It’s been almost a month since I’ve sent out my last newsletter. This was partly due to all the work involved in moving and unpacking in our newly renovated apartment. Another significant factor, however, was the health scare we had with Lola on March 23rd.

Lola is our feisty Pomeranian / Jack Russell terrier that I got as a rescue when she was about a year old. Every dog owner would describe their pup as a “special dog,” but I think the real testament to Lola’s personality is how beloved she is by everyone around her.

I’ve had cat people describe Lola as the only dog that they’ve ever loved.

When my friend’s kid was still non-verbal as a toddler, she’d request visits with Lola by waggling a single finger back and forth—her way of describing Lola’s perpetually wagging tail.

Even our other pup, Lucy, absolutely adores Lola. When we come back from a walk, I’m not the one who gets greeted by Lucy at the door, it’s Lola.

I also credit Lola with getting me out in the world at a time in my life when I was still feeling pretty isolated. I loved that strangers would happily strike up conversations with me—not about my wheelchair or my disability, but about the off-the-chart cute dog who was more than happy to lap up all the attention.

Lola’s over 15yrs old now and has been in amazingly good health through her senior years thus far. Unfortunately, this changed abruptly a couple weeks ago when she had a seizure in the middle of our living room.

I caught it only out of the corner of my eye, but it’s the sort of moment that gets seared on one’s brain. Lola suddenly went stiff as a board and toppled sideways like a discarded piece of furniture. She shook stiff-legged for less than a minute then stood looking dazed while Lucy tried to lick her face to comfort her.

We rushed her to the emergency vet where she stayed overnight on seizure watch. They also ran tests on her heart—an echocardiogram that she’s been on the waitlist for since last August. The vet mused that typically when people bring their pet to emergency they’re just dealing with one thing but with Lola, of course, we were getting a full smorgasbord.

The verdict… she has congestive heart failure caused by a leaky valve in her heart and, given her age, the seizure was likely caused by a brain tumour.

The good news is that the meds she’s on right now have provided some relief and she hasn’t had another seizure. I’m thankful to report that giving her all her new meds has been easier than we thought it would be since she’ll happily eat just about anything if it’s coated in peanut butter.

The bad news is that two of her four new meds cause her to drink a great deal of water to the point that I now have to take her out for a pee break every two to three hours. If I don’t, her bladder overfills and she has a hard time holding it without dribbling. The irony is not lost on me that my world has centred so much on my ability to toilet since I left the hospital and now this is the focus of Lola’s world as well.

Last night we were (mostly) successful in getting her to sleep in her incontinence diaper to help prevent overnight accidents. It has pink flamingos on it, because hey— only the most stylish of panties for my girl.

Stefan put it aptly that we are now in the palliative care stage for Lola. This will have a significant impact on our lives for as long as Lola is with us. Things like getting back into my studio—which was already going to be a struggle given my own health needs—may have to be backburnered for the next while as we all adjust to Lola’s care needs.

But our girl is a fighter. As long as she wants to be here with us, we’ll do everything in our power to fill this time with as much joy for her as she’s given us over the years.

It’s the least we can do.

(Lola was 13yrs old in this video and, admittedly, Lucy wasn’t trying all that hard. 😅)