oopsie

I haven't written in almost 5 months! Ooooooh basically I'm just letting everyone know I'm going to make a 365 days blog for 2014 located here. Obviously I won't be posting in it until next year.

Updates since April? I passed my 3rd semester, on my way to passing my 4th. One more semester to go and I'll be graduated, taking the VTNE, and I will become a Registered Veterinary Technician, go meeee.

I moved into an apartment in June with Alex, whom I am still happily dating even after that mess with Arthur. He's too good to me.

I quit my job at U-Swirl. Far too much schoolwork, I wouldn't be able to get anything done! I do occasionally visit, much more than I do with Krispy Kreme because that'd be awkward.

In September is where the heartbreak begins. My dog and my best friend, Angelo, passed away on September 28th. Even after all the bad things that have happened to me this year, that was the worst day of my life. He is my baby, I've had him since he was 6 months old. He was the one who inspired me to study veterinary sciences. I have never lost anyone so close to me, it is the worst heartache in the world. He lived a full cocker spaniel's life at 12 years old. It started out with his hypothyroidism which was diagnosed February 2011, causing him to gain weight and become lethargic. Even with levothyroxine and his thyroid levels remaining steady, his condition worsened over the next year. It was non-stop pills. Bladder infections, regurgitating, diarrhea. It was a mess. Once I came up with enough money to pay for tests and radiographs, he was diagnosed with pancreatitis, liver disease, clostridium (he was defecating straight up blood), and he still had an ongoing urinary tract infection even after all the clavamox. Toward the end he stopped eating on his own, and it got to the point where hand feeding didn't even work. I realized fighting his illnesses was hopeless. His body was shutting down. He was miserable. I finally made the decision with the help of my instructors, friends, family, and other technicians to let him go.

Angelo 1 week prior to being euthanized

It's been two months now and I still think about him every single day. I miss him so much. I don't regret what I did because keeping him here was only hurting him. I don't believe in God or Heaven, but it brings me peace knowing that he's still part of this wonderful world that created him.

However, it hasn't been too quiet for long. There's been a new and unexpected addition to this already crowded apartment.

Shortly before Angelo passed, four kittens were born on September 26th at an animal shelter. Their names were Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, and Toad. The mother rejected them. When a mother rejects her newborns, the kittens don't get any colostrum, which is extremely vital for their health. Colostrum provides antibodies to build up their immune systems. So, because these kittens didn't get any of that, I assisted in giving them serum injections! I had the privilege of doing clinical placement hours at the clinic that provides veterinary services to this rescue group, so I assisted in drawing blood from donor cats, spinning the tubes, and injecting the kittens with serum.

Unfortunately, Princess Peach died within two days, but the other three are alive and healthy and have all been adopted. We later found out Mario was a girl and renamed her Princess Daisy.

Along with the injections, they've been bottle fed byyyyyy ME! Okay, all neonates do is eat sleep and get stimulated to poop and pee, so for the first 3 weeks that's all they did. They need all that done every HOUR. It is exhausting. It's like human babies except not as bad, even with more of them. Honestly, three meowing kittens is a much more pleasant noise than one crying human thing. So I've had some help. I have school, let's get real. My teacher had them on the weekdays while I had school and clinicals to deal with, and my friend Mikaela took them every other weekend. It's been an adventure, and probably the best distraction I could have asked for after losing Angelo.

Toad, Luigi, & Daisy at 5 weeks

Now they are 8 weeks old. Luigi and Daisy are both being adopted by the same people as a Christmas present for a friend's niece (I usually disapprove of pets being given as Christmas presents, especially two of them, but this is a special case and the parents are well aware) and Toad is already adopted by ME! HAHAHahHA. He always did his own thing on the side while Luigi and Daisy played with each other, so he hasn't complained about being separated from them one bit. Plus, Zelda has been enough company.

Toad at 7 weeks :-)

I'm happy about my life right now, although most of the time I don't feel like myself, or I don't like myself. I mostly just think the stress is getting to me.

xoxo

Angie