I’ve had a bad week. We’ve all had them. Most of mine was pet-related. In the beginning of the week, I made several trips to and from the veterinarian and the pharmacy trying to find a medicine for my dog for his allergies and coughing. 

The medicine was back-ordered and I called the original company that patented the drug, I called manufacturers, I called distributors… that’s just how I am. I rarely take no for an answer (just ask Steve how I got this job) and at the very least, I try to get answers to questions.

So after about 20 phone calls (okay, it was 19), I finally found someone who knew something. She said there was a quality issue with the drug I was looking for and to call her direct line in two weeks to see if she knew more. It’s funny how when you tell someone you’re calling about a sick pet, they are eager to help you.

So I got a back-up pill from the veterinarian but when I researched it, the information said it was not good for older dogs and dogs with seizure histories (he is both). 

So my dog is currently on zero cough meds right now – only because his coughing has subsided in the past few weeks after my husband started showering when he gets home. We think the dog might be having issues with a cleaner my husband uses (he’s a custodian). It looks like my dog has coughing fits about two times a night with or without the medicine so I’ll continue to monitor him and take notes.

My poor 16-year-old dog also has tumors all over his body, some not in very nice places so I’m on constant watch for infections and problems with that. I thought that he would be my “project” at home this weekend but it turned out that my cat was the one who needed my attention.

I got up on Saturday morning to a screaming 11-year-old cat, not something I am used to hearing. After accessing the situation, I decided to take him to the veterinarian E.R. In the process of frantically getting dressed and collecting things needed for the trip, I rounded a corner too fast and rolled my ankle.

The pain didn’t deter me as I had to get him to the doctor. He was treated for his acute problem and lab work was done that showed a chronic problem that would have to be treated for the rest of his life – hyperthyroidism, a very common problem with older cats. 

He also got an enema for his acute issue, poor thing, which let to him being ticked off for the rest of the day and hiding in dark places. After tracking him down, I finally got him to eat a little bit by the end of the day.

This morning, I woke up and heard a weird yowl sound. I’m not sure if it was my cat or dog – but I’m thinking it was probably the dog as he was walking weird, fell off the dog ramp and was walking around in circles outside – this means he most likely had a seizure in the early morning. It has been about seven months since he had a seizure due to his seizure medication working but you just never know what’s going to happen when you have pets.

As I type this, everyone seems to be napping and I am hoping for a better day for everyone. I turned on the AC for them since it’s already muggy and it’s not even noon. My ankle is about 10% better than yesterday so that’s something positive.

All of this happened during a week when I was already agitated. It was one of those weeks where everyone is in your way when you’re driving and nothing you do seems to be easy. 

And I was also depressed and angry because of what is happening in Afghanistan and the Americans trapped there. 

Being an animal lover, in addition to al of the people trapped in Afghanistan, I also am worried about the animal rescuers and the shelter pets who can’t get out, the animals in harms way out west near the fires and the status of one of my favorite animal rescue groups in New Orleans that in the path of the hurricane.

On Saturday, I had decided to take a news vacation because I just didn’t want to know what was going on anymore. But my own pet issues made that happen as well – I had more important things to tend to.

I thought about the Serenity Prayer yesterday, which I have heard a lot in my life. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. I guess that was what I was doing on Saturday even though I have a hard time accepting that there are things that I can’t change. Trying to adhere to this prayer is a work in progress for me.

What struck me the most though as I was sitting outside of the veterinarian with an ice pack on my ankle (curb side service) was how lucky I was. 

Even though I had to wait to get my cat in to see the doctor, I was still able to get him looked at and taken care of. 

I didn’t have to worry about being in charge of 100+ animals in the heat and around gunfire and the threat of death, scared for my life and the lives of the animals I had cared for. 

I didn’t have to worry about being on the run from a fire or dealing with a hurricane.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep things in perspective. I need to have a clear mind to deal with the issues in my own life that I could work on and focus on that.

We all have our parts to play in our own lives and in helping others when we can, before or after disaster strikes. We have our parts to play to inform our friends and family about what’s really going on in the country and point out the freedoms and security we are losing.

Even though the America were are used to is being dismantled by the leftists, we still live in the best country in the world – and we have to do everything we can to help each other protect and save it.