The Phone Call

The Phone Call

In December 1997 I opened my heart for the first time in my life. My love for Bailey made my heart grow bigger. This overwhelming love also made me keenly aware of my vulnerability: One day Bailey would be gone and life would never be the same.

As Bailey got older I became more vigilant in watching for signs of potential illnesses or other health problems. In my own mind Bailey was doing well if he was eating, sleeping, playing and going to the bathroom on a normal schedule. My concern for Bailey led to my decision to reduce his time at Urban Dog from four or five times per week to two or three times per week. This way, I could make sure that Bailey was active enough to keep him young and healthy, but not so active as to wear him down.

Fortunately Bailey steered clear of any serious health problems for three full years following his 10^th birthday. In December 2010, Bailey turned 13 and I had planned to celebrate by throwing him a Bark Mitzvah—as if he was a Jewish pup becoming a dog for the first time. However, December 2010 had proven to be a busy month. My daughter Ivy turned four, there were several year-end holiday parties and my family had planned our annual trip out to Edmonton for Christmas and Miami for New Years. The Bark Mitzvah, we decided, would be in January 2011.

Unlike some of the previous years, we made the decision not to bring Bailey to Florida. The drive was too long for both Bailey and I. Instead, Bailey would stay with my parents and his best friend Tetley.

On January 4, 2011 Melinn and I took the kids to the Shake Shack in Miami Beach for the last dinner of our vacation. The next day we would return home to Toronto—back to work, school and of course, Bailey. And then the phone rang.

The voice on the other end of the phone was my father. Bailey had been struggling to urinate and they had just returned home from Dr. Tung’s office. While there was no definitive diagnosis, Bailey was put on medication to help him pee. If the medication worked, the likely cause was a urinary tract infection. If the medication, did not work we would have to send him for more tests.

That night my heart sprung a tiny leak. Even though I kept telling myself not to jump to conclusions, somehow I knew we had reached the beginning of the end. The Bark Mitzvah would be put on hold. I couldn’t wait to get home.