August | 2016 | Keeping up with the Walkers…

It felt like she grew old overnight. One day she was running around outside chasing birds, the next day she needed help getting onto the couch. An adrenalectomy to remove a tumor which was growing on one of her adrenal glands and suddenly we were told that “12 years is a good age for dogs like her”. Since January, my dog Annie has never been the same.

Before and after.

According to Dr Carter, we were “lucky to catch” her tumor before it was too late to be removed. The op, although successful, was incredibly invasive and for a little dog who had been healthy all her life, it was a massive shock. Animal hospital stitches operation

Visiting her in the Fourways Vet Hospital, seeing her lying in her own little hospital bed was heartbreaking. Just when I thought it was all over, I had no idea of what was yet to come.

The remaining adrenal gland will not ‘wake up’. She is therefore unable to control her blood pressure which causes her to fall over a lot. She can’t control her temperature properly and often gets depression. This means that Annie lives off high levels of Lenisolone (it’s the canine version of Prednisone. If you’ve been on this cortisone, I don’t need to explain. It’s demonic!).

The op was such a big shock to her body that she has grown old very quickly. She is showing signs of cataracts in her eyes, is hard of hearing and limps slightly every now and then from joint pain. Her little back ‘chicken legs’ (KK calls them this) shiver. And then … a growth was discovered in the lining of her stomach wall. She won’t survive another op…

Monthly checkups with Dr Carter and she stands at the door waiting to get outta there!

I’m so blessed that my parents have been able to look after both Annie & Emma. Living in a retirement home, it was the perfect setting for Annie to recoup and get 24/7 attention. The hugs and kisses don’t just stop with my parents! All the neighbors shower the girls with attention too! I am so grateful to have the parents I do. Staying with my parents in the retirement home hugs and kisses

KK and I realise that our house is not conducive for an old dog. Annie falls down the stairs and slips on the tiles. But more than that, our lifestyles are not suited to looking after her anymore. We have a full time helper so she has company in the day but when we leave at 6:30 for work and only get home after 7pm after track, that’s a long day without us. Then weekends, we’re out again at track sessions or running races or shopping.

For now we will take each day as it comes. Dr Carter is very happy with her progress. But as he says, “Annie is old.” We need to come to terms with that. Annie Brussels griffon

On a recent Saturday morning training session with Coach Dave, we were instructed to run up to the top of a hill towards an orange bush and jog back down. We were to do this until he said stop. The “bush” at the top of the hill was in fact the most beautiful tree. The Jacaranda mimosifolia. The name stood out because it was signposted on the bark as most of the trees at Emmerentia Dam are.

Hill training at Emmerentia Dam

The beautiful Jacaranda tree

Up and down the hill we ran and each and every time I reached the top, I would touch the bark of the tree and repeat the words “Jacaranda mimosifolia”. It occurred to me that I had never noticed that Jacaranda trees change to orange during winter. How odd because their majestic beauty when they are in full bloom during spring paints the streets with their exquisite colours of blue and purple.

Up and down…. Jacaranda mimosifolia. When I did stop to catch my breath at the top of the hill, I took time to appreciate the tree and reflected on the past couple of months.

It’s been a tough winter. I have not been able to get into a proper training routine. My running has suffered. I have missed races, missed track sessions and missed the discipline and consistency Coach Dave taught me from the beginning.

The Jacaranda trees in bloom up my street

Worse is that the last 6 months have been really hard at work. Challenging. Maybe because it’s me that has been the challenger for a change. Nobody really likes that. No one likes the orange leaves.

I’ve lost a bit of my sparkle. I’ve lost my shine. I’ve become that orange Jacaranda tree which is still the beautiful tree that people marvel at during spring time, but fades into the background when the leaves turn orange and waits for winter to end.

I am bordering on desperate for spring to arrive. It hasn’t been that cold, but it’s been dry and long. You could see it in the brown dead grass as the sun rose during our training session. The frost melting as the air warmed up.

Soon those Jacaranda mimosifolias will be blooming and showing off their majestic blues and purple showers again. The colours of the leaves may change, but it’s still the same tree. And of course, it gets easier to run.