The Summer Solstice took the wind out of me yesterday. I did not even notice my failure to post a blog entry until this morning. Yikes!
As I shared last week, I had another bout of acid reflux and have been in a lot of pain. I have now been on the prescription medication (a pump inhibitor) for a week, and that has reduced much of the acid, but I am still having some struggles with it. Additionally, my body was damaged (again) from all of the acid, and it’s been slow going in the healing department, which means I am unable to use many of my stress-relievers, such as exercise or yoga.
I awoke yesterday (day of the Summer Solstice) to the overpowering smell of dog poop. (Dog feces is one of my strongest triggers.) Sure enough, my dog had another bout of colitis, and poop was smeared all over the inside of his crate. I put him outside and spent a good half hour cleaning out the crate, which is no easy task. I then took a thorough shower to get the poop off of me.
I called the vet and asked to board him until the colitis is cleared up (which is our usually routine – he goes through this about every six months and almost died from dehydration due to colitis on my husband’s watch). I can’t handle dealing with the poop, and the vet can better monitor whether the dog is staying hydrated. Of course, thanks to the summer holiday, there is no room for him this weekend. :0(
As I was walked the dog to the car, my son noticed poop smeared on his hip and tail. I asked my son to hold the dog’s leash while I got Clorox wipes to try to get it off. I was about as successful in removing the poop with wipes as you might expect. :0( I put away the wipes, washed my hands, and decided to pay the vet to bathe the dog.
When I tried to get the leash from my son, the dog rubbed his poop-covered hip against my leg, smearing poop on my leg. (About the only thing more triggering to me than the smell of dog poop is the feel of it being smeared on my body.) By this point, I started having a panic attack. I washed off the poop and took a Xanax.
The vet was at least able to keep him overnight. Hopefully, the antibiotics will have had enough time to get his colitis somewhat under control before he comes home this evening. (Fingers crossed for a boarding cancellation – he is #2 on the wait list.)
With this start to my Summer Solstice, you can imagine how I felt the rest of the day. I was already feeling “off” from the solstice and physically weakened by the reflux. The dog drama just about put me over the edge.
I am taking the day off after posting this blog. I am having lunch with a couple of girlfriends, which will be fun. After I drop my son off at camp and my husband goes to work, I will have my house TO MYSELF for the first time (on a day that I am not working) since the beginning of April. I plan to rest and enjoy the silence.
Photo credit: Hekatekris
Blooming Lotus 
Faith-
Your in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully you can get some much needed rest and solutide. I fnd that very refreshing, Hopefully you’ll also get back to exercising and yoga before you know it. It’s hard not to do the things you enjoy when your not feeling well. Good Luck!
Thumper
Gotta admit i’m not too keen on doggy poop myself, but having worked on a farm years ago, its not too bad.
Why not invest in a power washer? this means that you can blast the stuff away without getting covered in it! It might take a minute or two to set up but you can take the crate into the garden and blast it with high power water, obviously you cant do the dog with it but you can cut down on how much you handle the soiled crate, and if the dog is away on respite for a few days it gives it a chance to dry while he/she is away!
Hello Faith! Keep up the good work! I finally got into a hospital for my issues. I really appreciate You guys being there to listen and comment. I hate to say it but poop used to really trigger me tremendously! To say the least! I have had success in slowing down and praying so I do not react but act. I try to do both; stay in the now and process the painful memory. Not always easy. Well, Have a good weekend!! Peace.
ouch, (holding nose, LOL!) – I reckon you should’ve brought a clothespin, lol. And yeah – it’s funny. I usually pay attention to the solstice / equinox stuff real well – miss this one this time, lol, reckon I’m fine.
We ain’t gotta dog but we gotta granddaughter that’s in a bit of a pickle (she’s young, about 3) – stepson, custody battle kinda stuff, LOL! Had a 4 hour drive down ‘south’ (how can you go any further south when you live in the Deep deep South already? State of GA) – to get the poor kid. 90 fleabites at her home; this time sick – and the mother keeps breaking the court orders (she has her; unfit mom) – but the judge just keeps supporting the ‘mom’ (southern traditions) – and the cops don’t know the law (you cannot hassle someone nor arrest them for taking a picture of a domicile and/or person from a public land; eg. the Google Map cases some years ago). Boy, these Southern lawyers . . . just as bad. Anyway; bunch of dumb hicks made my day for a half-ass rescue of a young child from a bad situation . . . and nothings solved. (weekend news: there’s no lawyers nor law in the South on Sundays, LOL! They’re all down at the churches praying their little hiennies off, LOL!)
Anyway – try the garden hose next time on the butt of the dog, or if small enough, dip into a bucket of water. It works. Trust me: I took care of lab animals for a long time. (ugh). And hope the poor dear gets over her coilitus.
It’s such a shame that you have to go through this regularly, I’m hoping for you and your dog that this gets better x