Thursday morning, I got up excited to get ready to take a trip to Chicago to see our Daughter and Son-in-Law. That morning my two beagles had a routine appointment at the vet. Everything was going perfectly; we arrived at the vet’s office, and both beagles jumped out of the car, cocked their legs by a bush, and we headed to the front door. Suddenly Bisto, my smaller beagle, started gagging and then fell over onto his side. He had his first seizure; he is ten years old.
The vet’s assistant was waiting for us at the front door; she ran over, scooped Bisto up, and ran inside with him; the vet administered a dose of Butorphanol and Diazepam, and Bisto calmed down. He lost his sight for approximately four hours and had to stay in the vet’s office for the day. Blood tests and x-rays were done, and so far, no explanation for what caused the seizure. He is a very nervous dog, so maybe the trip to the vet was just too much for him.
It was an extremely upsetting experience and dominated my day. Bisto returned home at 5 pm and is doing well, no more episodes.
The next morning I woke up with a terrible churning in my stomach, which I realized was anxiety. I have had a lot of stress in my life; running many businesses’ raising three children, and living on three continents caused just a few of them, but the feeling of stress and anxiety I realized are two different things. I’m not a medical expert, but I do know how my body reacted.
I took a shower, headed outside to sit in the sunshine, turned on my calm app, and chose a meditation session designed to relieve anxiety. The meditation helped to quiet my mind, settle my tummy, and put things into perspective.
Life often throws us curveballs, and we have to adapt. Many of us are dealing with much worse things than a dog having a seizure. I hope you take time for self-care and seek help from friends, family, and professionals.
Never be afraid to talk about your feelings. It helps to say stuff out loud not only to yourself but also to share those feelings with others. You never know sharing your thoughts with others could help them too.
