Pitter Patter of Little Feet

Bug had blood in her poo on the night of Thanksgiving.  Oddly enough, I am thankful for that.  It was dark so I thought it was just runny until we came inside and I saw the red dripping down her bum.  I was freaking out.  My first action was to get her in the tub so the blood didn't get anywhere.  The next thing was to call my mom.  It was a holiday so I couldn't go to the vet's office.  She talked me through and got me calmed down enough to get to work on taking care of my Bugadog.  Bug was also quite chilled so I was afraid it could be some sort of hemorrhage and she was going into shock.

I ran a hot bath for her to clean her up and bring up her body temperature.  As I was bathing and petting my dog, I realized how lucky I was to have something that I cared about so deeply.  I was crying and thinking over again "please, don't die".  I know that was probably a bit extreme but seeing blood dripping from someone you care about pushes you toward the extreme side of things.  Bug got all bundled up in a towel while I went to work researching treatment protocols and possible causes.  She was treated to white rice and boiled chicken for the whole weekend.

Bug is just fine now and glad to be pooing poo.  Owning a dog is expensive and time consuming.  I have to schedule around coming home to let her out.  There's lots of stuff that I would like to do that I can't because I have a dog.  The thing is, none of that stuff really matters.  I love having Bug in my life.  I know she likes having me as her mom.  My day is better because I have that adorable face looking up at me and a little warm presence at my thigh while I sit in bed and write this.  When Bug sprints down the hallway and then back to me and down the hallway again, the little pitter patter of her squirrel feet makes me giggle.  Having a dog is a huge commitment.  I'm saying that I will accept the additional burden for the next decade.  I can't wait for every minute of it.

The Perks of An Incompetent Predecessor

I have been in my job for about 4 months now and am currently attending a training on employment services for people with disabilities.  It will be really applicable information and I know it will make me better at my job.  One of the biggest frustrations when I started my job was that my predecessor was either incredibly negligent or completely apathetic about the well-being of her clients.  Either way, she left a rather large mess for me to clean up when I started.  Now that I am settling into my own groove (including 2 placements this quarter), people are seeing how good I am at this job.  I know that I would look good no matter what but the fact that she was so awful just makes me look that much better.  The father of one of her former clients expressed his profound gratitude for my help.  He said it was such a relief for him to have follow up phone calls and to know that his son's needs are being tended to.  I can only imagine how difficult life is for the parent of a child with a severe, persistent disability is without having someone who is supposed to help that never follows through.  The behavioral health department has been so wonderful in embracing Tory and me.  I feel so welcome in that department and now they know that their clients will get competent, dedicated service when they are referred to us.  There are also DVR counselors that are spreading the word about our agency.  It's great to be recognized for something that my team does well.  It's also great to be part of a team that has the passion and capability to do a job that most people can't do.