CHAPTER SEVEN
Lobeck
The emotional reunion with Petra was in September, 2001. I write this now at the beginning of April, 2002. I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to record the last 6 months or so.
I have decided not to give a blow-by-blow, diary- style account of events but, rather, to give a general overview. This unusually short incarnation will be finished soon. I have had some tough moments and I know it was especially difficult for David and Petra.
The beginning of the end was around the middle of December last year. I had just become used to my first north European winter and was as happy as I had ever been - sharing my time with David and Petra. We are a real little family - every walk we made together.
I had to learn how to behave on buses and I even rode in a basket on the front of a bicycle a few times! My humans introduced me to "the forest" and I think this is the best place in the world after "the beach"! I have chased rabbits and dug up hundreds of mole-hills. My days have been perfect!
One day, in early December, the 3 of us were out walking around a collection of small gardens by a river. We had been there once before and this time I was running free - off the lead. I do not remember eating anything that tasted particularly unpleasant but I know that from that day I have been very sick.
I did not worry too much at first. I did not think anything was seriously wrong when I noticed my appetite changing slightly. (I must emphasise that I have never been in pain whatsoever at any time - even now.) I just could not seem to digest properly anything I ate. I started to feel tired all the time too, finding it more and more difficult to enjoy our walks.
Around Christmas time I got worse, and one night I made a big mess on my humans' bed. David and Petra were wonderful, of course, not getting the slightest bit angry. Then, suddenly, I began to shiver uncontrollably and that got me thinking that maybe there was something seriously wrong.
David and Petra apparently felt the same because first thing in the morning we were all off to THAT PLACE! I must say here that my experiences with Vets in Germany have been a far cry from the ones of Greece!
It soon became clear that I was very sick and all 3 of us wondered if we would see each other again as I had to remain at the Vet's overnight. I have learned since that I should have died that night! As they left I got a strong feeling that David was not ready to let me go at that time and the 3 of us had not really had enough time together. I fought whatever was destroying me inside and let the Vet do whatever was necessary.
And so I recovered. Nothing close to the condition I was in before but enough to allow me to play a little, regain control of my bowels and return the enormous love I was receiving from Petra and David. The price was high, however. I could never again enjoy the taste of what had become my favourite foods. No more cheese. Never again peanuts or chocolate. Meat, eggs, milk or olives? All now just memories! All that my kidneys will handle is a very boring, specially formulated, dry brown biscuit diet!
From January to March of this year I improved. Just a little. The s