GeorgeTown

It's hard to believe we've been here over a week now.  We had a good sail down from Emerald Bay, 4-5 footers, but with a North wind and swell, the trip was reasonable.  We had heard many stories/opinions about GT, but we tried to come in with an open mind.  There were certainly more boats in one in a single anchorage than we had seen cumulatively on our whole trip so far.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, but takes a little getting used to.  We patrolled through the anchorage just off "Volleyball Beach" looking for a spot.  It was really crowded and the boats were anchored uncomfortably close together. We finally picked a spot somewhat on the fringe and dropped the hook.  Our friends on Las Sirenas found a spot close to us and buried in.  

We settled in pretty quick and went in to the beach for a look-see.  The place was hoppin' and Haley and Alana were on fire excited to see all the kids.  We strolled around and soaked in the vibe.  We met quite a few folks, but one couple in particular would prove to the be a most valued acquaintance.  Chris and Vivian on Second Chance saw Bella and came over to chat.  They have a Portuguese Water Dog as well, but proceeded to tell us the sad story of how they recently(about 4 weeks ago)  lost one of their two Porties to tick-bourne disease that the dog contracted while in the Bahamas.  They were heart broken and we nearly cried as she talked about her baby and about how their remaining dog, Zepper, was so lonely and depressed without his sister.  They told us of the need to protect the dogs with K9 Advantix or Frontline, of which Bella has been on since a puppy.  We were concerned, but felt we had protected Bella against any tick issues.

We did a little research on Ehrliciosis to learn about the hazards and symptoms since I did find  a tick on Bella a few weeks ago(I had pulled it off without much thought). 

A few days later, we noticed Bella acting a little sluggish and she had lost her appetite.  We watched her close and radio'd the local Vet on the island(an American that  chose to retire down here and set up a clinic for the occasional pet issue.  He agreed to take a look at her, and so on the second day, we noticed Bella was warm(running a fever) and had still not eaten so we took her in.  WE dingied the 2-3 miles and walked her up the beach to his house/clinic.  He was the nicest man, and went to work right away, checking her out, and drawing blood.  He confirmed that she had a pretty high fever(105deg) and that her white blood cell count was depresed.  His suspicion was Ehrliciosis, but he proceeded with a SNAP test that would be more definitive.  We were absolutely sick when he confirmed that she had indeed contracted the disease.  Carryn sobbed and we just were stunned.  The doc re-assured us that it would not be fatal, but affirmed that it was only "treatable" but there was no real "cure" for the disease.  It is a bit like Lyme disease, and remains latent in the body and manifests on occasion.  It has to be treated with antibiotics and managed from there.  He set us up with a month's worth of Doxicyclene and advice on what to look for.  We have to go back to see him in a month or so, just to check in.

 I must say, we are devastated that Bella contracted this, but we are so thankful that we caught it early and that it is treatable.  We thank God everyday for bringing Bella into our lives, and can't imagine live without her. 

I hate to write a blog that is such a downer, but wanted everyone to know about it.  Bella is feeling much better, pretty much back to her normal self.  We will keep a close eye on her for the next few days and are postponing a trip to Long Island/ Rum Cay until we know she is OK.  It looks like Tuesday will be a good weather window to go, but we should get another post out before we leave. 

We have been busy, mostly having fun.  Have done some diving and fishing, and generally loafed about for the past week.  GT is a vibrant little village and we have mostly enjoyed our time here, mainly by ignoring all the organized cruiser activities and the hubbub that goes with it. 

We will write up something soon to share the fun stuff going on. 

Keep Bella in your prayers.