Yesterday's drive over to Saint-Avertin, a town that borders on the city of Tours on its southeast side, took us an hour. It was stressful because we were driving in the dark. Walt was behind the wheel. Neither of us is used to night-time driving any more. Headlights were almost blinding. Then it started raining. The fact is, however, that we found the veterinary clinic easily and arrived 15 minutes early. We got there before sunrise.
After my 30-minute meeting with the surgeon, we drove from Saint-Avertin across a bridge that spans the Loire river and into the area known as Tours-Nord ("north Tours"). The historic center of Tours is on the south bank of the Loire. The other half of the city is north of the river and is much more modern. I was surprised how urban it felt. I'd been there before, but I had never driven through residential neighborhoods in the area. It sure is a different world compared to the Saint-Aignan area. The city of Tours has an area of 34 km² and a population of nearly 140,000. The village we live in outside Saint-Aignan has an area of 32 km² and a population of fewer than twelve hundred. It's almost lonely out here.
Our destination in Tours-Nord was this little supermarket:
At Asia Market, we bought bottled sauces, bags of spices, noodles, fresh okra and bok choy, frozen okra, shrimp (3 lbs.), pot-stickers, spring rolls, and more. The last time we had shopped in an Asian grocery was probably two years ago. There are two such groceries in Blois, and two in Tours-Nord. Blois is closer to Saint-Aignan by about 20 minutes, but we are reluctant to go into cities these days because of Covid. Our local Saint-Aignan supermarkets have expanded their Asian food offerings over the past two years, but they still can't compare to an actual Asian grocery store.
As of now, we're scheduled to go pick up Tasha the Sheltie early this afternoon and bring her home. However, I have to call the veterinarian surgeon in a couple of hours to confirm that schedule. He spoke of complications when I talked to him yesterday afternoon — complications that might mean Tasha's convalescence will be longer than expected. Wish us luck.
I am optimistic by nature, but those complications do not sound good and I hope Tasha won’t be permanently invalid.
ReplyDeleteSi loin si bon, comme je dis. We'll drive over to Tours again in two or three hours and bring Tasha home. Then we'll have a better idea of her condition.
DeleteBest of luck for little Tasha.
ReplyDeleteWe spent time in Tours between Christmas and New Year. First time for ages. I honestly felt like such a country bumpkin in the big city. It was all sparkly and lots of people and lots of shops. Not exactly overwhelming, but definitely impactful.
I've been to supermarkets and other stores in Tours-Nord before, but I always end up driving the same ring road or major arteriels to get to my destination and to get homw again. This time I was a little more off the beaten path. One thing I wanted to do was drive across the Pont Wilson (known, apparently, as le pont de pierre locally). I quickly found out that it was finally closed to car traffic in 2020. Only tramways, pedestrians, and cyclists can cross it.
DeleteI just got off the phone. The orthopédiste (orthopedic surgeon) says everything is going well and Tasha is up and moving around. The 2:30 pm appointment is not changed. In fact, he said we could come get her at 11:30 if that would be better for us.
ReplyDeleteOh! That’s good news. Like everyone else I want to hear about the complications.
DeleteOh, wow, that's good news! I'm so happy for little Tasha and you! Did the vet say anything abt the complications that were mentioned yesterday?
ReplyDeleteWell, the fact is that I didn't actually talk to the vet. I talked to him through one of the employees at the clinic. I didn't ask her, because I'll talk to the vet, I think, this afternoon, and learn more. If he's sending Tasha home, I think that's good news. We'll see.
DeleteYes, I'd think so, too. Wonder what he meant then. Anyway, have a safe trip, hugs for Tasja. Hope everything turns out okay! Will be looking forward to hearing how she is.
ReplyDeleteHoping for good news!
ReplyDeleteJudy
The veterinary clinic sounds very competent, so that is a comfort. And of course when Tasha gets home we know she will be in good hands. Her rehab will no doubt take a lot of work and surveillance. Thank goodness there are two of you, and that neither of you has to leave every day for an office.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you can pick up Tasha. Wishing her luck(you and Walt also)- hopefully she will heal well. I was worried when you mentioned complications. I enjoyed seeing and hearing about the Asia Market.
ReplyDeleteThe surgeon said the cartilage in Tasha's injured knee was cracked. That was the complication. Then he added that the cartilage will re-generate over time, so the only big deal about it is that her healing will take a little longer. She's home now, bandaged, sleeping in her "corral" and seemingly comfortable. Tomorrow we'll take her to the local vet to have the bandage removed. Walt already took her on a walk in the yard this afternoon, and she'll get another short walk out there this evening, more to pee than for any other reason. She drank a lot of water as soon as she came into the house. She has to take a pill tonight, and to get her to swallow it we'll wrap it in a nice chunk of Brie cheese.
DeleteDidn't they tell you to keep her warm? That's what we were told. She might feel cold after having been sedated, and she can't move around the way she normally does, and yes, our dog drank a lot of water, too. We put a blanket over him the first couple of days until he made it clear he was fed up with it. ;) Glad she's back home with you and doing okay and that the complication is not something really bad.
DeleteGlad to hear that Tasha is doing OK and it all worked out. As they say, a stitch in time, maybe this prevented future issues.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. She's sleeping in her corral right now, on a heavy wool blanket and with a folded-up mattress pad as a pillow. The corral is 80 cm by 160 cm, so big enough for her not to feel cramped. It's almost time for a second walk out in the yard. On the leash.
DeleteGlad to hear Tasha is home with you. Harriett and I volunteered in the Orthopedic Rehab department at the UI Vet school for 16 years. My advice from our experience with hundreds of post-surgery cases is do not skimp on the cage rest even if she seems to be doing really well. I can't tell you the number of people who let their dog free early because they were acting normally only to have the surgical repair fail. Be strong and stick to the vet's advice.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tom. Good advice as usual.
DeleteGlad to hear the good news and that the complications could be overcome. Now, patience is the name of the game!
ReplyDeleteYes. It is so tempting to let Tasha out of the corral, but with slippery floors and two staircases, it would be dangerous. She seems calm in the corral.
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