Living the Good Life - mortgage free and living in line with our values

KajiKita

Hoping both you and Mr B&W slept well and are enjoying cuddles today.

KK

Baileys_Babe

You really have been through the wringer recently, wishing you and B&W cat well 🤗

EssexHebridean

Oh Vix that sounds like a horrible experience - can you imagine them proceeding with that sort of a procedure on a man without a working sedative in place if that is deemed as required?! Feeling suitable Grrrr on your behalf!

themadvix

Thank you all. SL, your post brought tears to my eyes. 🥲 We did, of course, have plenty of cuddles last night - both before bedtime and during the night (the reason the cats are usually locked out is because B&W cat is a fidget and loves to show his affection with licks in the night). I slept like a log (can I have a regular evening sedative please?!). Have sent a lengthy email to the vet this morning asking a lot of questions. Now stressed again as I don't really want the answers as they are likely not what I want to hear.

Am trying to work… and have (joy of joys) a call with a client and their client tomorrow evening - afternoon Pacific time… so likely not before 8pm on a Friday night, when I really do not want to be working. Plus, we're meant to be leaving for France for the day at 4 am on Saturday…

Am quite sore this morning too, which isn't helping - can't drink tea hot and chest is generally feeling a bit bruised. Soft foods and paracetamol are definitely the way forward today. Would quite like to curl up and ignore everyone but the cats and Mr MV (he definitely feels the same), but large vet bills require us to work. (There's still some of the insurance budget left, but it won't go far at the specialists and then there's the co-payments/excess to pay and the ongoing medication costs. We have at least received the first payout for his op at the regular vets.

EssexHebridean

Yes - the answers we don't want to hear are always the toughest aren't they, BUT the very fact that you've asked them in spite of that just underlines how determined you both are to do the right thing for B&W.

Treat yourself gently please - physically AND mentally.

QueenJess

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81998112#Comment_81998112

Ugh - this kind of thing makes me so angry. I have to take DH to the doctor's with me now to help advocate for myself.

On the plus side I find work distracting from life, so might give you some mental relief. I hope you feel better soon and make sure you enjoy those cat cuddles :)

themadvix

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81998112#Comment_81998112

Sorry EH, I missed this earlier. They would I think - it was an all-woman team so I think they were sympathetic and the sedative is optional for the procedure. I was given the option of them trying to get more in, but via yet another cannula and frankly that was an awful option as my hand was cold (from the low blood pressure that had contributed to the passing out) - they'd done their best, but it had involved a lot of digging around and pain, so I really didn't want that to continue. I had a lot of support during the procedure - including a hand to hold/grip. The worst bit for me, as always, is that I don't have my glasses, so feel very disorientated. (Not that I wanted to see during the procedure, but immediately up to and straight after is always preferable.)

themadvix

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81998335#Comment_81998335

Work can be distracting, but have been struggling with energy (and therefore focus) today - sedative has finally pretty much worn off. I've relocated myself and laptop to living room - both to be closer to him and because it's more comfortable.

themadvix

Morning all,

Throat is less sore and having eaten a proper meal last night, I am finally feeling a bit more human. Vet answered questions (at 10.30pm last night, bless him), and we have made a decision. It is the best option for B&W cat, but leaves us with uncertainty - which I am not happy about, but is the right thing for him. He won't be having surgery to remove a lymph node, which would give a firm diagnosis (but given we don't want to put him through chemo, would be unnecessary for his treatment), but rather we are starting him on steroids, which will treat both lymphoma if present and the inflammation if that's all it is. Further decisions will be made based on how he responds to treatment. Of course, he's only been sick once since Tuesday and that produced a large furball from where he was tidying up after all the shaving of his belly. And he's fine in himself… so I guess we'll be looking for less sickyness in general and maybe some weight gain (he's also been eating better since his visit to the vets…).

So we are in a period of uncertainty and playing things by ear. No idea what we'll do about holiday at this point. Of course, we booked very little with cancellable options 🙄 Pet insurance might pay out for some of it, but the wording is unclear and I think we'd have to make a decision at the latest 14 days before, which isn't actually that far away. So we might just play it by ear - and if it's not cancellable/claimable, accept we'll lose the money and not stress about it. The cost of the surgery to know whether we are looking at saying goodbye to him in the near term or not would have been more than we have spent, and we might then have been in the same position, so it wouldn't have helped (and having the surgery for that reason would not have been right). We may go, or not, or go for a shorter break… at the moment who knows (and this is where I am going to struggle the most). At the moment, however, B&W cat is well aside from the occasional sickness, and very much himself, so that's the important thing. Needless to say, we won't be booking the diary up with much for the foreseeable future.

With all that decided, we are going to France for the day tomorrow. Fortunately this doesn't involve much forward thinking - we have a rough plan, have told Mum and Sis what time we're picking them up and just need to grab passports/GHICs (have just renewed them as they would have expired before Denmark) and some shopping bags. Shopping list is very short as you still can't bring dairy or meat back 😏

In the meantime, I need to clear some things off my desk today (she says, noticing it's 10.50 and she's done very little so far, except go for a walk to the postbox!). So I'd better crack on. At least my brain is clearer now.

rtandon27

Always good to start the work day with a clear mind - it's now just after 11 and I've been doing the same since 9:30! So many loose ends to pay attention to by Friday.