My dog is stoned.

Interesting day today. I will start with the visit to the dentist. I go to Dr. Lisa Christy in Berrien Springs. If you are ever looking for a new dentist, I love the office, the people, and Dr. Lisa. (that is what she likes to be called) Everything is so shiny and modern and so not the dentist I have been used to. As you know, I tell everyone everything so when Judy, the hygienist says "anything new we need to know?" the story starts flowing! Oh my goodness, how nice was this lady. She took her time, told me about what they normally expect to see with salivary gland tumors, etc. She checked me out thoroughly, cleaned the teeth, and in comes Dr. Lisa. I think I befuddled her when I told her what I had--but she asked me all kinds of questions about pain, swelling, my saliva, etc and then checked me out. Of course I know that nothing is fool proof, by I consider today a success because she didn't see anything that alarmed her--she didn't say OH MY GOD THERE IS A TUMOR--but instead explained how a lot of cancers don't flow upward--they can--like lung going to the brain-- but what she explained made a lot of sense and just gave me a bit more piece of mind. I am going to start going every three months and wemight do some things differently if I have radiation, but for the most part, it is just to keep my teeth clean. So that was good.

Driving home though, I felt unusually tired and started worrying that my immune system is down, etc. Oh wow, woe is me, etc., etc. But then I remember the night from H E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS--which was last night. I slept maybe two hours--not because I have cancer and was up worrying all night--but because my dog, whom you all know I adore, is PSYCHO DOG when it comes to storms (and by storm I mean a little rain, with a small rumble of thunder and a few flashes of lightning) Ok, Shade, (that is Shady Paige Flamethrower Brawley to you Heather) since April, goes nutso when we get the slightest bit of a storm. This started in April and her behavior has gotten worse. While most dogs might go hide under a bed, Shade tries to hide under or behind anyone human. Try going to the bathroom during a storm. (yes, she crawls up behind the poor soul doing his bizness and tries to sit on the toilet seat) Try working on the computer (she tries to crawl onto the keyboard, into your lap) and worst of all, try sleeping!!!!! She gets on the bed, and basically lays on your head, paws scratching at anything she get get a hold of...like skin and hair.

Seriously.

Ok, so anyway, this week after even John and Ginger, who have owned more dogs than any other living person, said her behavior "needed medication and has never been seen before on the face of the earth", I call the vet. They are very sympathetic and get me some tranquilizers. Ah-ha! So last night I get to try them. Directions say to give one pill, and then an hour later another one "if needed". So, at 2 a.m--rumble rumble flash flash-- Shade is clawing to get underneath my head in bed. I come downstairs to get the pill. Give her some bread with the pill--she swallows--and off we go to bed again. About 2:30 she goes to the end of the bed and sighs deeply so I think we are all set. Well, that would be too easy now wouldn't it? A few minutes later she is back sitting between Jim and my head. Just sitting there looking down at me, ears flopped forward, tongue panting like always. So I scratch her belly a bit, thankful she isn't clawing me to death. But being tired, I stop. Two seconds later I get a PAW-- gauging my eye ball out. I scream and scratch belly again. Get tired--stop scratching-- so I get the PAW. Ok, this isn't working. I look at the clock and it is now 3 A.M.

TIME FOR ANOTHER PILL SHADY!!!! Back downstairs, give her bread and a pill and go back upstairs. I sit up with her and slowly she lays down and falls asleep. She wakes up a few times but as long as I pet her ears so is ok. I fall asleep until Jim gets up at 5:30. Apparently, she fell asleep too but that alarm gets her up and because it is raining still, she nudges me with her head--looking completely STONED out of her mind--so I just get up. Poor thing can't even walk down the stairs without going sideways, and ran into a couple walls. But while I got ready at the sink, she did give me a few inches at my feet.

So here it is 5:00 PM and she had been out, she's eaten and drank, but still looks higher than a kite. AND I DID THIS TO HER! I feel so bad. But you know, as I type this, she is asleep on the couch, and the sky is sunny. Thank goodness.

I really think I need a nap. Love you all.

Molly