Kodiak's Third Birthday

Today is Kodiak's 3rd Birthday. Happy Birthday my beloved boy.

"Just Checking"

Yesterday, I had to make a trip to the Emergency Room. I've been coughing, feverish and achy for days, but over the weekend things took a turn for the worst.

Many years ago, when I was in first grade, I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I spent two weeks in the hospital, the first in an oxygen tent.

This past weekend, I thought that I was going to repeat that experience.

The coughing was so bad, my throat so raw that drinking or eating was painful. I coughed so hard that I vomited. I was having trouble breathing, having to sit up at night, if I got four hours of sleep a night that would be a generous estimate.

I called my family physician yesterday and asked if there was any way they could fit me in. They told me there were three other people on the list ahead of me, waiting for a cancellation, so they could get in to see the doctor. They told me to go to the Emergency Room seeing as how they could hear me wheezing and were afraid my asthma was effected.

I spent 4 hours out of the house yesterday as I sat in the ER waiting room, then finally getting to see a Nurse Practitioner. I received a breathing treatment by a Respiratory Therapist and was sent home with a handful of prescriptions.

When I got home I was excitedly greeted by Kodi. I knew he would have to go potty, so I didn't take my coat off, I put his collar on to take him outside.

As we walked around the corner of the porch he stopped and looked back over his shoulder at me. I told him I was okay and he could go ahead. He took a few steps and stopped again, looking back over his shoulder at me. I reassured him again and we started toward the ramp. This went on several more times, until he stopped and looked back over his shoulder at me, turned to face me and without taking his eyes away from mine, came back to me.

I asked him what was wrong and bent down as he stretched up. He sniffed all over my face, he licked my nose and chin. When I kissed him back and told him I was okay, he then waited for me to straighten back up and turned toward the ramp, bouncing down to the bottom where he went into the yard and went 'potty'.

It was very clear to me that Kodi knew I was in trouble earlier in the day, that he missed me while I was gone, as he always does when I leave the house and that he was concerned as to whether I was okay or not as I was breathing heavily as we rounded the corner toward the ramp. Once he was secure in the knowledge that I was okay, he was willing to go about his business.

He was "Just Checking" on me to make sure I was okay.

I LOVE this incredible, adorable creature so much more than words can express.