Guess Who's Coming Home Today?

As I write this, I'm at the job, It's been a long week--even with having left on time Monday and early yesterday and today, I'll still have well over 40 hours for the week. I'm tired, and I still haven't completely shaken that cough I had two weeks ago.

Then I think, "My baby's coming home today," and I smile.

I'm not under any illusions about what that means in the grand scheme of things. Olivia will be a sick kitty the rest of her days--whether her days are weeks or months or even years--and it will be a substantial challenge to keep her healthy, comfortable and without pain. There will be medicine, IV fluids, and bland prescription food that she'll sniff at and walk away from.

Then I think, "My baby's coming home today," and I smile.

La Casa del Terror has been too quiet for the last week. When I walked in the door last Friday, it was the first time in nearly 17 years--the first time since that first week in the original La Casa, before JB and his dad brought Lottie and Ms. Christopher to live with me--that a cat hadn't been at that door to greet me. Last weekend was consequently rough, with moments of great optimism followed almost immediately by moments of despair.

Then I think, "My baby's coming home today," and I smile.

I visited Olivia at the hospital last night. She was vocal and eager to get out of her cage--"She's SO over us," the vet's assistant said--and the vet said she'd eaten more yesterday, although her appetite will be a challenge--probably the biggest challenge--the rest of the way.

Fortunately, I've gotten loads of support from people like my friend Katie in Portland, who's had plenty of experience with sick pets, and Rachel, a former coworker who sent me the link to Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease, which has an insane amount of information about the disease (just the "Persuading Your Cat to Eat" section goes on for 15 pages) and had the immediate effect of calming me the hell down and explaining carefully and clearly that no, my cat was not going to die today. Or tomorrow. Or next week. Beyond that? We'll have to see.

Then I think, "My baby's coming home today," and I smile.

Thank you all for the prayers, well-wishes, info and advice. It will be rough at times, and it will be a lot of work for both of us, but we've both got a lot of support from a lot of people and a lot of knowledge and tools to employ.

But my baby's coming home today. So I smile.

UPDATE: The vet just called and said that she'd like to keep Olivia through the weekend as a precaution because she threw up a couple of times this morning--something that's common with kidney failure patients, but that Olivia hadn't done during her entire hospital stay. "I could send her home today," the vet said, "but it's better to keep her than to send her home just to have you bring her back Monday." Vet is right, of course, but I can't help but be bummed right now.

UPDATE TO UPDATE:Vet called back a couple of hours later. She gave Olivia some anti-nausea meds and, when O ate after that, the food stayed where it belonged, so...now vet says I CAN take Olivia home tonight! It's been a rollercoaster today, but my girl is coming home tonight after all--that's all I care about.

Thanks again for all the info, support and love, everybody.