Meghan and Ella have been settling in so well together. Jax and Ella are fast friends. April and Ella will be polite acquaintances. Ella is playing, running, eating, and sleeping. She is adjusting to life in our home and seems to be enjoying it.
The most prominent lingering fear surrounded the lump on her side.
We gathered the notes from the vet in Indiana. We put all her paperwork together. The entire Ortega kennel had vet appointments today. So, we headed out for the first time as a party of 6- 18 legs, and 3 tails.
Our veterinarian is thorough. He has treated our dogs well. April needed some lab work for a persistent problem we’re working on. Jax needed to be caught up with some shots. And, Ella, well, that pretty girl needed to get started in her next phase of life.
The vet took her in and did a complete exam. He read the sparse notes we carried with us from Indiana. He looked at the photos of the lump on her side.
He called to tell us that we should start her vaccinations, as he could only verify rabies. He told us he did a heartworm test that was negative for heartworms. He drew blood. That “should be nothing” later this week.
And, since in these Covid times, all news comes via phone from outside the vet’s office, the three of us sat quietly while we waited.
“And the lump?”
“It’s her rib.”
Collective exhaling throughout the car…
“Her RIB?”
“Yes, if you trace along the bone it’ll take you to her spine. Most people never feel it. Ella is very lean.”
Fist pumping and smiling took place for a few minutes.
We live in a worst-case scenario existence. It is so rare that it goes well. And, yet, today, was a win.
Nerves shot for no reason. I have no idea what happened in that office, or why the vet said hernia 750 miles ago. But this is a win. I’ll take it all day every day.
It looks like the rest of life really does start now.
Meghan and Ella… onward.
