January 3, 2014

White Dog saw Dr. Julia who confirmed that she has a nerve impingement between discs in her lower spine. An injection of a powerful NSAID has helped the immediate discomfort and a few days of restricted activity, tramadol as needed and an increase in her normal holistic discus compositum should, the good doctor tells us, have White Dog good to go again in about a week. She is sleepy from the shot, but ate her dinner and has a bit more life in her eyes tonight.

For the rest of the White Dog Army, White Dog's painful experience and trip to the vet, provided a harsh return to reality. The holidays are over. Steve goes back to work and studenting on Monday. Even Michael returns to school and his internship. The unstructured freedom that made these last weeks magical is disappearing into the cold, grey, ordinariness of "just winter"--a time when old joints ache and we follow a routine dictated by life's obligations.

Taiko could barely stand to be further than an fur's breadth away from Steve at the realization. Puff kept a paw firmly anchored on my foot or pinned me by lying on the bottom edge of my afghan. Oso insisted on being held and the entire WDA has drawn tightly together as a pack to hold the inevitable at bay.

Maybe a slower-paced weekend focused around White Dog's need to heal will be a good for making the transition. Steve can get a jump on his school assignments and the WDA can join him in the office to supervise and just "hang out" with him. A little extra time for cocooning and hiding away might provide some residual comfort on Tuesday when Steve once again teaches a late-night class. Wrapped together the WDA and we humans can store up laughter and special moments and love that next week will be the fuel to get us all marching into 2014 with confidence and a bold spring in our steps.

Have a great, restorative weekend, dear friends. Make each moment count!