Tuesday, May 18, 2010

a waiting game

Current work: medical continuity
Listening to: Bach
Reading: Kristan Higgins, Catch of the Day (enjoyed this)

At the moment there’s a dog-shaped hole in the house. Byron is at the vet’s, having a couple of teeth out. Routine, I know, but he has a slight heart murmur, which is not a good combination with anaesthetic. So, until the vet calls to tell me all is well, I’m fretting. I don’t even feel like having lunch – he loves salmon, but isn’t here to share it with me, and it doesn’t feel right eating it on my own without a head on my knee, a hopeful wag of the tail and big sad brown eyes doing the ‘I’m a poor, starving dog’ act.

I also had a panicky moment this morning, when this hole appeared in my vision. Not a black hole: this one had sparkly edges (kind of prismatic, and moving – like a kaleidoscope) and I could see it even when I closed my eyes. Now, the sensible part of me thought, ‘Hmm, that sounds like a migraine.’ However, there’s no family history, I’ve never experienced it before, and I’ve been having hard-to-shift headaches for the last three days (I even spent Sunday afternoon asleep, which is completely unlike me). So I thought I’d better get it checked out.

My eye test was overdue because I’ve been busy and kept meaning to book it next week (except ‘next week’ turned into the week after, yada yada yada). Luckily the optician was able to fit me in this morning. He was lovely – very charming, very knowledgeable (we had a really interesting chat about eye pressure), and very reassuring. Apparently it was a migraine flash, and it’s common for people to experience them as a one-off or even every six months without getting a full-blown migraine.

The cause? Probably stress. Apart from the situation with Dad, I’m really worried about Byron, and in some respects reading the KH book was a bad move: there was a pup on the front cover and the heroine’s dog was elderly, so I knew right from the start what was coming and sobbed my way through it. DH sighed and reminded me that I am banned from reading any book in which the dog doesn’t make it. (Well, hey. I was committed by that point.) And then I told him how worried I am that Byron might not make it today. I can’t be without a dog. I just can’t. So he has agreed that if the worst does happen today, we can go back to Aldertree (who have springy pups due next month). But please, God, my dog will be just fine and will see his eighth birthday on June 7.

I’m going to bury myself in work. Except there happens to be a liver-and-white English Springer Spaniel, who’s an integral part of the book.

Sigh.

I need my dog home safely.

12 comments:

Michela said...

Dear Kate,

I’m so sorry about this. I haven’t a dog but I know that it’s reckoned as a person of the family for people who have it and its absence is vital.
Hope he’ll be home with you soon and enjoy the care of such a loving mum as you are.
With regard to headaches… it’s true, they’re terrible and I know something about it.
When I had to study hard at Uni I also suffered from stress headaches and had to sleep half part of the day. Anyway don’t worry and try to have rest.

P.S. I’ve just bought “The Italian GP’s Bride” – come out today – the Italian cover is amazing!
Will read it as soon as possible and let you know! (I already love the plot!)

Take care,
M x

Unknown said...

I'm positive he will be fine. Byron knows when he is on to a good thing, he is going nowhere! Thinking of you, thinking of him.

Julie Cohen said...

Glad your eyes are okay.

And I hope Byron is back with you safely soon.

(((hugs)))

Kate Walker said...

Oh I know that feeling though of course for me it's always with cats. I have my fingers crossed that Byron is home safely very soon - and send get well wishes to him for a quick recovery. I hope all is well
T'Other Kate

Scarlet Wilson said...

Hi Kate,
Hope your dog is back home and being spoiled.
A good optician is worth their weight in gold, glad you got someone so good. I had one around 10 years ago that saw me right away, spotted something wrong and sent me straight to hospital. It's only when something goes wrong, you realise how much you take your vision for granted.

Lacey Devlin said...

Get well soon Byron! I hope he's home again now.

I've never heard of migraine flashes so I probably would have gone with a brain tumour and let the hyperventilation begin. I really hope it was just a one off and I'm glad there wasn't a full migraine accompanying it. Take care of yourself :)

Kate Hardy said...

Michela - thanks, and he's definitely part of the family. He's home now and on the mend. Hope you enjoy the book!

Kate Hardy said...

Carol - thanks - you were right and he's fine. I'll stop worrying, now! :o)

Kate Hardy said...

Julie - thanks. It was quite scary (but I'm already working out how I can use it in a book). And Byron's fine. (Love the new pic, btw)

Kate Hardy said...

Kate - thanks, and I know you know the same thing from a feline point of view. He's fine now, thanks.

Kate Hardy said...

Susan - thanks, he is (on both counts!).

Your optician experience sounds very scary - glad it turned out OK.

Kate Hardy said...

Lacey - thanks, he's back and pretty chirpy this morning.

I didn't realise you could get aura without migraine, but I've been reading up about it. Definite book fodder!