April 24, 2021

White Dog startled me as she stared at me from the gate at the office door. It was a bit after three in the morning. She wanted to come over to the bedroom where I was sitting, short of breath and teeth-chatteringly cold. My oxygen saturation was low and my heart rate elevated...I felt miserable, not ER sick but very uncomfortable. WD insisted on staying in the bedroom when I went back to bed.

When I woke for the day, the entire White Dog Army surrounded the bed. My O2 was still low so I texted my wonderful home care nurse who I knew was on weekend call. Lyndzy contacted the doctor and got back to me to let me know that a tech would be by to take a chest xray and that the doctor would visit as soon as the radiologist read the electronic images sent. Steve and the WDA found comfort in the fast response while at the same time being concerned at the fast response. 

It was not easy convincing ANY of the pups...or Steve...that they had to leave the room for safety reasons during the Xray. All clustered around the tech's laptop to look at the picture of my lungs that looked cloudy at the bottom.

By two my doctor was sitting with me in the bedroom conferring with my on duty nurses, Zsofia and Opal. "You have pneumonia in early stages. Right now it is just in your lower lungs which is why Lyndzy or Steve did not hear wetness through the stethoscope. We are going to increase your regular oxyen until this clears up and you will need to take an antibiotic this week. Light activity." She looked at the furry nurses, "be sure momma follows directions. Lyndzy will be here on Monday. I am thinking we will give it a week or so then do another Xray and bloodwork."

After she left, Zsofia called a meeting of the White Dog Army and with WD's approval handed out nursing assignments. I kissed and thanked each of my caring staff. "Sorry everyone, this WAS not on my weekend agenda."