Thursday ; Sunny and mild.
Well ... Apollo is still alive, although not “and well”. Today was a veterinarian visit day. As he approaches and we prepare for his “end of life”.
On January 1 of this year, when I was booking a rental condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for next winter, we expected that Apollo would not survive beyond Thanksgiving this year. Well, it now seems as if we were wrong. And regardless of that, we decided near the end of August (remember the “walk away from the trade deal”) that it was unacceptable to us to pump $15,000 for winter accommodations in Mexico into the pockets of the pair of American owners of the rental condo in Mexico. Our “elbows up” values have grown into “elbows up, gloves off, over the boards” !
The Mexico rental condo has been cancelled, and I’ve rented a (legal) “granny suite” in Langford, a suburb of Victoria, BC. We’re leaving on November 1 for Vancouver Island for the winter ... for the third time.
Apollo’s health continues to deteriorate, as he approaches his 15th birthday. He is deaf. His vision has deteriorated to the point where he seems unable to focus clearly beyond about five feet. His right hip is very arthritic / stiff and painful. His left shoulder is moderately arthritic / stiff and painful. His cognitive decline manifests mostly as moderate to severe “sundowning” each evening. He has begun to have minor seizures.
So ... today we took him to the vet for a physical examination, blood and urine testing, and diagnosis and treatment plan for the minor seizures and not so minor sundowning. She prescribed a new medication which we administered for the first time tonight at 6 PM.
Friday ; Sunny and mild.
YIKES ! From 8 PM last night until 8 PM tonight Apollo was “stoned” ! HMMM ... dosage too high ? ! ? We did not administer his medication tonight at 6 PM. Tomorrow at 6 PM we’ll administer a half dose, and assess results.
Our “health goals” for him now are just to keep him comfortable, with an acceptable “quality of life”. Seizure free, minimal to no sundowning, calm, comfortable. He walks in slow motion. We help him ascend the pet steps onto and off of our bed. We use a lot of “sign language” to guide him. Every time he falls asleep ... many times per day ... we cover him with his blue blankie and put his pink pillow under his head. We lift him into and out of the car when he accompanies us going “drivey”. He sleeps a lot, and that’s wonderful. His end of life is likely not far off. <sigh> Not our first rodeo ! But experience doesn’t make it any easier !
Joanne treated me to a superb lunch at Jane’s Restaurant, in celebration of my birthday tomorrow. Jane’s is an upscale, very fine dining restaurant, in an exquisite location in a grand old bank / heritage building in The Exchange district downtown, beside Winnipeg City Hall. It is operated by Red River College. It’s a training facility for their culinary arts program. They are open to the public for fine dining only rarely, and Joanne carefully watched for an opportunity for us to dine there near the date of my birthday.
Thank you, my dear. It was a great experience. Excellent food, ambience, and service. Huge open kitchen allowing patrons to watch. Many students “doing”, many instructors teaching and supervising cooks, service staff, and beverage staff. In a huge space, three storey high ceilings, marble columns holding the place up, a main bank building built in 1906 !
After we were finished lunch, before leaving the building, we wandered over to their café, open to the public at lunch, where students are taught and learn other food services. <blink> WOW ! Trays of eight elaborate canapés being sold for two bucks. Bought two ! Ciabatta loaves for a buck and a half. Bought two !
Saturday ; Daniel’s 72nd birthday ; HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !
Sunny and warm. Beautiful fall weather. My favourite season.
Thanks to faithful high school friend / Joanne’s Maid of Honour Shirley for (always) remembering birthday and anniversary dates.
After a very early dinner at home we drove downtown to attend a performance of Cyrano de Bergerac at Manitoba Theatre Centre, my birthday gift to myself. It was a powerful play, with a very powerful final scene.
A home made birthday cake, with candles, was waiting for me upon our return home at 11 PM.
Sunday ; Gloomy ! Windy ! Cold !
Last night we administered a half dose of Apollo’s new medication. That seemed to work a lot better.
Monday ; our 52nd wedding anniversary & (Canadian) Thanksgiving ; HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US !
Gloomy, COLD, windy, COLD, raining ! Did I mention ... COLD ? Today ... Thanksgiving ... not even mid-October yet ... Winnipeg was much colder than Victoria (on Vancouver Island) in January and February ! ! !
Walking Apollo repeatedly today was an ordeal. For him and us ! He is not healthy enough to endure winter weather. And neither of us wants to have to walk a dog in Winnipeg winter weather ! So ... he will likely survive until we reach Victoria, but is unlikely to be alive when we return to Winnipeg next spring. And he will be our last dog.
Joanne prepared an exquisite leg of lamb Thanksgiving / anniversary dinner tonight. Waldorf salad to start. Roasted lamb with sautéed Brussells sprouts and mushrooms, lightly smashed baby potatoes drenched with fresh homemade kefir, Dijon mustard on the lamb slices. WHEW ... <swoon> !
Tuesday ; Sunny & chilly.
A week ago our neighbour Jim died at home. While we didn’t get to know him well in the year that we have lived here, we have become friends with his wife Debbie. They were high school sweethearts married for 58 years. Jim’s funeral was to be tomorrow. But today we learned that it will be a double service, because ... <cough> ... two days ago ... <sputter> ... Debbie died !
Wednesday ; Sunny and mild.
This afternoon we attended the joint funeral service of our neighbours Jim and Debbie. It was our first Jewish funeral. In my opinion, it made more sense than other funeral services we have attended in our lives. Rest in peace, Jim and Debbie.
At 6 PM we had a phone meeting with Apollo’s veterinarian. Somewhat surprisingly, his blood and urine tests all indicated excellent results. Tonight we will begin administering an antibiotic to him for the next ten days.
At 7 PM we attended our condominium’s annual general meeting. It was the most ineptly conducted AGM I have ever attended. And we’ve attended about three dozen AGM’s in our lifetime !
DSK
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