Have
you ever turned off your clock and worked until the job was done? That's the way
the past two months felt. I needed to launch my new website and YouTube channel -- everything else had to take a back seat.
I
didn't realize that this was only the beginning. My website and
YT developer set up a daily spreadsheet of articles to be written and videos to
be made. As much work as that is on top of my other jobs...I have never enjoyed anything more.
There
were 2,000 downloads on YouTube in the first two weeks. I am
told that is extremely rare. I also know that the message of hope is
needed now more than ever and that is what I share. Every. Day.
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We couldn't bear watching her suffer
In
the middle of this craziness, hubby and I knew we could not put off Star's
dental issue any longer. As a rescue, she came with bad teeth and Doxies are
prone to gum disease and teeth problems.
I
have tried to find a vet who would clean Star's teeth and remove the bad ones
for under $10,000. No luck.
Daily,
Star got a regimen of vitamins, tinctures, and a raw food diet but it wasn't enough. She
needed help we could not give her.
Then
a miracle happened. My hairdresser found a vet in the city (a ferry trip away)
who didn't comply with the ridiculous fees other vets charged. She paid $1500 -
not $10,000 for a similar procedure.
After the doctor examined Star, he shook his head. The infection had run deep and she needed antibiotics for two weeks before he could determine what to do. He assumed there were two badly infected teeth.
Coupled
with the abuse she had received before we rescued her, he said her jaw was
cracked and she must have been in extreme pain for a long time -- we had NO
idea. She never complained.
On the day of surgery, the vet said he would call us in a couple of hours when she was
ready to be picked up. HOWEVER, the call came much earlier. He said it was one
of the worst cases he had seen. She would need all her teeth pulled. Her jaw would
need to be wired together where it was cracked. Our dilemma: What should we do? And how much could we afford?
I called my daughter and ran the scenario by her. She has rescued dozens of dogs including those with rotten teeth. She had been told the worst-case scenario more than once.
She said, "Mom, you will
give Star her life back. Trust me." The vets told her many times there was
little hope of improvement. But she proved them wrong each time.
I called the vet to ask him
what Star's kidney, liver, and heart health looked like. He said,
"Considering what she has going on - I could hardly believe how healthy she
is." That made the decision for us.
Seven hours later we picked up this precious baby. When she saw us she started to cry. She never stopped until we got home. It was heart-wrenching. The ferry line-up wait was five hours in the scorching heat (over 100 degrees) with no shade in sight. Yup.....she never stopped crying. This is so rare as she rarely barks and we have never heard her cry before. So sad!
UPDATE: Star is a new dog. She
runs with her tail held high (never did that before.) Her ears are perked up! She can't stop kissing us
and cuddling -- also unusual for her.
She got a clean bill of health
and her jaw, which was stitched together is healing fine.
AND.....you ready for this? The
vet never charged us the full amount. He loves rescues and wanted to help this
little creature. He only asked that we do not tell anyone or he would be
bombarded with people wanting the same deal. NO PROBLEM.
We are so grateful. And.....so is Star.
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And.....TODAY...I
am over-the-top excited. The GRANDS are coming for four whole
days. Life is put on the shelf. The work will be there after they go back
home.
For
some of you who have not seen your grandbabies or loved ones during this season
of 'separation,' my heart aches for you. I hope you will see them soon.
What
would any Fly on the Wall post be without pics of the
grands
Camping for 5 days is exhausting!
Someone dropped some
bubbles in the hot tub
Welcome to a Fly on the Wall group post. Today 5 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house.