the foxtail

jack had a rough week last week. he got a foxtail stuck in the top of his paw. i didn't even know what a foxtail was last week.
the day before we left for utah jack had what appeared to be giant blister on the top of his paw. obviously not normal. i didn't feel good about leaving him for the weekend with said giant blister. we walked to the emergency pet hospital up the street to get to the bottom of the situation. so we sat there for over an hour, me watching all the pet hair floating in the air and jack sitting my lap like a scared toddler/monkey. then we finally talked to the vet. she told me the reason for his giant blister, she used the word abscess, not giant blister, was that there was something stuck in his skin. she told me they would have to slice open his paw (which was really strong language because the incision was like a fourth of an inch) and try to flush the foreign object out. so my baby bear is going to go have some minor paw blister surgery and i'm not to worry. just come back in 45 minutes, she tells me. i call david to tell him my concerns but apparently he can't talk about blistering paws on his bus ride home. i'm left to my hypochondriac self thinking jack will never wake up from his minor sedative all while walking to the cleaners to pick up davids suit for the wedding. with the dry cleaning back at the house i make the walk back up to the vet. i patiently wait until i here them call, "jack." i hurry to the counter and am oddly relieved when the receptionist hands me a vile full of what looks like a grain of bloody rice. she's not concerned so he's obviously still alive. phew. i fill his prescription and moments later cone head comes bursting through the doors. i ask a few stupid question that seem to irritate the nurse and then we're on our way. he walks most of the way home and then just stops mid crosswalk about three blocks from our apartment. i carry him the rest of the way which is difficult because he's drugged and floppy but at the same time stiff. i tell david that the mom in me can't stand the thought of leaving him behind. super dramatic now i realize. i call delta and get him a ticket to the utah as he is so helplessly laying on the couch. he is mad at me for the rest of the night. he'll barely look at me and when he does, i get the stink eye. he only wants david which makes me feel awesome.

the next day he is perfectly fine.