A Good News Week

Well, all in all this week has been very good. Yogi has done brilliantly. So much so, that we feel the need to remind him that he DOES have manners and in the dim and distant past, he did a lot of training to teach him these !!!! :o). Over the last few weeks though, I think understandably these have been pushed to the background. All I want is for Yogi to be a happy bunny and do more or less what he likes. In reality though, that probably isn't the best idea. An example of what I am talking about happened one day this week. I had been at work all day, Yogi had Rich with him all morning and my mum for the afternoon. So I didn't need to feel guilty that I was coming home, taking them out, seeing to them and then going out riding. I walked them, fed them and gave them both a fuss and a play and then went riding. I hadn't had time to see to my own needs e.g. eating, so figured I would grab something to eat when I finished. On my return about 9 ish, I felt quite exhausted so feeling hungry but unable to be really bothered about cooking I looked around to see what was available. Not a lot by the look of it. The only thing that was remotely quick and easy was some stale bread that was due for the birds! I am totally ashamed to say that I was going to eat it. I took it out of the wrapper and turned to the fridge to get some cheese to see if I could revive it in any way. By the time I turned back it was gone. Disappearing into the jaws of some demented little being who SAYS that he hadn't been fed for a week. It was probably a quarter of a loaf too. And it had all but gone by the time I turned around :o) This is what he was like when we first had him, starving and would eat anything, even his own poo. So, what could I do? Nothing really, to see a dog that hungry (due only to the steroids) I just let him get on with it. BUT I do think that we have to go back to basics with his training. Today we have done that as can be seen by the pictures. He has to work for his food - not that hard I must add :o) But he HAS to know that he can't nick anything and everything that he wants. It's SO tempting to let him get away with everything, but in the long run, I don't think it will do him any favours. So, he works and I give - often :o)

Tomorrow is chemo number 6, he has 3 more before we start cutting down. Nervous to say the least, but cannot quite believe how well he is doing. He will see Christmas and a few weeks ago I never thought I'd say that. Clever, brave little Yogi.

The week has been good in other ways too. Mum seems to be looking forward. Although she is scared, she is confident that all the operations that she is going to have will cure her. I think the first few weeks were shocking, now she is determined. We all are.

Larry is fine, I think he was attention seeking :o) Don't blame him really. But a couple of trips to the vets and he feels that maybe attention isn't really what he needs. So all is well there too.

Another fantastic bit of news is my job. In the summer I had asked to be made redundant. I have been with my company for 12 years. There have been loads of changes and although I am basically happy there, I felt the time had come for a change, needed to spread my wings etc. Then when all started to go wrong, I began to wonder if I had done the right thing. I need loads of money for Yogi's vet bills (he's not insured) and with all the worry about him and my mum, trying to find a new job probably would have been a bit more stressful than I would have liked just now. My boss has been absolutely fantastic through all this, sympathetic, supportive, giving me the time that I need etc. Anyway, end of year reviews came around again and the upshot was he asked me to stay! Couldn't quite believe it. I will be able to work from home when mum is in hospital and his main criteria seems to be that he doesn't want me to worry about anything. I was so surprised, they are cutting staff left right and centre, I would have thought that someone volunteering to go would be a blessing. It is a weight off my shoulders just at the moment.

All in all it has been a great week and I feel that I haven't had one of those for a while :o)