Lifestyle changes

 My cousin Vicky sent me a picture via WhatsApp early last week....... a picture of a tiny wee puppy...... here it is:- 

Vick is 18 months older than I am, and as such, has always been my surrogate ‘older sister’. As I’ve  mentioned before, my mother Stella died when I was five, and I therefore spent a great deal of my childhood in my Auntie Jean’s home with my cousins Vicky and Simon, and then, a few years later, Ruth. 

Vick, Simon and I made a pretty formidable trio. We’ll all remember the dynamics of this group in different ways - but - as I recall, Vicky was frequently the one to come up with the ideas, enthusiastically agreed by myself, and carried out by us two youngers (Simon is all of 1 year younger than I - although he frequently reminds me of my aged status 😫)

So..... I received this picture, pinged onto my phone, with the words “I am getting this.......big litter belonging to a friend of mine all seeking friends and family homes.......wondered if you might be interested?”

Now, the thing is....if Vick had just sent me the words, I would have replied saying “it’s not the right time” or something equally as vague..... or more specific..... “I want a golden retriever anyway.....”

BUT SHE SENT ME THE PICTURE!

A conversation thence ensued....... backwards and forwards. Vick knew I was weakening with every ping of a message - especially when more pictures arrived.......... and then, a couple of days later, she called me and told me in no uncertain terms (very much as she would have done 60 years ago) that it was what I needed, and now was very much the right time. I hummed and hawed a bit. We discussed the fact that these puppies are not golden retrievers, and Vick pointed out that: “at our age” (REALLY?) it was inadvisable to get a large breed of dog, I mean “We don’t want to get pulled over, or knocked over, now. Do we?”

I was putty in her hands. I agreed that I would talk to Peter (who is not a doggy person) and that I would wait until I had my scan results, and then if the scan was good....... and if Peter was going to back me up, then yes, I would have a puppy. 

So. First of all, I contacted my three sons to tell them what I was thinking of. I needed to know that if something happened to me, this dog (that I was considering getting) would be cared for. (All the boys are indeed doggy persons... having grown up with our dear old Tootsie, and they have all, independently,  been telling me for ages, that I MUST get another dog)

The messages back to me were hilarious. Not only were the boys all fighting for potential custody (and I had to remind them that this was only going to happen if I were to fall off the perch), but both Jaye and Lou were also clamouring to have the potential puppy! (I had also shown them Vicky’s pictures)

Peter reacted as expected. Deep sigh. Followed by the sad statement that Tootsie was the only dog he’d ever loved....but....if I really wanted to get a dog, then, of course, that was fine by him. Once I had got him to agree (in the emotional arm lock), I pointed out that, IF we were to get this pup, then we’d need to get that fence panel put in, and a gate put on the front path before it arrived......... haha

So. I made a public pledge on my Immunotherapy Support UK Facebook page (71 members after setting it up a week ago...YAY) that if my scan results were good, then I was going to get a puppy. Not one person suggested that this was a bad idea. Nothing but enthusiastic responses there!

By this time, Vick had seen the litter (socially distanced, of course) and had picked out a pup for me - a little bitch, that I had dangerously already named....... 

So yesterday, I went to the Marsden for my routine blood tests, which I have to get done in order to get the go ahead for my immunotherapy treatment, and I was due to have a telephone consultation with the team after that. Interestingly - I had asked if I could go to the Sutton Marsden instead of Chelsea, because I had thought it would be simpler and quicker. It would have been, if it hadn’t been ridiculously busy. Ticket number 47 was showing on the display screen when I picked my phlebotomy lottery ticket.....and mine was 74! So I had an hour and a half’s wait. Could have gone to Chelsea and back after all! (And they took 7 phials yesterday - must be to check if I am a suitable candidate to be a dog owner.....)

Anyway- the long and the short of it is that Dr Sam called me, and informed me that my scan results were ‘stable’. I was disappointed that he hadn’t been as effusive as his colleague had been when reporting back my first scan results - then they were “amazing” and “fantastic”. I suppose that if the first response was so good, it doesn’t leave a great deal of room for improvement in subsequent scans!

So.... we are now in Puppy Mode.

I have contacted Katie, the breeder. 

And I have said yes. 

I can get the pup at the end of March - I’m hoping that Lockdown will have eased, because Pup is in Somerset, and I’d like to get to see Josh and Zephy if possible too. 

Here she is - little Minstrel - the Sprocker spaniel.