Gordy is in doctor mode. Sophie had surgery yesterday to remove a four pound lump from her side, thankfully benign, but massive enough to have impact. She is home, shaved naked and with drains in. I am never more grateful to have married this man than when we are in doctor mode. I am good about blood and such, but I ramp up while he is calm and strategic. In the earlier days of our marriage, I remember being incredibly upset about that, thinking he didn’t care the way I did. Once, in emergency mode with (oh, my heart to even say his name) Gus, I wound myself up to near hysteria. Of course, the worse I got, the calmer Gordy appeared. I recall demanding that he get more expressive just so I wouldn’t feel so alone. Thankfully, Gordy didn’t change his way — training and practice run deep — and I got better so that now, today with Sophie, we are a pretty good team.
There are a million things that can happen when sharing a life with animals that, if dwelled upon, will break you just by the thought of it. I have learned to be less of a dweller and more of an in-the-moment caregiver because of Gordy. Most things are fixable, sometimes with ingenuity and a bit of cowboy, but fixable. Also, the animal doesn’t care about things like nakedness or sticky fur. Focusing on what brings them relief changes the energy of the situation. That is, of course, the essence of healing and that is what Gordy is and has always been – a healer. My great gratitude is that I get to be along for the journey.
Day 26