Poor Reggi

This card looks better in person because the thread is more vibrant. I hope.

Simon and I took Reggi to get her stitches out Tuesday night, which went without incident. Wednesday morning when I got out of the shower, I noticed a pink spot on her side, about the size of half of the palm of my hand. "Why is that pink piece of paper on Reggi and why doesn't she even notice?" I leaned in closer and one, maybe two layers of skin were gone and I was staring at pink muscle or tissue or something! It freaked me out big-time! It looked like someone took an oval cookie cutter and cut her skin away. It wasn't bleeding, didn't look like it had bled and Reggi seemed oblivious. It was the grossest thing I've ever seen (and we watch a lot of CSI!)

I woke Steve up, in tears. Wednesday was his last day off before going back to work so I said I'd call the vet as soon as they opened and could he please take her. He agreed, patted my head, there, there. Later when he woke up and saw what I was talking about, he said, "Holy shit!"

I thought maybe it was a hot spot, something I'd never even heard of until Simon started talking about them earlier this year. His dad's dog gets them. It's excessive licking by a dog, to the point of bare skin, due to reasons either physical or psychological in nature. I'd never seen one but consulting Dr. Google, I read they are fairly common. So I felt a bit better.

Steve took Reggi to the vet and it turns out her sutures had come loose - on the inner layers! How gross is that? And the reason it happened is because she's on Prednesone to shrink that unknown blob near her lungs. So Steve left her there so they could stitch her back up.

Simon picked her up in the afternoon and just before they brought her out to him, the tech noticed another of her stitched sites was starting to do the same thing. So the vet quickly closed that up with about 4 stitches - with no local numbing agent or anything. Reggi never flinched, the vet said.

So now we are leaving the stitches in for 18 days, way longer than usual. And reducing the Prednesone dose.

Can you believe how much this sweet dog has been through? She's such a trooper! She acts perfectly normal - because I guess this is her normal. I should take a photo of her with her funky haircut. They shaved even more to stitch up the big hole. She's our patchwork dog.

~ ~ ~

In other news, I'm having my "colon done" tomorrow - a colonoscopy! I just had some Jell-o for breakfast - whew, I'm stuffed - couldn't eat another bite! Mmmm. It's my second one so I already know the anticipation of the prep is worse than the prep itself. Gretchen is taking me because it will be Steve's 2nd day back at work after a week off for his mom's death. He is leaving work around 3:30 tomorrow to help me take stuff to the craft show, bless his heart.

I had requested the first appointment of the morning on any Friday so I was kind of happy that tomorrow was the day they offered me, which I had already scheduled off. I'll be home by 10:00 am and should be fine by the end of the day to take my stuff to the craft show venue. I'll stay & set everything up unless for some reason I'm not feeling up to it, I'll go early and do it in the morning.

Life will settle down some day, I'm sure of it. :-)

Saturday, October 17, 10:00-6:00

Sunday, October 18, 10:00-5:00

Junior League of Rochester Holiday Market

The Fair & Expo Center, 2695 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY 14467