into the back seat, lay down, and groaned all the way home.  Not good.  
Neither of us got much sleep that night, thanks to Cliff's groaning and dry heaving.  Yesterday morning I suggested to him that we pay a visit to our doctor's office.  In my head I was thinking he ought to go to the emergency room (what if it's his heart again?), but I didn't figure he'd do that.  
I made an appointment with a nurse-practitioner, and we headed out.  The son-in-law was driving again, because Cliff felt too weak and nauseous to drive.  Weak and sweaty, just like when he was having heart trouble.  
It turns out, though, that there's been a vicious stomach virus going around; Nurse Joyce said their office has been overrun with people of all ages with this complaint for more than a week.  I mentioned to her that when Cliff's heart trouble first showed itself four years ago, he thought it was indigestion.  So she ordered an EKG, probably more for my benefit than anything else.  She told us to pick up some Mylanta on the way home (we never have anything like that on hand) and to let them know if he didn't start feeling better soon.  By the time she called in the late afternoon to check on him, Cliff was indeed feeling better, and actually dozing a little.  By late evening he was able to eat a bowl of cereal, and he slept soundly all night.  He's still asleep as I write this entry.   
I suppose the fear of Cliff's ticker acting up again will always be at the back of my mind.  I still lean over him occasionally when he's asleep in bed and listen for the sound of his breathing, just to make sure he's alive.  
Isn't that silly?    

We took Sadie to the vet today

If you were here and didn't know Sadie, you probably think nothing was amiss. If you say the word "boxer" or "boys" or "Buddy", she still goes to the window and barks. She hasn't missed a walk in the pasture with us... we don't make her go, but she wants to. Except she trots slowly along beside us, rather than running all over in circles fast as a gazelle, as is her custom. She'll even go after the Frisbee if it's thrown.

Yesterday I thought she was improving, although she wasn't eating. Then last night when she couldn't make it onto my lap at all, I was a little worried. This morning I saw that she still hadn't touched her dog food. This would be her third day without food.

I consulted Dr. Google, and read that some vets suggest you offer chicken broth to sick dogs when they won't eat, and possibly some boiled chicken. Those two items are always in my freezer because so many of our healthy recipes call for them. I thawed some broth and offered it to Sadie, just a couple of ounces to see if she'd drink it. Indeed she did, and she ended up drinking about a cupful, although she left a little in the bowl. I offered her some chicken, but she only nibbled at a couple of pieces. Then she was unable to jump onto my lap, even with the footrest of my recliner lowered. And I noticed white stuff in her eyes; she lay in her bed with her eyes half closed even when her head was up, as though she didn't have the energy to keep them open.

So I woke Cliff up earlier than usual and told him I wanted to take Sadie to the vet. Which meant I had to reschedule appointments with our doctor for Cliff's usual blood test and my consult about blood pressure meds.

The granddaughters came here before school this morning, and I mentioned I was cancelling Cliff's appointment so we could take Sadie to the vet.

"So," Natalie said, "Sadie comes first."

I explained that Sadie was sick, Cliff wasn't. And no, Sadie does NOT come first ahead of Cliff.

The vet found out Sadie had bloody diarrhea and a temperature of 104 (not all that high for a dog, but a signal that something isn't right). She tested negative for Parvo. He told me the only thing to do next would be to send off a blood test, which costs $110. This would show whether her liver or kidneys were shutting down, and many other things.

Now in the old days I would have trusted God, chicken broth, and nature to heal my dog. But I like having Sadie around, and I don't want to take risks. I'm getting soft in my old age.

"She's worth $110," I told him.

Armed with antibiotic pills for my dog, we returned home. To my mind, she's acting as though she feels better this evening; but that's what I thought yesterday, too. Although it would be par for the course around here for someone to make a miraculous recovery, once you've spent over $200 on them.

There are limits on how much I'd spend on a dog: I wouldn't pay for a liver or kidney transplant, for example. Just how much would I spend? I don't know, and I hope I never have to find out.

Thanks to all my Facebook friends who are keeping Sadie in their thoughts and prayers.