Wednesday wanderlust

4 years ago

It was 4 years ago yesterday that our precious Buddy had surgery to remove a large cancerous tumor from his lung. Some lung lobes also had to be removed. The surgeon told us it was a complicated surgery, and I remember so clearly the sadness and anxiety of that day.

But Buddy came through it !!!

And as I've done every year on this special anniversary, I e-mailed his surgeon at Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists (PBVS) with an update on Buddy + a photo, again thanking him for saving Buddy's life. And as busy as he is, every year he takes the time to send a thoughtful and caring reply.

We didn't really get to celebrate this year tho, because we spent part of the day back at PBVS with Buddy needing to see a specialized veterinary opthalmalogist. (I am thankful for this resource--- he is one of only 200 such animal eye experts in the world!) Buddy has been treated for some trouble with his eye over the past month, but it worsened all of a sudden. After a thorough exam, the doctor determined that there's a hole in Buddy's right eye, and that eye fluid is leaking out and his eye is collapsing. :-( Another devastating diagnosis for Buddy.

Sal and I are heartbroken.

The obvious fix would be surgery. But with Buddy's other serious health concerns, he's not a candidate. Instead, a series of eye drops + eye ointment + pills will relieve the pain and hopefully help the eye heal itself over time. If not, Buddy's eye will have to be removed.

Sal and I are devastated. :-(

Lately I've been overwhelmed with caring for Buddy & Aruba... I can handle dispensing the myriad of medicines, supplements, doctor visits. It's the emotional strain that's so difficult. It's so painful to watch their health deteriorate. I feel them slipping away from us.

Thanks so much for your continued concern, thoughts, and prayers for our precious Buddy & Aruba. Our precious little family.

thoughts & prayers for Boston

pawsitively ready for the weekend

What a long week it has been! For you too?

I was at the veterinarian for 3 hours with Aruba yesterday, poor thing. So tiring and stressful for both of us!

She has a couple of infections (source unknown, but doesn't appear stroke-related) and I'm worried and want her to feel better right away! She doesn't seem to be in pain, but has a bit of discomfort. She kept walking toward the exam room door, wanting to leave, sweet angel. We're waiting on some lab test results, but in the interim she's on meds that I hope will have her feeling like herself again soon.

I just love her!! Isn't she pretty?

colorful winged things in Costa Rica

Things are settling down here a bit... Aruba went for a follow-up exam with the neurologist yesterday and altho she isn't 100%, the doctor sees definite improvement! With time, more physical therapy, and more neuro exams, Aruba will continue to recover well. Thanks again for all your concern and prayers!

So I'm back to post more of our last few days in Costa Rica.... we left the Manuel Antonio area on the Pacific coast (and our villa with that hammock--- I've been missing the serenity!) and headed northeast to the center of the country. We stayed in a cozy B&B, a converted traditional Costa Rican home, called Casa de Las Tias. It's in Escazu, a suburb of the capital, San Jose. With Escazu as our base for a few days, we took some exciting day trips and attended a local festival too! I'll highlight the day trips here, and the festival in a separate post.

We visited Poas Volcano National Park, which is unique among the many volcanoes in CR because you can walk up to the edge of the crater and peer directly into an active volcano! Kinda surreal I thought, or maybe I was just overcome by sulfur fumes? We were super lucky to be there on a clear day--- word has it that many visitors arrive only to stare at clouds, which roll in frequently and completely obscure the view.

Rather than rent a car, we opted to hire a private driver-guide. It was wonderful to spend the day with a local Costa Rican, learning more about the country and culture, and Sal really enjoyed chatting in Spanish with her the whole day!

From Poas, we journeyed on to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Aside from hiking trails thru lush rainforest leading to several (stunning!) waterfalls, there was a butterfly garden and aviary. There we encountered gazillions of the famous Costa Rican Blue Morpho butterfly... when it closes its wings, it's brown... but when it opens its wings, brilliant shades of blue flutter all around--- so pretty! And I made a new friend--- a Toucan landed on my arm in the aviary! We had spotted one on a previous rainforest hike, but only from a distance... like most rainforest creatures, they live way up high in the treetops. So it was special to meet this spectacular bird up close. Gosh, they're pretty! I had a strange craving for Froot Loops afterwards. {couldn't resist}