End of Year Thoughts

12/31/18

So another year comes to an end.  Did it go like I thought it would?   Here is some of what I thought would happen vs what did happen.

I thought I would sell both old cars and get one a bit newer.  Did not happen.  It seemed too overwhelming to even start.  I don't carry a cell or text, and people expect instant contact.  Even if I can get them to call my house phone, then it is returning all the calls, talking to them, meeting them, etc.  I want them both to go to good homes.  I like my 1988 Chevy, but mostly because it was my Grandma's.   I LOVE my 1990 Honda Civic Wagon.  She is my baby and it makes me so sad to even think about selling her.  But she has had a few issues, and lots of miles.  I am not a mechanic and don't have one volunteering to take good care of her.  It makes good sense to have 1 good, reliable, lower mileage car when I get to retire.  I won't need a back up car then to make sure I get to work.  But I also want one that I could just get in and go wherever with out worrying about it either.  

Well after I registered them both, had to get my monies worth out of that, so put it off for another year.  Now that time is approaching and dreading it. I don't care about the money I get for them so much.  But afraid if I went to a dealer or something like that, yeah, they would give me a few bucks to make the sale, but maybe they would just junk them, and I would hate to have that happen.

I was not crazy about work a year ago.  But little did I know how much worse it was to get this year.  I think a lot of it has to do with the new sup. we got 1 year ago.  Comes in all sweet and nice, then we find she is a total control freak.  Never think "how much worse can it get?"  Apparently A LOT!.

I had hoped to have some of the holes in the walls of my laundry room fixed by now.  And a new connection to put in a laundry tub.  Besides being able to use it for messy jobs, the main thing is to let the washer drain into it, so it does not go all over the floor.  It comes out of the washer faster than my old pipes can handle it.  I have to babysit it and stop and start it when it drains.  It has been going on a long time, and I have missed it too many times.  Sometimes when I am standing right there and am not fast enough.  I want to be able to walk away like a normal person.
What is holding me back from that?  I am embarrassed to have any one in my messy house, even a work man. It makes sense to do the holes in the wall before I do the plumbing connection and put in the laundry tub.  A plumber won't want to fix the holes.  A handyman may not be up to the plumbing.  Maybe that may be simple enough, but....I hate to call people, esp. to come to my house, and who do I call?  I have a knack for picking the wrong one.  So keep putting it off.

I had hoped that would be done by now.  If it went well, after that maybe I could have the same person work on the bathroom.  Assuming handy man type.  New sink, vanity, toilet, floor tile , maybe wall tile, maybe medicine chest and light fixture, maybe shelving..  Can I afford it?  Can I get one person to do a good job on all of it?  Can I get a new, low flush toilet, that does not need to be flushed twice every time I even pee?  I dragged home what is in there now myself about 35 years or so, and my ex and a room mate did most of it.  I could have done most of it, but they volunteered.  How do you get stuff with a handyman?  Do I drag it all home and they install?  Just go pick out and pay and they drag it?  I think I know what floor tile, and maybe vanity, but that is all I know.  Too overwhelming, and the laundry room should be first.

So by now, thought all of the above would have been done.  I actually thought Britty would have gone months earlier.  By now I would have sanitized everything, and adopted a couple of new bunnies, maybe a new cat.  None of that has happened.  First New Years Eve with no bunnies, cats, dogs, ducks....something (besides my turtle) in way longer than I can even remember.  When we were first married, it was a while before we brought my dog, Tobie, over to live with us.  Was that the last?  And then we were probably with her at Christmas.  Has there been any in the last 40 years?  Kinda don't think so.  I think maybe when I was really little.  This is not right.  

It has been 6 1/2 weeks since Britty died.  I have swept and mopped  the floor, but no real sanitizing.  I have not even been able to bring myself to wash her towels yet.  There is one by where I watch t.v.  It is folded in such a way that if I rub it without looking, it feels a little like a bunny ear.  I still do that sometimes when I watch t.v.  I am still making excuses for not having her put to sleep earlier.  She had so many ups and downs I really was not sure till the last couple days that this was most likely going to be it.  I always said if I really thought they were in pain, I would do it.  Well, I did think she was in pain a bit the last month or so.  But I only saw it a few minutes a day, usually when I was doing something, cleaning her or something, not so much when she was just laying around.  Then it seemed more like "I don't feel very well right now", and not "oh, I hurt like hell, please make it stop".  I tell myself towards the end, if I could have made the decision, and 5 min. later walked into her bunny vet and done it, I would have.  But the making the decision and then calling to see if he is in, and making an appt. and driving (avg. of 1/2 hr). to take her in, too much time to think about it and not do it.  I keep trying to justify it.  The truth may be more like when it comes to this I am a big fat coward.  Britty I am sorry I made you go to the very end, and did not help you feel better sooner.  I hope it was not too bad for you.  Mommy loves you so much.  Please forgive me, and thank you for being my bunny for almost 12 years.

What will 2019 bring?  Hopefully I will take care of some of the stuff from above that I failed to take care of in 2018.  Hopefully I will have some furry friends by this time next year.  And hopefully by this time next year......I will be retired!!!!  Can't wait!!! 

Tuesday Nov. 27 after Britty.

Tuesday Nov. 27, I go pick up her ashes.  Glad that part is over at least.  
Now going on without her.  Yes, it is always terribly hard to loose a pet.  I thought this might be a bit easier to accept since I had known it was coming for quite a while.  Smokey went down hill pretty rapidly, but Britty was a much more gradual and longer decline.

It has been 12 years since I have been bunny less.  But then I still had a cat and a bunch of pet ducks.  Now all I have is one turtle.  That's it!  It is like all the life has been sucked out of the house.  I have lived alone and liked it for many years.  Life felt full and busy, now it feels so empty.  

When Andy died (Nov. 2006), my plan was to take a month or so and mourn him.  Then clean and sanitize everything (he had been sick on and off for quite a while).  Then for Christmas I would adopt a pair of buns.  I wanted an already neutered, bonded pair that did remind me too much of Andy.  So that narrowed it down to 1 pair at the Oceanside shelter and 1 pair at the Escondido shelter.  The ones in Escondido had been there longer, so I choose them.  I decided before I ever got there.  I still had to walk past all the cute ones saying "pick me, pick me", to get to their cage.  There was Brittany and Christina.  They had given up.  They looked good.  But kinda like 2 big fat ticks.  They had not had much to do except eat pellets and were a bit pudgy.  They had been been found running loose in Escondido and had been there almost a year.  I decided to make their "birthday" January 2006.  By that, Britty was 2 months away from turning 13.  But I know it could have been a bit more or less either way.  They had each other (sisters) and their pellets, and had little interest in anything else.  

I thought they would be so happy to get out of the shelter, and home with me.  My house is tiny, but for starters they went into a bigger cage before I tried turning them loose.  They had little interest in me.  They did not like the pellets,  carrots, or veggies I served.  They did like the cilantro, and would eat the hay.  Oh, well, they could afford to loose a little weight, they will come around.  

Well, of course they did and after about 2 weeks their personality started to show.  Chrissie was the trouble maker and Britty was the good, polite girl.  Then several years later Smokey came along.  He loved and demanded attention.  I sometimes thought Britty was being short changed on attention because Chrissie and Smokey seemed to need so much.  When Chrisse died, I turned my attention to Smokey and Britty.  When Smokey died, I turned it all to Britty.  So hopefully she felt like she got enough.

I had wondered years ago if maybe Britty had a heart condition.  When it was play time and they all came out to run around, she was always the first to go lay down and rest.  When they had their check up June of 2017 Dr. H. asked if she always breathed that hard.  I did not know.  Well, she lasted longer than both of them, so maybe she was just pacing herself.

This time I feel like I can't go get new buns for Christmas, sad as that feels.  I thought I was going to get some work done in my laundry room and bath room like a year ago at least.  Then I thought after the buns go, I would take a few months and get some work done in the kitchen.  Maybe I would even end up with more room for the bun area, and they would not be in the way or scared when the work was happening.   I am a master procrastinator, and even more so when I have to hire someone.  The laundry room really needs done.  The bathroom I guess could wait, but it has waited many, many years.  And the kitchen!  Well, I can't do all 3 in one year, plus can't wait that long for new buns.  But I feel like I need to at least accomplish some of this work I have been putting off.  With all the time, energy, money, etc. I put into Britty, I started saying, well, I will do that after Britty goes about a lot of things.  I didn't think it would be at the holidays.  Not the best time to look for someone to hire.  I am hoping wanting to adopt new friends will motivate myself to get some stuff done at least the first of the year, and then go adopt.  I thought well maybe I am ready for a new cat, I did not promise myself I would wait any longer for that.  But as bad as the coyotte problems is getting here, I am going to have to try way harder to keep the next cat inside. I don't want to have to worry about it running out while a work man is here.  So waiting on that too.
Christmas is kinda hard when you have no family, but have always had my fur babies.  This is going to be a tough year.

Britty Nov. 17-18.

I have a hard time getting out of bed, again.  Don't have to go to work, or DMV (thankfully).  I don't have to go give Britty her medicine and morning food.  But I still have Britty to deal with, and I don't want to.  This is not how I usually deal with a pets death.  Usually if it happens that morning, I deal with it that day.  If it happens latter, then the next day.  But of all the days for it to happen it was DMV eve.  Now I am just stalling.  I don't want to get up.  I don't feel like doing anything.  I don't want to call the cremation place.  (Circle of Life)  I don't want to sit in Sat. 5 south traffic to take her to Encinitas. 

It was afternoon before I was finally ready to give Britty her last bath.  I used cold water, and did not want to blow dry her too terribly much. (even though the blow drying was the part that she seemed to mind the least) I don't want her to "go bad"  so to speak.  I was horrified to see how skinny she was.  It looked like I did not feed her at all.  Yes I knew she was thin, but not this thin!  She was a lot thinner than last weeks bath.  She had been eating good until pretty recently.  I was ashamed.  I didn't want anyone to see her and see that I "let her get that way".  Did she have cancer and we didn't know it?  When Chrissie had cancer Dr. L. said give her as much as she wants cancer takes so much energy (calories) from them.  He never said he suspected that in Britty, and neither  did I.  It was like she lost half her body weight in two weeks, even eating almost as much as she had been. 

Ok, so I am sad and in shock, but finish the bath and try to dry her.  She just would not dry.  Don't know if it was using cold water, or that she was so cold when we started it or what, but it was taking forever.  Continue the grooming, deciding not to rush it, she could go to the vets tomorrow, what is one more day.  But I had made myself call Circle of Life, in case they didn't answer on a Sunday.  I wanted that all taken care of before I took her to the vets (esp. after the incident with making arrangements for Smokey).  So when I feel she is as well groomed as I can at this time, I put her back in the fridge to stay chilled until t.v. time. 

It was a little harder to watch t.v. with her this time.  Knowing it was to be our last time.  Talked to her and petted her. I kept asking her to please forgive me for not doing better.  Its not like I think she is mad at me.  It is just me feeling like I let her down.  Not sure I would not still be asking her forgiveness if I had put her down.  Nothing feels completely right at the end. Not what I do and not what I don't do.  So sorry sweet girl.

Sunday, Nov. 18.
We drive to the vets in Encinitas and I take her in.  Of course I have not called them.  I hate to make calls, and it is not like she needs an appt.  She is to be picked up the next day, so they can just hold her a day.  Yes,  they were a bit surprised when I show up with her.  They are not sure what to do or say.  Ask if I need a few minutes alone in a room with her.  No, I have done that.  Did I pet her and say goodbye or kiss her just before they took her away?  Kinda hope so, but I am just not sure.  Wanted to get this all written down before I forgot anything, but already feeling fuzzy.  I am barely holding it together, then after I hand her over, a woman standing by over hearing, says she is sorry.  Then I lost it and headed out the door.

I went directly to the Encinitas St. fair.  I had planned to go before loosing Britty, and now though I am certainly not feeling festive, I could really use the distraction.

I go to work the next day. First day getting up with no Britty in the house.   Don't tell anyone.  Don't want to talk about it.  Don't want to hear any of the things people say.  One thing that someone I really like always says (and of course did say when I finally told her a week or so later), is "are you going to get another one?"   I have called her on that before.  My reply is "I hope when your boyfriend dies, you wait a few days before getting another one".  But she seems unable to retain how insensitive that remark is.  First night watching t.v. with no Britty.

I still have the tugs though.  A dozen times a day, I feel this tug to go take care of her.  Her area was kitchen, dining area, family room.  When I am in the other part of the house, reading, watching t.v. in my room, brushing my teeth, I feel the tugs.  Time for Britty's medicine, time to feed Britty, time to go hang out with Britty.  Or when I am someplace else, I should go home now and take care of Britty.  Animals have been my life.  They are why I get up in the morning, and why I come home at night.  Feel like my purpose is gone now.  Sure it would be nice to decide to take a trip and just go.  I would love to go more places without worrying about them and spending lots more money to have them taken care of.  But I can't be without them either.  Traveling would be a sometimes thing.  Not an everyday thing.  Still feeling that all the life has been sucked out of the house feeling, and I do not like it.

DMV- Part 2

Nov. 16, 2018
So I get up, get that kick in the stomach feeling twice.  Britty is dead and I have to go to the DMV.  I am over come with feeling of dread.  I haven't cried about Britty yet, and now afraid if I do, I will have an even harder time at the DMV, so trying to put that off.  First I have to call in sick.  Then get ready and go.  

Arrive about 9:15, for my 9:20 appt.  I don't know if I am going to have to do a driving test or not.  Get in the appt. line.  Only 1 person ahead of me.  He is friendly, says I look familiar.  Yeah, maybe because I was here last month, but did not have my marriage certificate.  Get my number and go sit down and practice reading stuff far away with my right eye.  It is not looking good, even with the new glasses.  But I can't be at the counter before my turn, so I would be closer when it was my turn.  Praying that would be enough.


  They call my name and I go way back by where people are taking tests.  I wonder if this is some flunked the eye test specialist.    I am not mentioning my eye test or the form.  I say I am back to try again to get my Real Id drivers license.  I give him all my verifs. and he spends a long time looking at them, then goes to check with someone else.  They are all legit, but I feel like I am trying to cross a European border with forged documents.  Eventually he comes back and says "everything seems to be in order".  (Good, so I can cross the border now?)  More nervous.  Then I think well maybe he is just new.  Trying to think how to ask without pissing him off.  So come up with "have you worked here long?"  That got him talking.  Apparently he is a temp.  He is trying to get on permanently, but he works a year or so then they send him home, then a while later call him back.  Says they like him, and he is supposed to be here at least for another year.  Ok, making progress.  He does not have the eye charts hanging behind him like many of the other stations, so thinking he may send me to another one for that.  Trying to practice on the closest one while he is checking and checking.  Not feeling optimistic about those charts.

Finally time for the dreaded eye test. He does not send me to another station. At the right side of his, he had one of those machines on the counter. I had been so busy staring at the closest charts, I hadn't paid any attention to it. First I look with no glasses, hoping by some miracle I can keep the dreaded must wear corrective lenses off my license. He tells me to read the top line by the number 1. What I see is several lines at the top, that I think I can read, but they have no numbers, and several tiny little lines at the bottom next to numbers. I think he means the tiny top one in the bottom group that has the numbers, (not the very top one, with no number). So I attempt it. Don't know if I got any right. He says that can't be the top one. I move a bit and everything disappears. I put on my glasses and try again, reading the top line whether it has a number or not (don't remember). I think I get at least several of them right. Then again, and I think I get them all. Not sure if I read 3 or 4 times. I thought it would be like last time. First both eyes, then left, then right. Maybe he did it completely opposite. Anyway, somehow, he then said "ok you passed but with corrective lenses". He printed out another form saying that. Not happy about the lenses, but happy he said I passed. Still felt doubtful though. He has not asked for my eye Dr. referral form and I have not offered it. He says that the computer says I needed a referral, but since I passed he does not think that will be necessary. I don't pull it out and give it to him. I am afraid if I do, he might want to scrutinize my eye test more. But also afraid if I don't it won't really go through until I get it and I will have to come back with it. Decide to cross that bridge if I have to, and do not offer it.

Then he sends me over to get my picture taken. Not thrilled with that. Last month I was more prepared. My hair looked better, and I had a prettier shirt on. But I get in line. She is almost to me, and gets interrupted. Finally gets to me and asks me to put my thumb on the reader. Try a couple times, and nothing. She asks what window I was at, I tell her, but he is not there now. She says his computer is not communicating with hers yet, it must just be taking a while. Please step aside. So I wait. She takes a few more pics. She gets interrupted a lot more. Eventually my guy comes back and while helping someone else notices me standing there and motions me back to him. I tell him what she said. He looks again, and said, oh, it is already in progress in Sacramento, you don't need another picture, you can go now. 

I feel a bit uncertain if it really is all over, but hoping so.  It is really getting busy now.  I was there, with an appt., about 65 minutes.  Not too bad.  Really glad I had that appointment.  
I want to come out of there feeling like the weight of the world is off of my shoulders.  Maybe go celebrate with a bit of shopping and a movie, then come home and hug my bunny.
But instead my sweet bunny is dead and I have to deal with that.  I just can't deal then.  I decide to just live in denial for a while.  
I go walk around downtown Vista for a while till it was time for a movie.  Hoping I don't see anyone I know after calling sick.  But I do see P.C. from work, but she is ok, won't get me in trouble.  Do a bit of shopping.  Then go see "The Girl in the Spiders Web".  Then stop at Costco and home.

Again that evening I do the Norman Bates thing and get Britty out of the fridge to watch t.v. with me.  Feeling relieved about the DMV, bad, sad, guilty and creepy about the way I am dealing/not dealing with Britty.  

It might have been better for both of us if she had gone the weekend before.  5 days earlier.  I talked about that with her.  "You know I don't want you to go, but if it is getting to by your time are  you sure you don't want to go Sat. when I don't have to go to work, or Sun. before I drive 30 miles to stock up on bunny supplies for you?"   It would have been good to not have to deal with work, DMV and loosing Britty all at the same time (not to mention the $70. I spent renewing my House Rabbit membership and buying her food and supplies she won't be here for.  Plus she probably weighed a pound more then and could have skipped a few days of not feeling good.  But who am I to say when?  I couldn't.  She probably stuck around for me anyway.  Poor little sweet girl.

Britty Oct. 2017-Nov. 2018

When Smokey died in Oct. 2017 Britty already was not doing well, and continued to get worse. I begged her not to go the same month as Smokey.  I could not bear it.  

Then it was please don't go at Thanksgiving time.
Then it was please don't go at Christmas time.
Then it was please don't go at New Years time.
Then for several months it was ok, I get it, you have hung in there for me this long.  If you feel like you have to go, it is ok.  I will miss you and be sad, but its ok, but  could you please make it on a Sunday?  (So I have the whole day to be sad and drive you to the vets to get picked up for cremation.  Did not tell her that part.)
Then it was please don't go at Easter.
Then please don't go when I have scary Dr./Dentist stuff coming up.  Or when my son was supposed to be in town.

At least a few times a week I was afraid I would find her dead in the morning, or when I came home from work.  I started putting stuff off.  "Well I will take care of that after Britty goes".

Then I could not get her meds refilled unless I took her in.  Did not want to.  I was afraid he would recommend putting her down.  But I could not run out of her meds, so off we went. 

Much to my surprise and relief, the vet  (Dr. L....apparently Dr. H. no longer works there, too bad, I liked him.) said he thought she was doing pretty good, and that I was doing a good job taking care of her.  He thought much of her problem was caused by E. Cuniculi.  I had gradually been thinking that also.  When she started having trouble walking, it seemed like arthritis to me.  When she suddenly got cataracts, that seems odd, I was concerned about infection.  When we saw Dr. H a few weeks later, he just said yes, cataracts can come on very suddenly like that.  It was not until several months or so later when I heard sudden cateracts can be a sign of E. Cuniculi, I started wondering. Looking back I wish he had suggested treating her for that then.  Her walking and eye sight may not have improved, but maybe treatment could have kept her from getting any worse.  Ok, back to the visit with Dr. L in July.  He said her weight has not changed much in the past 13 months.  She was alert, did not seem to be in any pain and her skin looked pretty good.  Said rabbits like this can go on for quite some time, as long as they are still eating and seem comfortable.  The thing that often leads to having to put them down is skin infection.  He refilled her pain meds. to keep her comfortable, and her sub q. fluids, which she had been totally out of for a few months.  Good visit.

After the visit I relaxed a bit.  Worried a bit less about finding her dead any time soon.  But still she had her good days and bad.  I was giving her almost 3 times the pellets I was giving her 5 years ago, just to try and keep her weight up.  Of course she was so full from the pellets, she barely ate any hay, but I felt like I had to, she needed the calories.  Her digestive system seemed to be doing pretty well.  My biggest worry was she did not drink enough water.  I was afraid her kidneys were going, both her age, and e. cuniculi make that likely.  For a long time I would pick her up several times a day and try and get her to pee.  She would lift her tail and shoot it away from her then she did not have to sit in it so much.  Then she got to the point, she was not lifting her tail.  Lack of strength or lack of muscle control?  I tried to lift it for her and she got all squirmy.  I was like "relax, this should not be hurting you".  Found out some time, later I think I broke her tail.  Felt horrible!!  I was not pulling hard, just trying to help her keep dry.  When I had first started bathing her, most of the fur on her tail had come off.  I think it was from being soaked in pee too long.  It grew back, then she stopped lifting it and was dribbling more, less shooting away from her, harder to keep her clean and dry.  She does not like being cleaned off.  I do a good job once a week, with a butt bath, and just a quick wipe down on other days.  Sometimes when I am holding her in one hand to clean her with the other, she acts like she is having a hard time breathing.  Is it stress or for real?  Don't know but she stops it when we are done. 
  
Then we are back to the "if you feel the need to go, it is ok, I will be sad, but I don't want you to stay just for me.  But could you do it on a weekend please?"  She has always been so polite.  Then it was Oct.  OK, please don't go on my birthday.  Please don't go when I go to Disneyland that week.  

She was still eating good.  (not much hay, but everything else good.)  So the first day that she didn't was right after the time change.  They had always gotten their pellets about 11:30 pm, just before I went to bed.  But as she got thinner and weaker I gave her a small hand full of pellets many times a day.  The vet had said as much as she wanted.  So the morning after the time change I get up and see most of her pellets were still there.  I was only a little concerned because at 11:30 on her biological clock it was 12:30, time to sleep and she had been snacking on pellets all evening.  She did a little better each day that week.  Figured she was adjusting to the time change, as was I.  

Then a week later I was going to go to San Diego to get supplies for her.  Mostly I don't go that far, but there is one type of pellet I have been unable to get locally any more.  It was suggested to give to older buns that have trouble keeping their weight up.  I was totally out, so was giving the other 2 good types of pellets for a day now.  I asked her, hey, if you are thinking of going any time soon now, please go before I drive down there and stock up.  But she seemed pretty normal Nov. 11, so off I went.

I really wanted to say please don't go until I get the DMV stuff sorted out. And she may have waited, she is so polite.  But I did not ask, I thought she is getting weaker, even if I don't end it for her, I have to quit asking her to stay. She has waited this long, what are the odds she would pick then to go, really?

Wednesday, Nov. 14 I come home and do a quick peek to see if she is still alive.  She was. I had to do something quick on the computer, so go do that.  Then I get distracted and spend the next hr. or so doing stuff that could have waited.  So by the time I go out to take care of her it was about 6:00 pm.  I can tell she is not good.  Way weaker.  Do I pack her in the car and try and get to her vets before they close at 7:00 and have her put to sleep?  I don't think there is that much that they can do for her at this point.  I have already questioned if her quality of life is decent or not, if she is really getting that much worse, maybe prolonging it is not the best thing, much as I want to.  It is not supposed to be about me and how hard that is.  I am only supposed to be doing what is best for her.  But it is like I can't really see or think correctly near the end.  I rationalize and wear blinders and never feel like I am doing right.  I wanted to give her a last bath before she went to the vets (dead or alive)  Both to lessen my embarrassment at not being a better Mom and to give her some dignity. Also if I did do it, I wanted it to be her vet.  Not someone that does not really know rabbits that might not give her the right dose.  And at 6:00, traffic is probably still bad, would I even make it there by 7:00 if I skipped the bath?  Remember she has been bad before, and gotten better, and I have blinders on and can't think straight.  Would it be more stressful for her to be taken in (1/2 hr. with normal traffic), or to go on her own here.  It seems like most good pet parents put their pets, to sleep.  Is it always the best solution?  There is a difference between "I really feel like crap".  and "I am in a lot of pain".  I got that she felt like crap, but I did not see a lot of pain.  But could well be wrong.

I don't take her.  Wish I had checked earlier, but I did not.  Guilty about that too. I don't want to move her too much, hoping if this was the time, she would just go to sleep and not wake up.  She did seem like she really wanted to just sleep.

But a while later I decide to try some sub cue fluids.  It might help her, or at least make her feel a bit better.  How can I do nothing?  I don't want to move her to the bathroom where I usually do it, and there is not much room for me to sit behind her like I usually do.  I am thinking she is so weak now, maybe she won't move.  There was only 1 unit left in the bag, which annoyed me.  Seems like there should have been about 1 1/2 units more.  I had it shut as tight as I could shut it, but it seems like some may have still managed to leak out. So I put the needle in, it feels like it is in ok, don't feel any liquid leaking out, and I leave the room for a while.  Idiot.  When I go check, either I was wrong about it being in right, or she did move, cause she is wet from it leaking out on her.  Pissed at myself.  I wasted it, and she might have benefited some from getting it under her skin, not on top of it.  Dry her off as best as I can without moving her.

A bit latter, I wrap her up in a towel to hold her while I watch t.v.  Usually I put her next to me, and even yesterday she seemed happy about that.  But now, I want to hold her.  I pick her up lots, but normally, except during bath time, I don't hold her a lot.  She did not hate it, but unlike Smokey, certainly did not crave it either, so it seemed to me.  But feel the need now, hoping maybe she would just slip away while I was holding her and petting her and telling her how much I loved her.

But when I am holding her, she seems like she is having trouble breathing.  It might be something about the position, I don't usually see that when she is lying down, so after a bit I put her down in her usual "lets watch t.v." spot.  She is weak, and wants to sleep.  But I do get her to eat a few bites.  Just in case this is not the end, don't want her to stop eating.

So it is time for bed, but she just wants to sleep.  So I decide to leave her where she is instead of putting her in her regular sleeping spot with her usual salad and pellets. She seems comfortable, just weak and sleepy.  So I cover her up to stay warm, kiss her goodnight, knowing she may not make it through the night.

Thursday Nov. 15.  I get up afraid of what I will find.  I hate that feeling of waking up with that horrible ache of dread in the stomach, (more than my ususal have to go to work dread). Will she be gone, or even worse, suffering and I damn better do something about it, no matter how much it kills me.  I go check and she is still alive.  She perks up a bit, and I give her a little food, so seems like she is weak, but has not totally given up yet.  I hate my job, but I am a good reliable employee and I already know I am calling in sick the next day to go to the DMV.  Feeling guilty about that, but I have to go.  I want to stay home with her.  But I would really feel guilty calling in 2 days in a row, when I am not really sick.  But I have not decided for sure I was taking her in, and if I had stayed home every day she did not seem great, I would have been home a lot.  So I set her up in her usual while I am at work spot, with some pellets, just in case, and guiltily go off to my crummy job (that I need).

I come right home after work, get to her a little before 5:00 pm, and she is gone.  Tried to tell by how she felt how long it had been.  I am no expert.  My guess was not all day, but probably at least an hr.  I hope she was not waiting for me.  I got home as soon as I could.  She was going to be cremated.  But have to take her to the vets for pick up for that.  I don't think I can give her her last bath and get her there at this time before they close. And I don't want to rush it.  

I am already a nervous wreck about going back to the DMV tomorrow for another eye test. I have been practicing reading stuff from across the room with my right eye.

NOOOOO! Not now! I can't even give her a bath and take her in the next morning, even calling in sick, cause I have a 9:20 DMV appt. and I have to go!

So I talk to her and pet her a little, and ask her to forgive me for not doing better. I put her in the refrigerator. Then that evening at t.v. time I do the Norman Bates thing and take her out to lay next to me, like I have done soooooo many times before she died. I arrange her like she was sleeping and cover her up except for her head, and pet her a while.

I guess I thought/hoped it might be easier this time because I had known it was coming on and off for a long time. Certainly not the best Mom, but an ok Mom most of the time I think. I thought I would beat myself up less this time. But no. Maybe that is part of the process for me.

DMV Oct. 8, 2018

 DMV

This October my drivers license was set to expire.  I have not been in a DMV in many, many years.  But as I feared, when I got the letter they said this year you must go in and get a new picture, thumb print ant take the eye test.  Oh great!  Well too early to make an appt. now, who knows what I will be doing that week now (a few months earlier).  I have never made an appt. before, but I see the long lines on t.v. and think they must be ones without appts.  I won't do that, 3 weeks should be enough time to get an appt.  Right?  Well I kept forgetting and it was 15 days before it expired when I remembered to go on line to make an appt.   The first one they offered me was 3 days after it was to expire.  2nd was 8 weeks later, 3rd was the month after that!   I had no idea!  I was afraid to drive with an expired license.  I just kept trying for the next week hoping something would open up.  I tried the 3 offices closest to me.  Also checked the wait times, which varied greatly, but was not in a position to just head over if a short wait showed up.  I was to drive to Orange county the day after my license expired.  They will give you a ticket for breathing wrong.  I was getting no where with the appts. 

So the day before it was to expire, first day of my week off, I got up early to take my car in the shop.  Not happy about it, but wanted to get my brakes checked before I drove it much more.  They checked, cleaned and adjusted it, said they just had some air in the lines that they bled out.  Only felt a little better, not what I paid better, but had some piece of mind about them being ok.  Got out fairly early, did a little shopping, got a snack and headed to the DMV to start my wait.  

I was super nervous.  Just being there!  Plus my eyes are not great.  I was super near sighted when I was younger.  HATED wearing glasses SO much.  Tried contacts, but after a couple years I could not wear any more, then back to glasses.  Eventually I had surgery to improve my eyesight.  My right eye has never responded like it was expected.  But eventually it did improve enough I was able to get the hated "must wear corrective lens" off of my license.

Well, I guess I did not realize your eyes will continue to change, and eventually I was not seeing good enough.  Had more surgery, but again right eye did not respond as expected.  Had only recently had surgery when I last went to the DMV.  I managed to squeak through passing but just barely.  I see well enough with both eyes.  I see well enough with my left eye, but my right eye alone is the problem.  Luckily I do not drive with one hand over my left eye.

Cataract surgery a few years ago with a lens implant was to restore my distance vision in right eye.  It did not.  I can read close up with it, but no distance. 

So very nervous.  I think while I am there I will get the Real ID license that will be needed for flying in a year (or two), just in case.  Have not flown in years, but you never know.  Dig out my birth certificate, Social Security card, proof of address, think I am all set for that at least.  Get there and they want my marriage certificate.  "I am not married."  Well how did you go from the name on your birth certificate to the name on your social security card?  "Well, when I got married, I sent in a copy of the marriage certificate to SS and they sent me a SS card with that name on it, and now 40 years after my divorce I am still using that name."  Nope you can not get the Real ID without your marriage certificate, EVEN 40 YEARS after your divorce!  Quite annoyed about that.  Ok, fine, just do regular for now, it will expire tomorrow.  I will have to come back later to try the real id again.  

On to the dreaded eye test.  The letters are REALLY tiny and quite a ways behind the person on the other side of the counter.  No, not a standard eye chart.  

I read enough to pass with both eyes (no glasses) and with my left eye (no glasses), but not even close with just my right eye.  Try it with the glasses I had with me.  (the ones I keep in my car to wear when I drive at night, or if I am looking for an address-I can see it a few feet sooner, but for general in my area day time driving, they do not seem necessary).  I did a bit better with both and with left, and maybe got a couple correct with my right eye, but not nearly enough.  She tries the machine on the counter, but still no pass.  "But I don't drive with my good eye covered"!!!!  I will give you a 59 day extension. Here is a form to take to your eye Dr. to have them fill it out, and bring it back.  Maybe they will proscribe new glasses and you can try again.  If I still don't pass?   (glaucoma has destroyed some receptor cells in that eye.  I have lost a lot of my color vision and not sure a different prescription will be enough).  Well then they might take you on a driving test, and see how you do on the road.   Terror!  I am a decent driver, but have not taken a driving test in so long!  Just the idea makes me so nervous I can barely think or think I can drive well.  

No ones wants to loose their license.  But I am still working, I live alone, have no family in the area, and there are no buses, or trains in my area.  Terrified.  What if I don't pass?!  I will have to take early retirement, and I will have to sell my house and move where there are buses.  I probably can't afford it and may end up homeless.  I am really in a panic.

I realize that the RX in the glasses I had with me, was not the most recent.  Last year I was so busy between my eye exam in Nov. and Christmas, getting new glasses was going to have to wait until that week between Christmas and New Years.  8:00 PM New Years Eve  it hit me.  Oh no, I forgot to go get new glasses!  There goes this years eye glass benefit down the tubes.  Yes, I could have gone in after the first of the year, but thought, now there is no hurry, I may just wait until my annual fall exam. 

I did get new lenses the year before.  I kept them in the other car, for those times I was using that one, and was not going to make it home before dark.  Tried comparing those with the ones I wore.  Slightly better, probably still not enough to pass.

Get in to see the eye Dr. with my form to fill out.  I am still so nervous I am jabbering non stop while he is trying to fill it out and examine my eyes.  He says he is surprised that I did not pass.  My eyes have not changed that much.  Yes, I am able to read what he asks me to with the lens he has selected.  But it seems to me that the letters are bigger and closer than at the DMV chart.  I am like,  Not good enough.  "I need to be able to see through walls with these!".   

The next week I take the new, only slightly different RX to two different eye wear places.  I was going to use my insurance benefit for a fancy new pair of progressives.  (for those times when driving when I have to read a map, or things like that).  And a cheaper pair of single vision distance (no adjustment time needed) to go take my test with.

The next week I gather up the new glasses.  When I try them on and do not immediately see way better with just my right eye, both places said it may take from a few minutes to an hr. for your eyes to fully adjust to seeing their best in them.  Could all this have been prevented in I had worn my glasses for the entire hour I was waiting?  But I can't stand them on my face that long, or walk with them, or look at people.  They bug me too much, plus I was still hoping to squeak by with no must wear corrective lens restriction.  Well that did not work very well.  

Meanwhile I had tried a few times to get an appt.  I was going either way, but on my last attempt, I got one for Oct. 16 at 9:20.  I had planned to go the week before, but actually the glasses were not even ready till the end of the week, and 9:20 was a good time for me.  I had decided not to ask for the time off.  I was nervous enough about going in without thinking I am supposed to be at work in a couple hours, this is taking too long, etc.  Plus it is hard to get time off at this time of year.  I hate calling in sick if I am not.  But if I did not get the time off, I still had to go and it would look really bad if I ask and am told no, then call in sick.  So just planned to call in sick and go.  No time pressures.

Smokey's Last Few Months

Can't believe it has been 2 years since I have posted.  What, I only feel the need when I am feeling heartbroken?  Looks like it.

Smokey was my little gray rabbit. He came to me, I believe, in April 2010.  He lived with my friend Mark, until Mark had to go into a nursing home.  Some of this is in my last post, and this is his last few months, so moving on.


It is recommended to do an annual check up on bunnies, and twice a year when they get older.  I thought about it, but time and money, etc, never did it.  But after loosing Chrissy, I managed to get both her sister Britty, and little Smokey in a few months later.  I believe it was Feb. 2016.  It was my first time seeing Dr. H.  I was concerned.  I had seen Dr. L. before, it is hard to find a good bunny vet.  But Dr. L now works 0 hrs that I am not working, and it was easier to get in to see Dr. H.  I liked him.  He seemed amazed at how well Smokey was doing for his age (appx. 11 1/2 then).  Suggested they should both have base line blood tests done then, and to keep costs down I could do one this time, the other next.  Britty is about 1 1/2 years younger but was slowing down more than he was, so we did hers.  Everything was good.



Since then some other bun issues have come up.  Britty has become a lot less mobile.  She can only walk a couple steps occasionally.  But she gets around.  We think it is likely  arthritis in her back legs, or hips, or back, maybe all.  She has been on anti-inflammatory pain meds a year now.  So do I get them in in Feb. for at least an annual check up?   No.....it is June before we get in.  By that time Britty has gone blind.  It happened suddenly.  I think it is cataracts, but never knew that to be so fast!  It happened Memorial Day weekend.  So I also wanted to make sure that was all it was, not some thing even worse.  Poor girl had no time to get used to it gradually.



Now they are both doing pretty good.  But there is Britty's mobility problem, which is not uncommon in older rabbits.  And now neither one of them is good about using their bunny boxes.  They were good for many years, then about a year ago I started seeing more poops not in the box.  Figured it was probably their age, they just could not help it anymore.  Well, at least it just sweeps up.  Happy they are still here and doing OK.  Then sometime between a year ago and June, I started finding pee accidents.  First assumed it was Britty with her mobility issue, then found it was actually both of them.  When Dr. H. was examining him, he almost peed on the Dr.  He said, well, I am pushing on his bladder. When they asked me if they had excessive drinking or peeing, I hesitated, Smokey had been drinking more, but so often I had not thought he was drinking enough, so this just seemed good and normal. Then also in that same time period, that I can't pin down except less than 1 year and more than 4 months this started,  I would get up or come home and find Smokey on his side kicking frantically. At first I thought it was a seizure, or he had laid down and not been about to get back up.  But after I set him back up and he got his bearings he was off like a shot again, running, like a toy train off the track. It did not happen every day, but regularly.  Then I thought maybe he was trying to groom and when he twisted around lost his balance. He had not been grooming as well.  I had been giving Britty butt baths about once a week for a while.  Maybe early this year?  Not sure, but eventually started with Smokey too.  He was shocked, but tolerated it.
So when I mentioned the falling down to Dr. H. he seemed to  think it might be arthritis, give him some of the pain meds too if I felt like he needed it.  Mostly I didn't think he needed it, but sometimes after he had been stuck on his side for quite a while, and seemed upset about it, I would.

So at the June check up I expected Dr. H. to suggest the blood work for Smokey that we had only done on Britty at their last check up.  He didn't and since I was also stocking up on more pain meds and some new flea treatment (the Advantage that worked so well for us for years, just was not cutting it anymore).  I did not ask for it either.  After all, they were doing pretty good for old bunnies.  Now I regret not asking.  That might have been a good time to catch something early enough to start supportive care, and maybe buy some time.  But I did not ask.

Now it is the end of July.  Smokey seems just the same happy go lucky little guy he has been.  But Britty is going downhill.  She seemed to go from thin to just a bag of bones real quick.  One day I picked her up and she was so limp.  Couldn't stand, did not want to eat or drink, I thought I was going to loose her.  I remembered Dr. L telling me to get Calf Manna for Chrissy.  It was really high in calories.  I had some still, and gave Britty some.  She inhaled it.  Online bunny people said not to give them too much, it could cause digestive issues, so I limited it. I also started giving her extra other pellets.  She gained weight and got stronger.  It was like I had build a new bunny.  I was glad, but felt bad, like I had been starving her.

For pet bunnies, pellets are like mac and cheese.  Nothing wrong with a serving a day, but you can't let your kids fill up on that and not eat any of the more healthy foods they need.  For bunnies hay is supposed to be number 1 and often giving more pellets make them less interested in hay.  So I tried to give Britty extra when Smokey was not looking.  Eventually he caught on and wanted what she had, but his digestive system has always been more delicate. I couldn't take a chance that he wouldn't want his hay, so I would usually pick him up and hold him while Britty was getting her extras, so he didn't get too many and not eat his hay.  As it was they were both still eating hay, but less than they used to. 

Meanwhile Smokey is drinking more and more.  I first thought diabetes, but apparently that is very uncommon is bunnies.  Then I though maybe his kidneys were wearing out.  Not at all uncommon in rabbits.  I didn't think there was much they could do for that, so I did not take him back in.    He is still running around like crazy, but much of it was to the water dish and back.  He still fell over, but was still eating well.  And I believe around Aug. 1 he turned 13.  I was thrilled to still have him, have to expect a few problems by that age, right?   He loved to be brushed, and loved to be held.  I would hold him like a baby and pet his head, and he would go right to sleep.  Then to wake him up I would rub his ears, and he would start washing his paws.  It was the cutest thing ever, and he had the cutest little bunny lips.  I always wanted to get a video of that, but with only 2 hands did not think I could manage to get a good one.  I so regret not getting one of that.  But it had gotten you never knew when he was going to start squirting pee.  I had started holding him over a bunny box and pushing on his belly a little when I let him out or went to hold him, to cut down on accidents.  Of course he was not crazy about it, but did not seem to mind.

By the end of Sept. I started thinking, what if I was wrong about his kidneys wearing out and there not being much that can be done about all the peeing? So I take him in to Dr. H.  He is tiny.  Don't remember his weight in June, but it is down a little.  2.32 lbs.  I tell him he is slowing down a bit, falling over a bit more, and drinking and peeing tons.  When the tech tries to  take his temp. he pees.  He of course was being very good.  Almost too good, he is usually a bit more wiggly. He said we should do blood work to check his kidney function (among other things).  I said if it came back his kidneys were not working as well as they should what would you recommend?  He said he would recommend sub-q fluids to help them along.  I remembered doing that to my cat Misty when her kidney tests came back showing them slowing down.  It seemed to help.  And I had done it years ago when Smokey was not eating well, and eventually he got better.  He squeezed out some urine and did a urine test.  Said it had a few crystals, and a few red blood cells.  He did not have a raging infection, but he might have a low grade infection.  We could start with a course (10 days) of antibiotics  first.  I thought that sounded good.  I asked the tech. later if we did do the blood test how much it would be.  She said there are several, but it would probably be the $178. one that he sends out. I kinda regret that I did not get the blood work done, but then too, doing the antibiotics first sounded reasonable.  Maybe it would have given us more info early enough to have bought some time.  But again, I was stocking up on flea meds and pain meds, and he acted like it was fine to wait and see if this helped first.

No difference at first.  But I thought with his weight down a little maybe I would let him share Brittys extra pellets.  It seemed to help her a lot.  He was running around a little less, less trips to the water.  Thought maybe it was helping. But he was  a bit more wobbly.  I would think, oh, I should go get him and hold him.  Oh, wait until he gets closer to a bunny box, in case he starts squirting when you pick him up.  I regret not holding him more then.  He would still come and tell me if  dinner was late, still follow me around like a puppy, or sit by me wanting attention.  I love Britty, but she is more serious.  Smokey could be a silly rabbit.  Week two of antibiotics, and he is eating less.  He is way less excited about water. Still eating, but slowly, not inhaling, and less excited about it.  Now I am urging him to eat and drink, whereas two weeks ago he could not get enough of either.  I am giving him a little pain meds most days, just in case.  Plus it can increase their appetite. 

Now it is Monday, Oct. 9.  My birthday.  I have the week off that I am so looking forward to, and it is October, my favorite month. Should be full of joy.  But I am worried about Smokey.  I am supposed to drive 36 miles north and meet friends from out of state to then drive up to Knotts Berry Farm.  I only see them once a year.  We have not been in 30 years, it is my birthday and I have the tickets.  Feeling guilty about leaving Smokey, I go.  I know he would spill a water bowl in his little area, not sure if he would drink out of a bottle, or that blind Britty would find it.  I thought if I left him food, Britty would eat it before he had a chance.  Did not want to separate them.  Of course he had hay, but had not been very interested in that.  So I try to get as much food and water in him as I can before I go.  Have fun, but feeling like a horrible Mom.  I get home 14 hrs. later praying not to find him dead.  No, but close.  I don't think he had eaten or drank anything while I was gone.  I spend the next 2 hrs. trying to get a tiny bit of food and water in him.  It was just a week or 2 ago that all he wanted to do was eat and drink.  Of course I did let him drink all he wanted, but I still put a limit on his pellets.  Now I am thinking those were the good old days, if I could just go back and let him eat and drink to his hearts content.  But then again, stasis can be caused by too many pellets, not enough hay.  I must have done something right to get him to 13, but sure don't feel like I know what I am doing this week.

One of my biggest joys in life is sleeping late on a day off and that wonderful feeling of, oh, I don't have to go to work.  I can go back to sleep or do what ever when I get up. Did not get any of that.  My usually very quiet neighbor hood had some noise every morning that woke me up.  Than I would remember Smokey and get that feeling of dread, oh no.  Is this the morning that I will find him dead, or suffering?  I hate waking to that.  Plus you add in all the fires and Chrissy dying 2 years ago, and my favorite month is looking a lot less shiny and happy.

So now it is Tuesday, Oct 10.  I was up late, and laying there afraid to get up.  When I do I find Smokey is still here.  Weak, but got him to eat and drink some, so he was trying and that made me feel better.  Did some stuff around the house stopping to check on Smokey and try and get food and water in him.

Wed.  Wake to the feeling of dread.  Smokey still here.  Now I am getting fuzzy.  Not sure how much he ate or drank.  But now he looks puffy.  There may have been a bit of that the day before, I was concerned he might be going into stasis, between all the pellets i had been letting him have, and the 14 hrs. I was gone and he probably did not eat or drink.But now it looks worse.  That can't be good.

Rabbit parents live in fear of stasis.  If a rabbit is not eating and drinking enough and getting enough fiber their digestive system can shut down, gas forms, then they are uncomfortable and really don't want to eat, toxins can develop and they can die in 24 hrs. if they are not eating and pooping. And even worse is bloat.  Don't remember if it has the same causes now, but it is even more deadly, with a very poor survival rate. But his belly was squishy, it would be harder with bloat, so I am doing what I would do for stasis.  Belly massage, any food I can get in him, lots of liquids, baby gas drops, but I don't have the sub-q fluids that also help.   Decide to take him back to vets.  Dr. H. is not in, Dr. L. will see me if I can get in asap, but there will be an extra $35 fee for working me in.   I was  racing to get there at 11:00.  It was about 11:05, and we didn't see the Dr. for about another 20 min.  Now he just seems annoyed and rushed.  He is not looking at his chart right.  We were in 12 days ago.  Saw a few normal looking poops when we were there, so still had some hope. He wants to do blood tests.  I say well, if it shows his kidneys are not working well won't you just suggest sub-q fluids?  Yes, but it could show it is too late for that.  Well I want to try.  So you want to treat the symptoms at this point?  Yes. We can do that.  I will give him an injection to jump start his system, meds to go home to help keep things moving, sub-q fluids to help him stay hydrated, and move things along.  (standard treatments for stasis)  Did not do the blood tests.  At this point it may have been too late and it it was sent out, he may have been dead before I got the results, so less regret this time about them.  He still weighs 2.32 which I thought was kinda odd, but good, he has not lost. I have done the sup-q fluids, but it has been a while, so the tech comes in to give him his first round and give me a refresher.  I take him home and get a bit of food and water in that day.  Wrap him up in a towel and hold him for a while that night.  Had thought about going to Julian the next day.  Vacation is half over now, but don't want to leave him.

Thurs.  Wake up with dread.  When I pick up Smokey first thing, he is opening his little mouth big like he is saying HELP!  Oh no!  Is he having trouble breathing?  I just keep blowing in his face and he calms down a bit.  Got a bit of food and water in him.  That afternoon I go to give him his sub-q fluids.  It goes ok, and I am thinking this is good, hydrate that gut, and help flush some of the toxins out.  Well later on he is doing the help thing more and more.  Now I am thinking OH NO, did I make it worse?   Is all that fluid pressing on his lungs and making it hard for him to breathe?  What have I done?!  Then I think back to Dr. L the day before.  I had said I was giving him baby gas drops.  He kinda poo pooed that, said he didn't think he had a lot of gas.  I had just thought he was thinking OTC meds are a waste, you should just the RX we can sell you.  Now I am thinking did he think that was fluid from failing kidneys his body was unable to get rid of and now I have just given him abut 75cc more!!  Why did he not explain that?  If we went back would they put a needle in and suck out enough fluid for his lungs to work better?  No, they would say its time to put him down.  I don't want to go back and do that.  He may die before we got there, but I don't want him to suffer either.  He said on Wed. he did not think he was in pain.  Good.  But he is at least in discomfort now.  What to do, what to do?  I did not take him.  I did kinda squeeze him a few times, thinking if he could just pee a lot of it out, he would be more comfortable, but now he is peeing less.  Is he now unable to pee and I put all this fluid in?  I  knew he would want to be held when he died.  But would it be 2 hrs or 2 days?  I did not want to pick him up if he was sleeping hoping he was more comfortable then, and if it was time he would just go in his sleep.

Friday, Oct. 13......figures, huh?  Wake up, wasn't sleeping well anyway, but still lay there trying, and too much of a coward to go face Smokey.  So afraid of what I will find.  I had covered him with a towel to keep him warm  (his temp. was down on Wed. at the vets.  and I had not even noticed).  I think he is gone, and don't want to check.  But I do and he stirs.  I pick him up and he is a little limp, but alive, feels less puffy.  I squeeze a little before I wrap him up to hold and some pee comes out.  Happy to see that, he opens his mouth big and  lets out a small squeak.  Wrap him up and he immediately seems peaceful.  Not sure when he died.  I hope it was after I got him all wrapped up and started petting him, but it was probably less than a minute.  Held and petted quite a while to be sure.  Did not want to unwrap and look for breathing.  Thought I felt a bit of breath from his nose, but not sure.  It was fast.  I don't think I broke him when I squeezed, it was not any harder than I had been, but I will never know.  I kinda feel like he was just waiting to say goodbye to me before he went.  And I am in bed being a coward, making him wait.  I could have gotten up and let him be at peace sooner if he was waiting for me, or at least held him longer, but I wimped out.  Bad Mom again. 
I had breakfast, got dressed, then gave him a bath.  I know it sounds silly.  But it is like one last act of caring for him, and giving him dignity before he goes away forever.  

Then what?  I had always buried my animals in my yard.  But.....I have been here over 30 years and that is a lot of animals.  When Suzy my Grandma's cat died, I had her cremated, cause I think that is what Granny would have done.  When Chrissy died (at the vets)  I had her cremated.  Partly it was alllllll the animals in my yard, and partly not wanting to drive home with a dead bunny.   So I knew I would need to cremate Smokey and Britty to feel like they were "all together"  if not in my yard, at least in boxes on the shelf.  I had thought about keeping Smokey in the freezer until Britty goes, and doing them together, but decided against that.  Had looked on line about it, but could not bring myself to make any calls about it.  So now I have to call.  With Suzy I used Circle of Life arranged thru her vets office.  They don't see bunnies, but are way closer than the bunny vet.  I call and Circle of Life says $105. plus what ever handling charge your vet adds on, unless I want to drive him to them in the next county.  They would pick up at the Humane Society.  They (HS) are pretty close, but have been there twice this week on another matter, and am a little annoyed, plus I was afraid with all their animals it would be too easy to have a mix up. I know with Chrissy her vets were using Peaceful Paws.  I call them and they would give me no prices.  Said it had to go through a vets office.  (and unlike the other place, she was a little bitchy)  But the cat vet said I could not bring my bunny there.  So after Smokey's bath I just drive to his vets and say I am here to make cremation arrangements.   They put me in a room and come in and say it would be $69.  I am thinking wow, that is great.  But no..for that you don't get the ashes back (and apparently I need that ) I said, no I wanted the one I got 2 years ago.  So she comes back and says $200 something!  I think it was about $212.  I was too shocked to register it correctly.  He is 2.32 lbs.!  I expected a handling fee, but if their price was any thing like The Circle of Life, then they were adding a 100 % handling fee!  The other one around had reviews not as good, and had no experience with them.  It took us 40 minutes to get there.  It would be at least that long to go to the Humane Society.  I don't know what to do.  I can't think.  I don't want to be so cheap.  Maybe if I had asked for that blood tests in June I would not be doing this now.  But I have not even paid off the last two visits to the vets yet.  She is trying to be nice, but does not know what to do with me.  Well, maybe we can get him in at the not over 2 lb. mark, that would only be about $169.  Yeah, better, but he was 2.32 two days ago!  She goes and gets a scale, and we weigh him, it keeps saying 3 something, maybe 3.11.  I keep saying that is not possible, he was 2.32 two days ago.  Well, maybe he has a full bladder. I could have them try and express that.  No, he has been through enough.  If 3.11 was correct he must have 3/4 lb. of fluid in him he did not have 2 days earlier.  Did I make it worse with the fluid?  Now I am thinking I did.  He was better before it.  But if we had not done it, I would have wondered if that would have helped.  Losing him is hard enough, it is all the regrets that make it even worse.  Now here I am being a pain about the high cost of cremating my tiny boy!
I ended up calling Circle of Life, putting $105. on my credit card.  They will pick him up there on Mon. and return his ashes there in about 1 week.  Not looking forward to going to get them, but at least it seemed like the best resolution.  The whole time we were talking I had him wrapped in a towel, with just his head and ears out like he liked to be petted.  He just looked asleep like that.  I kept petting his head while we talked.  I must have looked like a nut case.  Felt like one.

Then I left him and cried all the way to IHOP where I ate my feelings.  Plus it was after 4:00 by then and had not eaten since breakfast.  

I still can't believe he is gone.  Know he could not last forever, but it seemed last week, or maybe the week before that he was running around my feet, when I walked asking for attention.   Now there is just the big hole in my heart and the haunting of what I should have done differently. 

Britty seems depressed.  She is 11 1/2 now.  Don't expect her to make it until 13.  I can't handle this again any time soon!