The Great Big Book of Catch Up

[teddy_radiator]

Hello everyone,

I can't believe it is already Saturday, a week later than the worst week I've had in a long time. I feel ashamed mentioning it, after all the terrible things that have happened to my dear friends here lately, because I have to much to be thankful for.

Two Fridays ago we had a torrential rain. It started before we got up (around 6am) and pretty much rained all day. Our orange cat Bosco had gone out the night before and wouldn't come in, no matter how much we called him. TheHubs® and I were up until 2am trying to get him to come in.

The next day I had to run a quick errand, and when I got back, Bosco was sitting on the front porch, which he never does. When we tried to get him to come in, we found that his back legs weren't working. We thought it might be arthritis giving him trouble from being out all night. Saturday and Sunday, he could not walk. He wouldn't eat, drink or do anything but lie around. Everytime he tried to walk, he just fell over. It was heartwrenching. I called the vet on Sunday night, and he said Bosco had in all likelihood had a stroke. He suggested we get Pedialyte and start making him drink it.

Also on Sunday, I was told at work that I would have to do two 7-hour projects in addition to the almost 40 hours I already had. As I say, this is the most full-time part-time job I've ever had. And this wasn't counting the 30 plus hours TheHubs® had to do.

We got no sleep on Monday morning. I was convinced the vet would suggest we put Bosco down, and we discussed it all night. We made one another a promise that if the vet said he was suffering, we wouldn't be selfish. It was a sad night. Both of us cried all night.

However, TheHubs® did a little research in the wee hours of Monday morning and discovered that many cats will recover from a stroke. In all likelihood, Bosco had caught and killed a rat that had been poisoned, and this had caused it. The vet confirmed this, and told us that if he was going to improve it would be in the next two weeks. He gave Bosco an injection and two prescriptions - Amoxicillen and Prednasone.

By last Friday he was walking (albeit a little wobbly), eating and drinking, weeing and pooing. He is still on meds, but last Monday the vet announced he was "proud" of Bosco's progress, and thought he would make a good recovery. Alas, he will no longer be an indoor-outdoor cat. The vet said that the next stroke might disorientate him to the point where he might not find his way back to the house. So, he's a permanent indoor cat.

I apologise if I have been so remiss this week. Poor toblass has been sending me all sorts of goodies online, and I've been making grabby hands at them and not even thanking her for them. I've been a complete numpty with irishredlass, whom I finally got around to calling after she asked me two months ago. I still owe jenidralph a phone call as well.

Another week has past, and I've just caught my breath. I don't remember being so tired. I'm heading off to bed now, to give Bosco his meds and to read a little ASOIAF, which is the best sleep aid I've ever found. I don't know what it is - I don't really find it boring, per se, but I can read two chapters of it and I'm out like a light.

Oh, before I go, I'm on the quiz_sshg this week for Lay Me Low, which thrills me to bits. The story received a lot of puzzled reviews at the beginning because of all the song lyrics, but there was method to my Muse's madness. Click on the shiny to play the quiz!!

Comments

[ex-logospil.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry to hear about what happened to your feline companion, most beloved :-( Thank goodness he is getting better and will be all right!

You take good care too, eh? ♥

*very tender robed embrace*

[jenidralph.livejournal.com]

jenidralph has absolved you of the phone-call-that-just-won't-happen.

*hugs*

Congrats on the quiz.. and I'm glad Bosco is getting better!!

[of-anoesis.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor Bosco! *hugs*

Still, deep breaths! That week is over. The next one is full of sunshine and jelly beans, or something...

[lemonade8.livejournal.com]

Glad your kitty is doing better! Congrats on the quiz thingy.

[toblass.livejournal.com]

No worries about responding. I just wasn't sure if my email was being wonky. Good to hear Bosco has recovered. Boo for extra work, but it's all good, yes?

[justpinkpastel.livejournal.com]

It sure does sound like a rough week. I'm glad that your cat is on the mend and that you were able to determine the cause, therefore making sure it doesn't happen again by keeping him inside. And as much as it sucks being told that you have more projects to do on top of your regular hours, you have to be thankful that you have the job that you do. I tend to try to remember when we had fallen on rough times, newly wed, I couldn't for the life of me find a job, depression set it, it was completely awful; I try to remember the way I felt at that time when I am asked to come in on a Saturday and work for an extra 8 hours. When I do that, in comparison, it doesn't seem so bad, I have a job that doesn't completely stress me out, and that 8 hours of overtime can go into savings, or a new pair of shoes. I am really trying to work on finding the silver lining to everything these days, no matter how hard it is, and I feel like it is making a difference in my outlook on life. *Hugs*

[mimimanderly.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that Bosco is doing well. I know how angsty and depressed one can get when a dear companion (animal, human, or other) is ill.

I'm wondering if the full-time hours you've been getting for what was supposed to be a part-time job might be because they have to give full-timers benefits that part-timers don't get? I may be wrong (I CAN be sometimes. I know -- shocking.) but it may be worth investigating. If you are working full-time hours anyway, it may pay for you to just switch to full-time if it has some perks. In what universe is 50+ hours "part-time"?

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

I hope things start looking up for you and for Bosco, too. Poor kitty. Glad he's feeling a little better.

[kittylefish.livejournal.com]

*hugs* i am so sorry that you had that scare with your kitty, especially at a time when you were already feeling overwhelmed with work, which doesn't help with the stress levels. you know that just because other people are having worse problems doesn't negate what you are going through, right? those of us who have non-human companions understand how distressing it is when they are having serious health issues. i guess it stands to reason cats can recover from strokes, just like humans can. i'm so glad that he's doing better and i hope he makes a full recovery very soon.

maybe you can put all the money from working extra hours into - oh, i don't know, how about funding your next trip to an hp con? ;)

*hugs*

[delphipsmith]

By last Friday he was walking (albeit a little wobbly), eating and drinking, weeing and pooing. He is still on meds, but last Monday the vet announced he was "proud" of Bosco's progress, and thought he would make a good recovery.

What an awful thing to have happen -- a poisoned rat, wow. But I'm so glad to hear he will recover to give you many more purrs and snuggles ::hugs::

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad your furbaby is doing better. I hope things start looking more up! *hugs*

[errandofmercy.livejournal.com]

I am glad to hear that your kitty is doing better. You are a good mama and papa to him, and I hope he lives out the rest of his life happily and without incident in the comfort of your house!

It really sucks when part-time work takes over your life :( I don't know what your field is, but I can sympathize. *hugs*

I must admit the thought of you making phone calls made me a bit jealous ;p I hope someday I can have that honor!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Sweetie, feel free to call me anytime. I'm rubbish at remembering to call people, as jenidralph can tell you. But it must be said I'm just as rubbish at returning my mother's calls as well, so I plead with everyone not to take it personally). If you ever want to call me, I'd love a chat.

[jenidralph.livejournal.com]

*takes it personally*

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah.

[errandofmercy.livejournal.com]

That would be great :) I shall PM you my number if I get the chance to talk! :)