Days of Waiting & Chasing Waterfalls

"Animals are the bridge between us and the beauty of all that is natural. They show us what's missing in our lives, and how to love ourselves more completely and unconditionally. They connect us back to who we are, and to the purpose of why we're here." ― Trisha McCagh

Anyone who knows us, knows that our animals are a huge part of our family. During our adventures to explore the mid and southwest, we had left Bean home with my in laws. For the past few days since we left, we were informed that he wasn't eating consistently and was more lethargic. Bean has always been a wanton epicurean, so any changes in his eating habits prompted further investigation. Thus, we had asked my mother in law to take him to the vet. Instead of exploring the Rocky Mountains, we waited. Waited for a phone call from the vet to inform us of his lab and x ray results.

The call came late in the day during a walk around Estes Park. I held my breath as I answered the call: elevated liver enzymes, concern for feline hepatic lipidosis, and an urgent admission to the animal ER for hydration and further observation. We felt the fear of distance and the unknown as we stood in the middle of Estes Park, over 800 miles away from our little Bean. In that moment, we made the decision to head home as soon as we could, likely sometime in the morning. After another few hours, we finally received a call from the ER vet. He was stable, but would likely need an ultrasound tomorrow morning and additional labs. The likely cause/etiology was unknown at this time. Goals of admission to the hospital were to give him IV fluids, observe him, and hopefully get him to eat on his own. That night, sleep was restless with lots of tossing and turning. We prayed for Bean and our journey home.

The next morning, a call came early from another vet from the ER animal hospital. Again, he was stable and had managed to eat a small amount on his own overnight. They recommended an abdominal ultrasound to find out the cause as well as additional liver enzymes to ensure they were improving. And another night for observation in the hospital.

Feeling a bit more reassured, we opted to not rush home immediately. As Bean was stable with some slight improvement, we hesitantly decided to do a short hike in the Rockies before heading back to Texas.

We explored a lesser traveled area of the park at the Southeastern end near the Wild Basin area. The 5.3 mile hike passes a few small cascade waterfalls (Copeland & Calypso Falls) before arriving at Ouzel Falls. Mountain views, grass covered meadows and wildflowers embellished our vistas along the trail. We were lucky enough to also happen upon two moose on our trek back! They munched on grass, hidden between the forested ground, nearly camouflaged to our eyes. But keen ears picked up the noises during our return trip on the lightly trafficked route.

With Beans condition at the top of our minds, we left the Rockies behind, heading south on I-25. Updates came from the animal hospital: mild enlargement of his gallbladder but no stones, mild prominence of his pancreas but not enough to call it pancreatitis. Essentially, no clear cut diagnosis. Trending liver enzymes were improving and he was eating a little more on his own. The verdict: stable but they would likely decide about his discharge tomorrow morning.

On the way south from the Rockies, we stopped to grab coffee in Colorado Springs (my favorite Colorado city so far). As dusk ushered in the sunset sky, we explored the Garden of the Gods. Towering red rocks against a blue sky back drop festooned by yellow wildflowers created a breathtaking landscape. The beauty of Colorado had stolen my heart!

Feeling beyond exhausted, we stole away into the evening sky, heading south again. We eventually decided to spend the evening in Pueblo, CO. It would be a long journey back to Bean (and Texas) in the morning. Until next time Colorado!