Friday-7:30am: Karma's home

Here I wasn't going to be posting this week--LOL!

What an ordeal! 

Karma didn't finally relax to be able to sleep until evening...

...but she's home.

Now we just have to get her well.

****

I called in the morning and was really upset to find out that Karma never needed to stay overnight in the first place!  Those pee beads that the vet tech was talking about would not have worked for the culture--not sterile enough.  So Karma went through all that for nothing.  In the morning they had tried to take her out again, but she would stiffen up, become "fractious", and pee as soon as she laid eyes on them. So there was never enough left in her bladder to get a sample.  The girl said they were going to try again in the afternoon.  I told her that was pointless and wanted to talk to the vet.

****

When the vet called me back I made it very clear that I was angry with her (keep in mind that I am a Minnesotan so this means I alternated raising my voice to being unable to even speak to her), with the complete breakdown of communication, the misinformation, her leaving me with someone who didn't even know Karma's case, her calling so late that we were already on our way over to pick Karma up, and that I never, ever would have left Karma there for what turns out was no reason at all.  She apologized several times and must have talked to me for 20-30 minutes until I was calmed down and politely conversational again.  

****

We will not be able to get a clean sample.  Even if they tried to sedate her and use a catheter--she'd pee herself empty before they could get her on the table.  The "in-house" sample they did get showed that she did have less crystals in her urine than she had before so, because there was some improvement, the vet wanted to try keeping Karma on the same antibiotics for a month to see if that will work.  She is already having side effects from these and the other's are harsher.  She has probiotics to take every day to help with the diarrhea and some muscle relaxer to help with the spasms that make her feel like she has to pee all the time (which is causing her to suddenly squat and dribble in the carpet or the rugs and why she is hanging out a lot in the hallway close to her cat box).  

****

It is quite possible that it was just a very bad day for everybody concerned.  You know, one of those days where everything that can go wrong does.  They did not charge me for keeping Karma overnight.  The vet sounded genuinely sorry.  

****

At the end of the conversation the vet told me--you did warn us about her, but she was so good the first time and then when you were in the room with her...  

****

I could tell it had been kind of a baffling shock...Karma going feral on them.

**** 

Well, it had been a shock to us that Karma had been so very good the first two times.  Especially the second time--LOL!

****

Dagan had already said we could pick Karma up over his lunch break, so I texted him.  Then a little while later he texted me that Leah had tried to go to work and he was going to go pick her up and bring her home, so we could go get Karma early.  (Poor Leah was feeling miserable--having trouble sleeping now that the coughing has started.)  We picked Leah up and dropped her off at home and headed for the vet clinic.

****

We could hear Karma hissin' and spittin' and growlin' back there as soon as they went to pick her carrier up (which they'd placed open inside a larger cage so she felt safer).  They had given her a butt bath (Thank God!) and she was a damp ball of fury...until she realized I was there.  Then she went stressfully quiet...all the way home. 

****

And she was SOOOO happy to be back home!!  

She even rubbed Dagan's leg.  ;)

****

Karma's been quite lovey-dovey...but staring at the door a lot...and jumpy at sounds outside and in the hallway.  She seems a good deal calmer this morning.  In fact, she's lying right next to my laptop here on the desk--purring--and using the hard laptop as a pillow, like she does.  I'll be keeping a close eye on her.  Have pages to read from the vet. 

****

I think of the boney, fearful but hopeful 3 month old kitten who came to me with parasites, terrible diarrhea, and a great fear of feet and hands (I'm sure she was kicked and beaten) who ate like she had never had enough food (but that could have been the parasites, too).  She trusted me, though.  As much as she could trust people.  She's always has had a fear of being stepped on and she still, at eight years old, has an automatic slight flinch of ears and eyes every time she sees my hand coming toward her to pet her head.  

****

Karma immediately forgave me for abandoning her.

****

I have (mostly) forgiven the clinic...and myself.  ;)

****

This afternoon Dagan is coming back--but to pick me up.  [Karma will see he doesn't always come to get her--LOL!  Although she didn't seem to hold it against him.]  Dagan and I are going to go peek at cheap recliners for a couple hours.  So, I need to take a pain pill and go jump in the shower...but I wanted to let you know that Karma is back home, they never got the sample for the culture, but at least she's back on antibiotics and I hope and pray she'll be well in a month.  :)

****

Thanks for every single prayer or kind thought.  You all have been so kind and caring.  Like having our very own angels scattered over this earth.  It means more to me than I can tell you.  :):)  

****

I am still out of the cyber loop and not sure when I'll be posting again.  Depends on my back/body mostly.  Sooner than later, I hope.  Bless you!!

****

"Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach."

Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes