Thursday, March 31, 2022

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2003. Mattie was 11 months old and I took him on a plane to California for the first time to visit my parents. I am not sure I would have made that adventure if I did not have a conference to attend. I had to attend the conference because I was accepting an award. I had a lot going on, because earlier in that month, I defended my dissertation. This photo captures my dad with Mattie. It is hard to believe how gravely things have changed for us from that moment in time.... Mattie is dead and my dad has dementia. 

Quote of the day: Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it. ~ Winston Churchill

This morning after getting my dad up, showered, dressed, had breakfast, finished brain games and his walking routine, I packed up the animals in the car because they had a wellness check with a new veterinary practice. Peter encouraged me to find a vet closer to home rather than remain with our vet in Washington, DC. I don't like change, but given our circumstances now, I need support closer to home. 

There are many vet practices around us, but I decided to go with Pender Vet Animal Hospital. I knew about Pender, because this is where we board Sunny when we used to travel. I was on the fence about going today, but it turned out to be fantastic. We have been assigned to the medical director of the hospital. He is a long time vet of 23 years. I absolutely loved him. Typically vets do not communicate well to humans. Or this has been my experience. Not Sunny's new vet. He asked about us and we asked about him. Ironically we have the same philosophy about medical care..... IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MEDICINE. I think we will get along great. 

Sunny and Indie got a good check up and Sunny got his updated vaccines. The doctor talked to us about the fact that Sunny is a "senior" dog. Though I know this on some level, I don't think about it! Sunny is my Sunny! In any case, in two weeks, I am taking Sunny back to the doctor to undergo a sonogram of his kidney and liver, this is preventative, to catch any tumors before they could arise. The doctor has started Sunny on a two week med regimen for arthritis and wants to know if this new med will make a difference to his quality of life. We shall see. In any case, I made it crystal clear that I want Sunny to live as LONG as possible. I may have rescued Sunny, but I think Sunny has done volumes for us and our home. 

I am grateful that toiletries are coming in for Mattie Miracle. Each April, in honor of Mattie's birthday, we hold an item drive. It is hard to believe that on April 4th, Mattie would have turned 20. So many years lost. 

Since we moved into our home, I had to get connected with a quality company that does electrical, HVAC, and plumbing. I reached out to FH Furr. They have helped us in countless ways and I can't say enough good things about the company! Today I learned that FH Furr has included us on this community page! In fact, each November and April they take part in a company wide item drive for us. We are grateful for their commitment to Mattie Miracle.