Incoherent Scribblings

Mouse turned 18 years old this spring and for the last four years, she has been living with feline hyperthyroidism. Unfortunately, less than three weeks after I had to make the decision to put Scooter to sleep, Mouse’s feline hyperthyroidism suddenly spiraled out of control. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and, in order to end her suffering, I (again) made that final decision to send her to Rainbow Bridge to join Scooter and Harley.

I sent her to Rainbow Bridge a week ago and today I received her ashes in mail. Words cannot express the pain of losing two of my most faithful companions within weeks of one another. My family feels incomplete, my house empty.

For those of you who know anything about Mouse you know she may have been a little kitty (at her heaviest she was only 7 lbs), but she had a BIG attitude… and it is that attitude that I will miss most.

Rest in Peace Missy.

Mouse
Spring 1992-June 10, 2010

Today is the day before my 36th birthday. It’s also the day that I sent my beloved Scooter to join my precious Harley at Rainbow Bridge.

In January, Scooter was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) and Feline Hyperthyroidism. Both CRF and Hyperthyroidism are terminal (normally) age-related illnesses. Scooter would have been 15 years old this coming August.

Caring for Scooter during this stage of his life was probably one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Unlike Mouse, Scooter did not respond well to the hyperthyroid medication and we had a very difficult time stabilizing his CRF.

CRF is a horrible, wasting disease. When he wouldn’t eat even the most delectable things I offered, I watched my once 15 pound cat wither away to 5.3 pounds and I knew that I could not let him suffer any longer.

As I drove him to his final veterinary appointment this morning, I repeated these things to him:

You will not be sick anymore.
Soon you will see Harley again.

And I repeated these things to myself:

He won’t be sick anymore.
It’s right and it’s the humane thing to do.

And it was.

Rest in Peace My Love.

Scooter
August 1995-May 21, 2010

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they miss someone very special to them; who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. YOU have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Author Unknown

What more can I say? I failed the NaBloPoMo challenge after only four days. Although I could probably come up with a whole list of excuses as to why I haven’t posted since last Wednesday, I won’t list anything because if I have learned one thing during my almost six years of blogging, it is that I don’t have to apologize for my lack of posting. Besides, I am proud of myself because after months and months of little to no posting, I still managed to blog for four days in a row. Now with that said, I am also announcing that I am rededicating myself to NaBloPoMo in order to finish November strong and with the confidence I need to participate in Holidailies in December.

Directly before and for a week after my LASIK surgery, I was not allowed to wear make up.

Actually that’s not true: For two days before my surgery I could not wear liquid eyeliner or mascara. Some women need no mascara to make their eyelashes stand out, but for someone with blonde eyelashes, lack of mascara is like having no eyelashes at all. I knew there would be a period of no make up surrounding my surgery, but I was nevertheless mildly horrified when I found out I had to go without my mascara for two whole days beforehand.

It was one of my most repeated questions in the aftermath of post-op appointments: “When can I start wearing makeup again doctor?”

Overall, I am OK with wearing no make up. Unless I have somewhere to go I don’t wear it on the weekends and I don’t have a problem with people seeing me without it. In fact, I actually went through a period where I didn’t wear any make up at all. Therefore in some ways I found the absence of make up in the days following my surgery refreshing.

However, the thing that sent me running back to the mascara in the end was when a friend of mine said, “I wondered why you’d been looking so pale lately,” when I told her the doctor finally said I could wear make up again.

I am taking Early English Drama this semester and it’s finally time to start thinking about the research paper.

The prospectus is due on Monday, so today I started doing the research. I love to do research! (Hello, librarian anyone?) However, I was slightly disturbed to realize that I am actually more excited about gathering the materials and creating the bibliography than writing the actual research paper. Oh well…

I’ll admit this post isn’t long, but it’s late and I need to get to bed. I have to teach in the morning.