Alphabet Poop

I'm afraid that I'm destined to be a hyper-vigilant parent. I never thought this would be the case, because I take a pretty lackadaisical stance with my own health. I rarely go to the doctor, don't take any medicines except for the occasional Advil, and can't remember the last time I had a flu shot. I've noticed that I'm a bit more concerned (could be closer to neurotic) when it comes to Luna's health, however.

Last Friday I came home to discover that Luna had eaten the beads off a key chain while I was at work. It was one of these numbers:

(Mine just spelled my name - no slave ship references.)

Anyways, I wouldn't have been that concerned since the beads are fairly small, but I found some remnants on the floor and they were pretty sharp. The beads are ceramic, so I imagine it was similar to eating pieces of a broken plate...which does not sound so pleasant. I started imagining these tiny pieces of sharp ceramic traveling through her throat, stomach, intestines (kind of like the Magic School Bus, but with a much more sinister feel), and started worrying that she was going to be poked to death internally and bleed out and die. So I called our vet, and they basically told me it was my call. They would probably just pass through, but there was a chance that they could cause some internal damage. So after consulting our family physician, (Matt) I decided I would just watch her for the next few days.

On Saturday I woke up at 7am to Luna throwing up. There were remnants of an A, a Y and a volleyball. (This key chain dated back to my glory days as a volleyball player in high school.) So I called Matt to find out if I should take her in to the vet. Apparently he had more important things to deal with than a dog puking up a key chain (i.e. dying patients, but whatever), but he really didn't think a trip to the vet was necessary. He stated that we would not be paying for surgery, and really, what else would they do? So of course I asked if we would pay for surgery if it would save her life. His response? "Allyn, Luna has had a really great life. No. We would not pay for surgery." To which I cried, "A great life? She isn't even a year old!!! Not to mention the fact that she was found hooking on the side of the road in Manning, SC for crying out loud!"

So. I did not take her to the vet, and instead opted for sifting through her poo all weekend, making sure the rest of "ALLYN" came out the other end. I think we're almost there.