Ugh it's been a rough week, and also Christmas, and other things

My girlfriend and I have had a difficult week, because last Sunday her cat Sable had what we think was a stroke.



A few days before it happened, we noticed Sabey had been stumbling a little bit when she was walking. We thought she was stopping to scratch or something and tripping a bit. But then Sunday morning she could barely walk. She was stumbling around like she was drunk.

As bad as that was, she also had something called nystagmus, where her eyes were twitching back and forth and wouldn't stop. It was heartbreaking seeing her like that. I knew right away with the stumbling walk and her eyes that it was something brain related. Lots of crying.

We took her to an emergency vet and they gave her anti-nausea meds and some fluids, and sent us home to the tune of $800. Not even kidding. The next day we had an appointment with a neurologist, and we talked about an MRI. But first, because she's 16, they had to do an ultrasound of her heart and chest to be sure she could tolerate being anesthetized.

When the tests came back, the vet said her heart was enlarged, as were her kidneys, and there was something that didn't look right in her lymph nodes of her spleen. It looked like lymphoma. We were both understandably upset. More crying.

They wanted to do a biopsy (just a local numbing). When they did that, apparently the radiologist nicked a vein inside the spleen, causing a bleed. I asked the doctor who was helping us and she said it was uncommon...so they then wanted to hold her overnight at no charge to make sure the hematoma inside didn't get bigger. They basically fucked up and could have killed her. Even more crying.

Then it's late Tuesday afternoon when we go to pick her up. On Wednesday she threw up all day and twice overnight. We decided we would bring her in the next morning again. Thursday morning my girlfriend was supposed to fly home!

After about a 30 minute wait to get someone at Delta, she was *thankfully* able to change her flight to today, Sunday. We then brought Sabey back in Thursday morning.

The biopsy results showed no lymphoma, and earlier test results that said she had a high white blood cell count were wrong too! We asked for antibiotics, but because she had been puking they didn't want to give us any. It's also possible she may not have had a stroke, but may have a deep inner ear infection! We can't do an MRI to find out. She's simply too fragile.

So once again we got her an anti-nausea shot and fluids, and we came home. The neurologist has no idea what's wrong. The total thus far: close to $2500. The MRI? Was going to be $2000.

We've been hand-feeding her crunchies and getting her to drink from her Wonder Woman cup. No, really. For some reason she doesn't want her regular food, so we've been giving her whatever she will handle, which are crunchy cat snacks and a different food I got at the pet store. She usually eats Iams.

Other than the drunk walk (she tends to list to the left) she's herself. She wants pets and attention, and every time we go to the vet she's looking around and interested in what's happening. She seems a little fuzzy sight-wise close up, because she's always smelling our hands when we pet her.

Yesterday she had diarrhea and then threw up once, and although I've fed her 10-12 crunchies at a time a few times she hasn't pooped today. At least she's not puking. I hope she poops tomorrow. TI don't want to bring her in on Christmas. I can't imagine what the charge would be.

I have to keep an eye on her pretty much all day because she's unstable. She can jump up onto her spot on the bed okay, but she can't be trusted to get onto her spot on the back of the couch without help. I have to coax her to eat and drink, which is pretty much on a 2-hour schedule. She has slept through the night with my girlfriend though, so that's good.

Since my GF left today for NY, I'm home alone with her and my cat Butternut. I sleep with The B and my GF sleeps with Sabey, but tonight (and until my GF gets home) I'm going to sleep with Sabey just in case. The B is going to be put out no doubt.

On top of all this cat stress and my GF being gone and freaking Christmas, the fucking neighbors and their two monster toddler kids downstairs are making my life miserable. It's them banging and stomping around at 9 am on a Sunday, waking me up, screaming all day (like, literally, at the top of their lungs, ALL THE TIME) then it's him and his fucking AMATEUR RAPPING, I'm not kidding, with his fucking shit music blasting and right now it's 12:18 am and he is messing around with his equipment downstairs so he keeps blasting like test sounds from the speakers. JESUS H. CHRIST. This apartment is so nice and it's being ruined by these trash people. Come summer we're never going to be able to have the windows open because of all the screaming and the fucking dual smokers on the second floor. GOD. I have a feeling we're going to be moving again. We had to find this place in a weekend. We weren't picky. Next time I am outright asking who is living around me because moste days I can't stand it. When they're gone downstairs (which is rarely, I don't know if they have jobs!) it's heavenly.

I am hoping and praying they leave tomorrow for Christmas so I can have some peace and quiet. I can't stand these ghetto people. Please, Lord.

My mom did send me some presents this year, which is awesome. The adults stopped giving gifts years ago. Now we just buy for the kids, and I couldn't be happier with it. But it's a nice surprise for this year being alone and stuff that I have something to open.

Christmas is crummy this year, and I am depressed as hell. Nothing happening on the job front. I sent out resumes to 15, fifteen, temp agencies and heard back from one. Went in to fill out paperwork. That was 2 weeks ago. That one interview I had for the job that was similar to the job I ALREADY DID WHEN I GOT OUT OF COLLEGE? Second week of November. Nothing but a curt note from the HR lady after an email. This is the place that made me take the psych/personality test in which I was in the office for three fucking hours.

All in all, it makes for a very depressed and hopeless-feeling Rhyme. As soon as my GF gets back here on Thursday I need to go out and look for a retail job again. Now I'm a double failure! Two different states and no one wants me. *sigh*