Cheryl's Recovery Run.

So it has been a rather stressful last couple of days as we scramble to understand the meaning of life.  The dog bite was simply a catalyst to push us over the edge of reason and sanity.  Whenever we seek out an explanation, we usually end up with the same concept:   Time to move to a safer place!   Allow me to explain...

Whenever something happens that is "bad"  ( I believe a dog bit fits into this category)   We evaluate what our next step should be to prevent such actions from happening again.   We contacted the owner,  fixed up the wound,  and evaluated the situation.   Luckily, it looks like our efforts to bandage and clean the wound are paying off by keeping infection away.   But that is never enough for Cheryl....so we do an online search for medical tips on handling a dog bite.

Pandora's box!   Forget the 7 deadly sins....This is far worse!  If you ever want to DESTROY your peace of mind....look up any health issue on the web.   Similar to Al Gore's concept that everything humans do is burning the planet up.....Medical websites will CONVINCE you that you are dying unless you seek immediate emergency care.   Terrifying!

We boiled things down to: "a routine Tetanus shot would not be a bad idea.  And  it protects you for an additional 10 years."    Except....the clinic wants to pull your health decisions away from you.  They want an evaluation, police report, rabies document,  and then the shots and check up visits begin....   Better to not take any chances...since they could  ( and often do) get sued for not being totally aggressive with their treatment.  Not to mention they are legally bound to report stab wounds, shot gun injuries and dog bites.

Sounds like a lot of trouble for something that our brains tell us does  not require Marshal Law.  This was not a pit bull or a wild animal.  There were no stitches required.  Let's back things off a bit and let reason and sanity return.

So,  Cheryl went back out for a run.   The wound appears to be getting better and we were able to complete a 12 mile run yesterday, and a short 6 miler this morning.  I have to begin my training and qualification for the SAT later this morning and Cheryl is back at College Board evaluating the training sets.  Basically,  we are busy enough without all the distractions that the medical community would throw in front of us.   With limited funds and time,   I believe we are still the best qualified to make our own health decisions.


As for prevention:   Cheryl has taken to running a different route.   No need in encountering those dogs again.   For a while anyway.   The owners seem like good people and I'm sure we scared the crap out of them when we ratted out the terrier's mischief.  They probably fear for the dogs life and the house that they live in!   ( Owning a dog is scary!)  I'm sure at the very least they are keeping the dog inside for the moment and away from the road.  ( at least I would like to think that.)  Other than that,  We are considering additional steps to see if we can fit our runs in back at Coralville.   There are no cars there and all of the dogs are on leashes.  We shall see.