Dexter's drooping like a Dali painting.

I finally have an explanation for why Dexter's right ear has been getting infections again, after about 6 years of good health.

It turns out that the ear canal resection Dexter had when he was about 2 - which transformed his natural L-shaped ear canal into a straight line, thereby reducing the opportunities for infections to pool in the bend of the canal - has started to droop. Meaning that the straight line from ear drum to opening now has a bend in it again, which is where the bacteria comes to squat and have rave parties.

The vet said that it's natural for everything to start drooping on older dogs (and of course, cats and people); he said we all end up like a Salvador Dali painting in the end!

Salvador Dali
Spanish 1904–89, worked in United States 1940–48
Daddy Longlegs of the evening – Hope! 1940
oil on canvas, 40.6 x 50.8 cm
The Salvador Dalí Museum, St Petersburg, Florida

The good news is that there are fewer of the [insert medical information the vet said] than last week, so the treatment is working. It usually takes about 2 weeks to get rid of it, so the signs are good that we'll get on top of it soon. Dexter got another anti-inflammatory shot, and just needs to keep getting the eardrops and to finish of his tablets.

Nearly forgot my gratuitous Dr Reid photo:

Comments

Understanding my physical challenges: An analogy

So, I've been trying to come up with a way to explain to a non-disabled person what it's like to face physical challenges at work, as a person with a disability. My current workplace is very physically demanding, even for me, a wheelchair user with long arms, full reach, abdominal muscle control and good balance. After 2.5 years of just getting on with it, despite the inaccessibility of large areas of my workplace, I'm at a point where I'm having to say, 'Enough. I can't do it any more.'. My employer is struggling to understand what's changed. Why is my workplace 'suddenly' inaccessible? What has changed with my health, to make my work so arduous for me now? Here's my analogy*: Imagine that you are looking for a job in the field you have just qualified for. A new employer says, if you move out to our location, we'll give you a permanent job. You just have to be able to carry 10kg. Cool, you think, I can do that. I'll uproot myself...

Dear Cleaner, please don't wash my dishes.

(Warning: contains swearing. You'll see why, I hope.) Considering that I am constantly fighting with piles of dirty dishes in my little kitchen, you'd think that the first thing I'd want my cleaner to do is wash them. And I used to. But I quickly realised that although the dishes moved from the pile, through the soapy water in the sink and to the drainer, the vast majority of them didn't end up being clean. It turned out to be a great big waste of time - and a huge disappointment - and I had to wash the stupid things myself anyway. Mine aren't as pretty, but I do have a yellow bowl. So now I do them myself, eventually. When my cleaner comes, once a fortnight, I'll sit and do my dishes while he or she is doing the housework tasks I find difficult (rather than just annoying). I have also even been known to do a sink full of dishes in between cleaning visits, often in the middle of the night when I can't sleep, or when I have other pressing things to d...

Why it's a good thing I'm not big on Christmas.

I've lost friend s over my personal views about “not doing” Christma s, but it's just as well that I'm not into Christmas in a big way, as I am totally skint at the moment, and can't even afford postage for Christmas cards. I'm hanging onto my home internet connection by the skin of my teeth, so may be able to send out a few virtual seasonal greetings, although I'll probably just tweet something (it shows up on facebook, too, you see). If I submitted to the social pressure of Christmas I would be feeling even worse than I already do about being so poor, and so far away from my family. I can't afford cards, or gifts, or festive food, or any kind of party or gathering*, and can really appreciate why this is such a difficult time of year for many people. Of course, I miss my family at this time of year, and if I had the money I would definitely travel to go and see them. If I had the money I would probably also send them gifts, because I love them a...

Compostable Kate

Search This Blog