FA+
Shop
RL Crisis
4 years ago
Hello Readers,
I wanted to commit to at least a weekly posting schedule, but very recently (within the last 48 hours) I began to face a very personal RL crisis. My dog Charlie, best friend for 13 years, suddenly became lame in his rear legs (partial paralysis) and now he's unable to walk on his own. It happened literally overnight without warning. Since then I've faced a frantic and frustrating series of appointments and phone calls trying and largely failing to get care for my furry friend.
It's been impossible to see my regular veterinarian because they are booked solid for a month in advance. I've been relying on emergency services for the most part which costs premium, and due to the nature of his injury/symptoms, there doesn't seem to be much they can tell me with just the basic bloodwork and x-rays. They wanted to do an MRI, but I simply cannot afford the $5000 cost! (seriously, fuck healthcare costs, for people and animals!). So, I'm left with a largely inconclusive prognosis and a lot of unhelpful shrugs from the vets I've spoken to. With Charlie's advanced age, there is a very good chance, even a probable one that this is something that he's just not going to be able to recover from.
Even knowing that I was lucky to have him this long and in relatively good health up until a day or so ago, this has been hard for me. The uncertainty of knowing when the "right time" has come given factors such as his age, his mobility, and his quality of life (and my quality of life!), has been really hard. The decision itself would have been far easier with something like an incurable brain tumor even if it wouldn't have made me any happier.
This is still an evolving situation for me and I don't know if it will be resolved (one way or another) a week from now or months from now. It's always tough facing the immediate prospect of losing a favored pet of many years, even if you try to steel yourself for it ahead of time. This might be Charlie's time or it might not be. I only know that I can reflect on the past year we've spent together, probably the best year of his life considering that I used to need to leave him alone for 10 hours a day, and know that I did right by him in every way I could.
I wanted to commit to at least a weekly posting schedule, but very recently (within the last 48 hours) I began to face a very personal RL crisis. My dog Charlie, best friend for 13 years, suddenly became lame in his rear legs (partial paralysis) and now he's unable to walk on his own. It happened literally overnight without warning. Since then I've faced a frantic and frustrating series of appointments and phone calls trying and largely failing to get care for my furry friend.
It's been impossible to see my regular veterinarian because they are booked solid for a month in advance. I've been relying on emergency services for the most part which costs premium, and due to the nature of his injury/symptoms, there doesn't seem to be much they can tell me with just the basic bloodwork and x-rays. They wanted to do an MRI, but I simply cannot afford the $5000 cost! (seriously, fuck healthcare costs, for people and animals!). So, I'm left with a largely inconclusive prognosis and a lot of unhelpful shrugs from the vets I've spoken to. With Charlie's advanced age, there is a very good chance, even a probable one that this is something that he's just not going to be able to recover from.
Even knowing that I was lucky to have him this long and in relatively good health up until a day or so ago, this has been hard for me. The uncertainty of knowing when the "right time" has come given factors such as his age, his mobility, and his quality of life (and my quality of life!), has been really hard. The decision itself would have been far easier with something like an incurable brain tumor even if it wouldn't have made me any happier.
This is still an evolving situation for me and I don't know if it will be resolved (one way or another) a week from now or months from now. It's always tough facing the immediate prospect of losing a favored pet of many years, even if you try to steel yourself for it ahead of time. This might be Charlie's time or it might not be. I only know that I can reflect on the past year we've spent together, probably the best year of his life considering that I used to need to leave him alone for 10 hours a day, and know that I did right by him in every way I could.
Not a dedicated reader, just here to say I'm sorry for your friend's condition, and I hope both his and your life will return to normal soon, preferably with Charlie fully healed.
Thank you for being there for your friend, and for caring so much!