Laundry lady has bronchitis – but is here anyway.   It is SO humid inside this building today.  I feel like I’m breathing in water.  That can’t be good for bronchitis right?  Or is it the opposite?   I can’t remember and I’m the Queen of Bronchitis.

Outside it’s grey and cold.  I debated putting off the trip when I woke shivering this morning.

I had slept fitfully.  Tossing and turning and looking at the clock.

I had arranged for a friend to take my mum some lunch and a smile from me.   A surrogate to bring a little sunshine to what is a dreary routine day for my vigilant and loving mum.

Every time I woke, I looked at the clock trying in my sleepy state to do the math to figure out what time it was in England.  Felt like a bittersweet Christmas Eve.

THANK YOU to that friend by the way.  I think I can use her first name without her minding.  Theresa and I went to primary school together.  And, she just happens to be married to the brother of my first love.  Crazy how things turn out eh?

So now I’m here.  I decided it wasn’t going to get any warmer from the looks of it and would be nice to get everything done and relax for the remainder of my last day off.

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In other news, Butters, the cowardly manatee, injured herself.

She started having difficulties getting around about a week and a half ago?  I thought perhaps it was the shift in the weather.  It’s been cold, windy and rainy in our desert.  On some days colder than the East Coast!  I did the math, realized we’ve had the pleasure of her company for almost 5 years and she was certainly no pup when she found us.

But then she started to noticeably limp.

I checked her legs – she didn’t cry out.

Checked her paws and pads for those evil rams heads that inevitably find our feet at least once a week.

Nope.  Nothing.

Then I had a small panic.

I couldn’t afford to take her to the vet – and lamented this on Facebook.

Someone mentioned ‘Care Credit’ which I applied for the very next day and qualified for.  Made an appointment and yesterday afternoon we were off to the vet.

I make that sound pretty smooth right?

Um – no.

Butters on leash, realized we were exiting ‘the gate’ AND we were headed to the car and proceeded to  freak OUT.

I got her in the back seat then she upped her freak out a notch.  Her excitement had me blocking the back seat with part of my arm whilst trying to change gears with the same arm.   (Well, the hand attached to the same arm – you know what I mean.)  So, I’m elbowing the divide between us and making cooing sounds until we arrived.

Now she realizes where she is and is immediately overcome with sensory overload.

Hyperventilating began.  As did excited shaking.  And wind passing.  And panting.  And it was 20 minutes of this fun mode until we were put into a room.

For some reason, she also managed to shed more???  I kid you not, there was hair EVERYWHERE.  I kept petting her, it kept coming.  I mean, she worked herself up so much she was losing her hair. Lol.

At this point, I’m thinking the vet is going to assume I brought her in for an exorcism.

She was a trooper for the staff.  (Okay, I did have to get on the scale with her to get her weight, but other than that and trying to sit on the thermometer while inserted, she did very well.)

The vet examined the offending leg.  OH! I should point out that the vet only knew which leg to examine after watching videos of her limping that I had taken the night before.

Because, the minute we got there, guess who was no longer limping?   Ding! Ding! Ding!  You win.

Yup, Butters, in her adrenaline pumped state – suddenly had no signs of an issue.  Other than mental.

Her range of motion was amazing (better than mine actually) – and other than a few joint pops as the vet pulled and bent and prodded, he concluded she had just over extended or sprained the leg.  (Not surprising since she thinks she’s super dog every time she fly’s off the porch in pursuit of a rabbit or car.)

She has  anti-inflmmatories to take and is meant to chill out for 6 days.

Didn’t end up having to use the Care Credit as no X-Ray was taken.  If she isn’t improving in the coming week though, that’s the next step.

So it’s been quite a week.

Nic and I spent the rest of the evening gorging ourselves on Chinese food (courtesy of a gift certificate I received for Christmas) and watching a movie together.

Butters limped around the house as if nothing note worthy had happened that day.

Which is good, because I think she’s right pawed, and it would be difficult to write in her little diary if she had thought it worth noting.