Nanny doesn’t want other family’s dog
Dear Amy: I’m a nanny, and the family I work for has a very sweet lap dog they inherited from their grandma, who recently passed away. I think that sentiment and grief is what led them to keep a dog very poorly suited for their lifestyle.
They spend a lot of time out of the house and the dog has to be crated while they are gone, especially as the house is being redone and the workers aren’t careful about keeping him from going into the street.
The family is very loving and treat the dog well, but a problem has arisen: He always behaves better when I’m around. He doesn’t bark, he falls asleep at my feet, and he doesn’t try to chase cars when we go on a walk.
They are working to improve their relationship with the dog, but I’ve been put in an awkward place. They have started joking that I should take the dog.
I definitely don’t want a dog. How do I let go of the guilt? — Nanny in Need
Dear Nanny: This family has acquired a new family member, and this increases your workload. You might be able to negotiate a raise based on this extra work. “Monetizing” this sweet pup will remind your employers that you are a professional caregiver.
If they are on vacation, for instance, you should only agree to canine-care if they are willing to pay you a fair wage for dog sitting.
Don’t let them pressure you to take the dog home with you.
Your clients are acknowledging your skill with this dog when they joke that you should take it. But you must be as firm and clear with them as you would be if they attempted to foist a child upon you.
The next time they joke or hint about this, you should say, “Well, there is no way I will take the dog, but I have gotten to know him and if you want I’d be happy to show you some of the things I’ve learned.”
Dear Dr. Roach: I’m a 63-year-old male diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, Type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. I am 5 feet, 11 inches and weigh 240 pounds. I have two stents and take Sprycel for the CML. My levels are good, and the coronary disease is under control.
For a few years I’ve had what feels like “cotton balls” under the skin in the area of the balls of my feet. Now it feels as if the feeling is migrating to the arch. While not too uncomfortable, it is almost impossible to walk barefooted. Some type of foot covering is needed to keep from noticing the feeling. My doctor says it’s the diabetes, and to lose weight or see a podiatrist. Other than losing the weight, do you have any feeling about this? — N.M.
Cotton-ball sensation is one way that many people describe the beginning of neuropathy, a general term for a variety of different conditions that affect the nerves of the body.
In a person with cancer (like CML, chronic myelogenous leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow) and a new symptom, it is always wise to consider whether it could be due to the cancer, the treatment for the cancer or from something else. In your case, usually CML is not associated with neuropathy. However, the medicine you are taking, dasatinib (Sprycel), has been associated with a severe kind of reversible neuropathy. I read the case reports of this condition carefully, and I doubt that is what is going on with you.
People with longstanding diabetes frequently develop a particular disease of the nerves, diabetic neuropathy. This almost always begins with sensation changes in the feet. I agree with your doctor that diabetes is the most likely cause.
Seeing a podiatrist is absolutely a good idea and be sure your diabetes is under control.