Acorns

Last night I dreamed about acorns. Yeah, I know that's weird. But here's what an online dream dictionary says it means.

"To see an acorn in your dream symbolizes strength and durability. Seemingly small beginnings will have the greatest potential for growth. Don't underestimate your minor goals.

"To dream that you are eating acorns or picking them from the ground suggests that you will enjoy the benefits of your success after long and hard work."

Hopefully that means all this hard work will pay off.

A Sign of How Tired and Overwhelmed I Am

This week has been incredibly busy.  For me, anyway.  I know for many people, it would seem like a light week.

But here's what I've had to do:

Monday - tutoring 1 - 4

Tuesday - vet appointment, then tutoring 5 - 6

Wednesday - tutoring 1 - 4

Thursday - dentist appointment, then tutoring 5 - 6

And tomorrow I have - doctor's appointment (for stomach problems, I'm actually worried I might have an ulcer), then tutoring 1 - 4

Add in working on a few articles, preparing for tutoring sessions (which has been a fair amount of work, actually), doing enough laundry to have clean clothes to wear, doing enough dishes to have clean glasses to drink out of, running a few necessary errands like picking up prescriptions.

That totally doesn't seem like that much, does it?  But it's so much more than I usually have on my plate.  Add in the fact that I haven't been sleeping well.  I've had an increase in fibro pain recently, although it's still not as bad as it was last winter and spring, so I am thankful for that. 

I've had a fair number of nightmares lately, too.  I actually woke up screaming one night this week, which I haven't done in quite a while.  I was sleeping on the couch and woke myself up screaming and then I heard Isaac, who had been sleeping in my bed, hit the floor.  He came out to the living room, came over to the couch to check on me.  I asked him to turn on the light, which he did.  I petted him for a couple minutes, then told him he could go back to bed, and he did.  It was nice that he came out to check on me, though.

I'm not quite sure what's causing the increase in pain and the trouble sleeping and the nightmares and everything.  I think it all feeds into each other.  I feel tired from being extra busy, then I have more pain, then it's harder to sleep, then I get more tired, which causes more pain.  Then I am anxious and in pain and have nightmares, which make it even harder to sleep and make me more tired, which causes more anxiety and more pain, and on and on and on.

Last night I met a friend at Pizza Hut for dinner.  We eat there about twice a month.  I got there first so I went on inside, got a table and ordered.  When my friend arrived, Isaac came out from under the table to greet him.  He said hi to Isaac, then asked me, "Where is Isaac's vest?"

I looked at Isaac and realized for the first time that I'd forgotten to put his vest on before we went into the restaurant.  I never, ever take him into a business without his vest on.  But somehow I just totally forgot.  And I didn't even notice he wasn't wearing it.

No one said anything, maybe because we eat at that Pizza Hut often enough that the employees all know us and recognize Isaac and know he is a service dog.  Of course, legally service dogs aren't required to wear vests but I would expect someone to ask questions about a dog that isn't wearing one. 

I think I was just so tired and feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff I had to do that I totally forgot about his vest.

My Dog is Brilliant - Update on Training Retrievals with the Laser Light

Isaac and I have been working on using the laser light to point at things I want him to pick up for me and he is just the smartest dog ever.  He learns so quickly.  We spent the weekend working on it and then didn't even practice it at all yesterday, between going to the vet and me tutoring and just being really busy.  So I just now asked him to pick up a couple things and used the light to tell him what I wanted him to pick up and he did it right away.

I'm going to get someone to take a video of him doing it.  I can't really take the video myself because I only have two hands and my arms aren't long enough.  But I will post it as soon as I can get someone to do it for me.

Diagnosis Confirmed

I took Isaac to the vet today for an ear infection. I was pretty sure he had an infection in his left ear because he kept shaking his head and when I looked in both ears, the right one looked fine and the left one was very gunky. I mean, very very gunky.

So the vet says, "You know, an easy way to tell if he has an ear infection is to smell his ears." And the foolish man sticks his nose into Isaac's left ear. After which he promptly looked as if he might throw up.

The vet, I mean. Not Isaac. Isaac looked just fine. But the vet looked like he was about to lose his lunch.

Yeah. I am not sticking my nose into any infected doggie ears.

So now Isaac must get his ears washed once a day and ointment put into the infected ear twice a day.  He doesn't seem to mind much.  He is so agreeable.

He was very good at the vet's today, but then, he always is.  However, he did seem eager to leave.  When we came out of the exam room and down the hall to the waiting area, I turned left toward the desk to pay our bill and Isaac tried to keep going straight, to the exit door.  Apparently he was ready to leave.

Even with our service dog discount, today's visit cost me $52.  

I Think It's an Ear Infection

I've decided the ick is Isaac's ear is not mud.  I think he has an ear infection.  It's just in one ear, the left one.  I keep cleaning it out and cleaning it out and there is just more and more of it.  It's like a brownish, kinda thick discharge and occasionally I get a reddish streak or two, not bright red but more like rust-colored, which I think is blood.  I am calling the vet tomorrow.  He doesn't seem to be feeling bad at all, other than shaking his head vigorously at times.  But I don't think it's likely to clear up on its own.

I do not mind taking Isaac to the vet.  I want him to be healthy and get the medical care he needs.  This is a really busy week for me but I will work it out.  Hopefully we can get in tomorrow or the next day.