We’re suffering from sleep deprivation today at MHC. Our dog, Riley, is a rescue who had a tough life as a young dog. He also had heartworm when we adopted him and had to go through all the grueling treatment for that disease. He has a very bad hip – most likely hip dysplasia. Because of that, he has trouble navigating at times. Even though he is about 7 or 8, he walks like a much older dog. Lately he has been falling while trying to get up the steps – from the den to the living room, or up to the second floor. It all started with one specific fall where he landed on his tail end after trying to get up the two steep steps to the living room. Clearly, he has suffered some trauma to his left hip and trying to deal with stairs just exacerbates it.

So, husband and I have been trying to figure out a way to keep Riley from the steps and help him climb them when necessary. We’ve finally decided he can’t go up or down the stairway to the second floor until he shows signs of healing. Since we (Scout, Riley, husband and I) all sleep in the same room every night this presents a problem. I volunteered to stay downstairs with Riley and sleep on the sofa in the den. Husband would have none of it. He wanted to get our Aero Bed out of the closet and inflate it, then install it in the living room and we’d all sleep there for the night.

The reality? The Aero Bed is too small for two very tall adults, every time one of us turned over, the covers were pulled off of the other, it was cold because the bed was on the floor, our charming clock which chimes on the half hour and on the hour kept us awake half the night, the dogs were thoroughly confused by the whole thing, and at 4 in the morning we were still awake. At 6 am, Don suggested I go upstairs for a couple of hours to sleep then I could come downstairs and he would go to bed for a couple of hours. And that’s what we did.

When I came downstairs, I was shocked to see a lot of snow on the ground. Seriously, I had no idea there was any snow in the forecast. I think I’ve been so worried about Riley that I haven’t taken in the outside world.

Tonight, I will sleep on the sofa and share the den with Riley. Tomorrow, Don will take a turn.

Anything for our boy.