When Life Serves You S**t instead Of Lemons 🍋…
Sooooo, my weekly blogs have already taken a giant leap off an “I really don’t care about your intended schedule” cliff. Not even two whole months in. Emma, take a bow!
I’m not completely to blame, and this isn’t me using it as an excuse. If you follow me on Instagram (and if you don’t, you should), you’ll know that almost two weeks ago, my Lurcher slipped a disc in her neck, causing a haemorrhage and a stroke. She required an emergency MRI, followed by spinal surgery straight after. She is now unable to walk and currently requires round the clock care, physio and rehab once she is cleared to do so.
See? Told you I wasn’t to blame!
I’ve been spending most nights sleeping downstairs in my living room by her side on a newly purchased air-bed. I’d never slept on one before and, well… they’re actually really comfortable!
I’m running on fumes, I’m irritable and quite frankly really struggling to keep up with my own thoughts, let alone my TBRs. So this blog is more of a mind dump than anything else.
Now, I don’t have children, well, not human ones…but I know several people that do and hearing their stories, this feels oddly close to looking after a newborn baby. She wants something day and night every 1–2 hours. She can only whine or grumble to let us know she wants something and we have to go through the carousel of demands until we find the right one that soothes her.
Oh, did I mention that two days ago, during this period of hell, she also started with diarrhoea caused by her medication? Oh yes. So despite my husband and I carrying her out in slings to support her while she pees, we have also been running to her side with roughly two seconds’ notice so she can do the other thing she has to do. Let me tell you something to put this into context: I haven’t cleaned my clothes or living room as often all year as I have in the past two weeks.
Ok, so the silver linings are… oh wait, sorry, there are no silver linings! We all feel like garbage. Well, my two cats haven’t really been impacted, so they’re fine and are probably quite happy that they are not being bothered by the doggo right now. I keep telling them that they will only have peace for so long, so not to get used to it.
My eyelids are heavy and my back is sore!
It should come as no surprise that my respite from all of this has been my reading and/or audiobook listening, when I can fit it in that is. I’ve been ingesting some good stories lately too!
If you have read my recent reviews (and if you haven’t, what has even brought you to this site?), then you’ll see that not only are my reviews reshaping in both style and wording as I find my voice in the world, but I also haven’t given out lower than 4 stars in a while.
This isn’t me being too nice. These are all my honest opinions. If I don’t like something, I’ll say it. I’ve genuinely been reading and listening to some good stuff!
Audiobooks have been great during this time. I can still listen to them while I’m hand-feeding the dog, rewashing the leggings that have been peed on for the eighth time this week and also while I’m washing her posterior after a sudden bout of diarrhoea.
Anyone who thinks listening to audiobooks is lazy or isn’t real reading can wipe my dog’s be-hind. They are lifesavers in situations like this, not to mention fun.
My mind can read things a little flatly at times, or misread when I don’t understand the made-up fantasy name in front of me. Audiobooks fix that. Now, they are not perfect. I’m not exactly loving the narrator’s voice and tone for the female MC in the one I’m currently listening to. I might actually have to stop it at some point and just focus on the book, but I’ll try and stick with it. It’s a good distraction at least.
I have two other books I’m aiming to finish soon too. They’re not too long, and they’ll be good to get into while I’m lying on the air-bed wondering how long it’ll be before I have to get up again.
I do just want to say that, despite all of the above, she is actually doing very well all things considered. She still cannot get up and walk, but she is becoming more herself again and is able to move her legs and put some weight on them now. She has a good appetite, is drinking, and is alert, which is all we could ask for right now.
We’re keeping her entertained with doggo TV on YouTube, bird watching by positioning her so she can look out of the window, and sensory games like the smelling game. I’ve brought all sorts over for her to smell and hidden treats in my hands so she can try and suss out which hand has one. She particularly likes that one!
We’re all doing our best in this current situation. So far, I’m keeping up with my reading, but I don’t know how long that will last, so my apologies if things become a little more erratic.
I’m sure updates will follow once my mental fatigue eases a bit. Until next time!
