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Pat is finally out of the hospital! The day finally came! but, now, the real fun starts as she recuperates.

In other news:

1) Sam does have giardia. He’s apparently one of those lucky ones who is resistant to it though as he’s showing no symptons at all. He does have to take Flagyl now however.
2) Why is it that it takes the vet lab 15 minutes to determine (from a stool sample) that a dog has giardia but it takes a medical lab overnight to determine the same for a human? Yes, I did manage to provide a sample this morning. No, I don’t have the results yet. I was actually feeling better this morning but ended up overdoing things today so feel pretty lousy right now.
3) Pip is doing better. I’ve managed to get 2 doses of Flagyl into him using the cheese method. I wonder how long that will last.
5) I’ve heard that the soap opera “As the Hospital Turns” is being yanked from the airwaves. It may be replaced by a reality show about a house full of sick people and their sick pets. Watch carefully (if you’re sick enough) for a pilot show on a web browser near you

(viewer discretion advised)

… today’s episode begins much as yesterday’s. After a restless night our erstwhile hero stumbles down stairs again and finds that the kitchen needs a cleanup once more. Dogs are more reluctant to go outside since it is raining pretty heavy but they are shoved into the backyard anyway.

After they come back in, all 3 settle down for another nap. At 7:30, Larry calls the vet about Pip and gets an appointment for 2:30. He then calls the doctor and, after being put on hold for about 20 minutes, finally is able to arrange an 11:00 appointment.

Pat calls from the hospital a little later with the good news that the surgeon says she’ll be able to come home tomorrow (Wednesday).

Some rather boring stuff, including 2 walks with the dogs, fills up the time until Larry heads off to the doctor.

During the conversation with the doctor, she asks about the cause of Larry’s 16 lb weight loss since he’d gone in last June — worried that it might be due to the current illness. Larry tells her about the 3 Boundary Waters trips plus all the dog walking he had been doing and assures her that all the weight loss was excercise, not illness, induced. She’s glad to hear that but a light bulb goes off. When was your last trip (end of August), do you filter your water (yes!). Still, she’s thinking… it could be giardia. She orders lab work… blood and stool sample. The first is easy to provide… latter not so. The blood sample reveals that the illness is not bacterial in nature. Stool sample is requested ASAP.

Larry visits Pat briefly in the hospital on his way home. Nothing major going on. Pat is looking better and enjoying her lunch. She has an appetite.

At 2:30, Larry takes Pip to the vet and tells her the whole tale of woe of the past month. Pip is more accomodating about producing a stool sample. It proves positive for giardia. Vet tells Larry that a lot of pets around town are testing positive for giardia right now… “giardia, it’s not just for wilderness travellers anymore!” Vet gives Larry some pills to give Pip over the next several days to knock out the giardia. Also requests a stool sample from Sam as soon as it can be provided.

After arrival home, Larry calls doc and tells her about Pip. Doc, of course, is more sure than ever that Larry has giardia but really, really wants a sample to verify before treating. Just needs a sample “in hand” (figuratively speaking, of course) before sending the prescription… just doesn’t want the medicine to sway the results just in case.

Larry also relays the news to Pat, who will relay to her nurses and doctor to see what, if anything, they want to do.

episode fades out with Larry preparing to bath the dogs (as advised by the vet). Tune in tomorrow for another exciting (not!) episode of “As the Hospital Turns”…

- Does Larry have giardia?
- Will Sam test positive for giardia?
- Will Larry be able to force these horrible tasting pills down Pip’s throat?
- Will Larry be able to force these horrible tasting pills down Larry’s throat?
- Will the surgeon allow Pat to come home to such a disease ridden environment?
- Will there ever be an end to this story?

Don’t miss the next episode!

… or, should that be “As the Stomach Churns”?

Note, viewer discretion advised…

Today’s episode begins with a very groggy — and obviously not as well as he thought he was yesterday — Larry coming downstairs to find the kitchen full of puppy pee and poop. Something they haven’t done for quite a while. He takes them into the backyard (as usual) and then goes about cleaning up the kitchen… finally getting a chance to head to the bathroom for a much needed… well, something he really needed to do.

Letting the dogs back into the house, he has a very sparse breakfast and they all 3 settle down to a nap.

Phone rings. It’s Pat calling from the hospital. They want her up and dressed so she can go for a walk outside. “Can you please bring me some clothes to put on?” “Ok but, I have some things I need to take care of first”.

The phone is barely hung up and Pip heads for the kitchen. Larry thinks he’s just going to get his doggy toy but then an unpleasant odor wafts through the air. Larry investigates and finds puppy diahrea — at least it’s sitting on the doggy drying towel that’s on the floor. Easier to clean up. Dogs go into backyard again.

Larry struggles through morning chores and tries to freshen up, finds the clothes that Pat wanted, brings dogs back in the house and ushers them into their crates and then drives to the hospital.

In the hospital, Pat and Larry blow each other kisses, neither one of them wanting to risk getting close together in case they exchange unwanted germs. Nurse walks in, helps Pat take a shower and get dressed, expressing delight that Larry is there… she wants to show Pat how to take care of herself once she’s at home and thinks it’s good that Larry will be there to get educated as well.

Surgeon comes in and examines his handiwork. Says that they’ve figured out where the minor infection is. He and the nurse discuss the best way to treat it. The nurse wins! He walks out telling Pat “I’ll see you tomorrow”… ok, she’s not coming home today.

Nurse walks out saying she’ll be back shortly.

Larry and Pat make small talk waiting for the nurse while Larry gets greener around the gills. No nurse. Larry and Pat finally agree that Larry should head for home post haste.

Back at home, Larry puts dogs in the backyard and has a meager lunch. Lets dogs back in again and all three settle down for another nap. Larry’s stomach starts really aching, grumbling, generall not feeling good. Larry goes to bathroom. Diahrea… feels better though, continues nap. Wakes up to hear Pip heaving. Gets towel in place just in time. Dogs go back into backyard. Larry settles down for another nap… deciding that he’s probably going to have to take Pip to the doctor and himsef to the vet tomorrow… no, wait a minute… something’s not quite right about that… oh well, maybe he’ll figure it out.

After good long rest, Larry feels a bit better and brings the dogs back in. Pip goes straight to his food dish. Hmmm, maybe he’ll be ok after all.

As the camera fades, Larry fixes himself some soup — his last can.

If you’ve made it this far and can stomach it, tune in tomorrow when some of the following questions may be answered:

1) Will Pat come home tomorrow? Will she ever come home?
2) Will Larry get better or go seek professional help (Vet or Doc?)?
3) Will Pip get better or will he seek professional help (Doc or Vet?)?
4) Will Larry and Pat meet at the hospital doors, going opposite directions, blowing each other kisses as one enters and the other exits?
5) Will Sam stay healthy???

Stay tuned for the next exciting (NOT) episode of “As the Hospital Turns”!

Pat is continuing to improve. Actually got up and dressed today and will be going outside later on. They’ve found the source of the infection — part of the incision from the last operation — and are treating it. She won’t be coming home today — maybe tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I was feeling better yesterday but not so good today. I did visit Pat briefly (needed to take her some clothes). It’s probably best that she isn’t coming home today.

And now, Pip has had a bout of diarhrea (sp?)

Pat continues to improve slowly. She still has a low grade temp and her white blood cell count, while dropping, isn’t dropping as quickly as the doctors would like. They are still trying to figure out where the infection is but, the surgeon says she might be able to come home on Monday.

Meanwhile, I’m not eating much. Toast, crackers, soup, lots of fluids (including tea). Whenver I eat even that, my stomach starts sounding like some mad scientist’s chemistry lab just before it blows up! Occasional minor pain with it as well. I’ve been doing a lot of sleeping Hope I can be ready for the homecoming on Monday.

The “boys” have been spending a lot of time on their own in the backyard the last few days. Very few walks. It’s been a bit cool but nice. Tonight, it’s supposed to start raining and is supposed to continue for the next several days. Not sure what I’m going to do with them then. I sure can’t walk them very far while I feel like this.