Posts

Feb 29

 Anxiety is still riding very high. It's sketching me into weird corners and avoidances. Don't like being out of my bedroom. Don't like being away from my bed. Everything is a tangible holding of breath until I can go back to bed. Very sketchy. I am doing something to try not to give into the rampant mini phobias popping up, but, I'm also giving in at times and just retreating to my hole. And sleeping. Today I dropped off my overnight blood ox monitor. I did a bunch of "anti" things that I reckoned would trigger more the worse end of my sleeping spectrum, and it kinda worked. I woke up at 4am groggy and out of it. I dozedly checked my blood ox. 97%. Perhaps it means nothing. Perhaps it means it's not blood oxygen and sleep apnea. I went back to sleep. Anxiety smothering me I went out to drop off the monitor. Outwardly. I just did it. Inwardly, screaming, don't go out, don't go out, I don't want to go out. A sense of dread. A sick feeling. Awful...

Feb 28

 Athena is still not good. No change. She struggles to stay on her feet. She is due another librella shot on Monday, so, perhaps it being the end of the month, and injured, and everything else is making her super achey and wobbly. I don't know. Just wait. More days. See if anything changes. Talk to vet on Monday. Athena is a shadow of herself at the moment.  I think I am slowly processing the loss of Athena. Even though she is still here. Today I did not wake up with that inescapable anxiety. Just. Mild anxiety. So. That's something. I am at this point fully medically strait jacketed. Maximum mental meds putting a firm hand on the dampening. And perhaps because of that. Or because of burn out. Or whatever. I am starting to feel numb. An ache inside. But hollowed out. I was slow to work today. I need to be forgiving of myself. I managed to be useful at work and figure a few things out - a small miracle - before mid afternoon my anxiety started jumping hardcore, being eaten aliv...

Feb 27

 Athena is a tiny bit better. But still not good. It's a constant worry. Yesterday I told Hazel straight that I was "not doing good" and probably wouldn't be doing good for a while. I know the signs. I slept half the day. Carried Athena downstairs, fed the mutts, made sure she had a loo break and a drink. I anxietied up hard in the kitchen waiting for her to finish. I can't stay still for long. And I get ill if I stay standing for too long. A mess. She finished, wandered into the living room, I was going back upstairs. She pondered for a minute, then wanted to come with me. So I carried her back upstairs. Hazel had got up by the time we reached upstairs. Rest of the day I was quiet. Sleep. Miserable. Athena sneaked downstairs on her own at one point. In the evening I played our scheduled Monday game which cheered me up a little. Today is work day. And my anxiety and depression has kicked in even harder. Mornings are always the worst. I am very sketchy this morning...

Feb 26

 Athena was worse again yesterday. We went for a tiny walk, because she was bored and eager to go out. It was the shortest of walks. She struggled limping along. By the time we got to turn around, 50 yards at the most she was kind of done. Just. Stopped. Looked around. Didn't really want to move. I took that as a sign. Picked her up. And walked home with her. A neighbour several doors down who I have never met before waited for us. She ok she said ? She's ok I said. Old. Multiple injuries. Is it ok if I say hello she said ? Of course. Athena got cooed over in my arms. It's a good job you're strong the neighbour said. Ha. So am not anymore. Call this. Adrenaline strength. I didn't say this though. I can remember you running around the meadow years ago the neighbour said. This old age thing is rubbish. It is. It sucks I said. We went on our way. You don't realise how many people know you, or your dogs. For the rest of the day Athena was not great. Hazel came to te...

Feb 24

 I am exhausted. And permanentally vaguely ill. Off colour. Bleh. Shitty. Malaise. And the fatigue dogs my every step. Today I forced myself out of bed at 11am to pick up Athenas meds, and then my own. I groaned out of the door feeling sick and exhausted and just desperate for sleep. Athena, still laden down by multiple injuries and problems, has however had something of her spirit return. On seeing me leave she was having none of it. And pushed past me - limp and all to be first out of the door. I'm going with you ! I am fed up of resting indoors. Stubborn. I don't think Athena is going to lie down and let the reaper get her without a fight if she can help it. I let her hurriedly limp into the front yard then squeezed past her through the front gate. She attempted to bolt and just shove her head in the gate. No she was saying. I am going out too. No. You're not. Rest. Idiot. I went and got the meds. Filled up the car. Came back home and collapsed back into bed with an apol...

Feb 23

 An agonising 24 hours. Filled with half assed heating engineers. And waking up to a leaking ceiling dripping water on me. And of course. Athena being at deaths door. Athena has oh so slowly improved. Not good. But getting slowly better. She's wobbling a lot. She squeaks with pain with her front leg, still, weirdly, super painful to her. But. Every 6 hours that goes by, a little of her old self comes back. She is currently sticking to me like glue. Unusual. Where I go. She wants to go. I get up. She gets up. She is still Athena. And wants to see what's outside the door. Go for a small wander. But where I am. She is. By and large. She's vulnerable. And sticking close to her dad I guess. As all of us tend to do when wounded. Seek home. Seek safety. Seek loved ones. Curl up. I truly thought I had lost her yesterday she was so bad. And even now. She is not out of the woods. But she is better than yesterday. I don't know whether the trend continues or it reverses or stays as...

Feb 22

 Work is stressy and ongoing. A never ending problem both large and small. Not good. Worse still. The heating is still not fixed. Guy turned up for the third time today, replaced valves, couldn't fix the issue. Left with one rad buggered, where before, it was not. Gunk in the pipes. I don't have the bandwidth to deal with it. Fine. Because worse still. Athena has deteriorated. Took her to the vets yesterday for a once over. Some pain meds. Hopeful return to herself in 5 days or so. But it doesn't look that way. Today she is worse again. All round. Not just one thing. Many things. She is suffering. She occasionally squeaks with pain. Mostly spaced out. I think she knows. Or is spacey. She has wandered a bit around the house in small bursts. Stared out the front door for a while feeling the breeze and slowly falling over. Checked out the back. The bathroom and her blue ball she hasn't played with in years. You could almost be forgiven for thinking she is checking things o...