It’s 2:00 AM. I have country music playing (been thinking of Bird all day), the doggies are sleeping; Grump on his couch and Smooch at my feet in my office. I folded the last load of laundry and just finished washing the dishes while beside me Bandit haughtily ate up the treats he demanded (he is a member of the superior species we call cats, after all), before insisting that I open the door and let him out for his nocturnal romp. I’m sure every little chipmunk or squirrel scurry for cover when they hear that door this time of night.
Insomnia. I can handle it easily enough when I can snooze an hour or two throughout the day, but it sure plays havoc with any kind of routine when working full time. I occasionally slip out to my car at lunch and grab 20 or 30 minutes of blissful shut-eye. It beats me how easily I drift off during the day, but can’t seem to do much more than 3 to 4 hours when any normal person is sleeping. I have managed to talk the boss into letting me change my schedule to arriving early in the morning and leaving early afternoon. I’m awake at 4 AM anyway, so might as well make use of it. There are more benefits: avoiding traffic, thereby saving at least 8 hours a week in commuting, and having some quiet time to work without the chatter and phone interruption. For years and years I have had my own office. I still haven’t quite adapted to working in the shared and noisy space. This should help some, but permission was only granted when I was leaving on Friday, so the coming week will be a test drive.
The new system is causing all sorts of problems and because I am the one using it for payroll, it’s been tough. We had a meeting with the head honcho of the system company in an attempt to rectify the situation. It appears that I have a reputation for having a ‘hard head’. His programmers actually are surprised that I am still there; it seems they think that most people would have given up and walked out. I’m not sure if the administration in our office considers that good or bad, but I don’t really care. Although it was purchased before my arrival, I was hired to make it work, and I am determined that I will succeed. I will admit that I have been so frustrated at times that the computers came very close to flying out the window. I get up and take a walk outside to reinforce the walls of my Happy Bubble.
Because of such events, I was unable to keep the vet appointment for Smooch last week. It was either call and reschedule or have over 60 employees without pay deposits. Not acceptable, of course. I also missed the first period of the 7th game between the Habs and Boston. But Smooch seems to be stable still, and the Habs won to move onto the semi-finals, so I didn’t stay grumpy long. In fact, I was dancing and laughing and going on like a crazy lady!! And that group of employees did get their pays, albeit a couple of days late. All’s well that ends well.
I’m off to hunt for that Morpheus. When I catch him I’ll box his ears. Wishing you all a great, sunny Sunday and sending you huge SMILES to keep it warm!
Luv from the Bush in Quebec.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
ONWARD WE GO!
The week before last I was running out of medication for Smooch, so had the vet’s technician fax the prescription to my regular pharmacy. I noticed the antibiotics were not the same as the ones he had been taking previously, but dosed him anyway starting Friday night. On Sunday morning my doggie struggled, but was unable to get to his feet. Research on the internet told me all sorts of horror stories about this new antibiotic, and I discontinued them immediately.
I contacted the vet early Monday morning. He told me to hold off on that medicine until our Wednesday appointment. By this time Smooch was again walking but not without difficulty; I had to push to help him make it into my truck. The ride did seem to energize him some, but climbing the 4 steps to the examining room sent him sprawling on his face; I was happy that the vet was able to witness it. He agreed (and didn’t seem really surprised) that this was caused by the type of antibiotics – it seems some dogs are allergic to them – in which case they can be highly dangerous, even to inflicting death.
Yeh – thanks for the heads up when prescribing them, huh? To be fair, he wasn’t aware that the technician had changed the medication, and by the look in his eye, I’m sure she’ll be warned.
The blood test was done, and while waiting for the results I received a text message from my daughter. Cloé, her BF’s beautiful, 2 year old German shepherd, had been just been euthanized. Cloé’s disease was very similar to that of Smooch, but was past help, even if she had been sick for a shorter time. (My daughter was full of apologies when she learned where I was and what I was doing when she gave me the terrible news).
But...my vet was smiling when he came back into the room. Not only was my boy’s red blood cell count up by 3.9, the white blood cell count has decreased!!!
“I don’t know what you’re doing right,” he said. “But whatever it is, don’t stop!”
“Massive quantities of liver and Brie!” I grinned back at him. “And B12. So can we start weaning him off the cortisone now?” He shook his head no.
“If it wasn’t for the cortisone, and his good reaction to it in spite of the side effects, your dog would be gone,” he answered firmly. ‘You know the two other dogs that had the same thing? They didn’t make it.”
What?? But they had been diagnosed after my Smooch..... I thought silently.
He paused, and maybe he took my shocked expression for disbelief and wanted to get his point across because he added, “They are both here in the fridge.”
Emotional turmoil. My heart was heavy for Cloé, and the other doggies and owners I don’t even know, but my Smooch was getting better, and the gratitude won out. I cheered him on and sang to him all the way home.
The fight is not over – for the past few days Smooch has suffered severe diarrhea (a left over effect from those damned antibiotics), but pumpkin and rice water and some Imodium are taking care of it. There is a distinct odor of Lysol in my house at the moment, but who cares? Actually, it’s a better smell than the alternative...
It’s a long haul, but whenever I get even a wee bit discouraged I picture strolling in our yard, surrounded by a high, solid fence, while Smooch and Grump gleefully chase their squeaky balls down the grassy hill, and I SMILE.
Sharing that SMILE with y’all!
Luv from the Bush in Quebec.
I contacted the vet early Monday morning. He told me to hold off on that medicine until our Wednesday appointment. By this time Smooch was again walking but not without difficulty; I had to push to help him make it into my truck. The ride did seem to energize him some, but climbing the 4 steps to the examining room sent him sprawling on his face; I was happy that the vet was able to witness it. He agreed (and didn’t seem really surprised) that this was caused by the type of antibiotics – it seems some dogs are allergic to them – in which case they can be highly dangerous, even to inflicting death.
Yeh – thanks for the heads up when prescribing them, huh? To be fair, he wasn’t aware that the technician had changed the medication, and by the look in his eye, I’m sure she’ll be warned.
The blood test was done, and while waiting for the results I received a text message from my daughter. Cloé, her BF’s beautiful, 2 year old German shepherd, had been just been euthanized. Cloé’s disease was very similar to that of Smooch, but was past help, even if she had been sick for a shorter time. (My daughter was full of apologies when she learned where I was and what I was doing when she gave me the terrible news).
But...my vet was smiling when he came back into the room. Not only was my boy’s red blood cell count up by 3.9, the white blood cell count has decreased!!!
“I don’t know what you’re doing right,” he said. “But whatever it is, don’t stop!”
“Massive quantities of liver and Brie!” I grinned back at him. “And B12. So can we start weaning him off the cortisone now?” He shook his head no.
“If it wasn’t for the cortisone, and his good reaction to it in spite of the side effects, your dog would be gone,” he answered firmly. ‘You know the two other dogs that had the same thing? They didn’t make it.”
What?? But they had been diagnosed after my Smooch..... I thought silently.
He paused, and maybe he took my shocked expression for disbelief and wanted to get his point across because he added, “They are both here in the fridge.”
Emotional turmoil. My heart was heavy for Cloé, and the other doggies and owners I don’t even know, but my Smooch was getting better, and the gratitude won out. I cheered him on and sang to him all the way home.
The fight is not over – for the past few days Smooch has suffered severe diarrhea (a left over effect from those damned antibiotics), but pumpkin and rice water and some Imodium are taking care of it. There is a distinct odor of Lysol in my house at the moment, but who cares? Actually, it’s a better smell than the alternative...
It’s a long haul, but whenever I get even a wee bit discouraged I picture strolling in our yard, surrounded by a high, solid fence, while Smooch and Grump gleefully chase their squeaky balls down the grassy hill, and I SMILE.
Sharing that SMILE with y’all!
Luv from the Bush in Quebec.
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