Oxygen deprivation, dog guilt and real estate porn
By Gina Spadafori
July 28, 2008
This is Day Four of one of these crappy, bad-air-quality summer stretches where I’ve been pretty much physically incapacitated and exhausted by a run of breathing difficulties. Yeah, life’s a bitch, and my earliest memory is my dad carrying me into the ER struggling to breathe, back in the bad old days when good asthma drugs were pretty much non-existent.
Generally, my asthma is under pretty good control, which is a long way from the situation a decade or more back, when I nearly died twice in the ER, and once spent six days in the hospital and six weeks off work recovering from a freaking asthma attack. After that, I got smart and found a good pulmonologist and an even better drug regimen. I got my life back, 95 percent of the time. But that other 5 percent … geez, can I just breathe a little, please?
You’d probably thinking breathing is the only thing on my mind this morning. But you’d be wrong. I’m also overwhelmed with Dog Guilt.
See, three of my dogs are field-bred retrievers. A couple days of doing nothing and these work-minded dogs are climbing the walls. A long stretch (48 hours in dog terms) of not getting wet and/or utterly exhausted and they are giving me sad, reproachful looks.
This is Day Four, and even though they are trying to be understanding, they know in their doggy hearts that they won’t be going to the river today or getting any training today, and they are not happy about it.
In the short term, I gotta ride it out. In the longer term, I gotta move. As the population continues to grow here and climate change seems to be kicking off fire seasons earlier every year, living in a valley full of smoke, heat and exhaust just isn’t cutting it for my lungs — or my dogs.
After I finish our syndicated pet-care page for the week, I’ll be looking at real estate porn, at small pieces of acreage in other states, in places that are less crowded and certainly have better air quality. (This is a long-term project because I just happen to live in a place where you couldn’t currently give a house away, No. 5 on the foreclosure hit parade, with one in 50 homes on the way to being owned by lenders.) And then, exhausted and feeling very sorry for myself, I’ll be napping.
Enough whining … these bad-breathing stretches come and go, and they’re just part of life for me. Honestly, I find them more frustrating than worrisome, because I have a lot of things I’d like to be getting done. (Including taking the dogs out, of course!)
Side benefit of a slow economy: Direct-sale internet puppy-millers seem to be reducing prices because “stock” just isn’t moving anymore. Maybe they’ll get into another line of work! One of the dirtbags who always shows up on my gmail account ads is reducing prices by half to dump the three litters of “doodles” she has. She is also selling her “proven stud” and one of the crank-’em-out girls who “throws nice puppies.” Ugh.
Male “enhancement” pills: Maybe her “proven stud” just needs some help! Ever wonder what’s in those “male enhancement” pills? Why, so does the FDA:
Jack Distribution, LLC, 1501 Green Road Unit C Pompano Beach, Florida 33064 and its wholesale distributors G & N works, Inc., and Devine Distribution, Inc., announced today that they are conducting a voluntary nationwide recall of all lot numbers of the company’s supplement products sold under the brand names Rize 2 The Occasion and Rose 4 Her. New lots of Rize 2 and Rose 4 her (not subject to this recall) will contain lot numbers beginning in “BL”. Jack Distribution, LLC, is conducting this recall after being informed by representatives of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that lab analysis by FDA of Rize 2 and Rose 4 Her samples of random lots found the product contains potentially harmful, undeclared ingredients.
No it’s not pet-related, just weirdly amusing in my oxygen-deprived state. As you may have gathered from past postings, I watch a fair amount of Thoroughbred horse-racing, mostly on the weekends when the top-level horses are running in stakes races. Because of this, I also see a lot of “male enhancement” advertising.
See, the ads on the horse-racing networks (really, the horse-gambling networks) seem mostly to be for “male enhancement,” hair enhancement, money lending and debt relief. I’m guessing I’m not the networks’ target demographic …
That’s Heather all the way on the left, correct? I love her puppy cut!
I was wondering, for a puppy (mutt with lots of lab) that’s still a bit timid of the water at times…do you think a life jacket like Heather’s would give him more confidence? Or just make him reliant on it? I’d love to see him enjoying it like your dogs do, but I don’t want to force something he’s not comfortable with.
Comment by Lori — July 28, 2008 @ 10:47 am
sorry to hear that the smoke is bad over your way. Inland mendocino is finally catching a bit of a break.
I had “reactive airway disease” and severe allergies until moving to Ukiah 14 years ago. I then developed full blown asthma. Last year I went onto advair, and have good control with it but with the smoke I ended up on a few days of prednisone as well. And 6 aircleaners going full blast and wearing a mask anytime I was outside.
My dogs a furious that they are now dieting to lose the pounds put on while living exclusively indoors for nearly three weeks. Of course so am I.
Comment by JenniferJ — July 28, 2008 @ 11:04 am
Yes, that’s Heather in her summer ‘do, happy and going strong, 12 years young in November.
It’s hard to say what your dog would like. If a dog is at all inclined to want to swim, I’ve found the best thing is to go with another dog who is an experienced, happy swimmer who won’t crowd the other dog. Friendly, happy but not pushy, in other words. Make sure the place you choose is quiet, shallow with a gentle slope and doesn’t have much current or water hazards (underground branches, etc.).
Don’t force your dog into the water. Let him observe how much fun the other dog is having and choose for himself how wet he wants to get.
I don’t think a life jacket like Heather’s will change whether or not he wants to swim, but it may give you some peace of mind while he’s learning. Even water dogs can and do drown, after all.
My retrievers all love to swim, but my Sheltie would rather die than get wet. To a certain extent, these things are pre-ordained.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 28, 2008 @ 11:08 am
Jennifer … that’s where I am now. Advair’s my “control” drug, but I’ve had to step up to the pred. I do not like to do so, for many reasons, including the bizarre fact that pred always makes me crave BAD Chinese takeaway, like supermarket fried rice.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 28, 2008 @ 11:11 am
Pred makes me wired. Forget sleep! When I’m on it, everything tastes and smells odd, perhaps that’s why supermarket fried rice, which generally tastes and smells odd to start with, is improved? :-)
The only problem I have had with Advair is a very mild, occasional CNS tremor, aggravated by caffeine. My pulmonologist says give up coffee or live with it. I am living with it.
Comment by JenniferJ — July 28, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
Gina, my sympathies. I have asthma and was steroid-dependent for several years (ugh), only eventually getting off it by the grace of a good pulmonologist who put me on methotrexate—an off label use and pretty nasty to experience, but it saved my life. Now I manage on Aerobid and albuterol. So I know all too well the challenges and fears of not being able to breathe well. Almost the worst, though, is all the people who say you should just give up your pets and everything will be okey-dokey. No way I’d do that, and they’re not the main problem anyhow.
Comment by Cindy R — July 28, 2008 @ 12:59 pm
Thanks for the great answer, Gina!
Comment by Lori — July 28, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
Thanks for reminding me that there’s a reason why instead of a house with a yard inland, I’m living in a one bedroom apartment near a beach I rarely go to — that’s where the air quality is acceptable in Southern California. And the retrievers seem pretty content with running at the park and with long walks every day, walks I couldn’t take inland.
Comment by Debbie — July 28, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
I forgot to add — I hope you feel better.
Comment by Debbie — July 28, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
Well, Gina, I remember taking my husband at least twice to the emergency room, hoping he would last until I got to the hospital.
Never mind that the temperature was hovering around zero degrees, the roads were icy, and the car was covered with ice which I had to scrap off.
The third time I begged the ambulance to take me with my husband and only on the urging of the police was I able to get my one and only ride in an ambulance—whizzing through a red light at a high rate of speed.
Moving out in Fort Collins, Colorado my husband, with the new drugs and the cleaner air, has been a new man. Also, no hospital emergency drive, which would be only 5 minutes away instead of the 30 minutes it took where I lived before. When he got out here he switched from an allergist to a pulmonary doctor, another smart move.
I hope you get a chance to move away from the frequent fires of California. I am positive real estate will go up again. It alway does.
Population is up here in Colorado—one of the reasons being that we have an influx of Californians. So come on down—to the West!
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 28, 2008 @ 2:28 pm
Not surprisingly, CT, Fort Collins in one of my contenders, long-term. I want cleaner air, smaller town … and a college of veterinary medicine nearby!
I think I may have to stay in the West, generally, for family reasons. So far, I’m generally thinking Corvallis OR, Fort Collins CO and Moscow ID/Pullman WA.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 28, 2008 @ 2:47 pm
Well, the Colorado State Veterinary School is ranked at least number two in the United States.
So many of the students that graduate from the vet school do not want to leave the city. I gguess they are comfortable here.
So—“Come on Down”, as, I believe, te TV pitchman used to say.
I believe Oregon and Washington would be good choices, also, except we probably have more sunshine and dry air here.
Healthy air is an important ingredient to the quality of life—I, myself, think it is not given the importance that it deserves. End of soapbox preaching.
I
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 28, 2008 @ 7:26 pm
I grew up in the Corvallis area. It’s a very nice community. The winters can be very foggy and gray, though. Central Oregon air is dry and clean. Did you look at Bend/Redmond? Lot’s of rivers and reservoirs for the puppies! I hope you feel better soon.
Comment by C.L.H — July 28, 2008 @ 7:44 pm
OT, but wanted to pass you a link to an article about Lance the Dock Divin’ Dal:
http://tinyurl.com/5gfrya
couple inaccuracies in the article (I don’t think she “picked Lance out” as I believe she’s also showing him if I have my Dals sorted right and I’m correct on his ped) but there is a small pic that shows his in air form :) We’ve been following him in our Dal group since his first “for fun” jump. He came in 7th outta 24 this weekend. Not bad for a spotty in a retriever world ;)
We just finished up some bad air quality here. Thankfully, Dot’s not down with heat and high humidity, so laying low for a few days isn’t a problem. I’ve been watching the temps and air quality for the area I’m moving to, and so far they’ve only had a day or 2 where there were smoke issues. Seems it’s just far enough up that I won’t be dealing with smoke collecting air (unless there’s a fire nearby!). It will be interesting to see how my CA allergies are when I get there. Having a dog has helped with the pollen allergies, so I’m hoping it’s only the first year that’s bad until I get used to lower levels. I was fantasizing about Ft Collins at one point, but I need to be within a couple hours of my parents, and that means CA. I have my boundaries though. Moderate summer weather and winter (I’ve had enough ice and humidity, TYVM!) No valley living (too hot!), prefer rural-ish. Can’t afford/don’t want to pay SF prices (also have too many cats!). Would rather work less and enjoy life more! Water nearby and lots of local sources for food. The simple life :) Oh yeah, and Dot kindly requests as few thunder storms as possible!
Enjoy your hunt! I’m having a good time just watching a local news site at my new to-be-home and looking at pics of the area. All kinds of fun local events and a weekly fishing report, lol!~
Comment by straybaby — July 28, 2008 @ 9:05 pm
OSU has a satellite campus at Bend, apparently with major plans for expansion due to the huge growth in that highly desirable area. The Bend/Redmond area is high desert with clean and dry air. Bend has lots of sunshine, some snow, but not much (lots in the mountains for skiing), and great summer weather with warm days and cool nights. Lots of water everywhere for the dogs. Redmond has an airport. My son lives in and loves Bend. We enjoy visiting and could very easily live there.
Comment by Nadine L. — July 28, 2008 @ 10:37 pm
Probably too rural, but Boulder Utah is very dry high desert. But I think safe swimming opportunities could be limited.
Predisone - I just was on this for a few weeks when my body when into full allergic reaction (head to toe (or should I say, scalp to bottom of my feet) hives. Talk about energy - I got very litte sleep but I can say my house is incredibly clean!
Comment by 2CatMom — July 29, 2008 @ 9:08 am
Hey … I’m open to suggestions. I’m looking for (in no particular order):
1) Place where I can get small acreage, and afford it without winning the lottery.
2) College town with Div. I sports. I like college towns because they have things to do, arts, concerts, etc. But since my younger brother will one day join me, I need a town with a Div. I college sports program, since he needs real football.
3) Near veterinary school or college.
4) Dog-friendly, of course, with places to swim dogs.
5) Within a couple hours of a major metro center, for airport access, among other things.
So … you can see why Corvallis OR, Moscow ID/Pullman WA and Fort Collins CO are short-listed. But hey, I’m not going anywhere for a couple of years, at least. (Or at least until my house is worth more than my mortgage again.)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 29, 2008 @ 9:24 am
Well, if you could stand coming East, and put up with a little culture shock, that kinda sounds like the Columbus, Ohio, area. Real estate prices around there will make Californians pass out.
Of course, no way would I move to Ohio unless they got their act together about “pit bulls.” Don’t own one, just not about to let some clown in the state leg. tell me what kind of dog I can have.
Just talked to a CA friend today, someone looking for a bit of land. They looked at a foreclosure near or in Morgan Hill. A little over an acre, and not in the best of condition — around three quarters of a million.
Our 26 acres in Western PA, with a 19th century farmhouse, barn, pole building, run-in shed — all in good condition, commuting distance from Pittsburgh — was a little more than a third the price of that California fixer-upper on an acre.
Reminds me of a grad school friend of my husband’s, who by chance also got a job at Pitt. His wife inherited her parents’ house — a very modest middle-class dwelling in San Francisco that they’d bought in the 60’s. They sold it (mid-late 1990’s), and needed to turn it back over into a house to avoid the capital gains tax. They bought an East End mansion, built in the 19th century by some robber baron friend of Carnegie’s.
Comment by H. Houlahan — July 29, 2008 @ 9:51 pm
Gina, the reason I am telling you about Fort Collins is because I hate, hate, the thought of you breathing all the smoke from fires— especially with your asthmatic condition. And I think it is awful that all your pets are breathing that awful air, too. So don’t wait too long to see the Denver Broncos or where ever you decide to move—before you get much sicker. Real estate is so much cheaper in other parts of the country you probably will end up with a bigger house with more land, anyway—or pay capital gains tax if you go for a small house.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 30, 2008 @ 5:05 am
One last posting, then I will not hog the blog as much—the City Council is rethinking its decision on allowing chickens, so I am not quite sure about that.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 30, 2008 @ 5:28 am
Hmmm. Northern New Mexico has always been my plan, but I like the idea of being near a vet school. I wonder how far the Santa Fe area is from Fort Collins. Bend and Bellingham, Washington, are attractive, too. My sister lives in Seattle and I expect that we will end up in the same area as we age (like you and your brother).
Comment by Kim — July 30, 2008 @ 8:55 am
Gee Kim … you’re not going back to Oklahoma to retire? :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 30, 2008 @ 10:14 am
Ummmm…NO!
Comment by Kim — July 30, 2008 @ 10:51 am