Thankful Thursday - Valentine's Day

This Thursday, I am thankful for all of the people I love and who love me.

I am also specifically thankful for medical science.

Yesterday was a doctor day. Buddy, the little 4-legged soccer star, was suffering from "JDLR" which in our house is "Just Don't Look Right". Tuesday afternoon when I got home from the big town, he was a little subdued but I thought he and Duck might just have had a "come to Jesus" meeting. It happens occasionally. Yesterday morning, he was off his feed and just didn't look right. Juls was over, lifted his lip, we took one look at his gums (white) and we were off to the vet. They were doing surgeries yesterday so we left Buddy there so he could be squeezed in. Crystal called shortly after noon and said that Buddy was ready. They did some blood work on his watery blood (never good) and his white count was low, low, low and a couple of other things were off. The diagnosis was either rat poison or ehrlichiosis. The ehrlichiosis couldn't be definitely diagnosed for another 4 days but treatment is the same for both so, one shot of vitamin K, some wide ranging antibiotics, and lots of pets and cuddles later, Buddy was home.

Then Lil Man and his mom came over for dinner before CFC classes. Another case of JDLR. Lil Man has been running a low grade fever off and on for about 3 days with a dry cough. Juls has been treating the symptoms with success and Lil Man was never really sick, you know? Anyway, he got home from school, was playing with some friends, all was fine and then he just hit a wall. He paled, got glassy eyed and said he was sick. He didn't want to eat his favorite dinner or even cake. After class, he was still not right so off to the ER we went. 2 nasal swabs, 1 throat swab, 1 blood draw, and 1 x-ray later, the diagnosis? He's sick. His white count is up but there is no identifiable infection. No ear, no strep, no influenza. Just some sort of viral thing.

I am thankful today that, this morning, Buddy ate his breakfast and is currently outside chasing Holly.

I am thankful today that we know what is not wrong with Lil Man. I am thankful to live in a country and in a time when medical tests are so amazingly available and accurate. I am thankful to live in a town that, although small, has it's own hospital, x-ray lab, blood lab, etc.

For a list of everyone else who is participating in Thankful Thursday today, just head on over to Alison at RDH Mom.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!