Curve Balls, Dog Bladders and Time Warps - Part Two

Less than a week ago, if you had asked me,"Which of the following three super powers would you pick: Flying, Invisibility, or Reading Minds?" I would have selected the ability to soar above the ground, hands down.  That was last week, though, before we entered into our crisis with Henry.

As the saying goes, "That was then, this is now."

Now, is this morning when I'd happily don the appropriate leotards and tights to turn into, "Bladder Expresso Babe!"

Able to empty dog bladders with a single press!
Unerring accuracy in locating small bladders in large dogs!
Never misses, never fails and executes the maneuver with lightning speed!

Poor Henry.

Kent is back at work so Henry's got me to help him do what used to come naturally.
There is nothing natural about the current, required contortions he's subjected to, but he is a gentle, compliant soul and endures each graceless attempt with long-suffering patience.

This is our fifth day of having him home and a lot of the early panic and raw worry has subsided.
I am even mindful of the "whole" of his care and try to remember to sit with him for moments when I just pet him and scratch his ears - no parts checking or wiping required.  I also make it a point to give him small pieces of string cheese that are just that - string cheese: not a Trojan Horse vehicle for pills.

Some laughter is back as well, as we work to ensure that he hears more joy than grief in our voices.  When we drag him across the floor on his dog bed to a new spot for viewing the back yard or for sleeping next to our bed, we treat it like an amusement park ride.  "Hang on, Henry.  Here we go."

Caring for his new handicap is not as onerous as it would be if he were a child of course. He is, after all, just a dog - except that he isn't, at least not to us. Since we are childless and cuckoo for canines and cats, our other dog, Oliver, and our cat, Libby, are our dearies. Some people get that. Others don't. Never the twain shall meet, or so it goes.

And, when Henry "goes" now, it's with our help and our best attempts to offer aid.

I can't swoop in to offer him super powers but I've got a Fierce-Field of love to surround him.