Someone Stuffed My Dad!

Sammy is a little unavailable right now. He is in a sort of distress that comes to very loving dogs! Well here's the story.
Erik has had chronic problems with his sinuses. When he was a teenager, they did a little operation which helped him breath much easier. Since then, young adulthood has come. In case all the dots have not connected from previous blogs, Erik started college like most 18 year old high school graduates do. Like most of us, first major was not what he expected it to be. Living on your own, also very expensive. Long story short, he joined the Navy. He served active duty for 6 years. He came back to Nebraska and was going back to college, GI Bill in hand as well as a better idea of what to major in. Nursing. Here in Omaha we have a top ten nursing school, UNMC. In fact, UNMC (University of Nebraska Medical Center) is fantastic in a bunch of things, and there are multiple locations in Nebraska, just Omaha is the best one! In order to even apply, it takes 2 years of pre-nursing pre-reqs. For that time, we were both at UNO (University of Nebraska-Omaha). When applying, it is applying for a term in the future, so he has had quite a bit of time off from pre-nursing and will begin his actual nursing school next week. During much of this time, life becomes expensive and neither of us have had the extra cash for health insurance. We were lucky enough to come about some information that Erik would still be covered by the VA (veterns affairs) to a degree determined by income. After time, the sinus problem has come up. Lucky enough, we were able to get him set up for an appointment where they were going to do a small outpatient procedure to try to help clear up the passages for him to breathe easier since it has now become a problem with sleeping.
That procedure was set for today.
Erik's mom came into town, and boy did Sammy think that meant fun times for him. She arrived this morning around 8. She came smelling like their family puppers (Sammy's all time favorite doggie friend) and Sneezy, the cat. His whole butt was wiggling he was so excited. He was so displeased that we had to leave basically right away that for the first time in a LONG time he barked as we left.
We were at the hospital for a while. Erik's procedure was about 2 hours, and revovery time was about an hour. After which we were able to help him out the door and home. We got home and Sammy was excited to have us home. He didn't notice anything at first. Erik was quite loopy and unsteady from the meds, so he went right to the chair. I think that was Sammy's first idea something was off.
See, Sammy welcomes us with so much over joyed enthusiasm because we greet him with alot as well! I know, I know, all the books say that's not what you are supposed to do, and it causes separation anxiety, but when you come home to a little corgi whose world seems to go sunshiny because you came home, you just can't help it. And yes, this was more my doing than Erik's, and I'm not ashamed to admit it! So there! Honestly, in all the dogs I've had a priviledge of knowing, not one gives a welcome quite like little Sammy-pants!
Sammy became quite interested in Erik, and that quickly turned into intrest with his face. Erik has a little strap thingy around the head to hold the guaze and stuffing to his nose. Sammy wants to know what the heck it is, but is unable to for multiple reasons. Number one being his nose is a very sensitive place right now. Number 2, it was still somewhat fresh and there was still some excess discharge that Sammy does NOT need to be curious in. Number three, Erik's response to medicine is not great, and this time has expressed itself in lots of dizziness, light headedness, and vomiting. And unfortunately, Sammy is unable to help any of that in a positive mannar.
But what is a corgi to do? He must know what happed to his Dad. He wants to check and make sure he is ok. If I get sick or hurt (I'm clumsy, what can I say) I am always very accepting and appreciative of any attention or love Sammy has to offer. Erik is much more independant in his pain/sickness which I think is confusing the crap out of Sammy. Sammy tried from every angle to get to him. Even climbed up to the arm of the couch a foot and half away from the chair and leaned as far as he could while whining ever so slightly.
After finally making headway in the battle, it was time to get Erik some new guaze. If you were our neighbor you would have thought that someone was attacking us. Sammy was hysterical! He was barking and barking and trying to get in between us. He did laps around the chair when I was finished until he believed all to be ok, again. What a sweet, loud, but sweet boy!
Sammy has overall been very good. He has been napping on and off all day. Short, quiet bursts of energy, as though he knows that he needs to be quiet. However, once Erik was ready for a little bit of Sammy attention, Sammy was too nervous to go over that he ended up jumping on the couch and onto my lap! I carried him over and he sniffed Erik's nose ever so slightly. Making both of them more content with the day. Not happy, just more assured. I have been giving Erik meds ever 2 hours, and every time Sammy thinks it's a little treat for him. So now he has been getting a treat with each med time for Erik. Sammy is now coming around to this!
After several times in the bathroom, many medications, nasal sprays, lots of water, lots of 7up, jello, chicken noodle soup, and other little things, Sammy is beginning to settle to this little routine. It's amazing how dogs who love their humans are able to adjust to keep the status quo and be apart of the family life. Today was nothing like his normal days, nothing like the normal routine but he was able to go with the flow, and probably because he sensed the need for it.
However, the day is not over. And the true question of Sammy's ability to understand our weird human ways will come at bedtime. Erik is going to sleep in the recliner tonight to keep from rolling. He has stints placed in his nose for the next week to train the membranes to be shaped in a different way, making it easier for air to pass. We don't want anything to happy to it, especially with the the incision so tender. He also still has some drainage that he doesn't really want to seep into his mouth (ewww...yuck!). Thus sleeping in the recliner will force him to stay on his back. We shall see how this affects Sammy.
I usually work at 6 am, meaning getting up at 5 (if not before). Sammy, Mr. Morning Grouch, doesn't like it when I leave bed and insists upon leaving, too. All my school and work overnighters, Sammy wouldn't go to bed til I went to bed. If I took him in, he whined or barked until he was able to come out and sleep on my lap. Or while I was gone all night, laid on the corner of the bed and whined barely sleeping. Then slept with me most of the day! He sleeps in the same spot every night. He has the same weird routine. So tonight shall be interesting. And if we have the same sleeping arrangements tomorrow, tomorrow should be interesting as well! In which case, I don't know how much actual sleeping will be happening!
In any case, I can't help but get the warm fuzzy feeling with all this. Sammy is so young, been with us for just a year, through all our crazy schedules and extremes in weather and here he is being the sweetest darn thing! Again! We are so lucky to have him! And it's nice to see just how much he cares for us, and has intuition concerning us. I have had dogs act in this manner before, but not to this extreme. Not with the same genuine look in his eyes! Corgi eyes are so full of emotion! So expressive. More than most people!
If there is more to update with, I certainly will. I hope there will not be anything to update, but you never know. Until then, I am quite ready for a nap, or bed. I feel old. It's not even 9pm. I usually don't go to bed til almost midnight! Luckily I don't work til 2pm tomorrow!