Busy But Improving!

Perspective is a wonderful thing, isn't it?  I just re-read my "FML" post and although life is crazy as hell, I can honestly say that I am in a slightly better place than I was that day.  Thank you, God!

My classes for my Masters program are in full swing.  And by "full swing" I mean that I want to pull all of the hair on my body out while drinking copious amounts of Captain and Cokes!  I honestly don't have a damn clue how I am going to pull this one off!

On a good note, my dogs finally seem to be healthy again.  Just in time for my son to get sick.  Thankfully, my son doesn't puke and shit all over the carpet when he doesn't feel well and if he did, well then he is old enough to clean it himself!  Although, I would probably feel so bad for him that I would end up doing it anyway.

Izzy ended up going to the vet the day after I had my nervous breakdown because of her poop soup all over the carpet.  The vet checked the poo...negative for anything that moves...and stuck her fingers up poor Izzy's bum.  Nothing found but that didn't ease my worries since I have pulled 4 pairs of thongs out of her ass since we got her 4 years ago.  It has been a while since the last retrieval so I figured she was about due.  I always worried that one of these days, her bowel would get obstructed.

After the vet appointment, I gave her her antibiotics and her special food.  She puked it all out.  Then she kept me up all night with the runs.  The following day, she couldn't stand up and when she finally did, she just stood in one spot, unable to walk.  I freaked out and took her to the Emergency Vet.  She tested negative for Addisons's Disease and no obvious obstruction was found on the x-ray but "she seemed to have some foreign material in the intestines."  I am not surprised in the least.  She spent 2 nights there on IV fluids and meds because she was severely dehydrated despite my best efforts of giving her water from a cup and Gatorade.  $1200.00 later, she is back to her happy, healthy self; barking, snuggling, and chasing every squirrel she lays her eyes on.  Totally worth the money!  I know I wouldn't have handled it well if that dog died.  She is my pride and joy!!

The very next day, Clifford (the oldest of the 3 dogs) started with diarrhea and vomiting and that pretty much turned me into a freak show.  My son couldn't understand why, when he realized he took the wrong bag home from football practice and had NO shoes to wear to school the next day, I screamed my head off then cried my guts out.  And how the hell is it that a 13 year-old boy has size 12 feet??  Even my husband's shoes were too small for him!  Anyway, Cliffy is doing better now.  He has been on a "GI Healthy Diet" and gets pepcid before bed each night and the food is staying down!

I visited my friend whose husband is on hospice care and I have seen my father-in-law twice in the past 2 weeks.  I am really incredibly sad about the both of them and it takes me quite a bit of strength to prepare myself mentally to see them.  I am glad I am able to visit with them but I need to be incredibly self-aware and not go when I know that I don't have what it takes to be completely present for them.

So things are going better this week although I am soooo busy with school, family stuff, firehouse stuff, and just STUFF in general that I am worried about this whole idea of getting my Masters.  I will just keep plugging away and see where I end up.  Hopefully it isn't in a padded room!

Funny thing though...I told my adviser about my concerns about being overwhelmed.  After we talked for a bit, I finally said, "I can do this.  With enough Xanax and Margaritas, I can do anything!"  He laughed and told me, "You keep self-medicating to get you through this semester.  In the spring, you will be taking the Addictions class and we will get you off of all that then."  Hysterical!

I hope you are all doing well!!