Nova
Last month, I wrote about matters related to writing; goals, self editing, the five senses. Today, I thought I'd write about something fun; Nova, my German Shepherd.
Nova came to us almost 4 years ago when I desperately needed a dog and she desperately needed a home. Our other Shepherd, Rippy, had recently passed and the house was quiet, too quiet. I'm home all day, and I like it quiet when I write, but this absolute stillness was more than I could stand. It grated on my nerves. I missed Rippy so much and how he'd follow me around, or lie down in his spot at the top of the stairs and wait for some to walk by the house so he could bark. But he was gone, and I was miserable. Until about a month later when the phone rang.
My veterinarian of many years called and said he had a German Shepherd for me. Here, you should know I am partial to Shepherds. I get that from Dad and Grandpa, and Dr. Graf knew I wanted another purebred. Actually, at the time, he found two Shepherds, but one was going to be more than he thought I could handle. But Nova was a charm, and he told me to come by his office and see her.
So my son and I made the drive, and the first thing that hit me about Nova was her coloring--she is tan and Rippy was black; a strange contrast to my eyes and a big jolt to my senses. I was uncertain, since she wasn't what I'd pictured. What I didn't realize was I wasn't searching for another dog. I was searching for Rippy. But Dr. Graf let Nova out of the kennel he had her in and she came bounding straight at me, all friendly and happy, licking my hands and jumping up to lick my face. My son loved her, and Dr. Graf was explaining all he knew about this dog who had been shuffled from one place to another, who had been in the pound and was in danger of going back if he couldn't find a home for her, which was really sad because someone had spent a lot of time with Nova and trained her well.
Though still unsure, and that was due to her coloring, Nova's sweetness won me over in less than 2 minutes. I called the hubby at work and told him I'd found a dog and that she was coming home with us. He was skeptical, and I couldn't blame him. He wasn't there to see Nova, but he agreed, trusted Dr. Graf as much as I did. So my son and I loaded Nova into the truck and took her home; one of the best decisions I've ever made.
That first day, Nova loved the backyard and playing with my son. She was excitmenet, energy and just what I needed. She welcomed the hubby that evening with an exuberance of joy. And as the days passed, her coloring grew on me, and she forgave me the times I called her Rippy. I think because she was happy to have a home and thrived on attention and safety. Now, she is as much a part of me as my writing.
I can't tell you how or when this happened. I still missed Rippy so much that first year. I depended on him for everything, but Nova gradually took over the empty space in my heart. I didn't even know until she'd taken sick and Dr. Hines, an Internal Medicine Specialist, suspected she might have cancer that would consume her very quickly. A I waited for the test results to come back, I prayed every day she didn't have cancer. The thought of losing her, too, tore me apart, and that's when I knew how much she'd come to mean to me.
Thankfully, she had an infection and not cancer. I can't begin to tell you how much of a relief that news was, and how, after trial and error, Nova is now on medication to keep her from getting another of these infections. She'll be on this medicine the rest f her life, visit Dr. Hines a few times each year, and I'm not complaining. She is a very important part of my day. She knows my routine, has taken over Rippy's spot at the top of the stairs and is lieing next to me while I write this. She's loyal, fun and loves rolling around in the snow and catching snowballs. And she likes sharing lunch with me.
Four years ago, unbeknownst to me, she was good meicine for my soul, and now I can't imagine life without her. She's my companion, and I'm more than grateful to Dr. Graf for bringing her into my life. He's not only our vet, he's a dear friend, as is Dr. Hines. Together, these two doctors work hard to maintain not only Nova's health but my peace of mind.
Thank you Dr. Graf and Dr. Hines for all that you do. While I can't speak for all doctors, I can say these two care deeply for their patients and the patient's owners. Nova is proof to that.
Nova came to us almost 4 years ago when I desperately needed a dog and she desperately needed a home. Our other Shepherd, Rippy, had recently passed and the house was quiet, too quiet. I'm home all day, and I like it quiet when I write, but this absolute stillness was more than I could stand. It grated on my nerves. I missed Rippy so much and how he'd follow me around, or lie down in his spot at the top of the stairs and wait for some to walk by the house so he could bark. But he was gone, and I was miserable. Until about a month later when the phone rang.
My veterinarian of many years called and said he had a German Shepherd for me. Here, you should know I am partial to Shepherds. I get that from Dad and Grandpa, and Dr. Graf knew I wanted another purebred. Actually, at the time, he found two Shepherds, but one was going to be more than he thought I could handle. But Nova was a charm, and he told me to come by his office and see her.
So my son and I made the drive, and the first thing that hit me about Nova was her coloring--she is tan and Rippy was black; a strange contrast to my eyes and a big jolt to my senses. I was uncertain, since she wasn't what I'd pictured. What I didn't realize was I wasn't searching for another dog. I was searching for Rippy. But Dr. Graf let Nova out of the kennel he had her in and she came bounding straight at me, all friendly and happy, licking my hands and jumping up to lick my face. My son loved her, and Dr. Graf was explaining all he knew about this dog who had been shuffled from one place to another, who had been in the pound and was in danger of going back if he couldn't find a home for her, which was really sad because someone had spent a lot of time with Nova and trained her well.
Though still unsure, and that was due to her coloring, Nova's sweetness won me over in less than 2 minutes. I called the hubby at work and told him I'd found a dog and that she was coming home with us. He was skeptical, and I couldn't blame him. He wasn't there to see Nova, but he agreed, trusted Dr. Graf as much as I did. So my son and I loaded Nova into the truck and took her home; one of the best decisions I've ever made.
That first day, Nova loved the backyard and playing with my son. She was excitmenet, energy and just what I needed. She welcomed the hubby that evening with an exuberance of joy. And as the days passed, her coloring grew on me, and she forgave me the times I called her Rippy. I think because she was happy to have a home and thrived on attention and safety. Now, she is as much a part of me as my writing.
I can't tell you how or when this happened. I still missed Rippy so much that first year. I depended on him for everything, but Nova gradually took over the empty space in my heart. I didn't even know until she'd taken sick and Dr. Hines, an Internal Medicine Specialist, suspected she might have cancer that would consume her very quickly. A I waited for the test results to come back, I prayed every day she didn't have cancer. The thought of losing her, too, tore me apart, and that's when I knew how much she'd come to mean to me.
Thankfully, she had an infection and not cancer. I can't begin to tell you how much of a relief that news was, and how, after trial and error, Nova is now on medication to keep her from getting another of these infections. She'll be on this medicine the rest f her life, visit Dr. Hines a few times each year, and I'm not complaining. She is a very important part of my day. She knows my routine, has taken over Rippy's spot at the top of the stairs and is lieing next to me while I write this. She's loyal, fun and loves rolling around in the snow and catching snowballs. And she likes sharing lunch with me.
Four years ago, unbeknownst to me, she was good meicine for my soul, and now I can't imagine life without her. She's my companion, and I'm more than grateful to Dr. Graf for bringing her into my life. He's not only our vet, he's a dear friend, as is Dr. Hines. Together, these two doctors work hard to maintain not only Nova's health but my peace of mind.
Thank you Dr. Graf and Dr. Hines for all that you do. While I can't speak for all doctors, I can say these two care deeply for their patients and the patient's owners. Nova is proof to that.
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