Return to the Desert

For the New Year holiday, my dads took me back out to Palm Springs, where I started displaying clinical signs (lethargy, lameness, joint pain) at the onset of this latest Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) occurrence. It is hard to believe that so much has happened over the past month. I went from being a totally healthy dog with a history of severe, life threatening disease to being part of a group of very few dogs that have undergone a third episode of IMHA. Hence, my situation is unique and I must spread my recovery story for the benefit of other pets and their owners. On this return trip to desert, I got to stay at a very nice house with a pool into which I enjoy repeatedly dropping my Mr. Martian toy. I find it so amusing to see Mr. Martian move across the water’s surface propelled by the pool jet. If I cannot reach Mr. Martian and no one is available to fish him out of the water for me, I bark until someone comes to our aid. I certainly have trained my human companions adequately to suit my need for entertainment. I am lucky to have been able to accompany my dads and their friends on some of their daytime social activities on New Year’s eve celebration. We went up to a fabulous brunch at a lovely home overlooking the valley that contains Palm Springs. As it is not good party etiquette to bring a dog like me who is amped up on steroids (Prednisone), I initially rested in my Firstrax sof-crate N2 carrier in our hosts’ garage. As the attendee numbers dwindled, they let me join the fun to walk around the pool and scoop up some delicious crumbs from the floor. The picture shows me patiently waiting table side for any opportunity to receive a (healthy) snack. As it is New Year’s Eve, I am reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the next. I had so many great adventures in 2009, yet the end of this decade was marked with the return of my illness. I am grateful to have so many friends and family wishing me well. I appreciate all of your encouraging remarks during this unfortunate challenge to my constitution. I am starting 2010 on a positive note as my IMHA is now under control and I am responding well to treatment. See how pink my tongue is? It was much paler when my red blood cell (RBC) level was lower. Further “Tails From the Desert”