Oh it's been a bad day. I mean, a really really bad day.
I started my day off normally, and while preparing my food and snacks for work my mom came down stairs quite early. Apparently our dog had woken her up by throwing up all over her bedroom. She said he wasn't acting right. I went upstairs and was greeted by him as usual, but did notice he was walking funny.
Fast forward, I'm at work (45 mins away from home) and I text my mom to see how Dakota was doing. Apparently he was worse, unable to walk. I offer to come home to help her take him to the vet- He's an 80 lbs, beautiful Blue Merle Australian Shepard. There was no way she could carry him down a flight of stairs and get him into the car. So I rush around work trying to get everything set before everyone else comes in and I can leave.
I get home and he was much worse than she described. Apparently she didn't want me crying and driving. He was immobile, lying on one side, panting very hard, head arched and thrown back, tongue lolling out of his mouth. He destroyed her room, actually broke furniture! when he was trying to get up. It was a horrible. He wasn't responding, wouldn't- couldn't look at us. I grab a comforter and we work to get it under him so we can carry him down the stairs. It was difficult because all he wanted to do was get up, and he ended up thrashing around and knocking us over.
Finally we get him downstairs, and outside, and our neighbor comes out and helps up load him into the car. Our neighbor actually went to the vet with us! (He is very fond of Dakota)
The vet tries giving him valluim (sp) to get him to calm down. To make a long story a little shorter- his bloodwork didn't show anything out of whack aside from some dehydration- and we ended up transporting him all the way to the emergency animal hospital that is 45 mins from us.
When we got there, and I opened the back hatch, Dakota popped his head up and looked at me! He was starting to get better, but still couldn't get up. One of the assistants came out to get Dakota and he was seen by a neurologist. After some tests and a VERY expensive MRI- Dakota has had a stroke.
He is expected to make a good recovery. He might walk a little funny, or maybe not, but he should be mobile soon. Which, we were all very relieved to hear. But this whole ordeal went on for 7 hours. And of course in that time, I didn't have any really food on me. Just a snack in my purse. After bringing my mom home, I had to hop in the car and drive down to S. Philly to get my daughter, who was with her father for the day.. and rush hour traffic, blah blah blah. When I finally got home and ate dinner, I was famished. And I ate dinner. And then I ate seven pieces of chocolate. And it wasn't stupid chocolate that you can get at the drug store and would probably be only like maybe 200 calories or so.. but it was valentines chocolate. 2 are 130 calories. And like a dummy I ate seven.
Things have just really been hard here lately. My grandmother is back in the hospital, she is getting better but was very close to death.. kinda still is. My mom had been laid off from her job of 25 years. (Another long story) And now my moose of a dog has had a stoke! My house is in chaos (and it's making me depressed), work is crazy because we are splitting departments.. I'm heavily relied on there and I know that missing work today really put them in a bad spot... I just feel like the walls are collapsing on me and that stupid chocolate beckoned... "Come eat us! You'll feel better!" And I did. for the whole 10 sections it took me to eat them. And now I just feel uncomfortable and irritated that I ate SEVEN. 1 or 2 could have been sufficient... and not a big deal.
I need a hug. I NEED for life to stop kicking me and my family when we are already down!!!
ugh.. I'm even getting hives from the stress...
Stupid stupid crises!
/rant and sorry for the novel.
LR