Isa's Story

Was Saturday. Sadly, no portrait was taken for the occasion. Isa was having tummy trouble (okay IBD. one of these days I’ll bore you all with her “prequel” year of medical trauma/drama) due to the stress of mom busting around all weekend moving furniture and carting DIY debris from the backyard through the house in the wheelbarrow, among other unacceptable behaviors. And I can’t believe it’s been four months – so fast and in other ways so slow. The slow part may well have been those first six weeks when we were having trouble catching a break.

Marking her four-month ampuversary I have admitted defeat, admitted she will almost certainly not make it up the stairs on her own again (they are steep and there are a lot of them) so I moved the mattress and box springs downstairs. My back is already happier. Mostly the move was because I missed having her on the bed with me for cuddles and Saturday morning rasseling. I built a step for her so she can get up when she wants (aesthetics were not a factor). She has zero idea what or how to cope with the step, in spite of me personally demonstrating technique at 3:30 in the morning. We’ll work on it some more tonight with treats (again) and see if the light bulb sparks. If not, I’ll move the box springs back upstairs this weekend. If she can’t figure out how to get up on just the mattress, even if it is a big ol’ pillow-top, I have no clue what we’ll do.

I also suspect her of being something of a faker when it comes to stairs. We have three steps up to the garage – when we go somewhere in the car, she insists I help her up and she barely helps. My dad was visiting a couple of weeks ago and when I came home from work one day, no dog greeted me. You can all imagine how that felt. My dad was working out back: “Dad, where’s my dog?” “Inside the house.” “No, no dog inside. What did you do with my dog?” He shrugged and went back to what he was doing. I didn’t panic although my heartrate may have increased a teensy tiny bit. I do believe Tripawd moms and dads have the paranoia thing in spades and I have to admit to not being recovered emotionally from the Week from Hell this past summer. I doubt I ever will. I went back inside for a more focused search. Like it is remotely possible to miss seeing her, tiny beast that she is and the house simply not that big. I finally checked the garage and that was where she was hiding/stuck – she went in to check things out and couldn’t get back out due to door swing. Stinker clearly got up those stairs just fine all by herself. Faker I tell you!

Her elbow is still mucky, intermittently abraded and I believe driving her bonkers. Being a less than stellar tripawd mom, I am only now, however many weeks later, trying to find an elbow protector that I’m willing to afford (doesn’t exist) or a DIY alternative that strikes me as doable, durable and Isa-proof. I found one alternative in an old tripawds forum and a couple on Pinterest but nothing thus far has leaped off the screen at me screaming that it’s an ideal solution. If I come up with something workable I will of course share. Y’all might hear the party from wherever you are anyway.

So there’s Isa’s current status. We are keepin’ on although the winter dark is a bummer. At least a nice long Thanksgiving weekend is coming up with ample time for an adventure!

I hope everyone is doing well – hugs and big slobbery dog kisses to all!