50 percent. (Heads or puppy dog tails?)

So if you remember a few days ago I stated that I would be elated if I could elicit a single nibble from my WiFi?

The good news is, I got my wish.



WiFi seems to be fully recovering from the pneumonia.

Are not these the cutest/most heartbreaking pictures you've ever seen?






Oh my goodness I just want to squeeze him and never let go.

So WiFi is no longer lethargic, depressed, coughing 100 times a day or refusing to eat. He has regained his appetite and his puppy attitude. Yesterday the vet was closed so I couldn't visit him but I about did a dance of glee when they called and told me he was feeling so much better he was actually yapping to be let out, pawing at the cage door and had chomped through his IV line... twice!

Atta boy!

That is about as far as the silver lining goes however.

The test results for distemper came back and he does, indeed, have the virus.

When I first talked to the vet I was led to believe that all sufferers eventually develop neurological side effects.

This includes possibly going blind or deaf, seizures, swelling of the brain, episodes of confusion, deterioration of motor capabilities and usually... death.

From what I understand the death is usually a result of the seizures. And 80%, do, indeed die.

The day he was officially diagnosed I spent a good hour reading everything I could about the virus. One website mentioned, where none had previously, that only 50% of dogs who survive the mucous/pneumonia/coughing/sneezing/not eating phase of the disease end up developing neurological problems.

Finally... a glimmer of hope.

The next morning the vet called me and told me that she had consulted a specialist. Before I could ask her if the 50% thing was true she told me exactly what I had read.

50% of dogs end up with neurological issues. 50% don't.

So far WiFi isn't showing any signs of the virus having spread to his brain. So I am hopeful.

He survived the pneumonia and now he just needs to be the 50% whose immune systems kick the damn virus to the curb.

Please, oh please, be the exception my little man.

Semi-unfortunately, sometimes the neurological stage (phase 3) develops a week after the mucous phase, and sometimes it doesn't develop until a few months later. We just have no idea as far as a time line.

So until I either see phase 3 symptoms in WiFi or until I see nothing for 5-6 months I'm going to keep him home, on antibiotics, and well-loved and cuddled.

(There is no cure for distemper or medicine to treat it. All medications prescribed are to ease the suffering of the symptoms that come along with the virus and to prevent secondary bacterial infections.)

I thought that since he was doing so well in terms of getting over the secondary bacterial infections (pneumonia) he might be able to come home today.

However I got a call this morning saying that they're just starting him on the oral antibiotics and want to keep him another day. They'll do X-Rays tomorrow to make sure his chest is sufficiently cleared up and then, if everything looks peachy, release him to me either that day or the next day.

Works for me.

However, this was WiFi this morning after I told him that he wasn't going to be leaving with me today.








And since this IS a weight loss blog I figure I should mention a thing or two about how I've been doing with that lately. Basically? Not that amazingly.

Here's a few pictures I snapped of various eats I've enjoyed while away.




Rye bread + laughing cow cheese + roasted zucchini.



Peach almond smoothie.

And a visit to Dusty Buns... the most amazing food truck EVER. They use fresh, local ingredients to create seasonal menus that highlight the best of what we've got growing on (bwahahaha) in our area.



Adobo marinated taco with summer slaw.



Fingerling potatoes with orange-habanero aioli. (So. Dang. Amazing.)



The best chicken chipotle sandwich ever.



Pale ale black bean soup with garlic crema.



And because Dusty Buns (fittingly) chooses to station themselves at Farmer's Markets I also snagged these goodies. An heirloom tomato, chinese eggplant and bok choy. The eggplant was roasted as part of dinner last night. The heirloom tomato was chopped and turned into tomato-basil-cream sauce. Also for dinner last night. The bok choy will be on the menu tonight because it's getting a little wilty.



I discovered spaghetti squash recently. ZOMG. This is spaghetti squash, roasted zucchini, tomato sauce and parmesan.



A recent dinner. Asparagus, mushrooms, a piece of garlic toast, barley "risotto" and two meatballs topped with basil cream sauce.

So it may not seem like I've been doing that badly with my eating but that's because you didn't see the OTHER 50% of the time where I was jamming ice cream, pizza and fast food into my face.

The days always started out well... but then in the evenings I would start thinking about WiFi. And the depressed version of myself doesn't give a crap about being a size 3. She only wants to comfort herself with greasy foods.

The day WiFi got admitted to the hospital I ate FIVE pieces of Costco pizza. I mean that is just ridiculous.

That was definitely the worst day, but still all of them have been kind of bad.

I'd estimate 2,000 calories a day. Which means I've probably gained a half a pound.

Ah well.

Today I'm doing better. But more on that later.