Today, instead of writing my final remaining paper of the semester, I had to rush my Penny girl to the vet. She has been bleeding a little, in 1/4" to 1" spots all over the place since Tuesday, and no one would see her before next week. But we found a vet who would fit her in today. They had assumed it was a UTI, but she wouldn't let my mom look, and so I forced Penny to let my me look at her backside. I pinned her down and lifted her tail, and i saw a huge bloody mess of holy shit...I had no idea an abscessed and burst anal gland looks like that. Its like her butt cheek literally got blown open, which may actually be how that works...so I feel really bad that I was dealing with finals and that there is a pandemic to reduce access to vets that are somewhat still open as essential AND that I'm not rich AND that I hoped it would just stop on its own on Wednesday AND that i wasn't home all week to be there for her...maybe i would have noticed it before it burst open?? maybe?

On Wednesday night she slept with my mom the entire time, which is NOT normal...she's snuggly but not clingy...and she was being clingy. and she didn't play in the sheets when my mom made her bed...she tried to and flopped down and laid down. And then she had slept all day Wednesday.

The only thing that pissed me off is the vet people weren't wearing masks...I was. But I'm glad that they immediately cared for my girl, and were gentle and happy to not give her her rabies shots right now when I voiced I think she's dealing with enough and that I'd do it when she heals. They did blood work to check for sepsis and thyroid and it is all normal, so that is great to know...no sepsis set in yet. her liver and everything are normal. She is healthy except for this horrific gaping wound...so I was given antibiotics for her. the vet also cleaned it as well as she could, and clipped the hair around it so it would heal better...this poor cat. :(

For now there are puppy pads all over everything she is laying on to collect the draining fluids instead of all of our blankets and sheets.

The vet gave her a dose of antibiotics at the clinic, and when I got her back home, she was already a little more perky and came up to me and snuggled her head at me...like she was thanking me for helping her. Also probably really relieved to be home.

I have more to say than that, but this cat just had a much worse week than I did, so I really can't complain...I completed 3 of 4 classes so far this semester (if I include my incomplete class I also finished) And as far as I know, I have all A's so far.

I'm just very very tired...and my gall bladder was acting up all week too.

I need this semester to be over...however I can manage that.

more soon...keep my Penny in your well-wishes.

~e