Sunday, September 22, 2024

 Sunday, September 22, 2024 

    I slept reasonably well despite having spent most of the day resting. In the morning, Elsa waits on the other side of the bed for me to treat her. She seems to prefer the MakesNoClaims treatment over the steroid cream the doctor prescribed.

   I called Al in Florida yesterday to order more of the MNCs gel. I told him about Elsa's problem. He advised me to dust her back with the MNCs power, sprinkle about a teaspoon on her back, and rub it in. Then, apply the cream to her paws; there are acupressure points there. 

    I bathed her yesterday after four days.  I wasn't quite up to the every-other-day routine recommended while I was sick.  While I'm sure the neglect overburdened Elsa's system, making her condition worse, there may be another factor- changes in her food.

   The vet ordered prescription food for Elsa, literally dog food you can only get with a vet's prescription.  She was on a Science diet brand food for years, which did nothing. A vet changed her food to Royal Canin Ultamina. Elsa's skin was as pure as the driven snow for a while. It was amazing. Then, she had a dental treatment: a cleaning with a possible extraction. That 'possible' abstraction resulted in ten (10) extracted teeth. Her skin hasn't been the same since.

   My friend, also a good friend of Elsa's, suggested I soak Elsa's kibble in water to soften it so it was easier for her to eat. How kind and sweet Darby was in caring for Elsa. Else ate the softened food as she hadn't with her kibble. Wonderful!  

  I wrote about the change in my update. My friend, Carol, who has a dog of the same breed as Elsa, a Havanese, with the same dental problems, wrote to tell me she needed the hard kibble to clean the plaque off her teeth. Besides the kibble, her vet had recommended OraVet Dental Hygiene chews to help with the plaque.  Elsa loved them. 

     All this coincided with my Covid episode and neglecting Elsa's bathes, but her skin got much worse. She looked a little like she'd been out in the sun way too long; her skin gleamed with the redness. I wondered why the vet hadn't recommended an edible dental cleaner.  Ah, It's because she can't eat anything besides the prescribed food.  This poor dog. The good news is she is not constantly scratching. She seems to be at peace with her condition, perhaps more so than I am.

      When I got on the scale this morning, it read 130.5.  I gained two pounds since yesterday. While I have been concerned about the rapid weight loss, gaining two pounds daily won't be in my best interest either.  How did I do it?  I had one soft-boiled egg and buttered bagel for breakfast, a bagel lox and cream cheese for lunch, and a salad with 1/3 of the RAO's frozen lasagna and a few small pastries and small handfuls of Kirkland Chocolate Covered Almonds.  I did have to commit to eating full quantities instead of stopping when full.  I would have skipped the whole evening meal if I hadn't done that.

   I texted one of the women from church to tell her I would not be coming because of Covid. Monica and her husband organize the healing sessions at church. They are both caring people. Monia can see me sitting on the lanai from inside the church. She always waves. I suspected she would be concerned if she saw me missing. I didn't want to ruin her experience, so I informed her beforehand. 

  I met with fourth-grade MH. She was in one of her withdrawn moods.  I asked her if she was okay. She mumbles yes, as she always does. I don't know why she doesn't react more. It could be because she prefers to be in a sulk.  It could be because she got yelled at when she was in a bad mood when she was young. I learned recently that she loses access to her memory when she gets in those moods. Her condition is bad enough that she was left back in first grade because of it.   We reviewed the story she wrote and assigned a title. It wasn't a very good one. MH is often off the mark. We went back to reading Stuart Little. I don't feel reading this book does much.  I don't have a clear direction for her. I think her parents are going to end our sessions soon. Her dad told me outright that I would continue with her until she got settled in her new school. When I texted him to ask how she was doing, I learned she was getting As and Bs.  I think they hold on to me because they credit me with the psychological changes in her.  That's not inappropriate.  

   I tried to email a copy of the story MH wrote to her parents for them to read.  I expect parents to share these stories with grandparents at least. There has to be someone out there who cares. I couldn't locate the story to attach. I tried everything. I don't know why files disappear or become inaccessible. It drives me nuts!