Luminary Thoughts

I am a bit bummed out tonight – trying not to cry. My Annie appears to have had a stroke. Yesterday she was not right – standing, staring, not moving. She did eat and drink and go outside with coaxing. But by the evening she would only lie down, not moving at all. I carried her to a bed in my room for the night and I swear she stayed exactly where I laid her. I checked on her three times during the night thinking she had died. The vet kept her awhile today to observe because her vitals were all ok. But she shows signs of a neurological problem in the back end — she has been losing muscle mass but this is different. Whereas before if you curled her back feet under, she would immediately right them. Now she does not and they drag way more when she walks. And the starring thing and seeming disoriented and very wobbly when she walks are all new as of yesterday. sigh. She is 12.5 and I knew because of the muscle mass loss and her blood problem I wouldn’t have her to a super old age but this is killing me. She is so sweet (I know they all are). She is one of my firsts and my very first brown champion. She gave me Marco and Breezy who gave me Velvet who gave me four wonderful champions — not wonderful because they are champions but because they are great dogs with wonderful personalities and a beauty that goes back to Annie. Annie has the most beautiful face — I always loved it and even had a show photographer take extra head shots of her after she’d won in Charlottesville. Her son Marco finished his championship in three back to back five pointers. I kept Velvet because she looked so much like her. I am rambling as though she has died, sorry. She is sleeping comfortably for now. She is not only beautiful but so sweet. My vet says she is her favorite of mine. My mom too. She has always been just perfect — never causing any trouble except to herself when she ate pills or other toxic stuff — I’ve told her she seems to have a death wish eating that stuff. hmm, maybe not so perfect, but close. Certainly just the sweetest thing. And she was a perfect mother even nursing Tiara’s puppies when they both had litters at the same time. And play outside with them — she loved it and would get this look on her face of pure joy. OK, not doing so well in the not crying department. I just hope she doesn’t have another worse stroke or something to make her feel pain. My baby girl.