blah...blah...blah... Ginger!

I know, I was missing in action again. I was really in action though, I’ve had a lot on my plate this last week or so. So, here’s an update.

Raui is fine, it’s like nothing ever happened. She is full of energy, always hungry, always on the move and as loud as she ever was.

The Dodwell’s have been in Canada for the last 3 weeks and I had their 2 dogs and Barney the cat here. That’s most of what has kept me busy, shoveling food in one end and picking up what comes out the other for 5 dogs and 3 cats.

Barney at the vet

Then, last Sunday when I called Barney for breakfast he came but he just stood over his plate with sheets of drool coming out and wouldn’t eat. Other than drooling like Niagra, he seemed fine and he seemed like he was very hungry. I finally got him to eat some warm chicken and broth and decided not to call Dr Tony on his off time yet again. Monday morning it was back to the vet.

It was a scary week, Barney’s mouth and throat were full of sores and no one knows why. Whatever started it, it is a syndrome and one thing contributes to the other so it is hard to tell where it began. He’s not much of a plant eater but any plant he might have chewed on he would have chewed on sometime in the last year to no effect. There aren’t any caustic chemicals out and about, there are some in the bodega but I’ve never seen him in there and nothing was open. He could have tried to eat a centipede and gotten stung in his mouth. He could have eaten a poisonous frog. Something else could have stung him and caused a reaction.

So, he spent 5 days in the vet on IV fluids, prednisone, antibiotics, and pain meds. He got better but it was not a sure thing that he would. I was afraid for him and miserable that he got this while in my care. Did I mention that Barney was born in England, lived in Canada for 7 years and now in Mexico for 1 year? He’s about 17 years old. Just knocking him out to check his mouth was dangerous but I had a long talk with him before they put him out and told him he had to just keep breathin’ and beatin’ and his mom would be back soon. He listened to me.

So, I was visiting Barney every day, cleaning up poop, dishing out food, plus I managed to go to a couple of parties and see some friends and get the brakes on the jeep done. I brought Barney home on Saturday, he is eating and looks great. He’s still on the meds and he still drools a little but after I gave him a bit of a spit bath he was ready to greet Paula when she arrived Sunday night.

Barney waiting for Paula

In fact, he looked like nothing had happened. Which is how Raui looks now too. I’m starting to worry that my friends will think I have that Munchausen by Proxy thing.

That link just cost me an hour as I fell down the wiki hole. Did you know there is a syndrome called Munchausen by Internet? Of all the things that the internet is and has brought the greatest daily impact has to be that spiral of clicks that leads you ever farther from your original question and into stranger and stranger lands.

This whole post is starting to sound neurotic even to me, but wait… there’s more. A few days ago my ears started ringing really loud. It’s quite irritating, it sounds like thousands of eunuch crickets bemoaning their fate inside your head. It is worse when it is quiet so going to sleep was difficult and driving in the car I would keep the windows down so the traffic noise distracted me from it. Then I got a couple of nosebleeds and then… I googled!

That brought me to a mad hunt for my blood pressure machine and then an even madder hunt for 2 AAA batteries that still worked. Of course I was all freaked out by then and yes, my blood pressure was high. It was in the not good range on the little card that came with the blood pressure gadget. So, I worried and I took it again and again and it got worse. I somehow survived the night and went to the cardiologist today. I took my little machine that remembers all the test scores and showed my erratic gazillion blood pressure tests to the doctor. He had me take it again with my machine right there. It was a little better. I have to admit that I got to the appointment early and I happily waited over an hour because sitting there in Star Medica hospital was the safest I’d felt since google.

I love this doctor, for a lot of reasons but today the main one was that he is CALM. He gave me an EKG and my heart is fine. Then he took my BP with his machine and it was normal. He said I do have high blood pressure, he doesn’t think my machine is wonky which was my first and happiest guess. He gave me pills to take for 2 weeks to see what happens, gave me homework to take my BP and write it down with the time twice a day, and best of all he gave me pills for the ringing in my ears. I really, really hope those pills work. Oh, and he gave me pills for stress and anxiety too. I guess he’s been reading my blog.

So, although earlier I had mentally progressed to being an angelic witness to the wailing grief of my friends and family, I ended up still having to run all the errands on my to do list for the day. I find I am looking forward to the happy pill prescription.

me, just chillin'