the intense rain ceased today and it did me a world of good to be out in the woods. this past week has been demanding and exhausting, and i've barely been able to leave the house. the rat had surgery on wednesday last week, the tumor began to bother him, and i had to decide between waiting until it becomes unbearable and it's time to put him down, or getting rid of the lump but risking sudden death because small rodents don't handle anesthesia very well. since basu is so perky for his age, i decided to give him a chance at a more comfortable old age, and the vet agreed to operate.
the lump removal itself went smoothly, but there were some complications after. it took him forever to wake up and i had to wait without seeing him for hours. then when he finally started to come to, they brought him to me, but he started to have trouble breathing and was taken back for extra oxygen and medication. half an hour later we were sent home, with an ampule of fluid removing stuff for me to inject under his skin in case his lungs didn't clear.
the first night i stayed up trying to keep basu alive. he stopped breathing a couple of times and i shook him and rubbed and lulled him until finally the second injection worked and he stopped drowning from fluid buildup. then he crawled around and around in circles for i don't know how long. i had to give him water by the drop to keep him hydrated until he finally was able to gnaw on some cucumber.
in the morning basu was still groggy but had regained command of his hind legs finally. i had to constantly watch him so he didn't chew his stitches, because you can't put a cone on a rat, nor do band-aids stick to the fur. he was so patient with me, though, when i kept blocking, but obviously there was no way for me to do that 24/7 and long story short, he ended up with a gaping wound the next day. one moment he was eating porridge in the kitchen like it was nothing, then suddenly ran to my lap in panic and pain and raw in the flesh.
i panicked also, and further so when i couldn't get the frantic rodent to any vet for mending. i was told to treat it as an open wound but i couldn't see how it would ever heal with basu constantly moving and licking. during the weekend he went from hyperactive to really tired and wanted to just sleep under my shirt, which he never had done before, and he got really hot. on sunday i kind of broke down, when he tore more stitches and bled. on top of fearing he would come totally undone (the scar runs the length of his lower back) i had to consider his already compromised kidneys might not cope with the pain medicine. i booked an appointment for the next day, just in case things got worse, so i knew i could at least take him to get euthanized. i bawled my eyes out, i was sure i would lose him over a few stupid stitches after he'd pulled through so much. he stayed against my skin, on my heart.
then on monday the vet, who is like an angel, reassured me that everything will be all right, that the wound will heal even if it opens up altogether, and basu is progressing well. she even revived me with a glass of water when i got dizzy from the sudden relief, and the visit didn't cost a penny. i'm so glad to have found a veterinarian who is good with both animals and people. we came home, the sun was shining and butterflies fluttering, i could hardly comprehend the good news. basu was so good at the vet's even though his sore back was poked and prodded at, he just huffed and puffed with his head hid under my shirt. back home, he fell asleep on my lap and dreamed of the vet, i think, because he kept twitching and making the same sounds.
little by little we are both recovering. i've been sleeping whole nights through and basu isn't glued to me anymore, which is bittersweet... since he got his nest box back he has barely cuddled with me, too busy redecorating i guess. it's amazing how fast rats bounce back. his open wound still needs attention and he is on antibiotics, but luckily we were allowed to change from hideous baytril to the kind that he licks straight off a spoon, so no more wrestling matches twice a day. we have another check-up on monday, fingers crossed everything will be scabbed up by then...
so, after all that i really needed the recharge. i was up so early today that i ended up in the woods while the still rising sun was steaming the rain off mossy ground. picked some false morels which emerged super early, and reindeer lichen, photographed tiny mushrooms, and witnessed a bunch of squirrels frolicking, still in their grey winter coats. practised breathing again. still waiting for that proper sigh of relief.
tonight is the eve of vappu, a spring celebration, and i usually always make mead in advance but all that has had to be put aside lately. i think i'll make my mead once dandelions flower. and cowslip, i want to try that too. i am so ready for warmer weather already, but at the same time: where on earth did april go?
