The weakened remnant of Hurricane Irma brought 3 days of gentle but persistent rain to Nashville. We had nothing to complain about.
“I’m bored to tears,” Pepper complained on day 1, stuck inside, and I gave her a large bacon and cheese stuffed bone to help pass the time.
“I’m bored to tears,” she complained on day 2, and I gave her a large peanut butter stuffed bone. I thought they were good gifts for rainy days, and she did too.
In the middle of the night, after the peanut butter stuffed bone, we learned otherwise.
It was a long dark night of the soul from 11:45 pm to 7 am, involving copious bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Three days of Intravenous fluids and the cone followed. After she’d had the port removed and was back home for good, Pep and I had a chance to talk about what had happened as we snuggled on the sofa.
“What exactly is pancreatitis?” Pep asked.
“Pancreatitis is another word for ‘too much of a good thing,’” I told her. “The vet thinks it may have been those two delicious stuffed bones I gave you, which, you can imagine, I feel terrible about. I am horrified that I put you through this,” I said.
“You didn’t know,” she replied simply, with her loving heart. “But – I don’t want too much of a good thing ever again. How can you tell?”
“In general, your stomach might start to feel a little queasy. There might be a little voice inside your head saying, ‘This is excessive.’ A friend might say to you, ‘Slow down, cowgirl!’ You might read something in a book or magazine or online that suggests limits.”
“But none of those things happened,” Pep pointed out.
“Sometimes you can only know when you’ve had too much of a good thing after you know,” I said ruefully.
“I don’t much like learning things the hard way,” Pep admitted.
“I hate learning things the hard way. But I wish it had been me instead of you, learning this hard lesson for both of us,” I said, anguished.
Pep snuggled in closer, resting her head in my lap. “I’m so glad it was me,” she said quietly.
I thought of how love grows in strange ways that you would never expect or even wish if you could choose.
* * *
* * *
The American spirit following Hurricane Harvey: See “Les Harveyables” below (“Harvey Victims Perform ‘One Day More’ After a Barricade Appears in the Aftermath”). I Love These People.
Donate to Hurricane Relief through the Red Cross here.
* * *
Top image from Inside Climate News.
September 17, 2017 at 6:42 am
I’m so glad Pepper is ok!!!
September 17, 2017 at 6:55 am
Oh poor Pepper! How scary! So glad she bounced back & is back to herself! Hugs & hope to see you in Oct. ❤️
September 17, 2017 at 7:28 am
So sorry about Pepper’s ordeal, but her cone makes her look especially adorable.
September 17, 2017 at 7:29 am
Poor pepper!!! (and you J!) I had no idea, and I’m glad she’s on the mend.
Love the spirit of these Harvey survivors. They remember “rain will make the flowers grow”.
September 17, 2017 at 7:37 am
Poor Pep!
September 17, 2017 at 7:48 am
Glad all is well ❤️
September 17, 2017 at 8:03 am
Poor Pepper. Jack sends a wag her way.
September 17, 2017 at 10:07 am
Oh, the cone. 🙁 So glad Pepper is better!
September 17, 2017 at 10:54 am
Glad she is on the mend!