Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff

Arkandel · Feb 1, 2021, 5:57 PM

My oldest dog, Daphne, has gotten quite old. She's almost 17 now, which is hard to fathom since when we picked her up from the streets as a stray dog she was limping and didn't know whether she'd make it through the week.

In fact Daffy was always a runner and she managed to escape on a number of occasions (running beneath my feet while carrying groceries in, finding a couple of doors open in a row all the way to freedom, etc) so I always thought her end would be met much sooner underneath a truck or something.

But my badass bitch can't walk very well any more and lately she's had a couple of seizures within a few days. I've been more than happy to carry her in and out of the house since she can't handle stairs very well but it's getting to the point where a call needs to be made and I don't know quite how to process that.

Tributary · Feb 1, 2021, 6:35 PM

@arkandel My vet allowed me to schedule something for my little old man dog who had cancer. The vet prescribed him pain meds for palliative care. And it was super hard, but knowing that Saturday was coming for him gave me about a week to process that I was losing him. And I cried a lot, and my boss let me smuggle him into work, and my spouse had time to prepare to deal with what an emotional wreck I was.

And he ate basically nothing but donuts for a week, and he got time to visit with all of the veterinary nurses and techs he'd flirted with over the years. He went out happy and sugared up and cradled in my arms, after my very sweet vet offered a prayer before the injections. (I am not religious, but having someone offer to pray for me in a heartfelt manner is an emotional balm.) And I had time to save fluffs of his fur, arrange for a memorial pawprint, and decide on a pet cremation package.

It is much easier, I think, to deal with the emotional weight of that decision over several days -- knowing that you could say, "No, no, I cannot just yet," but that you won't. Because while your grief will linger, her pain will not.

I am so sorry that you're going through this and that you have to make this decision.

Arkandel · Feb 1, 2021, 6:41 PM

@tributary Thank you for that, I greatly appreciate it.

Ganymede · Feb 1, 2021, 7:15 PM

@arkandel

It sounds like Daffy's had a great life.

My cat did as well. When I learned about the absolutely-wretched suffering he was going to, I cried a lot because he had been suffering for months but still went out of his way to be the cuddliest lap kitten he could. But this is about you and your loved one.

The only advice I have is that choosing when the suffering ends is your greatest gift.

mietze · Feb 5, 2021, 4:00 AM

I dunno if this has been mentioned elsewhere but my teens still at home bought Ring Fit to play on the switch and are now super obsessed with it. So it might be a run way to get a little more exercise in if you typically don't. It does look super fun.

Cobalt · Mar 1, 2021, 4:30 PM

I have 6 hours of medical scans today. I have been up since 8:00 a.m. dealing with the DMV. I cannot eat or drink anything until probably after 5:00 this afternoon.

Macha · Mar 1, 2021, 4:54 PM

@cobalt Sending you invisible hugs and energy.

I have a drs appt on Weds. I NEED something for my ADHD, my exec. dysfunction is out of control, I need several other meds adjusted...

I'm just terrified I'm going to be stonewalled.

Sunny · Mar 1, 2021, 7:48 PM

Getting my vaccine in like 2 seconds. Anxiety has me in tears. Logic says this will be fine but the lizard brain is in full meltdown. Sigh.

Atomic · Mar 1, 2021, 7:51 PM

Unfortunately in my state, your job gets you vaccines, not your risk. It's almost like we're not even people.

Cobalt · Mar 1, 2021, 7:57 PM

That's the one good thing I have covid antibodies.

@Macha @Sunny big hugs

I'm finished with one test and now waiting for the next one. I'm going to go get a big juicy steak and take a fucking nap.

Sunny · Mar 1, 2021, 8:43 PM

Easier than the flu shot, at least.

Macha · Mar 1, 2021, 9:40 PM

Yeah, a friend of mine pinged me yesterday morning, telling me there's a bunch of appts in my town, and since I have the diabeetus, I should be able to get one.

Haha no. Nothing to be found.

Warma Sheen · Mar 1, 2021, 11:44 PM

@atomic said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

Unfortunately in my state, your job gets you vaccines, not your risk. It's almost like we're not even people.

It isn't that we're not people. But between who qualifies as an essential worker and who is most in need of the vaccine there's some definite value judgements at play that can only really be disruptive, especially considering the seriousness of everything going on and how different states answer the above questions for their citizens.

silverfox · Mar 2, 2021, 12:22 AM

@sunny

I was in tears before mine also.

Macha · Mar 2, 2021, 3:39 PM

I am scheduled for my first vaccine dose, later this week. Why am I nervous already?

mietze · Mar 4, 2021, 4:31 AM

I am getting my first dose of the Pfizer covid vaccine on Saturday evening (assuming they don't have a supply shortfall). I am happy about it but cannot stop bursting into tears every so often. Maybe I will stop dreaming of choking to death and being unable to breathe, a nightmare ive had since a work colleague died last March. And that has been intensifying over the last 3 months since my workplace has been making increasing shortcuts and risky practices because of corporate pressure to maximize children and minimize staff again to bring in the most $$$$$$$.

Also I have had 4 phone interviews and am going into an in person interview tomorrow with other jobs expressing interest so maybe I will get out of the stressful and dangerous (on a few levels not just covid) situation soon.

Thank goodness and Biden that for once ECE/licensed childcare is not left in the dust and is prioritized alongside k-12.

Misadventure · Mar 4, 2021, 5:16 AM

My wife says the reaction to the second shot is definitely stronger. She took two days, and had antinausea and antipain meds.

Now she's a lot safer, and so are her patients.

Macha · Mar 4, 2021, 6:11 AM

Well, due to a complete fuckup with no communication in another area of my life, I had to cancel my appointment.

Yay. /S

Warma Sheen · Mar 4, 2021, 6:24 AM

@mietze said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

Thank goodness and Biden that for once ECE/licensed childcare is not left in the dust and is prioritized alongside k-12.

One positive from COVID times: people could no longer ignore how absolutely vital childcare is.

@misadventure said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

My wife says the reaction to the second shot is definitely stronger. She took two days, and had antinausea and antipain meds.

I have heard this from quite a few people now. I had my 2nd shot rescheduled for the 2nd time because of a lack of supply. They say its fine to go longer than the initial 28 day waiting period, but my 2nd was supposed to be on March 1st. Now I'm not sure if I should take this new highly inconvenient reschedule time or wait to reschedule a 3rd time for an appointment more convenient for me - especially considering I might end up sick for 2 days.

Decisions, decisions.

tek · Mar 5, 2021, 4:03 AM

I'm just here crying because of medical fatphobia and afraid I might lose my ovaries to endometriosis that could have been treated ten years ago if I had received the sort of medical care a thin person would receive.

I also had to live with blinding nerve pain for twenty years because doctors thought I just needed to lose weight. Turns out I had EIGHT rare nerve tumors.

I'm fucking sick of having to be my own fucking doctor and fighting tooth and nail for baseline health care and dignity.