Last December I vividly recall sitting with my mom at a restaurant for lunch trying to hold it together. It had been a rough year trying to find a way to help Gidget’s seizures. I was beside myself and my nerves frazzled to the core. I just didn’t know if taking care of a special needs pet was right for me anymore. 

Not that I had any plans on finding a new home for Gidget – that never crossed my mind. But I was tired. Very tired. And I questioned if after Gidget is gone someday if I will adopt another special needs dachshund after having three in a row since 2006– and honestly, that was one of the hardest things I’ve had to say in a long, long time. While I’m still not sure about how that will play out when Gidget is gone someday, I’m happy to say that I’m in a better place these days with how I’m feeling and that Gidget is doing well. 

December fifteenth will mark one year for Gidget being seizure free. While it was rocky at the beginning getting her adjusted to potassium bromide with two herb supplements she takes, the last few months have been such a joy to see her quirky, sweet personality come shining through once again. 

Tomorrow we hit the road to Madison, about two hours from home, for a check-up with Dr. Andrea who is trained in Chinese medicine, but also practices some Western modalities. The reason I sought her out was I believed that a holistic approach for Gidget was worth looking into. If I didn’t have to subject Gidget’s small, 10lb body to a heavy dose of medications, I wanted to give that a shot. As it turned out, which I’m also open to, it’s a combination of the two modalities that are helping her, and have kept her free of any seizures to date.

In this year, I’ve also learned more about myself and have opened more to the acceptance of death. While I hope Gidget will be with me for as long as possible, I feel like I’ve come to a new space within myself that will accept what is when the time does come. This in turn, has made each day with Gidget even more enriching, and has definitely deepened our bond.

I also believe that Gidget’s presence in my life and her seizures were in part a reflection of me and some healing I needed to do on a deeper level. Since then, I’ve often witnessed how we are reminders to each other to stay grounded as we can both tend to easily feel off balance if we don’t take time to just be. And really, if I’m off balance, it has become quite evident to me at times that Gidget mirrors that back to me.

So this trip to Madison tomorrow will be a fun road adventure – just me and Miss G, taking in the scenery, and excited to see Dr. Andrea once again.

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