February flew in fast!

January was somewhat of a blur and February flew in fast. We knew our senior rescue we adopted in November 2022 had pain issues - We were told it was arthritis and that she would cry out when picked up or when getting up and down from her bed and didn't like to snuggle. Why she wasn't on any pain meds is beyond me so we took her to see our vet immediately. Turns out she has IVDD (disk disease). The poor baby! It's been 3 months of adjusting our home to a dog with disabilities, as well as adjusting meds with our vet to find the right dosages that work for her. Thankfully, she's mobile so she can walk around the house by herself and do her business without assistance, but there are several things she's not allowed to do with her disease so we have to stay on top of that. We also have to manage her pain and inflammation during flare-ups and our vet is great at helping us with that. Luckily, we kept the stroller we used with our previous senior dogs and she loves stroller rides. 

Now that the 3 month adjustment period is over, she has settled in, gives us lots of tail wags, and trusts us a lot more. We're more in tune with her condition and what she can and can't do, or more like should and shouldn't do. Trying to slow a dog down when she's finally feeling good after a long time in pain is like trying to harness a tornado. Once we got her pain under management, she turned out to be a lovable, silly, singing dog who loves pets and attention. We're working hard to keep here there. 

Not much new on the writing front as I've been focused on the new fur baby. In December, I decided to take a work break and stop pressuring myself to get everything done at once. The perfectionist in me is still having a fit about it but I'm learning to ignore that part of me when I need to. The break has helped my stress levels, as have nature walks, workout classes and craft projects. Hubs is a mellow fellow, unlike me, but he has his stress outlets too, so we're both hanging in there. Here's to 2023 being a much better year this side of the pandemic.