Just Another Not So Shaggy Dog Story

Thank you Bo.

I’ve been writing about my dharma dogs since 2007, because when our eyes are open, we see all of the signs that Life gives us and we count our blessings every day. On some days however, we need a nudge.

I ate, showered and did my best to heat up oatmeal already in the fridge for my grandson this morning. So it should be no surprise that when I went back to my room and sat down, the post pranial POTS flare would begin. Had it hit all at once, I may have been more aware. Indeed it doesn’t happen every time I eat (or shower, tho the vegas odds would have it pinned as a sure thing) so I never make assumptions and often “forget” until I’ve fallen into the POTShole.

I was sitting up comfortably at my laptop, looking at various social media posts and smiling at pictures that I put up this week because I’m silly that way. When I first noticed that dull sensation of not enough oxygen in the brain. It’s hard to describe, I sometimes say I can’t breathe … but I’m breathing fine. My lungs are fine. It’s just a feeling of not enough oxygen. Bo came up and started nudging my hand off of the keyboard. Which is odd because her chair where she likes to sit is a few feet away from me and the patio door was wide open and she could go out. I scratched her ear for a moment and told her to GO.

A little more time, and I could feel my gut engage. That cramping pain as the hyperadrenergic uptick kicks into gear. This time, Bo came in from outside and again, nudged at my hands. So I pet her again, and she pushed the weight of her body into me. I called up to the redneck and told him I was feeling awful and asked if Bo had food. He put some kibble in her bowl and still Bo kept pushing at me.

By now, I could feel that pressure in my ears and the tinnitus was louder. There was no mistake my body was uncomfortable and sitting up any longer wasn’t going to cut it. I asked my husband if he wouldn’t mind getting me hot packs and whined a bit (a lot) about all the various symptoms that were amping up. And as he went to grab the rice packs to take to the microwave, Bo kept coming up into my face. I pushed her away .. again. And then moved a space out on the floor so that I could lay flat on my back and put my feet up on the bed.

In a moment I could feel my shoulders begin to release the coat hanger tension (PAIN). When my husband brought the hot packs back I placed them on my abs and behind my neck and closed my eyes quietly. Then, just by chance I opened my eyes slightly and tilted my head and saw that Bo was sitting peacefully at my side. The more I was settling, the more she was quieting down tool. Until finally she laid her head down on my ab compression (waist trainer) beside me and closed her eyes.

Bo. As in Bodhicitta the awakening heart-mind. Was she aware that a flare was coming on and encouraging me to stop sitting up and lay down on the floor? Has she watched Bitzy enough to know that when I get my blood pressure cuff out that it’s time to SIT STILL? It’s unknowable of course. But it certainly seemed to be spontaneous coincidence that she was helping me this morning with her nudges. And it does make for a lovely story. And isn’t that what Life is? Not so much what we make of it .. as much as what we MAKE UP about it 😉

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