Who ever came up with the saying...What Doesn't Kill Us, Only Makes Us Stronger......didn't know what the hell he/she was talking about....
Because the events of this past week have reduced me to a mere puddle.
It wasn't enough that I have to deal with the emotional and physical stress of my mom's cancer,and my stay with her in the hospital...... Ohhhhhh Nooooooooo.
Sunday when I came home for a bit I found my pet Iguana of 9 yrs.... Socrates... on the bottom of his cage not responding to me, and was stone cold. I picked him up, and held him in my arms. He was so cold, so lifeless. Kat helped me position his lights, and got the portable heater to help with the warming. I held him to give him my body warmth under the lights....He began to respond a bit so I tried to feed him again.... I sprayed him down with warm water...I tried to get him to open his mouth so I could spray water in his mouth....but he just wouldn't. I repositioned his lights so hopefully he would stay warm through the night....I did what I could for the moment...The vet wouldn't be open till tomorrow....and I had to get back to the hospital, to my mom.
Around 7 am Monday morning I got a call from Kat all upset, and in the middle of an asthma attack.....She woke up to Socrates violently thrashing himself around his cage.....And was now belly up on the ground. She said he was dead.
I began to go into panic attack mode, and did not have anything with me to take for that....I went to the nurses station and between breaths tried to tell them what was happening. This really kind nurse named Jennifer took me into an empty room and talked me down.
By the way.... I would like to give SUPER PROPS and Muchas Thank Yous to the entire staff, especially the Nurses, on the 7th floor at Bridgeport Hospital in CT. I just happend to be on that floor for my stay a few weeks ago... right around the corner from my mom's room. Everyone was so kind and gentle and attentive to our needs with all of us involved in our stays there.
OK back to Socrates....When I got home he opened his eyes for me when I picked him up...He had no fight in in him whatsoever. So we rushed him to the vet. His prognosis was not good at all. He had become severely dehydrated and stone cold. His organs had begun to shut down, and his body had gone into shock....it was too late.....I had to make such a hard and sad decision to put him down right there and then. They let me say my goodbyes with him and, we stayed with him for the first injection until his eyes closed, and he went into a deep sleep. There were other injections that they had to give him because reptiles have such a slow metabolism. I didn't want to be there for that. I made arrangements for him to be cremated and will have his ashes in an urn......I know.....a little kooky.....but I LOVED the heck out of my little dragon!
Over the summer my dad and brother John built this great encloser for Socrates and we keep it in the kitchen....I keep going in there looking for and talking to him out of habbit.....and then of course start crying realizing that he is not there.....
It is just a horrible constant reminder and I want it out of here!
Kat and others say keep it....That I might want another reptile soon.. . But between taking care of myself and trying to heal properly from my surgery.....and soon to be really taking care of my mom..It just wouldn't be fair to a new pet at all... :)~
Because the events of this past week have reduced me to a mere puddle.
It wasn't enough that I have to deal with the emotional and physical stress of my mom's cancer,and my stay with her in the hospital...... Ohhhhhh Nooooooooo.
Sunday when I came home for a bit I found my pet Iguana of 9 yrs.... Socrates... on the bottom of his cage not responding to me, and was stone cold. I picked him up, and held him in my arms. He was so cold, so lifeless. Kat helped me position his lights, and got the portable heater to help with the warming. I held him to give him my body warmth under the lights....He began to respond a bit so I tried to feed him again.... I sprayed him down with warm water...I tried to get him to open his mouth so I could spray water in his mouth....but he just wouldn't. I repositioned his lights so hopefully he would stay warm through the night....I did what I could for the moment...The vet wouldn't be open till tomorrow....and I had to get back to the hospital, to my mom.
Around 7 am Monday morning I got a call from Kat all upset, and in the middle of an asthma attack.....She woke up to Socrates violently thrashing himself around his cage.....And was now belly up on the ground. She said he was dead.
I began to go into panic attack mode, and did not have anything with me to take for that....I went to the nurses station and between breaths tried to tell them what was happening. This really kind nurse named Jennifer took me into an empty room and talked me down.
By the way.... I would like to give SUPER PROPS and Muchas Thank Yous to the entire staff, especially the Nurses, on the 7th floor at Bridgeport Hospital in CT. I just happend to be on that floor for my stay a few weeks ago... right around the corner from my mom's room. Everyone was so kind and gentle and attentive to our needs with all of us involved in our stays there.
OK back to Socrates....When I got home he opened his eyes for me when I picked him up...He had no fight in in him whatsoever. So we rushed him to the vet. His prognosis was not good at all. He had become severely dehydrated and stone cold. His organs had begun to shut down, and his body had gone into shock....it was too late.....I had to make such a hard and sad decision to put him down right there and then. They let me say my goodbyes with him and, we stayed with him for the first injection until his eyes closed, and he went into a deep sleep. There were other injections that they had to give him because reptiles have such a slow metabolism. I didn't want to be there for that. I made arrangements for him to be cremated and will have his ashes in an urn......I know.....a little kooky.....but I LOVED the heck out of my little dragon!
Over the summer my dad and brother John built this great encloser for Socrates and we keep it in the kitchen....I keep going in there looking for and talking to him out of habbit.....and then of course start crying realizing that he is not there.....
It is just a horrible constant reminder and I want it out of here!
Kat and others say keep it....That I might want another reptile soon.. . But between taking care of myself and trying to heal properly from my surgery.....and soon to be really taking care of my mom..It just wouldn't be fair to a new pet at all... :)~
They say things come in 3s
1. My surgery
2. My mom's cancer
3. Socrates death
There damn it!!!... that's three.....Leave me the hell alone for a good long while!
It's time for some good JuJu already!!!... :)~
Sorry for such sad posts lately......but that's what's honestly going on in my life and this is one of my few outlets...
Peace Outie.....TMC
