Sick kitty

Guess I can cross another item off the bucket list. I didn’t realize this experience was even on the list, and it was definitely a first for me.

One of our kitties is sick. A few weeks ago, I noticed Midget, the smaller of the two upstairs cats, looked thinner than usual. She’s always been a small cat so she can’t really afford to lose much weight to begin with. I began watching her and found out she would eat a couple bites of her food and then walk away. Her sister, Bridget, was more than happy to finish off her meal so I always saw empty bowls and never thought much more about it. But, when I thought about it, it occurred to me she had been reclusive and non-interactive as well.

I felt this warranted a trip to the vet. Weigh-in showed she had lost 2 pounds and was dehydrated! That’s not good. 😦

Multiple scenarios were presented as to the reasons for her behavior changes…all of them very expensive. After two office visits, blood work, two rounds of IV fluid injections and some pain meds, the vet’s best guess was there was some sort of infection in her lungs…cause unknown. We could hospitalize her and they would continue to give her daily IV fluids, pain meds and observe her for a few days or…………………….

We could do it at home.

Whaaaaaat? I think my face must have shown my reluctance and panic because she quickly assured me it wasn’t that difficult to give subcuticular IV fluids to a cat. I had serious doubts. But I took the fluid bag and a bag of needles home, along with the pain meds and an antibiotic.

For the next two days, I stressed about attempting this procedure. Then, I couldn’t remember the demonstration the vet gave me in the office. So, I consulted an expert source, YouTube. And sure enough, there was a wonderful video on how to do it.

The fluid bag hangs in the laundry room. Midget is instantly suspicious. I’m still anxious.

I take out of the needles and try to wrap my head around what I’m about to do, all the time thinking there’s a good reason why I didn’t pursue a career in veterinary medicine….and this might be top of the list.

Google suggests I practice inserting the needle in an orange. So I grab a orange and follow the instructions.

And it’s not so bad…..but it’s not actual skin so I’m still doubting I can even do this on something with a heartbeat. Finally, it’s obvious this cannot be put if off any longer. I attach a new, clean needle and beg Entrepreneur to help me. To my surprise, he agrees. He has some background in surgical procedures but hates cats so I’m a bit suspicious on exactly how much help he will be.

In the end, I mustered up enough courage to actually insert the needle into the scruff and her neck (per the YouTube demonstration) and the fluids start to flow. Midget is amazingly tolerant of my inexperience and I know she feels my anxiousness. But both of us survive and she doesn’t seem traumatized. As of this post, I’ve given her 6 treatments and, together with the antibiotics, she seems better. And, she is still speaking to me.

And it occurs to me that way back in January, I chose a word for 2015. That word was fearless. The word was chosen because of life’s uncertainty with Entrepreneur’s kidney cancer diagnosis. Seems silly to attribute that big word to this scenario, but the fact is that I did have to overcome a bit of fear and trust that I could do this.

So many times we avoid situations because of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of making mistakes. Fear of what others will think. Fear of confrontation. Whatever it is and whatever the reason, sooner or later we all must face our fears. And then make the decision to conquer or run from it.

Fear is nothing more than the perception of a situation. Danger is real….fear is a feeling. For sure, there are dangerous situations and being fearful is justified. But many times how our mind perceived a challenging situation can be very powerful in what actions we take. When fear confronts us, we need to analyze why we are afraid. We need to set our emotions aside and be completely honest with ourselves before we can accurately assess the situation. Once that assessment is made, we need to objectively assess the perception of ourselves and decide if we believe we can move forward, past the fear, and accomplish what needs to be done. It’s easier to take risks when you completely believe in yourself. Doubt yourself and you’ll never take any steps forward.

Fear:  False Evidence Appearing Real.
~Author Unknown

Nothing in life is to be feared.  It is only to be understood.
~Marie Curie

Linking up this week with Lisa over at Life Through the Lens