I read this article recently about pet hospice and realized I was already doing it. WildDog, our elderly sheepdog was a funny, orderly, mischievous devil of a dog.
We got WildDog from a rescue, by accident. He was supposed to go to someone else, and they decided they didn't want him. We were looking at another dog when they told us he was ready for us. Dahey knew he was the dog for him as soon as he saw him, so we hurried down the highway on a cold, snowy day and picked him up.
The foster family told us he got queasy in cars. Dahey held him all the way home in his lap. He did just fine as long as he was petted while he was riding in a car. This always made going to the groomer and the vet an adventure. I told WildDog, "If you are good, you'll get a cookie," and he'd watch me put the cookie in my purse or pocket. He'd try to get at it, if he thought he could get it. However, he could be a perfect gentleman. It just varied.
WildDog was famous for flying through the air and snatching things off counter tops. Dahey was an eyewitness or I never would have believed that he really did eat all those blueberry muffins I wrapped up for my sister for breakfast from the MegaWarehouseStore. He also loved good loaves of bread. Not those artisanal ones Grumpy may talk about, but good, slightly soft, bread that is not cheap. I cannot count the number of loaves that he "opened" (i.e. chewed a hole in) to eat a couple of slices and leave the remaining loaf lying on the living room floor (since this is where he liked to eat his snacks.)
He was a great companion. He came from a breed known for herding, guarding and sticking close to humans. He was really my dog, because he picked me, but Dahey was his alpha dog. When Dahey travelled for work, he didn't always listen to me. It would take a couple of weeks. Sometimes, I had to put Dahey on speakerphone for the dog to listen. Occasionally, he relented.
When Bubba came along, he bonded with him over fistfuls of spaghetti. Bubba loved launching handfuls from his high chair and watching WildDog run. They had their spats (he even bit Bubba once), but the boys got along well.
Tonight, even after the gentle warnings, I had given Bubba about WildDog dying for months, Bubba cried and cried. WildDog was the only dog he'd ever had his entire life. He was his furry brother.
We will miss the pet, but character and spirit of WildDog, the charming little herding dog, will live on in our hearts.
Good night WildDog. See you at the Rainbow Bridge.
Showing posts with label grumpy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grumpy. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Dear Mother Nature
Okay, I have to tolerate the full moon every month.
Please cut out all this rain and snow. Yes, it is almost May and it's NOT supposed to snow here in RehabLand.
Besides, I'm getting tired of my backyard flooding and WildDog refusing to go outside since the porch is damp.
And on top of this, the smokers at work are grumpy as hell. I have enough to deal with this week.
Sincerely not,
RehabRN
Please cut out all this rain and snow. Yes, it is almost May and it's NOT supposed to snow here in RehabLand.
Besides, I'm getting tired of my backyard flooding and WildDog refusing to go outside since the porch is damp.
And on top of this, the smokers at work are grumpy as hell. I have enough to deal with this week.
Sincerely not,
RehabRN
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Nuggets for June 15
Happy June 15! Since I haven't done a Nuggets section in ages, I thought, why not? I've been reading some really interesting medical stuff for my grad class, and lo and behold, some of my favorite MD bloggers have interesting posts that should be seen.
So here goes, folks. Please enjoy the scenery. There is some very vivid mental imagery here if you really think about these items...just sayin'
Enjoy!
So you have been living in this century for how long now?
ER Doc from Serenity Now Hospital has a great post about a really out there patient who is still figuring out how to use the telephone.
The epitome of tact or Why you should turn off the cellphone in the ICU
Grumpy, one great neurologist (and no, I don't work for him...he's nicer than our boss) has a public service announcement you'd think was obvious.
Never assume...
Last but not least
KevinMD has a couple of posts you shouldn't miss.
Medicine or family first discusses a series of articles running in the NY Times debating if part-time physicians should exist.
And now, since it's bikini season, he discusses a hairy (literally) topic which can have some significant complications.
Stay tuned....more to come.
So here goes, folks. Please enjoy the scenery. There is some very vivid mental imagery here if you really think about these items...just sayin'
Enjoy!
So you have been living in this century for how long now?
ER Doc from Serenity Now Hospital has a great post about a really out there patient who is still figuring out how to use the telephone.
The epitome of tact or Why you should turn off the cellphone in the ICU
Grumpy, one great neurologist (and no, I don't work for him...he's nicer than our boss) has a public service announcement you'd think was obvious.
Never assume...
Last but not least
KevinMD has a couple of posts you shouldn't miss.
Medicine or family first discusses a series of articles running in the NY Times debating if part-time physicians should exist.
And now, since it's bikini season, he discusses a hairy (literally) topic which can have some significant complications.
Stay tuned....more to come.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Grumpy
Hey, at least my day did not start out like Doc Grumpy's did today!
I'm still perturbed. Let's see what can I rant about? Maybe teamwork? One of our Gen Y-er nurses decided to use the "get out early card" recently and so she practiced by slacking all the way up to the last hour, chatting and texting her hookup/boyfriend/male of the evening during the entire shift....when she didn't stop to do puzzles. The Slug would be proud of this protege. (Happily, the Slug had the evening off).
The boss is a jerk. How many days until he/she leaves? Word on the street is that the new unit he/she is going to has a lot of problems, just like ours. He/she should feel at home. Maybe he/she can take 1-2 of the malingerers who called in sick recently on the night shift. We can only hope...for a better boss, and, as my favorite charge nurse said so eloquently, "a fair one." Yes, indeedy!
One of our favorite nurses, who lives in Far Far Out Township, lost a parent recently. Know how we found out? Not from our boss, but from a guy who came to our unit who used to work with us. FN's parent has already been buried. FN used to always work my shift and frankly, I was perturbed. Guess I will get a condolence card and bring it in to work for the rest of us peons who weren't in the "in crowd" and thus did not know ahead of time.
I've ranted enough for now, since I'm going back to bed, just in case I end up with the short end of the stick tonight and end up on a double shift.
Stay tuned...
I'm still perturbed. Let's see what can I rant about? Maybe teamwork? One of our Gen Y-er nurses decided to use the "get out early card" recently and so she practiced by slacking all the way up to the last hour, chatting and texting her hookup/boyfriend/male of the evening during the entire shift....when she didn't stop to do puzzles. The Slug would be proud of this protege. (Happily, the Slug had the evening off).
The boss is a jerk. How many days until he/she leaves? Word on the street is that the new unit he/she is going to has a lot of problems, just like ours. He/she should feel at home. Maybe he/she can take 1-2 of the malingerers who called in sick recently on the night shift. We can only hope...for a better boss, and, as my favorite charge nurse said so eloquently, "a fair one." Yes, indeedy!
One of our favorite nurses, who lives in Far Far Out Township, lost a parent recently. Know how we found out? Not from our boss, but from a guy who came to our unit who used to work with us. FN's parent has already been buried. FN used to always work my shift and frankly, I was perturbed. Guess I will get a condolence card and bring it in to work for the rest of us peons who weren't in the "in crowd" and thus did not know ahead of time.
I've ranted enough for now, since I'm going back to bed, just in case I end up with the short end of the stick tonight and end up on a double shift.
Stay tuned...
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Weirdness of late
The grumpy assed patients who f-bomb the nurses, the techs, and the doctors, are happy. Why? A little party, some PT and some good ol' fashioned diazepam (to keep those spasms in check). Mr. Grumpy (no relation to the good Doctor), my patient of late was a little darling once I got him set up with all his pills before therapy. He was so happy, he promptly went to sleep once I put him in bed.
My boss, although irritated that he/she had to come back to work was very understanding when I told him I had to go to the hospital with my brother. Lots and lots of med issues, but hopefully, they'll all be straightened out.
The full moon's not quite here, but you'd think it was. Stay tuned...
My boss, although irritated that he/she had to come back to work was very understanding when I told him I had to go to the hospital with my brother. Lots and lots of med issues, but hopefully, they'll all be straightened out.
The full moon's not quite here, but you'd think it was. Stay tuned...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Nuggets for April 21
Oh yes, it's Nugget time again. Here's a few items I've found in my recent meanderings on the internet and visiting various blogs. Hope you enjoy!
From the blogosphere
Check out these treats from far and near in the blogosphere.
The office
So many things to talk about...and sometimes there are things you'd just rather not know about your coworkers. Bowel habits, shaving preferences, reasons why they divorced xx spouse and the list could go on and on. This Yahoo!Finance article called Spare the Details is just the ticket. That boss in a Speedo image makes me thankful one of my bosses is not my Facebook friend.
School
It's a classic you'll hear about again in a few weeks, but I've loved this column since it came out. From the archives of the Chicago Tribune, just remember to wear sunscreen.
Brain training
Yes, I've bought those brain training games and used them to no avail. They're cool at first, but end up boring. Check out this article from www.forbes.com called Becoming a Memory Whiz for a few tips on sharpening your memory.
An eye-opener
Many RNs already know about the contentious nature of the DNP credential in healthcare. My good friends from Ye Olde State Nurses' Association hooked me up with this interesting article written by an actual MD, Dr. Bernadine Healy, called The New Doctors in the House.
Did you know
Robert Pound, the physicist behind everyone's favorite noisy and claustrophobia-inducing diagnostic machine, the MRI passed away recently. As it turns out, Mr. Pound was a great British car buff. I really enjoyed the last line of his obit.
"Others recall that when confronted with a mechanical problem in a laboratory setting, he often gave the same advice as he would in the garage: “Did you try whacking it?” "
From the blogosphere
Check out these treats from far and near in the blogosphere.
- Maha solves problems in the ER with tricks she learned at the salon in Bet they didn't teach that in med school
- Dr. Grumpy's got the power to check up on you if you're shopping for narcs, kiddies. Look out!
- Parents of pre-teens, you'll never think of this the same way again once you read ER Doc from Serenity Now Hospital's story called Does your 12 year old little girl shave? Just gives me the creeps...and slight homocidal feelings if that were my kid!
- I really enjoyed AtYourCervix's Lost and Found recently. One of my recurring nightmares often involves losing something valuable at work...and having to dig to find it.
- She's not a nurse, but Pissed Off Patient has some interesting things to say about life with chronic illness. Go on over and check her out!
The office
So many things to talk about...and sometimes there are things you'd just rather not know about your coworkers. Bowel habits, shaving preferences, reasons why they divorced xx spouse and the list could go on and on. This Yahoo!Finance article called Spare the Details is just the ticket. That boss in a Speedo image makes me thankful one of my bosses is not my Facebook friend.
School
It's a classic you'll hear about again in a few weeks, but I've loved this column since it came out. From the archives of the Chicago Tribune, just remember to wear sunscreen.
Brain training
Yes, I've bought those brain training games and used them to no avail. They're cool at first, but end up boring. Check out this article from www.forbes.com called Becoming a Memory Whiz for a few tips on sharpening your memory.
An eye-opener
Many RNs already know about the contentious nature of the DNP credential in healthcare. My good friends from Ye Olde State Nurses' Association hooked me up with this interesting article written by an actual MD, Dr. Bernadine Healy, called The New Doctors in the House.
Did you know
Robert Pound, the physicist behind everyone's favorite noisy and claustrophobia-inducing diagnostic machine, the MRI passed away recently. As it turns out, Mr. Pound was a great British car buff. I really enjoyed the last line of his obit.
"Others recall that when confronted with a mechanical problem in a laboratory setting, he often gave the same advice as he would in the garage: “Did you try whacking it?” "
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