Jilly

My little guineapig, Jilly, died yesterday.

I think that it must have been a heart attack because there were no signs that her passing was coming. She was an older guineapig and I think the really cold temperatures have been hard on her even though she lives with other guineapigs in the shed.

She had a good life.

She was part of a group of 6 guineapigs and they live in a large enclosure with huts and tunnels and wood logs to sit on and chew.

Most guineapigs live in cages but at least she was free.

She was a lovely guineapig. She looked like a brillo pad. My toddler neighbour thought she looked like a hedgehog. She was a Rex guineapig and had wiry hair.

I will miss her.

Elsa!

Elsa is a lovely guineapig. She is sweet, gentle and very kind. If any of my other female piggies are poorly, she is always the one I choose as a companion. However, poor old Elsa has lost alot of weight recently so I made the decision today to bring her into the house for the rest of the winter and concentrate on getting her weight up. I have a supply of CRITICAL CARE which is a special food for poorly piggies, vitamin C tablets and the fact that she will not have to compete for her food means that the prognosis should be good.

She has settled in well so far and in a moment I will be giving her a bath which will make her feel much better. I think she will enjoy having my individual attention.

Sorry all

Snowdrop

I am sorry that I haven't been blogging much recently and I haven't been checking in on my blogger friends either. I am hoping to get back into the swing of things soon. I found that the radiotherapy visits really upset my routine and this week.... I have felt so good, I have been busy doing lots of other things. Until this week when I have started to feel more like myself, I didn't realise just how ill I have been.

My breast is still sore following the radiotherapy and bled at the weekend. I am maintaining my breast pad covered in cream routine and that brings me some relief but I will be so glad when it is all repaired and I can start running and swimming again.

The dogs have been happy because I have been able to walk them and we have had such a fun week. Today, I was a bit sad though because Pickles has broken out in an excema rash on her tummy. I clipped her (not too short) then bathed her in my Gorgeous Guineas shampoo and have been applying cream regularly to the affected area. Maybe she is having a rash in sympathy with me??

So this week I am not looking forward to my first dose of herceptin. I have to go in at 9am and stay all day. Apparently because herceptin is so expensive, they do not make it up for you until you actually arrive at the unit. The drug itself takes about an hour to go in via canula then I have to stay in hospital for 6 hours after the infusion to make sure that I do not have any bad side effects.

It is my little Joe's birthday on Thursday, I cannot believe that he will be 11. It only seems like yesterday that I had him all 6lbs 1 oz of him. Tiny, tiny little body, face I couldn't take my eyes off, wow! love at first sight or what and now he is going to be 11. All he wanted for his birthday was crystals so thats what we have got him together with a carved wooden box to house his precious gems. He wants to use his crystals to heal and takes the matter very seriously.

I also go to Darland School on Thursday to check out the High School Joe will be going to in September.

I am still waiting for news on my big surprise this month. I can't wait!!!!

Friends

My mum and Joe

Friends come in all shapes and sizes. They come from all walks of life and bring with them a wealth of information about their lives and experiences. They can be any age, any colour, any breed. Friends have no limitations.

Chloe

When I was a girl, I had pen-friends from all over the world. Some came and some went but I am still in contact with two of them, one from America and the other Canada. We have never physically met but we are still friends and we care about each other. We give each other support when needed and just because we have not met, it doesn't lesson the friendship or bond that we have.

Margaret, my mother in law

Some of my friends are tiny, some are large, some are wrinkled and some are covered in fur. Some I have met, some I have not but my friends are my friends and I value them so very much. My friends have played an integral part in my fight with Breast Cancer and some dont even realise it!

Mums dog Al

My blogging friends, well, I have not met you but you are my friends, no less or no more than those I see every day.

My Joe

So my friends, I thank God for cyber space and computer networking and I thank God for having you as my friends.

Friday Shoot Out - Domestic Animals

I could have put hundreds of pictures on my post "Domestic Animals" because my life is my animals... always has been and always will be. The above picture is of my darling first pony Shilo. I was given him as a rescue pony and turned him from a naggy, underweight and very sad pony into a healthy, happy best friend. I do miss him.

This picture is a very old one of me aged around 10 riding a 14.2hh mare called Cindy at Erddig Hall stables.

Little Harry riding Splash who was all kitted up for the festive season.

Harry being prepared for his lesson on Splash with Lisa.

My beautiful and darling first dog Bobbi aged a few weeks old. She was the love of my life, we shared such a special bond. So sad when she died of lymphoma aged just 5, my heart broke in two that day.

One domestic animal making a fuss of another!

Poppy with her own little domestic animal. She loves these little teddy bears which belong to the boys. She specialises in stealing them and taking their eyes out then guarding them from the other dogs, treating them like her "babies".

Wilbur the terrible with Pickles in the background and the blonde guineapig is Jessica.

Not such a good picture but this is my little boys Russian Dwarf Hamster, Penny. He is called Penny because he was the size of a penny when Harry had him. He is an old man now being almost 2 years old.

This is my eldest sons hamster Blossom. She is a Syrian hamster aged about 5 months old. She had been playing in my dolls house.

Really great shoot out, I could have published more!

Animals are Such a Joy!

This is Elsa. I adopted her from the "Cavy Haven" a few years back. She should have long hair reaching to the floor but one of her friends has been cutting it for her. In guineapig terms, this is called "barbering". She is such a lovely little guineapig, so kind and gentle, a real joy to have in our family. She was called Elsa because her "mane" used to look like that of a lion. I like the way it has been barbered though because you can see her pretty little face.

Hmmm. Pickles and Wilbur always love to destroy my cushions and this is a new one! As soon as I shouted "STOP!" they instantly dropped the cushion and Wilbur looked at me as if to say "what have I done?" and Pickles backed away from the cushion looking as though she was sayint "it wasn't me.... I didn't do it...."

This is Pickles looking rather woolly. Someone once said that she looks like a goat when she is fluffy like this.

I do love my animals. They keep me going...... they give me a purpose to get my act together every day, they give me unlimited entertainment. I just love to watch them and talk to them. I cannot imagine a world without animals.

Guineapigs!

I had my first ever guineapig for my 7th birthday. He was a tri-coloured Abyssinian and he lived to the ripe old age of 7 years! His name was Fluffy. I remember the day he came into my life and all the joy he gave me. Years of friendship. I used to sit on a set of ladders in the shed and tell him all of my troubles. Fluffy used to sit there with a very knowledgeable expression on his face as if he knew exactly what I was talking about.

Since Fluffy, there have been lots and lots more little friends; King, Princess, Tufty, Pinky, Perky, Clover, Twigwidge, Pierre, Nibbles, Poppy, Mouse, Betty, Bumble, Jim, Willow, Zippy, Albert, Snowdrop, Lucy, Thistle, Pixie..... to name but a few. These are the ones who have passed on.

My entourage now consists of Jessica (the cream one), Elsa (the long haired one), Jilly (the grey one), Snowdrop 2,Polly, Patch and Arthur. I love watching them live their little lives, I love hearing them calling me, they are lovely little creatures.

Today I lay on the sun lounger. It is quite warm at 20 degrees, the wind was blowing hard (still is) and I lay there with the warm wind carressing my body, listening to the wind chimes, watching the leaves and trees dance their wind induced dance. What a good day to dry washing!

So at that point, I decided that it was time to bath my guineapigs! I use lovely shampoo from Gorgeous Guineas http://www.gorgeousguineas.co.uk/ it is made from natural products and contains no nasty SSL's - I use it on my dogs too. You see, guineapigs are prone to various skin conditions such as fungal infections and mite problems so it is important to bath them in the appropriate products and keep n eye on their coat for signs of problems.

I selected Patch to be the first guinea bathed because I noticed he had been biting his hind leg and as it is harvest mite season, thought he would benefit from the first soak. So "Lice and Easy" shampoo it was! He really, really enjoyed his bath! Amazing, because most of my little friends hate it and squeak the house down. I trimmed his coat first because he has longer hair at the back which has a tendancy to pick up dirt! Now, he is in the garden enjoying his grass and natural wind drying!

If you have the pleasure of being owned by a guineapig then you may like to visit the following web sites http://www.oginet.com/ and http://www.petergurney.co.uk/ These web pages are filled with guineapig advice, most especially how to treat them if they are ill. Most products are not licenced for use on GP's and many vets do not know much about the little creatures. I have successfully treated and cured my own guineapigs over the years and have only had to seek professional help when antibiotics or euthenasia are needed. The best tip I can give a GP owner is.... any signs of fungal infection..... athletes foot powder adn cream - works every time!

Lifes Little Pleasures

My 6 female guineapigs, L-R: Betty, Jessica, Snowdrop, Jilly, Elsa & Polly

I didn't get much sleep last night because a certain Mr "H" decided to join us (again) and managed to bump my lumpectomy scar a couple of times. Sleep was distrupted so I ended up watching two episodes of Ghost Whisperer back to back with my dogs.

When it was time for normal people to get up, I went to my bed instructing everyone to get sandwiches, snacks, breakfast etc for themselves. Turned out, they didnt and Joe didnt have any lunch. School tried to phone (I ignored it because I was whacked) and so he had to have a school lunch which he doesnt like because he is so fussy with food and hygiene! Aaaaarrrrrggghhhh!!!!

I have read the riot act!

No more H-Bombs in my bed because if there is a lock is going to be fitted.

Joe must make his own sandwiches the night before school and make sure they are packed in his rucksack, mum and dad cannot be expected to do this anymore.

We had a minor revolt from Joe until he realised that he had the power to pack his lunch box with food of his choice (sanctioned of course).

Apart from being totally wiped out due to lack of sleep and the side effects of chemo which still continue to haunt me, I did actually manage some of lifes little pleasures! The mum's at school clubbed up and gave me some vouchers for Karma Spa so because I was exhausted I booked a pedicure there and had a wonderful morning. The picture above is of the end result. My toes have never looked so pretty. The session was completed with a Strawberry & Pineapple Smoothie and I sat watching a little bird who had flown into the resting area and was eating crumbs off the floor.

It was 24 degrees today, so hot and lovely. I tried to sleep but couldn't. In the end I decided to potter around in the garden with my guineapigs. I actually lay next to them on the grass listening to their squeaks and grunts, they really are funny creatures! I have added a video of Elsa and Jessica below taken yesterday following Elsa's much needed bath. One of the guineapigs keeps "cutting" her hair so its not as long as it should be.

Ralph and Bramble enjoyed the guineapig free freedom of the shed while Duffy stayed at home making her nest!

I really do enjoy my animals, they give me simple pleasure but are helping me to cope with the tiredness and discomfort of chemo. Now, with that in mind, it is time to put my guineapigs back into their inside homes to keep them safe from foxes, cats and the damp!

Session 2 of 12: Mouse & Spangles RIP

Oh what a day!

Let me first start by saying how today was the first day I have woken up feeling "normal" with "normal" energy levels and guess what? Yes, more chemo tomorrow!!!!! Ah well such is life.

Lots of people are telling me how well I look and how glowing I am. Do they expect me to look as though I am on my last legs?! Actually, I am one of those rare people who look well when they feel ill, also, I am a great believer in putting on a show. My makeup goes on, along with my perfume then the second I leave the house.... its SHOW TIME! Thats why I found losing my hair so tough, because I couldn't hide anymore.

Today is sad for our family because we lost two of our family members.

The first was one of our guineapigs called Mouse. He was 4 years old, brindle brown smooth and had a gentle personality. He was a hit with the neighbours kids! I got him from Pets at Home when he was young. He had escapted from his pen and broken his front paw so they couldn't sell him so they wanted to find him a loving home and he got me. I knew he hadn't been well for a while. He lost weight rapidly which lead to me bringing him into the house a month ago and feeding him on a special diet, extra vitamins and food. His weight went back up to normal but things weren't right so I took him to the vet. Turns out that little Mouse was a cancer fighter too but his tumour was internal and was causing him pain. No chemo for guineapigs so I decided that it was time to say goodbye.

Spangles was a Syrian Hamster belonging to my oldest son Joe. Spangles lived in his bedroom and he took great care of her. He struggles with friends at school and he told me today how she was his only friend. She was 16 months old and had a womb infection. We took her to the vets on Monday and tried antibiotics but by this morning she had deteriated. I explained to Joe how it wasn't fair to let her suffer if she was dieing. After school, I found Joe holding Spangles with tears rolling down his cheeks and he told me that he thought it was time for Spangles to go. I took them both to the vets and it was all over peacefully.

We have decided to bury Spangles and Mouse together and we will buy a plant to put over their grave.

What a tough day......

Session 2 of 12: Am Back!

Right, well, been to hospital to get my hand checked out and they are pretty sure that its nothing to worry about, its just my veins have reacted to the chemo going in. Just have to keep on monitoring it and if it gets any worse, go back. Oh, the joys of chemotherapy.

I had lots of compliments about my turban though and the chemo unit have asked for the information leaflet for other patients so I will take that in with me. Thank you Suburban Turban!

Really lovely day outside, sun shining, sky is blue. Have just cleaned out my guineapigs and I love to see them exploring the new shavings, hay, chatting to themselves.... it gives me such a sense of well being.

Mouse is still poorly. He eats like crazy and his weight has doubled but he is still not as chubby as he should be. (He is a guineapig). I think it may be one of two things. He either has diabetes or he has an internal tumour. I have put him on the lawn this afternoon and he has enjoyed chomping at the grass.

I am having a little rest now before I tackle my rabbits.....