Home!

Jamie got to come home this evening! I don't know who's happier: Jamie, me, Phoenix or the Farmer.

Jamie was obviously worried about being "in the hospital." I was worried about Jamie. Phoenix was worried about me and Jamie. The Farmer was worried about all of us - the crazy wife, the crazy wife's old dog, the crazy wife's young dog . . . but of course he never actually said he was worried . . . he would never actually SAY anything . . . because he's the Farmer . . . but I could tell.

As with so many things in life, this has produced more questions than answers. The bottom line, as much as we have one, is that Jamie probably has a bacterial overgrowth. Given that he responded so well to the IV antibiotics, Dr. Berger felt that any further diagnostics were not needed at this point.

Jamie will take 500 mg Metronidazole twice a day for two weeks, along with continuing the Previcid/famotidine, also twice a day. Thankfully, no more carafate to crush and mix. Figures, just as I was getting good at it. His appetite has come raging back . . . remember, he was raised by shelties . . . DO NOT turn your back on your food when he's around.

Since I went into this knowing there was the possibility of stomach cancer, a little extra bacteria almost seems like a picnic. If any of his symptoms return, then we'll do the ultrasound or an endoscopy to take a look at his stomach and possibly biopsy the stomach and small intestine.

Pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease were two other possibilities, although Dr. Berger had his doubts since both conditions usually do not appear for the first time in dogs Jamie's age.

Time will tell and I hesitate to say everything is just fine, but at least for now it's all good.

Phoenix obviously missed Jamie a lot. I could tell he was unsettled and worried last night and this morning because he kept bringing me things: hats, gloves, socks, underwear, shoes, slippers and underwear. He does this when he needs to "keep busy." Saturday night after I left Jamie at the clinic, I came home to find the Farmer asleep and Phoenix keeping vigil at the living room window, surrounded by a collection of, you guess it, hats, gloves, socks, underwear, shoes, slippers and underwear.

So when Jamie came home tonight, he and Phoenix were pretty funny. They were such BOYS.

Nix: Dude.

Jamie: Dude.

Nix: You're home. Cool.

Jamie: Yeah, cool.

Nix: You smell funny.

Jamie: Oh yeah? You LOOK funny.

Nix: Oh yeah? Do my TEETH look funny?

Jamie: Come a little closer, kid, I'll show you funny.

Boys, boys, boys . . .