When Joy and Fear Collide
Last week, I wrote about how life requires both the highs and the lows because without grief, we wouldn’t understand joy. Without sadness, we wouldn’t fully recognize happiness. What I didn’t expect was to be living those very words just days later. A few weeks ago, our dog Bailey was diagnosed with pneumonia. She wasn’t eating, her breathing was labored, and when we brought her to the vet, her temperature was dangerously high. X-rays confirmed the infection, and she was immediately started on two antibiotics. We were hopeful. But at her follow-up appointment, everything had gotten worse. Her breathing was more strained, her fever had climbed even higher, and the X-rays showed progression instead of healing. The veterinarians began testing for fungal pneumonia, a process that takes 7–10 days for results and started her on antifungal medication while we waited. Then came the longest 48 hours. She deteriorated quickly. One night, she kept me awake with what I can only...