This is my last week to get things ready for my road trip. While not necessary, I took the Ford Escape and had the cracked windshield replaced this afternoon. Eric came with me (he's the primary driver for the truck while I'm driving the van) and while we waited for the work to get done, had lunch at Texas Roadhouse. We were the first customers at 3pm when it opened!
We had a nice lunch together. I ordered a Caesar's Chicken salad and he had a cheeseburger and fries. He talked about his two years in JROTC with a very strict Marine Major; the reason he quit that program and now shuns the military lifestyle. He also told me some things about his senior year in high school that I never knew before, and revealed some things why he doesn't get along well with his father's new wife. While I don't like asking questions about his father, I had to today because I could tell that some of the things that woman said and did to Eric still traumatize him today. He doesn't normally get very animated but today some old hurt resurfaced.
Eric's not the first person to tell me the woman has a drinking and gambling problem. Erin has mentioned several things about her as well that are similar. The woman's a violent drunk and last April was pulled over for drunk driving after she left her management job at the Chesterton (IN) Applebee's. She is now the sole breadwinner while Eric's father is still unemployed. Ironically, said Eric, his father spent a week in Las Vegas again despite not having a steady paycheck.
I enjoy these mother-son lunches and it's probably one of the last ones with Eric before I leave this weekend.
We got back to the house at 4:30pm. "Sadie's head is wet!" said Eric, and right away I knew why: she was coming out of another seizure. Luckily she was in the house while all the other dogs were outside. Thank goodness, or the younger females could have attacked Sadie while she was down. I quickly gave her her afternoon dosage of phenobarbital and then placed her in the bedroom, where she quickly got on the cool shower tiles.
Today I think I know why she had a seizure. I was vacuuming earlier in the dining area. The other dogs were outside but Sara and Sadie were in the bedroom. None of the dogs like the vacuum cleaner and run as far from it as soon as they see me touch the cord for it. She probably panicked since she couldn't run outside and in a panic had a seizure. Stress of any kind get to that dog. Luckily it was an isolated case.
Kevin babied Sadie right away when he came home minutes later, retreating to the bedroom and closing the door behind all the other dogs. Sadie got one-on-one time with "dad" and both were snuggled together and asleep, hours later when I came back to check on them.
I went to bed early myself tonight, turning off my office light at 9pm. By 9:11pm Sadie had another seizure, the first one since her 4pm one. Her legs slammed against mine and I got several scratches from her hind legs above my right knee. No blood, just scratches. I held her until her body calmed down again, waiting impatiently for her heart to get back to a normal rate; I could feel stiffness in her entire body.
ReplyDeleteKevin slept through it all, so I got up gently to feed Sadie some wet food, adding some calming treats. Only Minnie got to share.
Sadie ended up having more seizures overnight. The next one was at 11:20pm, then at 2am and at 4am. She had been pacing the house loudly whining, knocking into stuff as she walked around. I ended up sleeping in the living room to keep Sadie away from Kevin who needed his sleep. She did her pacing in the living room.
ReplyDeleteHer 2am seizure was on the dining room floor. I briefly heard a dog yelp and when I jumped up from the couch, saw Minnie's mouth around Sadie's throat. Minnie attacked Sadie when Sadie was down and defenseless. What a scary image.
Right now Sadie is once again relaxing in the bedroom. The three young dogs (Zeke, Minnie, Sweety) are outside and will remain outside. She is finally getting her rest. I'm exhausted right now but have lots to do again today. I have to go on post and get new DoD decals for both vehicles now that both have had new windshields installed.