Hanging On To Hope

I am not sure how many more of these catchy Hope titles I can come up with! I was certain this mornings update would be titled, "Hope Is Gone". On Friday morning, the shelter lady came and took Hope to the Vet. When she left, Hope was walking on her own, eating, drinking and she had even pooped before she left. I would say she was 70% better than when we brought her home. The vet did blood work and assessed the wound. She said the wound would heal, but that Hope was so dehydrated she "could expire at any minute". The shelter lady called me and told me that she wanted to keep Hope over night and pump 300cc's of fluid into her through IV. Yesterday she brought Hope home. She could not even walk. She kept falling down and dragging her hind quarters like a wounded soldier in a movie. She worked so hard to get to the litter box that once she got there she just laid in it. I had to hold up her body so she could go potty and then I carried her back to her box. The lady told me she did not give Hope fluids because her "fluids were dried up". The vet said for them to help her would cost more than PAWS (the shelter) wanted or I could pay, and she probably wouldn't make it anyway. She is eating thimble fulls and I have to syringe water/pedialyte into her. She did not rally like before and I was sure she would be gone this morning. Hope is still alive, hanging on, still unable to walk and can barely meow. Sweetheart is upset. He thinks taking her out and drawing blood and her being in a cat carrier for 30+ hours was too much for her. I have put so much "hope" into this cat....too much I am afraid. I have clung to the process of helping her recover like an obsession. I felt like I could not help all the other things going on in and around my life, but I COULD help a dying cat. Now I am not so sure. Maybe we should have named her Faith.

Ok, onto other things. My grandkids came to visit and spend Friday night with us. They are a delight!!! Emerson is a busy little thing and since she started walking EVERYTHING is new to her. You can almost hear her thinking, "Hey! I never saw that before....let me touch it!" She saw a picture of her self and squealed in delight saying "Baby. Baby". She enjoyed playing the piano with PawPaw.She is so on the move I could only get good pics while she was in her highchair or being held. Since Kyle has moved upstairs, Emerson's bedroom in my house is gone. She slept in Zach's room which meant Zach and TJ slept in our room. TJ had a fitful night of tossing and turning and MAJOR teeth grinding like I have never heard before . At breakfast he seemed well rested, though irritated with my camera antics.

Emerson wakes up all smiles and ready for a new day of discovery.

Today, we will spend some time with them again and I will need to come home every hour or so to give Hope more fluids. Luckily my son only lives a few miles away!

Say an extra prayer for Hope.