A day to be thankful - even if it weren't Thanksgiving
Tucker came home yesterday. He's got a chicken butt from where they shaved him and a two inch scar on his belly where they had to insert a catheter into his bladder but he's beyond happy to be home. He's following me around the house and giving me his happy, chirpy meow. And this is before he's had his pain medicine. One thing I had to give enormous thanks for is that the only medicine he has to take is the pain stick. The doctor sent him home with two bottles of liquid Clavamox but Tucker and oral antibiotics (pill or liquid) don't go together. When Tucker had his first surgery, his regular vet suggested a two week antibiotic shot. It's a little more expensive than the liquid or pill but to not have to put your already traumatized pet through the misery of taking oral medication is worth any cost. So on the way home from the vet hospital, I called the regular vet and asked about the shot (vet hospital didn't have it). Vet had it and they were on my way home. Quick stop in, Tucker got the shot, boom that was done and I have to say, I was feeling very pleased that it all worked out so well. Yesterday, it was easy to tell he was in some pain, especially around the time he was due for the next pain stick. But after the shot he slept most of the day and night. Unfortunately, it meant he was restless most of the night. The other good thing for him is that he's got a soft e-collar instead of that awful hard collar. With the soft one, I can fold it down instead of up so it's not in his way so much but he still can't get to his sutures. So, little lion man is doing well and I'm happy he's home and hopefully, on his way to no more problems.
John gets to go home today. I called my mom's cell and John actually answered. He sounds a lot better than he did when I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago. We spoke for just a few seconds before he handed off the phone to my mom and when she got on, she sounded surprisingly upbeat. Apparently, he was scheduled for a biopsy tomorrow but they can't do it because he's on aspirin and plavix. So he gets to go home for about a week. Then they will do a biopsy and once they know what kind of cancer it is, they'll know how to go from there. If it's one kind, they feel confident they can treat it with cancer so as weird as it sounds, we're all hoping it's that kind of cancer. He's on steroids right now and that's reducing the swelling on his brain, which was causing his inability to talk and eat. Also, the doctor took John's youngest son, also an alcoholic, and told him that under no circumstances should he give his father alcohol. Apparently, that has been an issue with John trying to stop. I hope whatever the doctor said to Matt put the fear of God into him too because he's heading down the same path as his dad.
So, today I have a lot to be thankful for. I have some pretty great, supportive friends. Tucker is on the mend, the other two are safe and healthy, and I am loved by all of them. John gets to spend Thanksgiving at home with my mom and seems to be doing better, despite what lies ahead for him. My aunt is healthy and as always, there for my mom and the family. I have a wonderful next door neighbor who brought me a container of her excellent potato salad. We (my dad, stepmother and I) are going to the Inn at Kelly's Ford for Thanksgiving so it's over the river and through the woods and somebody else cooks (this one makes my stepmother happy).
To all of you out there, Happy Thanksgiving! Or Happy Thursday if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving!
John gets to go home today. I called my mom's cell and John actually answered. He sounds a lot better than he did when I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago. We spoke for just a few seconds before he handed off the phone to my mom and when she got on, she sounded surprisingly upbeat. Apparently, he was scheduled for a biopsy tomorrow but they can't do it because he's on aspirin and plavix. So he gets to go home for about a week. Then they will do a biopsy and once they know what kind of cancer it is, they'll know how to go from there. If it's one kind, they feel confident they can treat it with cancer so as weird as it sounds, we're all hoping it's that kind of cancer. He's on steroids right now and that's reducing the swelling on his brain, which was causing his inability to talk and eat. Also, the doctor took John's youngest son, also an alcoholic, and told him that under no circumstances should he give his father alcohol. Apparently, that has been an issue with John trying to stop. I hope whatever the doctor said to Matt put the fear of God into him too because he's heading down the same path as his dad.
So, today I have a lot to be thankful for. I have some pretty great, supportive friends. Tucker is on the mend, the other two are safe and healthy, and I am loved by all of them. John gets to spend Thanksgiving at home with my mom and seems to be doing better, despite what lies ahead for him. My aunt is healthy and as always, there for my mom and the family. I have a wonderful next door neighbor who brought me a container of her excellent potato salad. We (my dad, stepmother and I) are going to the Inn at Kelly's Ford for Thanksgiving so it's over the river and through the woods and somebody else cooks (this one makes my stepmother happy).
To all of you out there, Happy Thanksgiving! Or Happy Thursday if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving!