image by the talented and fabulous lara blair
Peace of mind is not the absence of conflict from life, but the ability to cope with it.
—
Unknown
He's never had a seizure and we're in the woods, nearly an hour from the nearest emergency vet. While Le Beau stroked him and comforted him, I clumsily danced around the living room in shock calling local vets, then emergency vets.
The ordeal was over in about two minutes, but the anxiety and questions remain. What is happening? What caused it? Will he be okay?
Afterwards Le Beau repeatedly told me I did good. Meanwhile, I was a mess running around, looking for my phone, and placing calls in what felt like sloooowwww motion. Although I appreciated his kind reassurance, he's the one who handled it smoothly.
Upon further research from Dr. Google {my favorite go-to resource}, you are supposed to stay calm and comfort your pet during the seizure. Good to know!
Reflecting on my response and Le Beau's response, I see I've got ample room to grow. As the above quote reminds us, it's about our reactions to life's obstacles. Yes, even your beloved son's first very scary seizure.
Mindfulness does not happen in a vacuum. It is our continued ability to be fully in the moment, feel into the experience without judgment, and respond with awareness. Oh, the ongoing lessons to learn.
As you move about your Monday, pay attention to one patterned reaction you have and try something new. Do you walk briskly everywhere? Practice Thich Nhat Hahn's encouragement to "walk as if your feet are kissing the earth" as you saunter to your next appointment.
These little shifts make a difference and may even allow you to evoke calm in chaos. Sending love. And patience. Bisous. x
She *did* do good and Le Pug is trotting around today like nothing happened. :)
ReplyDeleteHope le pug is ok try not to worry about him although it's super hard. Don't beat yourself up for getting stressed........anyone would be panicked. You knew tim was there so subconsciously you knew he had it covered. So upsetting when our pets cause worry.
ReplyDeleteKimberly, I am so sorry to hear that Louis had a seizure. It sounds so scary, and if that happened to my beloved cat, I would've been terrified! Glad to hear he is doing ok now.
ReplyDeleteHope he is a-okay!
ReplyDeleteOh Kimberly, what a scary moment! Of course you had anxiety and as a matter of fact (and I'm telling you this as a mental health counselor), I would be concerned if you didn't become anxious, as this was a health crisis. Don't beat yourself up for not being mindful, as mindfulness is something that we can all work on day after day and with practice and patience, become better at it. You are human and your emotions are part of your humanity. With time, your will become more mindful and better able to manage your emotions in the moment. But I agree with Tim, you did do good! And I'm glad to hear that Louis is doing okay.
ReplyDeleteOur dachshund had her first seizure about 10 minutes after my husband and I walked in the door from the hospital where I'd just had cancer surgery while we were trying to decide if our daughter (2 at the time) should be taken for stiches in her eyebrow. It was a terrible day and we were unable to process. The second seizure, a few months later, was scarier because we knew what was about to happen.
ReplyDeleteFive years later, I'm cancer free, my daughter has a cool eyebrow scar (we decided against the stitches and found out too late that it was too late) but Van Gogh still occasionally has seizures. No one knows why. When one is coming, she goes to the far back corner of the yard and goes through it alone, she won't let us stay with her. But she always comes back.
I'm glad you guys were able to comfort le Pug, and I'm sorry you had to go through it. If it happens again, the anticipation will be worse, but you know now he just needs you to help him get through it.
And, for what it's worth, non of the vets seem to think it's painful for Van Gogh, and she is always tired but totally fine after.