Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Isn't He a Lover?!???
We have a golden retriever named Riley. He's adorable, friendly and stubborn. Sometimes when he's laying on the front lawn and I want him to come in because I need to leave, he doesn't come when I call him. I have been known to get very frustrated with carrying him (all 70 lbs of him) up on the porch and into the house, when I'm trying to get gone! I've been known to call him names. Not nice names either!
Saturday night, Riley was sick. He threw up until there was nothing more to throw. Sunday afternoon the blood started coming. Before long, he got to the point that he couldn' t vomit. Bloody, smelly stuff just burbled out. His digestive system was shutting down.
Of course, we were alarmed. We loaded him up and took him to the local 'Emergency Vet Clinic' for treatment. I suspect the technician at the clinic wanted to say, "Eeewww...." when the stuff that smelled like diarhhea and looked bloody flowed out of his mouth, onto their shiny scale. But she didn't say it- bless her. The vet even said to Riley, "Your a beauty, but you stink!" I thought about my van and our house. Not particurlarly beautiful, but most assuredly smelling just that same way. I wondered if I smelled like that. I'm actually not sure even now. People may be avoiding me this very moment. No wonder I turn to a computer with this story.
So the nice doctor takes some xrays and a blood sample. (He was a nice doctor.) We waited. We thought Riley had a bowel obstruction. Riley has been known to eat an occasional sock. He's passed several in the back yard. The vet called this a "dietary indiscretion." I remember thinking we live in very different worlds. I think french fries are a dietary indiscretion.
The xray seemed to be consistent with a sock blocking up the works. The lab work indicated "pancreatitis." The presence of an obstacle in the intestines can cause the pancreatic enzymes to do bad stuff. Poor Riles. He was a mess. He hung his head in shame. He knew he was disgusting.
The doctor said he would like to prep Riley for surgery. He said he'd work up the paperwork and we said OK. Then came the document. The proposal for treatment required a signature that we would be responsible for payment for the services rendered. The surgery, without follow-up care would cost some amount up to $2400. I was not prepared for that. It staggered me. We said, "We can't do that!!" "We have to!" "We can't!" The kids cried. I cried.
We asked the nice doctor if there was anything we could do to increase Riley's chances of surviving the night so we could take him to a regular, non-emergency vet on Monday morning.
After much deliberation, we decided to load him up on fluids, take him home, and pray.
Debt is bondage. When you owe, there's never a clear answer to, "Do we have money for this?" My husband and I have been discussing this very thing for several days prior to this financial disaster. I've been working a lot. Can you work extra and still trust God as provider? I think so. We've been praying for God to move in our finances.
So we took a gamble with Riley's life, throwing ourselves (but moreso our dog) in the hands of the living God. We said He'll be God whether Riley makes it or not.
Upon arriving home, I called my friend Lynn. I knew she would see this as a satanic attack on our family - on our finances. She'd call for healing in Jesus' name. She did. She rebuked the sock in Jesus' name! You havn't lived until you prayed in faith, believing as you rebuke a sock! We layed hands on pitiful Riley and prayed for healing. We asked for a divine puking. And we believed.
Monday morning: Riley survived the night. He puked - but no sock.
Upon arrival at the vet's office, new xrays were taken and compared to the ones from the night before. Surprisingly, there was a change. The doctor wasn't sure there was an obstruction after all. "The pancreatitis is bad enough to illicit those symptoms," he told me. So, we decided to hold off on surgery. We hospitalized him on IV meds and fluids. Nothing by mouth. And we waited. Then we waited some more.
"He's acting better," the vet told me on the phone Tuesday morning, "I think we should try him with some food." "Wow! Sounds good," I replied. So he ate, and he kept it down. The vet's office called me to set up a 'going home' appointment. No surgery required. Just fluids and Jesus.
It was frightening to pass on the surgery that seemed so reasonable. It appeared to be just what Riley needed. Instead, what Riley needed was for us to be ready to pray. (Otherwise, he'd have a big incision right now.)
My friend Lynn (the one who rebuked the sock) wasn't surprised to hear there wasn't an obstruction after all. "Isn't He a lover?!?" she asked.
Was there ever a sock? You decide. My husband isn't sure. He just hasn't been in a sock rebuking situation before. There's no proof either way.
But, isn't He a lover?!? ¶ 10:10 AM
Saturday night, Riley was sick. He threw up until there was nothing more to throw. Sunday afternoon the blood started coming. Before long, he got to the point that he couldn' t vomit. Bloody, smelly stuff just burbled out. His digestive system was shutting down.
Of course, we were alarmed. We loaded him up and took him to the local 'Emergency Vet Clinic' for treatment. I suspect the technician at the clinic wanted to say, "Eeewww...." when the stuff that smelled like diarhhea and looked bloody flowed out of his mouth, onto their shiny scale. But she didn't say it- bless her. The vet even said to Riley, "Your a beauty, but you stink!" I thought about my van and our house. Not particurlarly beautiful, but most assuredly smelling just that same way. I wondered if I smelled like that. I'm actually not sure even now. People may be avoiding me this very moment. No wonder I turn to a computer with this story.
So the nice doctor takes some xrays and a blood sample. (He was a nice doctor.) We waited. We thought Riley had a bowel obstruction. Riley has been known to eat an occasional sock. He's passed several in the back yard. The vet called this a "dietary indiscretion." I remember thinking we live in very different worlds. I think french fries are a dietary indiscretion.
The xray seemed to be consistent with a sock blocking up the works. The lab work indicated "pancreatitis." The presence of an obstacle in the intestines can cause the pancreatic enzymes to do bad stuff. Poor Riles. He was a mess. He hung his head in shame. He knew he was disgusting.
The doctor said he would like to prep Riley for surgery. He said he'd work up the paperwork and we said OK. Then came the document. The proposal for treatment required a signature that we would be responsible for payment for the services rendered. The surgery, without follow-up care would cost some amount up to $2400. I was not prepared for that. It staggered me. We said, "We can't do that!!" "We have to!" "We can't!" The kids cried. I cried.
We asked the nice doctor if there was anything we could do to increase Riley's chances of surviving the night so we could take him to a regular, non-emergency vet on Monday morning.
After much deliberation, we decided to load him up on fluids, take him home, and pray.
Debt is bondage. When you owe, there's never a clear answer to, "Do we have money for this?" My husband and I have been discussing this very thing for several days prior to this financial disaster. I've been working a lot. Can you work extra and still trust God as provider? I think so. We've been praying for God to move in our finances.
So we took a gamble with Riley's life, throwing ourselves (but moreso our dog) in the hands of the living God. We said He'll be God whether Riley makes it or not.
Upon arriving home, I called my friend Lynn. I knew she would see this as a satanic attack on our family - on our finances. She'd call for healing in Jesus' name. She did. She rebuked the sock in Jesus' name! You havn't lived until you prayed in faith, believing as you rebuke a sock! We layed hands on pitiful Riley and prayed for healing. We asked for a divine puking. And we believed.
Monday morning: Riley survived the night. He puked - but no sock.
Upon arrival at the vet's office, new xrays were taken and compared to the ones from the night before. Surprisingly, there was a change. The doctor wasn't sure there was an obstruction after all. "The pancreatitis is bad enough to illicit those symptoms," he told me. So, we decided to hold off on surgery. We hospitalized him on IV meds and fluids. Nothing by mouth. And we waited. Then we waited some more.
"He's acting better," the vet told me on the phone Tuesday morning, "I think we should try him with some food." "Wow! Sounds good," I replied. So he ate, and he kept it down. The vet's office called me to set up a 'going home' appointment. No surgery required. Just fluids and Jesus.
It was frightening to pass on the surgery that seemed so reasonable. It appeared to be just what Riley needed. Instead, what Riley needed was for us to be ready to pray. (Otherwise, he'd have a big incision right now.)
My friend Lynn (the one who rebuked the sock) wasn't surprised to hear there wasn't an obstruction after all. "Isn't He a lover?!?" she asked.
Was there ever a sock? You decide. My husband isn't sure. He just hasn't been in a sock rebuking situation before. There's no proof either way.
But, isn't He a lover?!? ¶ 10:10 AM
