Last Tuesday we got up to prepare to go down the hill. Mac cat climbed in the sink and wet. The few drops were pink/red. We delayed leaving to get him to the vet. He had to be boarded while we were gone.
That morning, Duane also brought to my attention a small swelling he had under his jaw. He said it had been there for a week or so, but didn't bother him until that morning. I went into full attack mode. I didn't think it was a tooth abscess or he would have been in more pain. Still, i had him do oil pulling and a lot of other immune-boosting things. Lots of pills (supplements) that he didn't appreciate. I also did lymph drainage as he brought to my attention it could be a lymph node.
Thursday was Duane's mama's 70th birthday. The family had a big surprise birthday party planned the next day, but she didn't know that.
Thursday we picked Mac up from the vet. He smelled horrendous, and that evening we ended up giving him a bath. He was so good! We expected a circus, but it went well. (We ended up giving Jazz a slight bath the next day - mostly head and neck. Mac kept attacking him, we think because they smelled differently. Using the same shampoo made Jazz smell the same and Mac calmed down.)
The swelling on Duane's jaw was not getting better. Nothing seemed to help.
Friday we did go to that big party - 2 hours away. We weren't sure we would be able to make it because of Duane's work commitments, but we did. We couldn't stay long because Duane had a Search and Rescue event he had to attend the next morning very early. I was glad that we couldn't stay too long. Lots of people like that tire me a lot. Seven of Duane's mama's siblings were there, and most of them had their spouses, too. And some cousins were there. I would like to visit with all of them - but not at a huge party.
The swelling on Duane's jaw was more pronounced, but most folks didn't notice it.
We got home. Duane was up at 5.30 the next morning for his event. He got home just after noon. He was not well. He was lethargic and rather moody. He didn't have a fever then, but he did that night. I did more lymph, but it was not helping. On Sunday he was the same. No fever during the day but fever at night. I could also see that the swelling was near to the point of leaking/suppuration. I told Duane that he HAD to call in sick for the week and we HAD to get him to a clinic. (I already had planned to stay home for the week.)
The problem is that Duane's work had cancelled his insurance and not offered COBRA and we hadn't done something in the mean time. He was very worried about money. There was also the problem of where to go. I've been to Urgent Care here in Big Bear a couple of times. The folks there are clueless. I mean, they do not know how to run a clinic and are very incompetent in their attempts. I only know of one other doc in town, i'm not very impressed with him either.
So we tried the Rural Health Clinic. He saw a nurse practitioner. I was as impressed as i can be with conventional medicine, even tho we were there for hours. He had a large abscess that they lanced and then packed. We've been in every day for them to check it and re-dress it. He was feeling better by Monday morning before we went in, and thought he might be able to wait, but i'm so thankful we did not. The Nurse Practitioner said if he'd delayed much longer, he was looking at a hospital stay; she said he might need one anyway.
But he's on the mend now. Today should be his last dressing check, at least for this week. They might want to do a follow up next week.
510
That morning, Duane also brought to my attention a small swelling he had under his jaw. He said it had been there for a week or so, but didn't bother him until that morning. I went into full attack mode. I didn't think it was a tooth abscess or he would have been in more pain. Still, i had him do oil pulling and a lot of other immune-boosting things. Lots of pills (supplements) that he didn't appreciate. I also did lymph drainage as he brought to my attention it could be a lymph node.
Thursday was Duane's mama's 70th birthday. The family had a big surprise birthday party planned the next day, but she didn't know that.
Thursday we picked Mac up from the vet. He smelled horrendous, and that evening we ended up giving him a bath. He was so good! We expected a circus, but it went well. (We ended up giving Jazz a slight bath the next day - mostly head and neck. Mac kept attacking him, we think because they smelled differently. Using the same shampoo made Jazz smell the same and Mac calmed down.)
The swelling on Duane's jaw was not getting better. Nothing seemed to help.
Friday we did go to that big party - 2 hours away. We weren't sure we would be able to make it because of Duane's work commitments, but we did. We couldn't stay long because Duane had a Search and Rescue event he had to attend the next morning very early. I was glad that we couldn't stay too long. Lots of people like that tire me a lot. Seven of Duane's mama's siblings were there, and most of them had their spouses, too. And some cousins were there. I would like to visit with all of them - but not at a huge party.
The swelling on Duane's jaw was more pronounced, but most folks didn't notice it.
We got home. Duane was up at 5.30 the next morning for his event. He got home just after noon. He was not well. He was lethargic and rather moody. He didn't have a fever then, but he did that night. I did more lymph, but it was not helping. On Sunday he was the same. No fever during the day but fever at night. I could also see that the swelling was near to the point of leaking/suppuration. I told Duane that he HAD to call in sick for the week and we HAD to get him to a clinic. (I already had planned to stay home for the week.)
The problem is that Duane's work had cancelled his insurance and not offered COBRA and we hadn't done something in the mean time. He was very worried about money. There was also the problem of where to go. I've been to Urgent Care here in Big Bear a couple of times. The folks there are clueless. I mean, they do not know how to run a clinic and are very incompetent in their attempts. I only know of one other doc in town, i'm not very impressed with him either.
So we tried the Rural Health Clinic. He saw a nurse practitioner. I was as impressed as i can be with conventional medicine, even tho we were there for hours. He had a large abscess that they lanced and then packed. We've been in every day for them to check it and re-dress it. He was feeling better by Monday morning before we went in, and thought he might be able to wait, but i'm so thankful we did not. The Nurse Practitioner said if he'd delayed much longer, he was looking at a hospital stay; she said he might need one anyway.
But he's on the mend now. Today should be his last dressing check, at least for this week. They might want to do a follow up next week.
510
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