Spayed

Here's a closeup of one of my Thanksgiving cactus flowers. They're now opening up, unfolding like elaborate birds taking flight -- or, as I always think of them, dragons.

Believe it or not, Bailey was finally successfully spayed yesterday. There will be no more puppies from our girl, and I think she's relieved. She's still a bit stoned from the surgery, so maybe it's just that -- but every time she looks up at me with those big brown eyes she seems to be saying, "Thank goodness that's over."

Maybe I'm projecting.

I took her in at 9 a.m. and the veterinary nurse looked her over and deemed her sufficiently past her "false pregnancy." So I left her there, and you'd think she would have at least cast a longing look in my direction as they took her downstairs -- but no. She left with tail wagging. As I told the receptionist, "She doesn't miss me at all!"

I spent a blissfully quiet day at home, catching up on e-mails and reading on the couch. No dog nagging me to play with her, or wanting to be let out, or wanting to go for a walk. It was nice to be able to concentrate for an extended period of time!

I also fixed the steps that Olga once used to climb up and down off the bed. The bottom step had been broken once again, so I went to the hardware store, bought some wood glue and did another jankety repair job. It won't last forever but it will hopefully get us through this healing period, when Bailey shouldn't be jumping on or off the bed. (Getting her to use the steps will be another challenge.)

This was Bailey on the way to the vet -- her last picture with her uterus intact. She was very confused by this dog statue, which I've blogged a couple of times before. She barked at it!

Dave and I went back to collect her at 5 p.m. She was stoned but able to walk home -- more slowly than usual, but otherwise with no trouble. She lay on the couch, staring into space, as Dave and I ate leftovers for dinner and watched "Game of Thrones." (Only two episodes left!)

This morning she seems slightly more alert -- she went out in the garden and barked when she heard noises from the neighbors. Signs of her old personality resurfacing! We have antibiotics, painkillers and -- at Dave's suggestion -- tranquilizers that we can give her to get her through this healing period, and to my relief, she's not in a collar or cone -- we just have to make sure she doesn't mess with her incision. Looks like I'm a nurse for the week.