[Dailydrool] For our seniors...love -- long, sorry

[Heidi I Sarver]

Teresa,

Thank you for posting that beautiful thought/sentiment about autumn  
and seniors.  It has been a difficult 24 hours here with Buford and  
every word of that post expresses every feeling and action I have had  
for the last few years but especially the last 24 hours.  I'm in the  
middle of band camp at the University of Delaware and last night at 11  
PM I came home to a nightmare.  Buford had a major relapse after  
dinner while no one was home.  There was vomit from one end of the  
house to the other.  He went through a major gas/bloat attack--first  
one in over 3 months--and it continued through the night.

I was exhausted from teaching for the past 5 days from 8 AM - 11 PM  
and I came home to a dog in distress.  I got him calm, gave him a gas- 
x pill, got him to belch and move his bowels.  I then took to the task  
of steam vacing the 3 rooms he "christened."  By 1 AM the house was  
clean but he was very uncomfortable, so I sat with him, stroked him,  
comforted him and stayed up with him all night as he drifted in and  
out of sleep only to awaken with a gas pain and more hyper-salivation  
and nausea every 45 minutes or so.  By 3 pm he managed to keep some  
food down along with his medication--and I sat up with him again to  
make sure he fell asleep and rested comfortably.

At 7 AM I passed out on the couch only to be woken at 8:05 AM by all  
the various phones in my house ringing--350 UD Marching Band members  
were on the practice field waiting for me and my staff had no idea  
where I was.  Buford was still "not right" so the only decision that  
could be made was made:  "Here's what needs to get done.  Hopefully I  
will be there this afternoon, I have to get him to his doctor."  I  
have quite the capable staff so I knew all would taken care of even if  
I did feel negligent--but Buford came first this morning and if there  
are people who don't understand then they have never looked into the  
eyes of pure love and trust.

Trip to internist turned out to be good and not too good.  There was  
really no reason for what happened--it is time to accept that Buford  
will have good days and bad days, and the bad days will be very bad.   
We put him back on some of the meds he was on after surgery and I took  
him home.  I spent the afternoon with him--another missed 4 hour  
rehearsal--and at 3:30 I gave him an early dinner and his meds so that  
I could stay home and respond to him if he required attention.  All  
seemed more under control--not perfect, but he seemed more at ease.   
So I took a chance and went to the evening rehearsal session.

The band had a great day, we had a good evening rehearsal session and  
I raced home petrified of what I would find.  I came in the door and  
was greeted by the thumping of a basset tail against the family room  
floor.  He was happy I was home and all seemed back to "normal."

I hope he has a peaceful night--I could desperately use some sleep.  I  
think back on this day and know that I did the right thing.  The band  
was in good hands and Buford needed the attention.  His bad days are  
brutal--but his good days are fantastic.  Tomorrow we will sit on the  
deck in the morning as we always do during camp week:  me with coffee  
and him sniffing the morning air.

Oh the things we do for the ones we love--for they love us more than  
we can possibly comprehend.

--heidi, buford, della and guinness the cat