Poor Ozzie! He's been terribly ill with a case of the runs. His illness makes us think we have been living indoors with a large cow.
Since I am also down with a virus, Richard has been the clean up crew.
Have I mentioned before that his care for creatures great and small is one reason he has my heart forever? When Annie cat was less than one pound of fur and fleas, he painstakingly removed every single one.
Then I learned a valuable bit of wisdom about myself. No matter that I am not the direct cause of distress, when my husband is angry, I feel shame. I always feel somehow that I am at least indirectly responsible.
He knows this about me. So during the blitzkrieg of doggie diarrhea, I was told to stay out of the way so he could be undisturbed in his anger.
Did I mention that on day two of Ozzie's illness, we learned that you are supposed to withhold all food for 24 hours?
As of this morning, it seems that our sweet dog made it through the night without incident. I'm still nervous about letting him come back inside.
The end of this story has a dash of irony...
During the clean up, I was in bed, feeling empty-handed and very useless. So I picked up a project that I'd been meaning to finish that only required a bit of hand stitching:
I'm so sorry to hear that you and Ozzie have both been ill. I hope that you both feel better very soon and I certainly hope Ozzie doesn't have any more accidents today! My sympathies to Richard, also. The caregiver role can certainly be a bit messy.
ReplyDeleteI love the sweet little doggy you made and her little red outfit and bow! This brings back a pleasant memory for me... I took a home economics class my freshmen year of H.S. and one of our projects was to make a stuffed animal. It was close to Easter so I decided to make a pink bunny with big floppy ears for my mom. I remember staying up all night the Saturday before Easter so I could finish sewing it and give it to her Easter morning and watching the Easter story on tv while I was sewing it. The next morning, I was in church and the preacher was talking about the resurrection and I was standing there thinking, "I just watched all this last night. I'm tired!" (LOL) My mom loved her bunny and always kept it in her bedroom. I can't remember what we named it anymore ("Fluffers," I think)
but it was still there in her bedroom when she passed away. I know it meant the world to her and I still smile when I think about that all-nighter I pulled in order to have it ready for her Easter morning. Thank you for bringing that happy memory back to the forefront of my mind! I often feel guilty when I remember my mother because I did give her a bit of a hard time when I was young. It's nice to recall something nice I did for her. :)
I hope you have a blessed day, Jenny!
Jen, your story brings tears to my eyes! What a beautiful memory. Thank you so much for your compassionate and caring well wishes for our recovery. I'm so sad that you lost your mom. Please let go of every single bit of guilt. I hope you continue to have the good memories rise to the surface. They are the ones worth keeping.
DeleteOh, Jenny, I am so sorry about you both being sick. I used to work as a veterinary technician when I was in school, and I've got still vivid memories of cleaning up messes just like that. Richard has such a good heart, and I'm glad that hopefully that awful stage of the bug is over.
ReplyDeleteHave you turned the corner? I love how adorable your project is and I also appreciate the irony!
Take care, keep yourself hydrated, and don't try to do too much too fast!
Thank you Shelly. Richard does indeed have a big heart for all creatures, and people too. He's very caring, and has reached out to many people who are suffering. When we were on the Appalachian Trail, he mended the wing of a giant green moth. Unbelievably, it flew away soon after! The healing arts are in his family history as well...he is the great great grandson of a shaman and the son of the head nurse at a university hospital. At one point in his life he seriously considered veterinary school. As a wounded soul suffering through a divorce and single parenthood, his kindness and compassion healed me and brought me closer to God.
ReplyDeletePoor Ozzie, and poor, poor Richard! I've had to clean up severe doggie runs before, and it is truly disgusting! Not a job for the faint hearted...
ReplyDeleteIt was a bad day Karen!
DeleteYour husband sounds like a very good man, and I too would need my loved ones to be far away so any flimsy words of anger wouldn't affect them. Very thoughtful of him!
ReplyDeleteDuncan In Kuantan
Duncan, he is a good man! I'm truly blessed. Anger is a natural emotion, but I sometimes take things too personally. So I'm learning to give him the space he needs to work through it.
DeleteHi Jenny. I agree with Duncan, that Richard does sound like a very good and kind man. That must have been quite some mess that had to be cleaned up. I am so sorry that poor Ossie was so poorly, and I do hope that he is feeling much better now. Poor old thing! I pray that you will soon be feeling much better again my friend :( Poor you. I hope that Richard is looking after you a little too. Take care.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane, It was an awful mess!!! Thankfully it's over now.
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