Flying solo

Sun_Addict

Big hugs to you and CD Robin. Hope CD's eye turns out to be ok. She is such a faithful friend to you.

nannytomany

Hi Robin, have read some of your diary, you are so brave and hope everything works out well for you. I will be catching up with your diary but just wanted to let you know that you are much admired from afar.

*Robin*

Good morning Diary and MSE Friends, :hello:

Lucky your virtual hugs and bended ear mean more to me than you could possibly know.. :lovethoug
Sun.A, am just as grateful for your kind thoughts.. :lovethoug
Nanny - welcome to the Nest! Always lovely to meet new virtual friends; in your honour, today I can offer coffee and walnut cake to go with our cuppas. Let's sit on the terrace while it's still cool, enjoy the breeze and the birdsong.

Clever Dog is being very good about allowing me to treat her eye every six hours; inflammation and redness has reduced, but can't honestly say there has been any improvement in her sight (no blink-reaction at all, when an object [clean finger] is brought right up to the surface of the eye ).
Dear Vet wants to see CD again this evening; we'll see what she says (fingers crossed!). This visit is included in last week's fee, but am expecting another bill if she has asked a specialist to come along too (it's rare to be told to attend DV's clinic at a given time and she did mention wanting an expert opinion, which is why I think CD may be facing two white coats later today).

Luckily, end-of-month review shows a surprisingly large balance from June's budget still in a/c (discounting funds to pay eventual irrigation bill). Yay to one benefit of living in a field in the middle of nowhere, lol.

Yay to another - made m'self a batch of entirely homegrown gazpacho yesterday (well, bar the dry bread). Was maybe a tad heavy handed with the raw garlic - given that vampires are not a noted local problem :rotfl: - but otherwise it's yummy!

chevalier

So very sorry to hear about CD, that is such pants news.

As for DS2 I hate to say it, but his analysis that he isn't what now ex GF needs is probably the correct one. And to be honest I think he has had a lucky escape.....

Hope things settle down soon.
chev

please-let-me-be-lucky

Hope all went as well as it could at the vets Xx

satchmo1

I hope CD was treated with gentleness and respect at DV today, and that the outcome was positive? Virtual hugs and tummy tickles (you can decide who gets which) xx

*Robin*

Thanks for popping in, Chev, Lucky and Satchmo; wish I had better news to impart..

CD is in trouble. Unfortunately the lab failed to return all the tests Dear Vet wanted, also lost their records of the earlier results. DV was very apologetic, took more blood and said she'll do the most important tumour markers herself, to guarantee results tomorrow morning.
She hadn't called in the specialist today because he'll want to see a complete current screen and the previous reports. Luckily my copies were in CD's passport folder, so DV is going to call her chosen consultant tomorrow. He will come to DV's clinic rather than us going to his, for which am very grateful (his is too far away to drive a sick dog in the current heat).
The results that had come back showed up another problem as soon as DV compared them to the last tests: CD's liver function is badly impaired..
We were issued with a big box of pills which hopefully will help, although DV warned me that bribes will be required to get 'em into CD [three at a time] because apparently they taste foul.

Clever Dog carefully extracted [then rejected] the first batch of pills hidden inside lumps of cheese, but chose to be fooled when they were wrapped in slivers of finest smoked mountain ham.
:think: Am going to have to find an alternative; said ham costs almost 2€ per slice so I've only got a couple (bought to make a particular treat for someone we'll be visiting soon )!

CD accepted lots of huggles before stretching out to sleep on her favourite rug..

Spends: £40 on pills (inc two months' worth of arthritis meds). £52 on fuel.

Still no progress on new irrigation timer-valve.

mcculloch29

Hello Robin and CD, have been MIA following what was a bit of an inconvenience here. I hope you will accept loving huggles from me too, CD.
I do also hope you can find a reasonably priced tablet carrying alternative to smoked mountain ham, Robin. Something with a good deep savoury flavour, though I don't know what would be available.
CD is well-named - I used lumps of cheese or firm butter with my OE sheepdog and she was happy with those, it never occured to her to use bargaining power!
Will be thinking of you.

Brightspark87

Hi robin sounds like you have been having a tough time. Poor DS2, sometimes people don't understand what they are missing until its gone! I hope she recovers however, as having lost a friend in a similar way its the people left behind that often suffer the most.

As for CD poor her! Sounds tough. hows about some pate? my aunties dog always ate her tablets when coated in some yummy pate. (the stuff you can buy in a slice from the counter?) It may work for CD?

Hope you aren't too hot and the fires aren't too much. Terrible to think of those people suffering, having lost everything in a house fire I emphasise!

Take care Robin xx

*Robin*

Good morning Diary and dear MSE friends, :hello:

Thanks for popping in, Mcculloch and Sparky.

Mcculloch, sorry to read that you had strife on MSE (reading between the lines). Some posters can be - well, it's not a problem on the diaries board, but on a few of the others there are folk who appear to enjoy picking apart irrelevant details - guess you fell foul of one of those? It really knocks one's confidence in posting, so am very glad the experience didn't force you to abandon us (((hugs))).

Sparky, I had a long chat with DS2 last night; he has found himself a large room in a shared flat close to work. Moving was tricky because Ex-GF has been released from hospital and did not want him to leave, but he generously gave her enough money to cover the rent for the next couple of months, which calmed her down.
Given that Ex-GF chose this flat and signed the lease without him [his name not on it], plus her preferred method of arranging their mutual finances which saw every cent of DS' wages swallowed in rent while she paid for food and utilities, leaving him begging her for train fares and with nothing at all for personal spends - while she could afford new clothes / handbags / food treats regularly - did make me wonder?
Only time will tell whether Ex-GF realises how her behaviour affected DS; tbh I am glad he has withdrawn - he did his best, loved her, but couldn't help her, and his unhappiness was affecting his relationship with DGD (doesn't like to 'phone / skype with his daughter when he's down - understandably).
Luckily DS still had savings from the time they lived rent-free at DH's cottages.

The really important news of the day arrived late last night when Dear Vet 'phoned - she sounded utterly exhausted, but still remembered she'd promised to let me know about the other blood test results: Most important are the tumour markers - all negative!
Obviously that's great, but no celebratory smilies yet because it leaves us with a puzzle as to exactly what illness[es] CD is suffering from?
DV also said she's sent all CD's notes to the consultant, who is coming to her clinic to see CD early next week.
Meanwhile; keep taking the pills / drops..

Ah - found another sealed packet of [slightly less exalted] ham on the top shelf of the fridge - way above my sight-line so presumably Divo Four put it up there? It's been a while since he was here, so even though the stuff does keep for yonks am happy to donate it to CD - who says it tastes fine. So fine in fact, she's already got the idea that it's a twice daily munchie - last night and this morning she asked for her three little packets with enthusiastic woofs, lol!
Sparky, don't think pate would work for CD; too easy to lick off. She knows there are pills inside the ham, but it's such a rare treat she accepts the price.

Oh dear. Just heard the flying firemen's helicopters, somewhere over the mountain ridge - can't see 'em, or any smoke - yet. Glad Gardener stuck around long enough to cut back all the dry grass in the Nest's garden; makes me feel much safer (although not at highest risk anyway, being within the irrigated zone). It's the really wealthy people who built isolated villas high in the pine forests - with great views of Africa - who're most vulnerable.

Had a confusing call from the timber workshop yesterday; asking my choice about a word I didn't know the meaning of - sounded like viagra? Gold or black? Erm.. Was at the bottom of the garden at the time so no chance to reach for the dictionary. Turns out that I've chosen black hinges on my new door, which is fine - would have been colour of choice anyway if I'd understood what the chap was going on about. :rotfl: