FFXV Owns My Ass Now

me:

HUGE CONTENT WARNING FOR ANIMAL DEATH/SICKNESS

so we had this patient, a white cat named Oscar Meyer, and about two years ago (maybe more, kind of blurs together) he was tested to be feline leukemia positive. sometimes, feleuk+ cats can still maintain decent quality of life with the right treatments and precautions, but unfortunately, Oscar Meyer was not one of those cats.

his immunity was destroyed. he quickly started losing all his hair to mites that he just couldn't fight off, even with treatment. he was constantly covered in scabs from itching. every other week he was in with a new respiratory infection; it got to the point where his eyes and nostrils were always crusted over, and he always struggled to breathe. he turned yellow with jaundice. his thyroid levels were a joke. he went skeletal with weight loss. on top of the physiological changes, this once normal cat turned mean and miserable, so painful that he'd react violently to any oral/topical treatment.

like I said. this started two. years. ago.

for TWO. YEARS. this cat was in this state, maintained on steroid injections and anything we could do to just try and give him some level of comfort.

all the while, my doctors pleaded for euthanasia. first one doctor, then two, then three. they all repeatedly had those hard, compassionate discussions we have to bring up. but the thing about our job is we can never, WOULD never, command an owner to euthanize. it's always their choice, always presented as just an option of treatment.

so NOPE. this was an anti-euthanasia owner and she absolutely wouldn't hear it. she was clinging to this cat like a vice and nothing we did could convince her to let go.

I KNOW why people do this, believe me, I do, because I watch it all the time. this is the strength of our love for our pets. but I'm an advocate for the ANIMAL, not the human. if an animal has been suffering that bad, for that long, it means that the animal literally can't recall a time when their life wasn't painful. the pain is normal to them. for me, THAT hurts so much more than an animal dying peacefully.

so a couple nights ago, ten minutes to closing, Oscar Meyer is rushed in suddenly. his mom has him covered up and begs us for more pain medication. we usher her into a room, set Oscar Meyer down to have a look, and he's agonal. this means he's gasping for air, limbs stiff, eyes vacant. it looks like he's dying. the doctor working that night has no-nonsense compassion: he checks the chart, takes one look and kindly tells mom it's time to say goodbye. but even now, she resists. she asks to simply give him morphine and wait for him to die on his own. wait for him to die. the option to help him stop fighting and slip quietly away is right there, but she wants him to keep struggling. in case anyone wasn't aware, animals never just let go on their own. they're animals. they'll fight to the bitter end.

it took time, but we were finally able to convince her. he passed away. she was beside herself, of course she was, she clearly loved him so, so much. but the fact of the matter is, she let him endure 2 years of pain to put off feeling the pain she felt that night. we knew he would never get better. we told her many times. we continued to treat him per her wishes, and he suffered.

It’s easy to free up your cache and delete cookies. The option is immediately viewable in settings instead of hidden away in the alcoves of who knows where.

Unless you favorite a page, it automatically clears it after 7 days, which is awesome if you hate clearing tabs like I do.

They plant trees everywhere.

Ecosia updates you on their progress- not with annoying update notifications, but with a button you can click as you type up your search if you’re curious.

The tree count is shown just beneath the search bar.

It is an app too and only takes up 18.2 MB. That’s the equivalent of nine live pictures on your phone.

You can view your own tree count. Mine’s 2,475 trees. I have had the app for six months. Do you know how much acreage that is? It’s a heckin’ ton of acres.

No

Wait

Stop 

(These are full sentences! You do not need to say any more) 

I am not comfortable. 

I am not comfortable, I would like… 

you to wait a moment.

another person in the room. 

everyone else out of the room. 

a doctor/nurse of my same gender to preform this test/procedure. 

the person who came with me to this appointment in the room. 

you to explain everything before you begin. 

you to tell me what you are doing as you go. 

to do this another day. 

I want to get a second opinion before we proceed.

I don’t understand, please repeat that. 

I don’t understand, please explain more simply. 

Please say that slower/spell that, I want to do some research myself.

I would like to talk to [someone in my life, ie my parents to SO] before making this decision. 

No, I do not need to talk to [anyone] before making this decision, I am confidant on my own and am ready to proceed. 

What are the side effects of this medication/procedure? What are the potential complications? 

Why are you recommending/prescribing this specific thing? 

What other treatment options are there? Why are you choosing this?

Would your treatment plan be different if I were a man/woman older/younger had kids, etc? Why are you choosing this one then?

IS there anything I should know about this treatment you have not yet told me?  

I understand you say not to, but If I choose to do X, against medical advice, what risks am I running? (ie taking recreational drugs while on medication)

How much will this cost? 

Are there any less expensive options/tests we can run first? 

Is there a generic of this medication you can prescribe instead?

I think you are not understanding me, I said…

You are not listening to me, please let me finish describing my symptoms. 

You are not understanding how much pain I am in, let me clarify… 

I do not think it is anxiety/depression/my weight/etc, what else could it potentially be? 

I think by assuming it is anxiety/depression/my weight/etc you are ignoring some symptoms. Please listen again and let’s discuss what else it could be. 

Please write in my chart that you are not testing for X and why not. 

I am in enough pain/this is detrimental enough to my life that non-treatment is not an option. If you can not treat this/figure out what is wrong, to whom can you refer me?

Please write (or help me write) a summary of what we did today so I don’t forget 

What are our next steps? 

If [what you are recommending] is ineffective, what would my next steps be? What other doctor should I talk to? 

What is the best way to contact you if I have additional questions or issues? 

I don’t think I can/will follow that treatment, is there an alternative?

That is too hard for me, can we make it easier?

If I’m inconsistent with this treatment, what will happen?

eg. if a treatment requires you to remember daily medication, do something at the same time, or they recommend lifestyle changes you know you can’t or won’t make.

All nuke does is listen to normanis “motivation” and lust after aziraphale >:/ 💢