Sithreal Update

[helen99]

So... For most of yesterday evening, rialian was reading Horrors Beyond, a compilation of stories set within or similar to the Lovecraftian mythos, and finished it toward midnight. At that point he went to keep Sithreal company for a half hour or so.



Eventually he came back out and said, "They missed a staple - Sithreal still has a staple in him." Earlier, I'd noticed that one area of the incision still looked a little irritated and he seemed to be persistently licking and biting at it, causing me to have to put the collar back on him. I'd looked and hadn't seen the staple myself, so I'm glad he caught that.

I realized that he's a big cat who doesn't take well to strange people messing with his sore tummy, so the tech probably had a hard time with him. Also, I knew that the skin is kind of loose in that area, so a staple may have gotten tucked away between folds of skin. However, right around that point I was not wanting to be too reasonable about it. I was livid.

There ensued a stream of diatribe from me about "those IDIOTS" and "that stupid girl" and "I'll have their heads on a platter." Said livid condition persisted, too. I didn't get over it. I decided to take a shower to see if that would help. Then I couldn't find my towel. After I stormed around looking for it for a few minutes, Rialian located a couple of towels and off to the showers I stormed.

I got out of the shower feeling better but still angry. I called the vet's office and left a message that they should expect me early because there was still a staple left. Then I did the litterboxes, cleaned the snake tanks, and we did some energy work for about half an hour. I told rialian, "I know exactly what you're thinking. You think it was an honest mistake and that I shouldn't be this angry." He said, "These things happen." I said, "I knew you were thinking that." Finally I was able to go to sleep. Then I woke up, still angry.

This is unusual for me - usually I'll get over something right away, but I was still angry when I woke up. It persisted through getting ready to take Sithreal to the vet (which I shouldn't have had to do), carrying him into the car (because Rialian's back is acting up so he shouldn't be carrying my 20-lb cat), and riding in the car with Sithreal meowing incessantly (because he had to make a trip he shouldn't have had to make) while Rialian drove (instead of getting himself to work on time). Rialian suggested that maybe we were a little too late for him to drive Sithreal home at this time, so we should ask for him to stay at the vet's office until we could pick him up.

I said, "We can do that if you want, but they'd better not try to charge me for it. After their glaring negligence, they'd best do whatever I want at this point and not charge me for their mistake. Otherwise they'll have to deal with me."

He said, "Yes, my lovey."

Then I added, "I'll let you do the talking. You can be the Mouth of Sauron. Unless they give me a problem about charging me, in which case they'll still have to deal with me."

He said, "I.... See. So... I spent all day yesterday reading lovecraftian books, and now my wife tells me that she is ... Sauron."

Anyway, we arrive at the vet's office, and they are apologizing all over themselves (they got my message earlier). The tech came out and Rialian showed her where the staple was. That's when we found out that there were two staples still there, not one. I'm glad I didn't know that until the end. She got them both out and we looked him over carefully to make sure that there were no more.

Suddenly all the anger dissipated. It wouldn't go away until those staples were gone, but as soon as they were gone, it vanished. It was really bizarre. Sithreal is back home. He'll have to wear the cone until tomorrow night. Poor guy.



So that was the evening and the morning of the eleventy leventh day.

Comments

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

I think I would be angry too. But then again, they apologized.

*hugs*

[helen99.livejournal.com]

It was all good as soon as the staples were gone. I think I was mostly angry that he would have to go through (and already had gone through) more discomfort than he would have if they/we had been more observant.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

as soon as they were gone, it vanished. It was really bizarre.

Not so bizarre. Someone you love hadn't been treated as well as he should have been. Not nearly as well as he should have been--even if it was an innocent and honest mistake. Pain, fear, and anger are pretty close relatives.

Here's hoping Sithreal recovers quickly.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Judging from how rapidly the rest of the incision has rapidly smoothed out, I expect the small area affected by the missed staples will catch up in a day or so. I'll probably take the collar off on Friday night. I'll observe him on Friday to make sure there are no more problem areas.

[ivy]

I'm glad that they fixed it, and that he's on the mend. I laughed a lot at the Sauron part, heh.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

I was glad to have the Mouth of Sauron with me so I wouldn't say something I regretted later... They were so apologetic as soon as they saw me that I didn't have time to be evil, though, so it was all good.

I spent all day yesterday reading lovecraftian books, and now my wife tells me that she is ... Saur

[rebelfilms.livejournal.com]

hehe! :D

But I'm glad the staples were caught quickly, and that youre feeling chirpier! *hugs*

Re: I spent all day yesterday reading lovecraftian books, and now my wife tells me that she is ...

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Yes. If it hadn't been for Rialian I may have missed them altogether until the skin overgrew them and it got infected. I'm really glad he saw the staple.

[dogemperor.livejournal.com]

No, not bizarre--protective. Biiig difference. (And yes, I'd be doing that and WORSE if I found there had been a similar fuckup with surgery involving my Kali-girl.)

No, seriously, I tend to get a little defensive and protective where family members are concerned. :D

Of course, I may be biased; I also managed (between *six* separate complaints in two years to the KY Public Service Commission and, at one point, literally ranting my way to the office of the Vice-President of Bellsouth--and very oddly, the trucks that were supposed to take up to two weeks to fix their ineptitude showed up in 45 minutes) to get my account flagged with "Send to supervisor *immediately* if this customer calls" when I was with Hellsouth.

(And this idiocy (and multiple times of Mt. Fer erupting in the ears of said supervisors, and angry conference calls between that supervisor's supervisor and the head of the KY Public Service Commission, and a few complaints to the FCC and FTC) is why I refuse to do anything with Hellsouth--no, I won't even get AT&T phone service, now that Hellsouth is using the AT&T name again. Nope, I use the cable company now, and they've been an absolute fucking *dream* in comparison--even with pretty much KY's entire electric and communications infrastructure having been shot to hell during the ice storm. :D Even dealing with other telcos such as Verizon and especially Sprint customer service is STILL preferable to dealing with Hellsouth.)

I would vote that in protecting your family and watching out for them, sometimes one NEEDS to be the pissy dragon in the corner. :3

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Agreed - nobody else will do it for them (especially the ones who can't talk).

So far our phone service has been ok but I would like to consolidate communications bills and put them all on one bill (should have done that a long time ago). Using the same cable and phone service sounds like the best way to go.

[arahitogami.livejournal.com]

Um, if someone had left pieces of metal in my cat that were supposed to be gone I'd be spitting red-hot nails but then I'm not known for being even tempered LOL.

I think my distrust and dislike of veteranarians runs deeper than my distrust and dislike of People Doctors.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

I didn't want to rile them until the staples were out, because I wanted everyone's hands steady and for them to be paying attention to what they were doing. Then after it was done, the "red-hot nails" feeling was gone. If I'd gotten hold of them the night before, it wouldn't have been pretty.

I hate to go to the doctor. I have to force myself to get a checkup. My vet isn't so bad -- it was this one ditzy technician that I wanted to smack multiple times - she was the one who removed the staples.

[kiarrith.livejournal.com]

oof!
i can actually completely understand your anger...
i was always told as a young thing that anger comes from fear. and for me it often helps me to find the source of things, though i know not everyone works that way.
but, yes, anger because your awesome and brave kitty is having to go through additional stress [and yourself as well] and trips to vet due to someone missing something they should have seen. i think it's quite fine to have this anger and think you were very awesome to not vent all over them but let Ri do the communicating. I'm not very good at that myself...I'll maybe apologize later, but at the time, will allow my anger to show...

[helen99.livejournal.com]

I think they got a small glimpse from my tone of voice of how angry I was when left the message. They were very apologetic so they must have understood at least a bit of it. By the time I brought him in, the worst of it was over.

[kiarrith.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Yay for sithrael

[christinemis.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Glad kitty is now staple-less.
Hopefully you can worry less now.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Thanks (hugs). At least the worry level will be small enough for everyone's life (including his) to go back to normal. If we actually beat this thing, (i.e., it does not come back), we will be very fortunate.