The Life!

Welcome to our world! This is all she wants to do now!!! She just wants to lay in her bed!! 

We walk into her little room and she rolls around, wanting her belly scratched, her neck scratched and under arms scratched!

What a silly girl! She has US trained pretty good!

Enjoy the day!

Who is this dog?

Truly? Aside from her loss of appetite.....if you saw Gabby, you'd think we were making all of this up!!
This morning she peed us a RIVER outside and made a somewhat normal poopsie! We gave her the usual Rimadyl dosage wrapped in cheese and the anti-biotic and she ate that without hesitation. We left her alone for a few hours and returned to see she made herself at home by hopping onto the couch in her usual position!!!
She is also aware of someone knocking/opening the front door and BARKS like the good ole days!! JUST NOW, as I'm typing ate her breakfast from this morning!! YEAH!!
The big question of the day......ARE WE DONE NOW!??
We reluctantly gave her the Rimadyl dosage today. We'll call the vet next week and discuss our alternatives - WITHOUT Rimadyl.
Thanks for checking in with her. Knowing we've got people cheering her on sure helps us. These darn animals, they capture our hearts, go through the good, bad and ugly with us through our crazy lives and we just can't think what life would be like without them faithfully by our sides. Sure is a blow to the soul when they are hurting. As much as we try to keep it all in perspective, when faced with the inevitable, it sucks.
Thanks again for your love and support. I've gotta run and go cuddle with my 4 legged buddy!

On the UP side!!

After a very lazy, restful day.....Gabby finally ate her food - after hand feeding her a bunch.....then, she went down to potty what appeared to be clear urine!! We did a double check, and yup, no blood!!! Hallelujah!!!!

She finished her bowl of food too!!! HALLELUJAH!!

She drank a bunch of water!!! HALLELUJAH!!!

She's been 'asking' to get up on the couch to sit next to us too!!!! FIRST TIME in a looooong time!!! HALLELUJAH!!!

We DID NOT give her any Rimadyl today since we are giving her the antibiotic.....just giving that a rest and let the antibiotic do its job....

When asked to do her trick of 'telling me a story' we get a nice, healthy BARK!!! YEAH!!! She's coming around!!!

A lot to be encouraged by!!! Keep it going Gabby!! Let's get through this bump in the road!! HALLELUJAH!!!

Slight Change

This morning there was less blood on her puppy pads and the blood appeared lighter in color. She still hasn't eaten anything but the cheese we wrap around her pills. She appears to be resting comfortably in her bed all last night and this morning. We are getting ready to take her on a walk so we'll see how that goes.

It's a Urinary Tract Infection?

We picked Gabby up at 4:30 this afternoon.  The Dr. showed us a sonogram photo of her bladder. Lots of white area with 'crystals' jumping all over the place! WHAT?! HOW? He says dogs can get this just like humans….he says it is a very in-depth and very long scientific reason behind it but basically, yeah, what they eat can cause this. As the crystals leave the bladder they are slicing her along the path!!

Now what? Well, she was given a shot of antibiotics, urine drawn and sent to the lab with results to follow in 3-5 days. With the results they will be able to verify they are treating her for the right thing. We were given a bag of special UTI food and sent on our way.

She's been resting most of the day. Has not eaten anything and drank a little bit. She weighed 27 pounds last Monday and now weighs 26 pounds.

My questions that keep going over in my mind are:
1. Do dogs vomit with a UTI?
2. Do dogs have blood in their stool with a UTI?
3. Do dogs lose appetite with a UTI?
4. Do dogs have diarrhea with a UTI?

Seems a huge coincidence that her Rimadyl was increased and then these last issues arose. Reading the link I posted on the previous blog is pretty scary! I really don't want to give it to her anymore. It states to give aspirin for joint pain instead but its going to take awhile of being off of all Rimadyl before I can give her the aspirin. So, the plan now is to let the UTI meds kick in, get rid of that problem, then I will tell the vet that I'm taking her off of the Rimadyl and ask him how long it'll take before I can begin aspirin/other methods.

So…that's all for now. As you can guess it is very very frustrating. As with humans, antibiotics can kick in pretty quick for a UTI. Let's hope and pray the same for our little Gabby.

Dr.'s Response

Dr. Called after sending the email...he is positive the amount of medication given did not exceed acceptable amounts for her size. On the site it claims 1 mg per pound. Gabby weighs 26 pounds today, she list a pound since last week. We've been giving her 10 mg once a day for 3 years. At this time we don't know the amount of injection on Thursday. She's been taking 2 times a day 10 mg since Friday, with exception of last night. 20 mg daily still fits within the amount she could take. My concern is the injection. How much was that? Did that 'put her over the edge?

After reading some of the comments on the page link, it sounds like these are also SIDE EFFECTS of just taking the drug! We watched the movie Dallas Buyers Club last night about the HIV/Aids medicine in the 80's. Couldn't help but find similarities here.

Drug overdose?

So during our walk prior to taking her to the vet, she let loose a bunch of bright red blood. I'm not exactly sure if it came out of urine or poopsie....nonetheless, she had diahrrea so we scooped it up and brought it with us.

After evaluating her, vet decided to keep her and run some tests. He discussed side effects of the Rimadyl. After reading the link below that my daughter Amy sent to me while we were at the vet, there is no doubt in our minds that she is experiencing a drug overdose or the Rimadyl just caught up with her....

http://www.rimadylsideeffects.net/rimadyl-overdose-is-rimadyl-dangerous-for-my-dog/

I emailed the link to the doctor as soon as I finished reading.....She has experienced every single one of the side effects!! He gave her a shot of Rimadyl before we took her home on a Thursday. We've been giving it to her as directed twice a day since Friday. Because of her vomiting last night, we didn't give it to her last night.

Let's hope and pray we caught it in time!  We plan on picking her up at 4:00 this afternoon.

Houston, we've got a problem

Not a good night for Gabby. We woke up to find red blood and poop all over the mud room. She's not eating or drinking and very lethargic. We are calling the vet at 9:00 when they open and taking her in.  Too much medicine? Who knows. We'll keep the blog posted as we know more.

Even BETTER than yesterday!!!

We are OVERJOYED to report Gabby is improving!!! She only had a few pee spots on her pad during the night. When Dick took her outside first thing in the morning, and before he could catch her, she walked down the stairs by herself.  She was able to go poopsie with slight difficulty but nonetheless WENT!! She continued to let the urine just escape her without stopping or squatting in a few areas and as she was going down the stairs.

After our breakfast, we took her on a walk and she was eager to sniff and smell in her old doggy way!!! This is a first in a long while! Again, when she urinates, it just comes out as she is walking.

Again, after lunch she sat at the back door so I let her walk down the stairs and she was able to pee in a few different areas! Still no squatting, but at least controlling it enough to wait until outside!!!!

We asked her to perform her trick of barking on command and her voice sounds like the olden days too! Very strong instead of a whisper or not at all! Yeah!

She is even hanging out with us more instead of just laying in her bed! Huge improvement!! Seriously, we are overjoyed and whistling happy tunes over here. We'll keep her on the double dose of medication and hope for the best.

In reviewing this episode, we tend to think...as she makes her way up our stairs to our room on occasion, she's been slipping sometimes. We think maybe she slipped the wrong way at some point and really inflamed her issues. Just as in humans, we can have a 'grabby back' or sciatica one day and with the right meds and 'cage rest' we can be good to go another 500 miles or so...

Hopefully with each passing day, she's able to gain strength for healthier days to come! Below is a pic I just took! Sitting on the floor by choice, being part of our every day, not cuddled in her bed!

UPDATE!

Well, just when you think we are taking a step forward with each day….we had a little set back….we can add vomiting to her list of ailments….she had a fairly normal day today…she has asked to go down the back to pee a lot more often than normal throughout the day but at least she has been holding it until she walks herself down the stairs! This evening, the diarrhea returned with the vomit, thankfully she was outside at the time. So, not sure where that came from….she ate part of her breakfast, a few treats from going outside but now refuses a treat and won't eat dinner. Oy vey!!

BETTER NEWS TODAY!!

We've been keeping Gabby in her little room at night with the puppy pee pee pads.  We woke up this morning and a normal poopsie was on the pad!!! YEAH!!! Soooooo happy!!! Crazy what makes us happy these days eh?

She appears to be walking better today and a little more like her old self!! We are soooo happy about this change as you can imagine!! Unfortunately, she still has no control over her bladder.  I took her out this morning first thing and she would not squat. Brought her in and her hind was wet. I gave her a bath, dried her off with the blow dryer and we both had 'a moment' together on the bedroom floor where we just laid with each other. We were both quite content for about 20 minutes. I got up and was brushing her and made her stand and her hind was full of pee again! So, into the bath again, another blow dry and cleaned up the pee. 

I put a diaper back on her and she is resting now.  The biggest problem with the diapers is that because of their fur, the only thing the diaper does is keeps the urine from getting on stuff….but it can and does sometimes leak out. 

We think it is a good sign that she is back to one of her old antics of stretching out!! She hasn't done this in weeks!

  

It's a rainy, drizzling kind of day today but we are hope that when it breaks we can take her for a short walk. Since we are doubling the dose of her Rimadyl/Carprofen, hopefully that will get her over this hump.  We'll know the signs to look for in the future and can increase the dosage to even 3 times a day according to her vet. We've just got to get this bladder to connect to her brain!! She's always been sooooo good at holding it so this is all very new.  

We are still trying to keep positive. Our heart goes out to her because we know she just want to be normal too. The more we think about it, the more we really don't want to go the surgery route.  We'll just keep plugging along for now.

Well, I’ve been terrible about blogging about Gabby’s job in Animal Assisted Therapy.  Especially today, I regret I didn’t write more often.  We’ve been thoroughly enjoying each and every visit and came to the point of being fairly consistent with 2-3 different elderly care facilities here in San Francisco.  But today I had to send the following email to the SPCA Program Gabby has diligently worked for the past 4 ½ years:

Good Morning,

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write to you this morning. Gabby has not been well for the past 2 weeks. We've had to cancel her last appointment due to a condition that recently came about....long story short, she has hip dysplacia and has had a bad flare up. Currently she is on cage rest, wearing a diaper and feeling pretty miserable. At this time as we look at our course of action, I'll have to remove her from active duty until further notice. 

I apologize for the inconvenience and I'll keep you posted on Gabby's progress.

Thank you!

The first signs of trouble began when she refused to jump on the furniture and would paw at us to pick her up to place her on it.  Next came refusing to go up the stairs in our house and uncontrollable shaking of her back and hind area.  We took her to her vet when she refused to even go on a walk and would not squat to urinate or defecate.  It was determined she had ‘degenerative disc disease’ and a possible prolapsed disc, which is highly prevalent in the Lhasa Apso breed.  Since she has been 2 years old, she’s been taking a veterinarian prescribed anti-inflammatory for hip dysplasia and knee joint issues.  We came home and the following day was back at the vet because her legs were worse.  They kept her for 2 nights on cage rest and observation to determine the next step.  They gave her extra doses and an injection of the anti-inflammatory meds to aid in the flare up.  When I picked her up she lost all control and began randomly defecating diarrhea and urinating.  Big problem, to say the least.

We bought baby diapers and cut a hole out for the tail but the sizing was all wrong.  We finally made a trip to the Pet Store for the official dog diapers and they are still not quite right but better.  Of course she hates to wear them.  Our first night home was pathetic.  She just looked at us and whimpered in a way we’d never heard before.

Today is Saturday and thankfully the diarrhea medication worked and she isn’t having that issue anymore.  She’s had a healthy appetite and hasn’t been whimpering anymore either.  An issue that seems to be getting worse is when she makes the attempt to twirl in order to potty, her legs drop from underneath her body and then she stops and just stares at us.  This leads to major lack of bladder control.  Also, she has always had a beautiful fluffy tail and unfortunately I just had to trim it down to the bare tail due to matting and getting in the way.

Medically speaking, her vet is presenting a few options at this time.  She is only turning 7 years old in April so she is still very youthful! Her x-rays were sent to a surgeon and they will be getting back to us this next week.  There is a procedure called a Femoral head ostectomy or Girdlestone’s Operation.  They pretty much remove the ball of the femor, and a ‘ghost like’ one is formed and the muscles in the hip mold and shape to assist the dog in walking and living a normal life.  The degenerative disc issue is non-operable.

We are trying to keep her comfortable and waiting to see the surgeon for our options.  It would be wonderful to wake up and all of this will be gone but I don’t see that happening.

Life Lessons

Seems like every time Gabby has a job, I get a review on lessons in life. What I was reminded today:


1.  An elderly man from Carrington, North Dakota. He says, "it was the perfect town to grow up in, and still is."  I said, "many cities could learn from it." He said, "no, we won't tell anyone, we'll leave them alone! We don't want anyone else corrupting it." hahah. He talked of his career during his youth and his eyes began to sparkle. He created shopping malls all around the world. He especially enjoyed living in Europe. He said, with the memory clearly in his eyes, "I loved my job. I loved working every day. It was fun!"


Gotta love what you do!


2.  91 year old African American lady, never had any children but was a nanny to 3 for a family. When the mother passed away, the now adult children called and told her and asked, "Can we call you Mother?" and she calls them her kids. They live back East but every birthday they send a card and money. She said, "I've lived my whole life, accepting everyone for the way they treat me, not by the color of their skin." Later in the conversation she told me that her "kids" were white.


Treat others the way you want to be treated!


3.  Elderly lady, with Gabby's head on her lap, telling Gabby, "I love you Gabby." I let them know, "Gabby loves you too!!" She then answered to Gabby, "I got your sugar!" 


"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."




4. Crotchety older man in the corner says, "Is that a dog?" I answer, yes, this is my dog, Gabby, do you want to see her?" He answered gruffly, "No, I was bitten by a dog once! Get out of here!"


Being crotchety is unattractive!






I was recently asked, "What do you enjoy, where you just lose track of time?" I thought of gardening, listening to music, reading a good book, and of course, taking Gabby to her 'job'. Seriously, I can get so involved with the individuals, I completely lose track of time! There are so many people in need and so little time!! I am always reminded of how fortunate I am to have Gabby in this program and the time to share her with others. 

Hospice?

So when I received the list from SPCA of our assignments this half of the year, I won't lie....I was a little nervous about today.....

Today's location was in The Castro at a Hospice House. Yea, after only a few months ago, we were moments away of placing my father-in-law into Hospice care and here we are, visiting a Hospice Home. Well, one big difference is that the in this particular house, there are probably a few Aids Patients, along with other terminally ill. I talked about my reservations to my husband, prayed that I would gain the strength to deal with this. Well, as the day was approaching, again, it was clear, as in the past when I was unsure of an environment that I was unfamiliar being in.... "this has nothing to do with YOU Barbara! It has everything to do with the patients and Gabby spreading joy with the patients ability to LOVE and receive LOVE, unconditionally!

So, we arrived at our destination about 10 minutes early and went right to work.

Our first visit was with a 69 year old gentle man (yes, splitting the word on purpose). With barely a voice left, we talked about the past, pets that we owned that made an impression in our lives, Gabby antics and her day-to-day life. It was a sweet exchange all the while Gabby snuggled beside the gentle man in his bed. The patient received a personal phone call. I asked if we should leave and he nodded his head in agreement.

Our 2nd visit was with another elderly man, he did not state his age. Gabby felt at peace with him, crawled up to his upper arm, enjoyed his calm demeanor, and swiftly FELL ASLEEP!!! I asked the patient if he was OK and he answered, "Can you just leave her here?" How sweet is that? We talked more Gabby stories, his Christmas cards hanging on the wall, and the presence of Valentine's Day approaching and how he needed to purchase a few cards. Finally, after about 15 minutes, he said, "Well, maybe someone else will enjoy a visit with Gabby." Instead of saying Good-bye, sounding so "final".... I said, "Thank you for loving Gabby. She really enjoyed that."

Our next visit was pretty difficult. An older woman, lying in the bed, hands clenched together, eyes mostly closed, with another woman by her bedside. When we approached the patient, the other woman at her bedside said, "Mom, there is a little dog here to see you. Do you want to see the dog?" Ohhh, it was her daughter.....the patient really did not understand. After talking to her, placing Gabby on her bed, and talking some more...the daughter and I were able to get 'Mom' to open her eyes eyes a few times. She actually answered, "Yes" when asked if she liked dogs. Meanwhile, the daughter continued to get her mother to open her eyes, acknowledge Me or Gabby, pleading, "Mommy, do you want to see the dog?" the daughter was so desperate to get her mother to 'connect'.. This simple conversation made me ponder how death is so difficult on so many levels. There is no easy way out of this life. It is difficult for everyone involved.

Our last patient of the day was upstairs. Once we arrived, I placed Gabby on the woman's bed, as she sat in all of the previous visits. Gabby refused to lay down. She would only sit. The woman and I talked about Gabby's history, stories, blah blah, still, it was apparent that Gabby was not comfortable. Not sure why. The woman was very nice, talkative and pet Gabby on her chest the entire time. I just found it very odd that Gabby would not relax as she did on the other beds. Maybe after 45 minutes Gabby was tired of visiting? Did Gabby sense something else? Not sure.

We said our good-byes, thanked the staff, and directly behind us in the hallway, a funeral home personnel was arriving with a gurney to pick up a body. Yes, we were at a hospice home. Death is here, but you'd never know it with the sweet, loving, understanding staff that truly loved their roles.

So, as apprehensive as I was to arrive to this new place, I depart with a high regard for individuals who opt for such a position in working in this environment, am humbled in my own existence, forever grateful for each healthy breath I take, and thankful that Gabby played a roll in providing a bit of happiness and contentment to someones last days on this earth.

We'll return to this particular home later in the month and THIS time, I'll truly look forward to spreading our love and reaching out to those who need it most. Yup, chalk this one up for another successful visit.

Happy New Year!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Gabby had her first job of the year. We returned to one of our favorite locations. It was soooooooooo crazy! I tried something new, parking in their parking garage that allows visitors. Well, apparently they DON'T allow visitors. I wasn't "approved" prior so it made A LOT of confusion. Finally, they ended up giving me a spot.....Funny thing? There were TONS of empty spots!! This is an elderly residential care facility and not many DRIVE so there were sooooo many spaces available!! As I left the garage and walked up the stairway, I was all turned around by not walking into the front door as usual. I asked someone to point me in the direction of the front door when a worker saw us and was excited SPCA arrived! I explained that I was here to see a certain person in a certain program. She ignored me and literally whisked me away to a room I had never visited before. I again explained that all I needed was to find the front door because another program was waiting for me. Well, we entered a smaller room, elderly people in wheel chairs were sitting in a circle. I asked this gal to please let my gal know where I was and that I would be there shortly. We made our way around the room and most responded to Gabby. It was GREAT because the director in charge of the room just let me be! I told Gabby stories, she performed her 'tricks' as we made our way around the room.

We came upon a lady reclined in a chair. I told her Gabby's name and age. I asked her if she would like to see my dog. She was happy to reach out with her arthritic fingers to touch Gabby's soft fur. She looked right up at me and said, "You love Gabby?" I said, "Yes, I love Gabby." She said many times that Gabby was a lucky dog to have so much love from me. She explained that she can tell that I loved Gabby so much. It was the sweetest moment and she was so genuine.

Yea, I'd say Gabby and I are such a perfect match when we visit. It is such a great, giving feeling that we BOTH get, being close to those that are sometimes unreachable in our society.

After making our rounds in this one room, we departed and ended up in the room that had the original appointment. Thankfully, the director in this room is so sweet, she totally understood why someone would 'snag us up'. We made our rounds and we spent most of our time at a table of Chinese woman. It was very interesting. They haven't spent much time around a dog and did not know how to 'pet'. They would poke her face with a finger, tap her chin and poke her body. Needless to say, Gabby wasn't too pleased. She gave me a look that clearly said, "PLEASE, make them STOP!" It was hilarious!! Poor girl. I just allowed them to poke but would eventually take their hand and show them how to 'stroke' instead of poke. At one point, one lady poked Gabby's face so hard that Gabby YELPED!! We quickly ended the meeting.

One of the last people we visited was completely blind. This lady is such a beautiful woman. I don't know her story.....was she born blind or did it develop with age? I don't know. She isn't very old, maybe in her late 50's. Her heart is so unbelievably SWEET! She strokes Gabby lovingly as she speaks of wanting to take Gabby home, or teaching Gabby how to play dominoes with her! haaha!! She is amazing and I am always happy when she is in the room. We can learn so much from others.

So, the New Year is off to a GREAT start. We are working on our 3rd year of being in the SPCA Animal Assisted Therapy program and both Gabby and I could not be happier to reach out to the animal lovers of the world!

Bless Their Hearts

OOpps, again, sorry for not updating after each 'job' that Gabby has completed......my personal blog is way out of date too! Try finding the time to sit, think, and type just doesn't happen as often as it should....

I knew it would be an interesting time with Gabby today. When we went into her 'room' in the morning, she just stayed in bed!! She kind of rolled around on her back for us to scratch her belly, but laid in bed for a lot longer than usual!! I thought, "Yup, on this slightly drizzly day, you have the right idea!!"

But, Gabby had a job today at a home for the, well, we'll just say, 'less fortunate'. At first, going to this home was a slight challenge because the staff is so unorganized. Upon arriving, they would say, "Oh! We have a visitor today?" Well, Yes, I called in the morning to verify our time slot..... and no one would have a clue. Odd indeed. Our visits started at only being 15-20 minutes MAX! Almost not even worth the time to give Gabby a bath, and drive the distance! But, we would continue to meet when called upon to meet.

The ground was still a little wet from the rain last night. This is always a slight bummer because then Gabby's feet get wet, which means her belly then gets wet when the wet feet splash the water up onto her low belly! So, the raincoat came out for her walk before her job. Gabby isn't much of a fan of her raincoat. Thankfully, it ended up being fairly dry and we didn't need the coat for the visit.

We arrived at 10:30, and Gabby bounced in like a bundle of energy! That has been her latest routine.....she is soooooo excited and her entire body shakes and jiggles upon arriving. At times it startles the Activity Directors! Today was just the same. Finally, she settles down and enjoys the attention.

We sat in a small front living room. There were 2 couches and 2 chairs. Gabby would hop from couch to couch and chair to chair, snuggling up to all. One of the individuals had at least 20 questions about Gabby:

1. Does she like to walk through the forest?

2. Do you think Gabby needs a playmate?

3. Does she favor anyone special?

Bless his heart....The question that really topped them all was: If you could trade places with Gabby, would you?

My answer was: Only if my husband would still be her owner! hahahha

She gets treated pretty pretty well! I'm no fool!! hahahaha

Gabby did her typical tricks and ALMOST fell asleep a few times! Must just be a 'low biorhythm day or something! How funny.

We stayed until the program director called to ask me to move my car from blocking the driveway or we'd probably STILL be there!! haha The time was 11:45!!! Where did 75 minutes go? Weird! Time just flies now at this house.

So, from being a little annoyed at their lack of organization, we've come to grow to love this house and the people. Bless their hearts!

Happy Days!

Gabby had a job last Tuesday.....we returned to a previously visited location, one of our favorites! She walked through some wet grass on the way so when we entered, I wiped each foot separately on the mat as we walked in the door. The receptionist said, "Well, I've never seen THAT before!" hahaha!!! Hey, gotta be contentious of tracking feet prints everywhere!!

We made our rounds about the Activity Room and everyone loved on Gabby soooo much!! I love how her name is Gabby and I tell the Croatian, Russian and other European countries, "Gabriella" and then they make so many ooooohhhs and aaaaahhhhhsssss.... GABRIELLA!!! One lady said, 'Like an angel!!" hahaha!!! Many are CRAZY about 'SABATCHKA'S'!! Of course, Gabby just eats. it. up!! It is so funny to watch her soak up this attention. She still enjoys just flopping her head on their shoulder while they turn and give her many kisses.

There was the usual woman who says, "I had a dog that looked JUST LIKE GABBY!! His name was Bruno!! I think Bruno and Gabby would be friends!!"

As Christians, we are all called to serve. I truly believe this is my calling....It is such a blessing for me to take Gabby, allowing her to make so many people smile and feel loved and for me, lending a listening ear to their stories of old. There are so many lonely people in our world. Reaching out to them, spending time, sharing and caring for them always does my heart good!!

The other day, while driving along Ocean Beach, it was so beautiful, we had to pullover, stop, and run along the beach for awhile. Oh the life of a Gabby Girl!!

Now THAT is one happy doggie!!

Oh Where Oh Where Have We Been?

I know! Life sometimes just gets in the way of the things I enjoy....blogging! Gabby has actually been pretty busy since my last blog. I promise to get back to blogging....

Today we revisited a familiar spot and stayed for one hour! The previous visits were 20 - 30 minutes, MAX and today about 16 of us were in a large room, relaxing on the couches. Must have been this rainy, dreary day, bringing out the laziness in us...

I love it when people want to hear stories of Gabby....mainly because I enjoy telling them! :-)

She has two special people in her life....Big Mom and Big Dad. They are a couple we do a lot of things with. They had to put down their boxer, Jingles of 13 years a few years ago and have replaced him with our Gabby. We actually say they have 'joint custody'! hahah!! They love to take Gabby to their home and watch over her whenever we leave town. Gabby was almost falling asleep on the couch with her head on someone's knee when I was telling the story of Big Mom and Big Dad.....at the mention of their names, her head SNAPS up, her chest sticks out and she concentrates on my words! It was sooo funny!! Then, I had to tell her, "we'll see them later," as she went back into position.

One of the members of the house asked, "Do you think Gabby is the way she is because of your training or is that the breed?" I'd LOVE to take credit for some of her loving, kind ways....but, I think, as with people sometimes, she was born this way. They say we are a 'product of our environment' and to some extent I believe that.....but, I also think, we are born with certain characteristics/inborn tendencies and if nurtured can be a part of who we are in a positive way OR if neglected, they can be demons inside our bodies.

As I was answering her question, keeping in mind that my audience consisted of people that may fall into the category of neglected pasts....I had to choose my words carefully. So many people hurting in our world from so many issues. Today my heart was happy to have made a few smile and receive unconditional love from me and Gabby.

Slow Summertime

We've been on the go, it's SUMMER TIME!! Sorry for the delays but Gabby has actually been working a few times.....I've been a bad mommy and did not record them.

But, let me bring you up to date.

We visited a long term care facility were many Russians lived. I love it when they keep saying in their baby voices, "Awwww, sa-batch-ka!!" It is so funny. Then, when I say, "Gabriella!" They light up. It is a universal name, because EVERYONE can repeat it with so much love in their voices!

We've been to this facility a long long time ago and I've always enjoyed the large activity room where Gabby gives love from person to person. One man was very very calm, rolled his wheel chair right up next to me and Gabby sat 1/2 on his lap and 1/2 on my lap. She loved it and the man was loving it even more so!! After a few minutes, another man rolled up on the other side. I tried to get Gabby to sit in the same manner. NOPE. NO WAY! She was not feeling this other man. It was really strange. Finally, I held Gabby closer to him, without resting her body on him and she was fine with that. Crazy girl. What is the difference?

On man was very alert so I told him to tell Gabby, "Tell me a story" and I gave him a treat to give to her. Instant BEST FRIENDS! He was so happy and continued to tell Gabby, "Tell me a story" many times throughout the visit.

Two weeks later, we returned to the same facility. This man REMEMBERED Gabby!! Instantly said, "Gabby, tell me a story!!" His new love!!

So the second visit was in their new facility. WOWZA! It is BEAUTIFUL! The sound system they have is awesome!! The activity coordinator can use a microphone that is amplified beautifully. Yea, I probably need a hearing aid, or better yet, I'll just install such a sound system in our house!! hahahaha!!

I really enjoy revisiting our 'friends'. It brings a sense of kinship in seeing the residents' face light up with our presence. Ain't nothin' better!!!

The one remembrance of this second visit is that I got into a 'situation' and am praying and hoping for the best outcome. When I was parking my car, this crazy woman said that I hit her car and need to pay for a new bumper. I got very close to her car but did not touch it or do any damage and she is claiming that I did. This is a time when I wish Gabby could talk and be my witness!! hahaha!! Anyway, it's in God's hands.

It was difficult to continue my day, but after a 30 minute delay, we were able to forget about it and spread our love and joy to others, placing it all in perspective of what truly matters most in life.....knowing that man-made bologna is only that, man-made. God has a bigger plan and knows my heart and intentions, that is all that matters.

Gabby's next job is at the end of August. Meanwhile, she'll be going on a few vacations, many walks and enjoying life in this big city.

World RECORD!!!

She is fast asleep in her bed. Sometimes her job exhausts her!! hahaha

Especially when this job lasted 2 HOURS!!

Gabby had a job at a location where we've visited a few times. Usually an assistant to the main activity director takes us room to room and floor to floor. Not today! It was the actual Director!! WOW! What a difference! We really made our rounds!!

This facility has 4 floors so we started on the 4th and worked our way down. The Director and I enjoyed each and every private room and Activity Room!! Unfortunately, this facility is prominently Asian and many in this culture do not like dogs. That is a fact. Thankfully, Gabby was able to sit on a few beds and enjoyed each and every one of them!

One of the most memorable moments was one of the residents, elderly, blind, Russian man that played Russian music on the piano in one of the Activity rooms. It was AMAZING!! I could have listened for awhile longer! The alarm on his watch tells him when it is time to play and time to quit.

Another few minutes was with a lady where Gabby snuggled in on her bed. She started singing to Gabby!! It was the SWEETEST thing!!! She sang:

Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you.
Let me hear you whisper that you love me too.
Keep the love-light glowing in your eyes so true.
Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you.

After she sang she said, "Well, listen to me, I'm singing a love song to this dog!!" We all laughed!!

Many of the residents could not speak English. Many were nervous around a dog. Many were not quite sure how to even pet a dog. Many were rough with Gabby too. I feel myself get a little irritated at them but soon realize that they just don't know and must be taught! I carefully guide their hand and show them how to make a softer touch. I wish you could see Gabby's face at this time. She is sooooo still and patient. I can see her think, "Why are you so rough on me? Go lightly!! GEEEEEEZE!"

One elderly man, while sitting in his bed, talked to us for quite awhile about everything from turning 70 (mighty YOUNG if you ask me!), politics, dogs, pets, and the behavior of people. It was very interesting and part of the job I enjoy the most. These individuals are so lonely. They just want to talk to someone. He really loved Gabby, stroking her all the while talking to us. He was very alert. Overweight, but very alert. People, we MUST take care of our bodies or we will regret it when we are older!! Look around. Most of the time, the HEALTHY, active elderly people are NOT overweight. It truly changes the path in life when overweight. So many lessons learned, all of the time, when Gabby has a job!! :-0

Well, 2 HOURS later, we end up departing the facility. Our RECORD!!! But ya know? We were not in any hurry. The Director wasn't in a hurry. We were enjoying each and every visit. It was so low key. There was no 'agenda' and everyone just rolled with it. Gabby was awesome and gave so much love. The Director was a 'cat person'. Gabby knew this. At each opportunity, she would walk over to him and lay on his feet! She does that to 'win them over'. It works about 100% of the time! hahahaah!!!

Unfortunately, we are not on the schedule for a few weeks. I was unsure of our Easter Break plans so did not make ourselves available.

I think this photo shows Gabby's boredom already!

So Proud!

I was so proud of Gabby today. Each time she has a job, she makes me proud but today especially, she was so sweet and I was so proud to be her mommy. Seriously.

We went back to the hospital where I wasn't sure if I had the heart to go back.....but we were assigned it so here we go.....

There are many departments to this very large hospital. We were asked to go to the locked in dementia area today. As we made our way over with the Activities Co-ordinator - a very helpful, considerate, dog-loving young man, he told me some history about the hospital and also gave me a lot of background on dementia. It is all very interesting to me. I made the comment that the brain is an amazing instrument and how dementia/alzheimer's effects people differently. He explained that the disease actually causes the brain to die and those areas show up as black when examined! Wherever the disease attacks, that determines how the patient behaves.

One lady was walking around the halls crying, loudly, with tears and all! Just walking around, crying. So sad. We made our way to the main room where many individuals were putting out their arms to touch Gabby. There was a sign that said, "Happy Birthday Donna!" We wished Donna a Happy Birthday and she said, "Is it my birthday? I didn't know!" We asked her when her birthday was and she told us March 29, 1929! Yup, it's your birthday!! 82 years old!! Couldn't remember that TODAY was her birthday but knew her birthdate. Amazing! She asked to keep Gabby. When I told her that Gabby was my dog and she lived with me, she told me, "Well, I am sure there are more where she comes from, just get another one!" hahaha!! Love it.

Many were able to reach down and pat Gabby on her head. Most dogs don't really enjoy this gesture. I can tell it is not one of Gabby's favorite either. But, she just sat there, looking at me as if to say, "I get it. I must just sit right now." The Co-ordinator also understood Gabby's expression and smiled, telling Gabby she was a good girl. A few even POUND on her head, not knowing there own strength. OUCH! Still, she just sits there.

We were able to visit a few private rooms but not many. One man was lying on his side and said that he would LOVE if Gabby sat with him. Gabby climbed up, nuzzled into his chest and laid her head on his shoulder. It was so sweet and the man was thrilled. He spoke softly, asking how old she was. I told him that she had a birthday coming up in a few weeks and she would be 4 years old. He said, "She is 32 years old. 8 times 4 is 32!" No one moved for a few minutes, just enjoyed the "lovefest" in the moment.

The biggest laugh goes to a lady named Martha. She is removed from the group and sits in a private area because she speaks VERY LOUDLY!!! Everything is a YELL!! I was told that yelling can be very upsetting to many patients so she must be more secluded. When we approached her she told us, "Keep on walking! I don't wanna see you or your dog!!" Oh my!! She rambled on and on, talking so much crap. We just laughed. I asked, "How old are you Martha?" She answered, "I don't know but I know I am not in my 40, 50's or even 60's!" hahahahah!!! We laughed and laughed. She was definitely a character and a half!

The last meeting was in a beautiful private area, surrounded by large windows with a background of many tall Eucalyptus trees. It was like stepping into an oasis!! A lady sat all alone in this area on a couch. The co-ordinator said, "Oh this is Linda, she doesn't like visitors." As we approached, I told her Gabby was here to see her! I told Gabby to jump up on the couch, she did. Linda immediately began stroking her and SMILING!!!! The co-ordinator and I just stood in the area, talking about the birth of his new baby, living in SF, homes he had bought....blah blah blah....We looked over and Linda was STILL smiling from ear to ear, stroking Gabby. We exchanged a look of being very pleased and continued talking a little longer while Linda enjoyed her moments.

After our one hour visit, we rode the elevators back down, said our goodbyes and departed. It was a great visit and I am thinking of asking to be assigned to this hospital as a regular!