~ Give Pause print by Kate Miss
I’ve been thinking a lot over the past weekend. And I am completely in agreement with Jena when she mentioned about how her August was fleeting. I think for clarity sake I’ll just list down what I’ve been doing recently:
- Processing and progressing on some copywriting projects (I am a freelance writer/editor for various publications)
- Collating, editing and arranging for the next Good to Know zine (entries are now closed, thank you!)
- Thinking and planning for new posts for Pikaland
- Cleaning the house – dusting, sweeping, mopping and tending to the crop of grass that never seems to stop growing.
- Jotting ideas and thinking on paper for the PikaPackage Project to solve some problems with it before progressing with it further. (I am still scared to bits about pushing the new idea forward, but it’s about 80% ready)
But one thing that was on my mind more than the above was my dog Bessie (see her picture here) whom I thought had a stroke because one side of her face went droopy on Monday and her eye seemed to flit backward and forward, and was not able to blink. We found out, after going to the vet and her going under some anesthesia, that she might have Horner’s syndrome. This was good news of course, because the vet said that it might be caused by a middle ear infection, so we’re treating that first and see how she is. She’s still active and normal, so it made me feel much better. (Horner’s syndrome is not life-threathening, but may be symptoms of an underlying condition that we need to watch out for.)
She was the first dog in our household, so it was understandable for me to be scared and upset about this. I had a few sleepless nights and some bouts of sudden crying when I thought about losing her (my imagination can run wild when I’m alone working in the house!) Nowadays I find myself paying more attention to her and Cookie (my other dog who is more mischievous) because I don’t want to regret if anything should happen to the both of them.
So, I’m taking a break this weekend to do some thinking and also to spend more time with my furry loves. And if you have that special someone (furry or otherwise) that you’d like to spend more time with, I’d suggest you do the same!
Thanks to everyone who showed their concern and also cheered me with their messages — I appreciate it tremendously. I’ll see you back on Monday.
I know exactly what it’s like to lose an animal that you love. As the days got harder and harder for my cat (the love of my life), I began to feel more and more sorry for myself… dreading the day when I’d have to take her to the vet. It was consuming me. Finally one day I stopped in the middle of a sob-fest and realized that she was still in my life and I needed to enjoy her as much as I could before she had to leave.
It was the best thing I ever did.
I have never poured out as much love as I did in those last few weeks and as painful as it was to watch her deteriorate, I am so thankful that the love I gave her made her pain a little bit easier. They certainly are family, aren’t they? 🙂
All the best to you and Bessie. xox
Such good news about Bessie! I’m so glad to hear that her condition is not life threatening.
What you wrote is so true. My mom is recovering from breast cancer, and when she was first diagnosed, I found myself re-prioritizing my life. Spending time with your loved ones while you still can is the most important thing.
Here’s hoping for Bessie’s speedy recovery!
I had to take a peek at Bessie’s picture, and she’s so gorgeous! As is Cookie. So glad to hear she’s going to be ok. I like happy endings for our furry friends…
My first little dog just turned 13. It’s so strange to think that realistically she won’t be around for too much longer. I remember when she was just a pup and I was only 12!
Still, life is so much better with 4-leggers in the family, isn’t it?