We wake up unsure about today. Cody's meds make him pee every five seconds, and Soo is not feeling better after throwing up last night. We haven't heard anything yet from Chris' employer, so we decide to stay put in Knoxville in case we need to print or fax something. It turns out to be a good idea because later that morning Soo throws up again. I noticed when I was cleaning it up last night that it smelled coppery. Today I see why. She is throwing up blood and is very lethargic. Chris isn't sure it's blood, and he wants to see if she will get better. I wait, worried, until she throws up again. I tell Chris I'm taking her to the vet. We find one that is close, and get her there as quick as we can. Dr. Jones is so nice, but he tells us later that when he met us walking into the lobby that morning he was not happy to see my Akita. He was nervous about her, and dreaded doing her exam. He tells us that his little finger was bit nearly off by an Akita hew as trying to sedate to neuter. Dr. Jones went through with the procedure even with a bandaged finger, he says he was glad to do it. My Soo is helping change Akita reputation everywhere and by the time we leave, Dr. Jones is telling us what a pleasure she has been. He gives me his cell phone number (a new fangled thing for this vet's office, and in telling us that shows us the pager he's worn since the place opened, complete with duct tape holding it together). It is thought that Soo has developed and ulcer, and that when I gave her ibuprofen it caused it to bleed. This is the first I've heard that ibuprofen is not good for dogs, and I feel terrible that I'm the reason she is so sick. She is not eating anything and barely drinking at this point, and we are so worried about her. Back at the hotel she lays in lethargy, her brown eyes usually so alert are sad and telling us how bad she feels. That first night, I am so worried I don't think I will be able to sleep. I am sure she will be dead when we wake in the morning. One of the medicines we have to give her is a slurry that we shoot down her throat with a syringe. Soo is very well mannered, but this is just really terrible and she hates taking that medicine. I imagine it must make her so sick to her stomach, but she doesn't throw up again, so we take it as a good sign. She's still not eating, and when she tries to poop it is runny and icky and almost impossible to clean up.
Cassie and I let Chris hang out with the dogs and I take her to some real BBQ, I know she's been wanting that since we came into the South. We are introduced to real southern sweet tea. Yum!
Later than evening, Chris gets a letter from his boss at HP. It is more than we could have hoped for, in it he tells what a great employee Chris is and how the plan is to bring him on permanent in a year (even though HP isn't technically hiring), and that even if this contract at AmEX falls through, they will keep him on and assign him to another HP contract. We are so relieved, it feels like a miracle to get the letter so quickly. Norma will forward it to the underwriters, but she is confident it will be enough for them to move forward again. We are only about a day's drive to Greensboro from here, so if we leave tomorrow we will have no where to stay once we get there. David (the developer who is selling us the house) has told us of a long-term apartment-like hotel in Grahm. I make the arrangements for us to stay there until the house on Clapp Farms closes. Tomorrow we will make the last leg of our journey!
It occurs to me much, much later that had we not had this hiccup with the house, we would have been too far down the road to find help for Soo in time. The same thing also dawns about the truck accident on the freeway - we would not have been close enough to a vet for Cody if we had been much further down the road. What an amazing God we serve, and prayers by so many family and friends were ringing in His ears I'm sure!
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| I've never seen her eyes look so lifeless - she scared me something terrible! |
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