I’m a doggy enabler
Rutger is doing better, but now he’s afraid to walk on the hardwood floors, or the kitchen linoleum because of his recent dizzy spells. I laid one of my yoga mats from the kitchen door to his food and water dishes, and another one to stretch from the area rug in the living room to the hall. He crosses them with the same trepidation one might cross a rickety rope bridge, and at the half-way point, he busts into a sprint as if the bridge is falling. Of course, this sprinting action is what causes him to fall, but try as I might to explain this to him, he persists.
I made matters worse the other night by sticking my hand out when he was toppling over as he approached me on the couch. My finger poked his eye and by yesterday, I could see he was having some discomfort. The eye looked like I had scratched his cornea (sigh.)
So I boiled some water and a glass pipette and when it cooled down, I rinsed his eye.
So, for a change, I’m not the one that’s sick and I’m worried about—which is a sort of change, but I hate seeing anyone I love, even if it is just a dog, suffering.
I went to go see Dr. F yesterday, and she said my skin looked very good (despite looking kinda cruddy) and to keep using the A&D ointment for another week or so, until the color returned to normal (and it doesn’t look like a bad sunburn.) Then to switch back to the other (lower lanolin content) lotions she had given me. She also told me to hold off on taking the tamoxifen for another week or so, to give my skin a chance to heal. For some odd reason, the tamoxifen causes the irradiated area to re-burn. It gets red and painful and swollen as if you were undergoing treatment. Yikes.
Holding off won’t be a problem; I’m not looking forward to taking it for five years, and enduring hotflashes and weight gain…essentially putting myself in a chemically induced menopause.
Today I’m trying to study. I have these DVD critical care lessons that I got when I was working, in hopes of filling in the gaps from what I wasn’t getting at my puny ICU. Right now, motivation is my worst enemy…I can’t seem to put my head into the studies for whatever reason…maybe because I never could study at home. I used to pack my bag and head to the local or school library for half a day when I was in school here. There are too many distractions at home.
Like a dog, that needs nursing (eye-roll!)
Anyway—I hope you guys are all well! Much love :)
