Our "Puppy-Brother"

#1 daughter loves that AT&T commercial with the "puppy-brother." So, she has taken to calling our dog Bella (yes, she's a girl) her puppy-brother.

Bella was a pound puppy. Probably part Golden and part Chow. The absolute sweetest dog. She developed Addison's disease about 6 years ago, and while it was scary when it first happened (almost lost her) she has been stable for years now. Except that now we are having some issues. She either has her 3rd UTI in just a few months or needs her meds adjusted. Addison's in dogs is like Addison's in humans-- the adrenal gland stops producing enough cortisol or aldosterone. So, a monthly injection of Percorten (mineralocorticoid hormone normally produced by dog's adrenal glands) and then daily/every other day of prednisone. Anywhoodles, the basic gist is I will be talking with Bella's vet today. I hate when she isn't feeling good.

On Writing: Not a bad day writing yesterday. Today I have to attempt an emotional scene that has my h digging into some of the painful emotions from her past. It's a fine line, I think, of making it enough to be poignant and visceral, but not too much so as to be too over-the-top that it doesn't feel real.

AWG: DWC: 1.998 TWC: 37,320