Why do Fridays always s**k? (not bunny related)

[MimzMum]

There really isn’t an emoticon that can possibly capture the pain and agony I am feeling right now.

My family and I were prepared to make our usual 60 mile round trip to town and back yesterday. I had groceries to buy and wanted to get a few last minute Mother’s Day things for a friend of  mine who is going through a cancer rematch right now.

As usual, we all pile into the car, (a Yukon), strap up and back around the front of our house to go down the driveway. (You can probably tell where this is going.)

All of a sudden, we feel a bump, not unusual with our crummy driveway which is pitted with trenches from breakup. But this bump came with a terrified scream and howl.

We’d backed over my son’s (deaf) MackenzieHusky. He never knew what was coming and we couldn’t see him lying in the dirt behind the car.

My husband jumped out and was the first one who got to him. Sadly. The dog was so blind with pain, he bit through my husband’s hand 8 times.

After breaking him loose from biting him, my husband could tell that the fangs were gone through to bone and tendon. He immediately got back in the car with my son and sped off to the ER, 40 minutes away when you’re driving with a good hand. (This is typical for my husband, he gets hurt, then drives himself to the hospital, how he does it I’ll never know.) I and my daughter elected to stay behind with the dog (we have only the one car and no neighbors to call) and see if we could make him comfortable, since none of us expected him to live.

There were no outwards signs of injury, but the dog just made a few limping circles and laid right back down in the spot where he’d been hit. While trying to calm him, I did get my arm pinched (as a lead wolf will do with a subordinate member of the pack to protect or to restrain) but he didn’t break skin on me. I just look like I have a huge hickey.

I phoned every vet I could think of in the area, including our “Angel of Death” who called back to say she was solidly booked and couldn’t get to us. After hearing my description of the incident and the dog’s current condition, she strongly urged we get him into a vet in town for xrays, but he’d have to be moved by at least four people and I am a 5 foot 4 inch nothing who can’t lift a teaspoon most days, much less a dog.

I was resigned to the most I could do, as I waited to hear what happened to my husband and sat vigil with the dog, was just swat mozzies and pray. Having just seen my oldest cat suffocate to death last year, and having to put down my oldest dog because she had cancer, I was just really not ready for a third to go in my arms.

At first it seemed like he had a gurgling sound in his chest, and I feared for a punctured lung or other crushed innards. I watched for blood to exit from anywhere on him. I prayed two prayers, one that he might live, at least long enough to say goodbye to my son when he returned, but more strongly that he might die peacefully, and without pain. If he had been in enough agony to latch onto a human hand that he knew well, who knew what kind of distress he was in?

You may think it’s silly to pray for an animal. I know of many of my faith who don’t believe they have souls and are only here for our use. I am not one of those people. I kept thinking of the verse, “even the dogs shall eat of the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table…” My dog began breathing more easily, would take small droplets of water on his tongue from my fingers, and basically just lay still (which turned out to be a good thing) for the 3-4 hours it took for my husband to return and take him to the vet.

I expected they were going to have to put him down. My son had absolutely disolved and my husband was in terrible pain. (He is still going to need major surgery to try and save the nerves and tendons in his hand, although he has limited movement.) Do you ever trust a dog who has tasted blood? I am not 100% sure. But something told me, he’d be alright, although he’d probably be sore as hell for quite awhile, if he was allowed to live.

While he was with me, he passed out and slept, dreaming. I was overjoyed to see his back legs doing their little ‘running routine’ (have you ever seen a dog chasing something in his sleep? It’s too cute!) and so I palpated him and checked his gums and listened to his breathing with a stethoscope. It’s a damn hard thing to find a dog’s heartbeat. It must be in a weird place! The whole time I wanted to just say the heck with it and find a perfect stranger to help me get him into town, even if it was just to put him down, but I just sat with him, hoping he’d keep breathing. Once in awhile he’d stop, and I’d feel the tears coming thinking, this is it. But then he’d just take in a big whiff of air and continue on. He did this like five times. And he seemed to be choking once in awhile.

When the boys got back, the three of us (my daughter was too distressed to help with him, but was looking up anything she could find on the net) got him onto a board and lifted him into the back of the truck. He cried in pain, but didn’t try to bite anyone else. Then as we got him loaded in, lo and behold, he stands up on his own and walks into the back of the car and turns around waiting to “go bye-bye”. I could’ve trumped rainbows, I was so happy to see him stand again. He hadn’t moved except to wag his tail when he saw me for the last 4 hours.

So they went off and it was a matter of phoning vets to warn them they were on the way and give information and then just sit and wait, and wait, and wait.

I think it had to be almost 6 PM when the boys called me to say it was ONLY a fractured vertebrae, (only?) that it didn’t need surgery and that there were no other internal injuries, but he was going to be on painkillers and sedatives for 3 weeks and it would take a year to heal. I was floored. A 2 ton vehicle crushes my dog and it’s only one fractured vertebrae??? Now how’s THAT for the power of prayer! *tears of joy*

Also, for as much blood as I saw pouring from my husband’s hand, we are lucky he got to keep it. As long as it stays clean and doesn’t go gangrenous, he might still have it in about the same number of weeks as it’ll take the dog to recover.

I have to say, I’m still all quite overwhelmed. The dog doesn’t move well, but he’s better this morning, just horribly stiff. He is on Tramadol every 3 hours to keep him as sedated as possible so he doesn’t strain anything and there is the slight chance of course that further spinal cord damage could result, so no long walks and no strenuous exercise…he’s back to living in the house with us again like he was over Christmas. He is also on enough Metacam once daily for a 100 pound dog. When I saw the drug name I instantly thought of my BinkyBunny family. I have seen many of you mention it. This is to keep any soft tissue damaged in the back from swelling, possibly pushing fluid to his brain and killing or paralyzing him. He is broken right about mid-back. (My husband has suffered from fractured vertebrae and spinal issues for 18 years, so the two of them are kind of looking at each other with the same eyes right now.)

I feel so bad though, because I was SO ANGRY with my husband for not seeing the dog, for taking off to go to hospital (yes, I know I’m being an idiot there) and leaving me with no one to call or any vehicle to take the dog to the ER vet. And as he sped down the road, I am also left with the devastating feeling that I am not there to do anything for him…God forbid the two of them roll the car if he should faint! All in all, I think we handled the whole thing rather badly and probably should’ve gotten him an ambulance and I should’ve driven the dog to town.

It’s not as if my husband doesn’t feel like absolute dirt (we can both think of a much stronger word) that he drove over his son’s dog. This dog has become all the more special since we’ve realized he is deaf (last winter he had some ear illness that antibiotics obviously killed his aural nerves) and to top it all off, he’s about 11 years old and this accident is going to make his senior years pretty uncomfortable. I still do not have it firmly in my head that he may not eventually have to be euthanized. But right now, the horror of the whole day is still swirlilng through my conscious and subconscious thoughts. I feel sick and angry and frustrated and sad and, you know, this kind of thing ALWAYS seems to happen on a Friday.

WHY???

I know I have to be glad for the outcome being as good as it is. But I guess it’s just human nature to look for the explanation as to why bad things happen to good people. I hope you all are having a MUCH better weekend than I am!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Oh my word.  I am just toally and absolutely stunned.  Wow, Friday was a very powerful day for you Mimz.  All I can say is that the big guy heard your prayers, thank god everyone is O.K., the dog will heal and your husband too.  Many positive prayers and healing ****vibes**** for your hubby and the husky and peace *****vibes**** for the rest of you.  What a traumatic situation and my word, your hubby driving HIMSELF to the ER???

You did all you could and truly I would not want to be in that situation in the least.  Try to take things little baby steps at a time, don’t look too far ahead and live for the moment right now.  Your whole family has been through some bad trauma, and it’s time for some back to the basics spending time together doing simple things, say do a puzzle together and just enjoy life one day at a time.  Please keep us updated with the dog and your husband too.

Just as a thought, are you giving the pup supplemental glucosamine?  They make it in dog tablets and it really helped my pup out when she got to be older and had hip problems.  She’s passed over the Rainbow bridge now, but boy do I miss her.

Take care and if you need to talk, just e-mail me or post here, we’re a great support system.  

[MimzMum]

Thank you Scarlet. I appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers. Yes, it’s been a trying day or so. Poor dog doesn’t want to lie down,even though he’s got full meds in him. I think he’s afraid he won’t get back up. (SO like my husband there!)
Yah, I live with a carbon copy of Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor. He practically has his own freeway lane to the Emergency Room and if he drank coffee, he’d have a cup there with his name on it. I personally think they should dedicate a whole wing to him. >.<
I’ll have to discuss the glucosamine with the vet, but that sounds like a plan. I bet my 13 yo husky could use it too. Thank you for the idea!

[RabbitPam]

Oh, MM, my heart is in my stomach as I read this but I am so relieved at the outcome!
Words of advice: DO NOT second guess what actions you took. Armchair quarterbacking is absolutely pointless. The fact is you made decisions as fast as you could that were the best you all could come up with in an emergency situation. Many people make far worse decisions under stress, and you all kept the health of both of them in the forefront. Your hubby probably went into automatic pilot since he knew the emergency room personally.

What you may be feeling is a form of post-traumatic-stress, where you are just over the crisis and now can have the luxury of letting go in the form of anger. Many, many people feel relief followed by anger (think of yelling at a lost child you just hugged when they were found) and it’s just normal. Actually, going over all the “what I should have done” thoughts are normal too, just don’t dwell there for long.

It’s a truly sickening feeling when you know you’ve added to a loved one’s pain, but in this case you stayed by his side and saw him through. What a great result for your dog! I really hope your husband goes to a hand specialist early on so he gets the proper care and repair. Hands are so complex and important that it’s usually worth the added attention for treatment.

Definitely use the glucosamine. Spockie had it, I take it sometimes, my parent’s friends take it daily. It’s like the latest effective joint med for animals of all kinds. Like the old enema joke, “It couldn’t hurt.”

The only other thought I had is for all the families with an older dog – maybe walk around your car once each time you leave the house. It may seem silly, but a check under the wheels may be worth a new habit. We make so many weird adjustments for our bunnies after all.
Now go have a drink and a bath!

[bunnytowne]

well when friday comes again jsut c all it thursday or saturday maybe the bad gunk things that happen won’t by calling the day by another name.

oh my time to destress all of you ouch. may God make your difficulties easy and things get much better. no more fridays

change the calendars fridays dont’ exist anymore

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

I am so sorry Mimz ((many hugs))
I am sending my best thoughts to you ((vibes))

[Scarlet_Rose]

Mimz, you are welcome.  I can’t beleive you live with a carbon copy of Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor.  Poor guy and poor you.  Definately discuss the glucosamine with the vet, you can actually buy it in your local pet stores.  It can be pricey though, just to warn you and save you a little sticker shock.  Also, it takes time for it to fully work so be aware of that too.  Most people who take it or give it to their dog expect immediate results and it just doesn’t work that way.  You will see gradual improvement.  From the sound of it your hubby might benefit from it as well.  Continued peace to your little family.

[JK]

Oh wow what a story!  I can only imagine how you must have felt. I also had a bad Friday!  It’s ALWAYS on a Friday.  We had to put our 13 yr. old golden down yesterday. It’s a long story but she went very quickly (in a day) and very peacefully.  I wish the best for you, the pup and your family.  It is so hard to see it all.  I’m sorry you had to go through this but stuff just happens no matter how careful we are!  Take care and keep us posted.

[Scarlet_Rose]

OH I am so sorry to hear about you golden. This is all very sad.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Oh wow!! No second guessing your actions for sure, you can’t change anything and everything seems to have turned out fine in the end. *HUGS* I can only imagine how stressful friday must have been for you I’m so sorry!!

…I have a question, you said it was the antibiotics that made the dog deaf? Do you know which antibiotics? My dog’s health has been touch and go since she had to have radiation almost two years ago…Now she’s completely deaf. She’s been on tonnes of medications, plus had some inner ear infections, so I’m curious.

[BinkyBunny]

OH Mimzmum, what an emotional ride! I am am just so sorry. Big HUGS to you and your family. I am shocked that any vet would turn away an “emergency” situation. How horrible! You must be just absolutely exhausted! I am so sorry for what you all had to go through! I also understand how easy it is to “bite” at each other verbally. It’s just a pain release, like your dog physically did with your husband. Very normal, so hopefully you can all just forgive each other and yourselves for whatever you feel guilty about – but really, especially under the circumstances, I think you are expecting super human reactions. It all just happened in a split of second, and then there’s the panic mode, and the whole thing…wow…so INCREDIBLY TOUGH, so you all really have to give yourselves a break.

Hopefully now you can all now just lean on each other and help each other recover from such a stressful day!

It may be a weekend to just hang out, recover, watch movies, whatever that relaxes you and your family.

Sending healing for you husband and dog! Please keep us updated on both.

[kimberleyanddarren]

Poor you! i am sorry you had such an awful day, (((hugs))) to be honest i think i would have been mad to if he went the hospital without thinking of the poor dog, but there is no use crying over spilt milk as they say its done now and everything is fine so relax – take a deep breath! Hopefully -with the power of prayer! – your dog will be fine and your husbands hand will be fine and this will just be a long gone memory, its very easy for people to look back on someting and on reflection decide they would do it differently but in the split second of the incident its just to hard to think straight so dont beat yourself up hun, hope you are feeling better today and here are some ((((vibes)))) for your poor dog and husbands hand! REMEMBER you had a shock to not just your dog and husband – make sure ur looking after yourself aswell!
Take Care ((((hugs))))

[Deleted User]

Mimzmum, I posted yesterday but it vanished…so recap

I am sorry to hear of all that went down. Thank God your Husky has survived this. Could things been done differently? Yeah if you all were not in a state of panic, fear and shock. Please don’t beat yourselves up. Under those circumstances you all did what made sense.

Yes there will probably be some fall out relationship wise, but keep in mind, the actions were all done in crisis mode. So let the dust settle, hubby can care for his own hand, you care for the dog and for yourself. This crisis really exposed some holes in emergency response. You don’t have vets you can trust is a crisis, getting to a vet with no transportation is an issue. It would possibly be a healing excercise to sit and say ok, God forbid we have another emergency, this is the plan.

((((( HEALING VIBES FOR THE HUSKY, YOU, HUBBY AND FAMILY))))))))

Also my “fridays” were sunday nights…for some reason working on projects on sunday would land me in the emergency room with a stupid injury.

[kimberleyanddarren]

i hate sunday nights aswell, it means another 5 days to more time off lol
u got an update mimzmum hows it going?

[MimzMum]

Thank you everyone, for all your well wishes and prayers. Things are looking a little better today for both patients, but my hubby’s hand is terribly swollen and he has to wait to get hold of a surgeon till tomorrow. I go in for my three month checkup at my oncologists, so I have to leave my son and daughter home to deal with the dog. He’s pretty zonked on Metacam and Tramadol, and he’s not moving himself much. He realizes he needs to slow down and not do much; funny how animals have that instinct to just lie down, or sit, or stand, which is about all he can do right now. But his eyes are clearer and although he’s not as coherent in my opinion as he was Friday while we waited, I can see he’s holding it together and learning how he has to move to keep from injuring himself further. Smart dog! ^_^
I’m mostly worried about hubby’s hand now, it really looks angry. But I’m no doctor, so I’ll leave it to the professionals.
Let me please be clear, it’s not that my vets weren’t helpful, they simply had no means of getting to us, and the only thing that really would’ve helped at the time is x-rays and careful handling by a licensed team. I would’ve rolled him in on a skateboard and a plank if I could have, but I was afraid to move him myself. It’s a good thing I didn’t try, he’d probably be paralyzed or dead now.
I don’t blame my husband for taking care of himself (although I hate it when he goes agro like that) but I just wish we’d had that backup plan. We used to have an extra car (especially during the forest fires here of 4 years ago) but that’s long since died on us and we can’t really keep another vehicle with the gas prices and insurance so high. Believe me, getting my own vet’s license or moving closer to town has been on my mind quite often.
The antibiotic that I think caused the dog’s deafness (and sadly did not heal the ear problem to my satisfaction-as he still has crud-filled, nasty-looking ear flaps that he would still shake to pieces if he wasn’t hurting so bad) was Quadritrop Ointment. It had to be rubbed and pushed down into his cleaned ears twice a day. We followed the instructions, but it wasn’t until I looked his condition up on the net that I realized it might cause nerve deafness. By that time, it was too late. Since this happened in winter also, I can’t be sure it was the meds or maybe he frostbit his ear canals.

Needless to say, things are going to have to change here. I mostly feel the regret that anyone would that we haven’t prepared well enough for many emergencies in this house. It was not this way with me and my family growing up, we handled things much differently. Nowadays, I couldn’t find a hammer and a nail to hang a picture, things are so disorganized.

[Deleted User]

Mimzmum, glad to hear the meds are kicking in enough that your dog is just resting. That is what he needs the most.

I can well imagine how swollen your husbands hand is. I had a bite on my finger and the swelling from that was bad enough to make doing anything hard. Hopefully the damage is not as bad as it looks. Swelling makes it hard to tell.

It really is difficult to to plan for all emergencies. I don’t drive (phobia of mine) , so if my BF or brother is not around, getting to a vet with an injured animal would be difficult. We have a pet taxi service number pasted on the fridge. Most taxi services will not take a dog on a good day, never mind an injured animal. The local college is offering pet first aid classes and I will signing up for those.

An extra car is a real expense with insurance, upkeep as well as gas, even if you seldom use it. Do you have a neighbor who could be a back up for you? I can relate to disorganized. When I lived on my own, I was very organized. I live with someone who makes it difficult to maintain that. He is not good at thinking ahead and freaks when I try to set things up. Needless to say chaos rules.

Once the hand situation is under control the rest will sort its self.

(((((( HUGS )))))))

[MimzMum]

Thanks so much! ((((((hugs for all)))))))) Yes, his hand looks terrible, I really hope it appears worse than it is. He sees the surgeon tomorrow, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed…since he can’t cross his. *chuckle* Okay that was a cheesy shot. >.<
The dog wasn’t doing as well on Sunday, I think the pain meds were making him constipated, so we stopped those for awhile and now this week he’s eating and moving better again. So BIG sigh of relief there! He even ‘hooted’ for me today, several times, and kept cutting me off when I’d try to walk away and insisted on head pets. I swear, even Mimzy isn’t that demanding! xD We are all very glad to see he feels better!

I didn’t find out till today, that a current employee of the local animal shelter and one of the nurses who works at the vet we took the dog to actually live down the road from us! Now THAT’S isolation, when you don’t even realize you have neighbors who might be helpful in such a situation. But that’s the way we’ve had to live our lives here, the hubby is VERY independent and has never encouraged interaction with the people around us. (A lot of them drink copiously too, so it’s a crap shoot.)

Anyway, like I said, other arrangements are going to have to be made. Even one of those little economy cars would have enough room in the back to fold down a seat and put a dog in it. I still wouldn’t have had anyone to help me lift him though, and that’s where I would’ve done serious damage.

[BinkyBunny]

I’m glad that your dog is eating and feeling good enough to try and make you stop for some attention. Keep us updated on your husband’s hand.

I understand about those Alaskan isolation areas and drinking neighbors. During the dark months, some drink to deal with the darkness, and then they drink themselves silly to celebrate all the summer light. I remember the bars were open 24 hours, and eventually they were required to stop serving alcohol for two hours out of the day. I guess to sober up the guy who had been drinking for 22 hours? LOL! I remember during the summer months when the sun was still shining at midnight, the bars had outdoor activities, like a volleyball court in the back of the Howling Dog Saloon, and a golf thing where’d you try to hit the golf ball across the river into this one section – you’d win money or something (I think at Pikes Landing) Don’t know if that is still the case. It’s been a while since I’ve been back there.

Wow, so off-tracked it here.

ANYWAY, continued healing vibes your family’s way.

[Lisa_43]

I am so glad everything is ok. It must have been terrifying for you and your family. I would be praying to for your dog and your partner to be ok.

[Deleted User]

Mimzmum, I am glad to hear the dog is continuing to do better. That is funny about your neighbor working in the clinic. But don’t feel bad…In NY you can live next door to someone for years and not know who they are.

Lifting injured animals, especially by yourself is always risky. I guess it would depend on the situation as to taking the risk. Until someone is actually in that situation, it is all speculation.

(((( HUGS )))) for all of you.

[MimzMum]

Well BB, I think that Pike’s has stopped doing stuff like that, it has changed hands in the last few years and someone else is running it now. It’s still a nice place to go, to be sure, but I am not a drinker myself, so I steer clear of places with bars…which leaves one very few choices in restaurants up here…lolz. I eat a lot of Subway sandwiches. ^_^
There is quite a bit of clamping down on liquor licenses, but there is plenty of booze to be had at the grocery store, so there’s no real stop to it. I realize it’s hard to take the long nights in winter, but I think that’s why tanning parlors are doing a booming business here. I try to keep the kinds of light bulbs in the house that help with the darkness issues, and of course I am medicated for them too due to my cancer therapy.
Anyway, yeah, kinda OT…but there’s nothing these days to really stop people from having such reckless lifestyles. Hard street drugs like meth are becoming rampant here too…we’re so far out from town it has to be a really heavy situation to get a cop out here…I think we have 3 city and no idea how many state troopers…but it’s best to be your own law out here and take preventive measures to stay out of the way of those who choose a less structured lifestyle.

Thanks again everyone for your well wishes and prayers. I’ll be sure to post later when I know more about how the hubby’s hand turns out as he’s not back yet.

[BinkyBunny]

Not to get totally sidetrack this thread, but it is interesting you say that about the special lights as my brother, who still lives there, uses those, and even growing up, my mom had overhead sunlights/lamps put in the ceiling of the bathrooms, so that when you took a shower, you got the warmth, but you also got your daily dose of sunlight needed to keep your spiritis up.

I wasn’t sure what you meant by cancer therapy? I sure am sorry if you are having to deal with cancer.

[MimzMum]

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in spring of 2005. Happily, I was treated and I am still cancer free today. In fact, the anniversary of my surgery will be the 19th of this month, so, yeah, going on three years! WOOT! ^_^
Anyway, my hubby got back from his doctor appointment today and all is well, he even has use of the fingers that were all stiff after the bite, so we are doubly blessed!
Our dog is getting back to his usual ornery self. Even chased a ball a few feet today and began chewing on it, rolling around a bit. *sniff* It’s so good to see him almost back to normal!
The only thing that concerns me is he is having a little trouble going to the bathroom (#2) so I have to suss out a good laxative for him. He’s on a stool softener, but it isn’t helping much. Granted he’s only now really getting his appetite back, but we’d like to keep things moving along! ^_^

My continued thanks and gratitude to everyone for all their prayers and good wishes! You have all made the difference! I am so blessed to have you all as my online family.

[JK]

I’m so happy to hear things are moving along.  You certainly have been through a tough time.  I wish you all the best and for speedy recoveries.  Take care!  (P.S.) Maybe give the dog some hay to push things through!!! haha

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Oh I’m so glad everyone’s recovering!! Happy Anniversary 3YCF!!! *HUGS*

[BinkyBunny]

Mimzmums – Well, I bet that had to be such a scary time. I am so happy you will soon be celebrating your 3rd Year Happy Anniversary of being Cancer Free!

[kimberleyanddarren]

glad everything is looking up! 19th is a good day for both of us cuz its my bday but i hate it lol

[MimzMum]

Well Happy Birthday K&D! ^_^ I know, I try to forget that I have them anymore! >_<
Our pooch is doing so well today, he thinks it’s a good idea to try a bit of Bunny 500, canine style! (He’s gone after the cat in the yard a few times and tends to bowl us over for head pets.) We have to practically knock him out with his painkillers so he doesn’t rupture anything! Durned dog! He’s no better than the hubby when it comes to taking it easy after an injury!

BTW, his hand looks much better, but is behaving like any ‘sore thumb’ and he is smacking it on all sorts of things by accident. >_< I swear, he just does it to get attention! lolz!

[BinkyBunny]

That’s good news that both hubby and dog seem to be healing…in spite of themselves.

[Author]

Messages