Ballet, Knitting and Rabbits

Photos Copyright: Maggie May

Although I had good news about my CT scan last week, I have also had an anxious time with my little rabbit, Ash.

I had decided he needed to be castrated as he was reaching his sexual maturity and letting me know it by mounting my arm when I went to stroke him and giving me little nips and trying to show me who was boss........ as well as spraying. No, I couldn't put up with any more of that.

His appointment had been made for last Thursday morning and after looking at him, the vet declared him healthy and old enough enough for the operation.

I knew he'd be traumatised by it but didn't realise just how much.

When I went to collect him that evening, he looked fairly alert, but subdued. Well he would, wouldn't he considering what I had arranged to have done to him?

I was told to get him eating again as fast as possible. Well, I tried all his usual favourites as well as his staple food. He wasn't having any of it.

I checked on line and realised that the slightest thing could get a rabbit to stop eating with disastrous consequences. They go anorexic if they are not happy and Ash was definitely sulking.

By 11pm that same night he had only eaten a piece of raffia from a toy and refused everything else.

The next day he had developed rabbit scours. Well I won't go into detail as to what that means, but it meant lots of cleaning up for me and I realised that it was a potentially serious thing in rabbits. Fortunately he was drinking lots of water and eating green stuff but nothing else.

I stayed up till very late that night comforting him and trying to coax him to eat hay. I also felt very guilty that I had caused all this suffering.

Next day it had been arranged to go to the vet for a check. However he was bright eyed and bushy tailed by then and had eaten a tiny amount of food before he left for the visit. I was hoping that he wouldn't be set back by further stress from this.

On examination, it was found that he'd bitten one of his two stitches out and was due to have the other one removed on Monday. He has now almost fully recovered and is eating well and throwing his toys about and taking an interest in things around him.

When he goes to the vet tomorrow, he will be having two inoculations as well and I'm hoping that he won't be set back again by this new experience.

I am considering getting him a little companion later on, but am giving the matter great thought. I certainly don't want to rush into anything I might regret as I believe it is not always easy to get rabbits to bond with each other. They can be quite violent little beasts at times.

I expect you will be wondering why I have photos of Millie on this post and none of Ash. Have I made a mistake, you might be asking?

Well no. I was going to show pictures of Millie knitting but felt I had to mention Ash's trauma.

Millie is not yet six and can knit a row unaided. She picked it up very fast, though her sister, threw hers down after twenty minutes of trying to learn.

Millie loves pink and is knitting a scarf.

I keep having to rescue the stitches when she looses them but I am really pleased with her progress.

She has also started a local ballet class and I thought her outfit is really cute.

The knitting was still on her mind even though it was almost time to set out for the class.

MAD and Madly Knitting

I was astounded on Saturday when I learned that someone had nominated me for two of the 2010 MAD awards. *Blogger of the Year* and *Most Inspiring MAD Blogger.*

You might be forgiven for thinking that MAD means NUTS, (as I did, at first,) but it stands for Mums & Dads. It should really be GAG (Grans & Granddads) but of course I am a mum, too.

Thanks to whoever nominated me in the first place....... it has made my day..... my week....... my year..... well my life! That is a bit too mad, I think.

Now all you have to do is to nominate me, (each person who wants to) in case I get into the final stage, where the person who has been nominated the most gets to the part of the competition where you can vote........ please, please, PLEASE. I am not begging or anything.

Just click on the sidebar or the logo beneath. PLEEEEEEEAAAASE.

If I am having chemo this week, I will be kept busy because I am knitting these trauma teddies for children who have gone through hard times or illness, either in this country or in the third world. Doctors in the third world say that small children do better when they are in hospital if they have their own cuddly bear and as they take them home with them when they are discharged, the bears need to be replaced continually. Some of them are sent to countries where there is unrest and war, earthquakes, floods...... anything that causes the children to be traumatised.

I expect you remember that I recently went to Birmingham to see my grandsons' other nanny and she inspired me to take up my knitting needles again and knit for charity. She is making these teddies and also making coats and bonnets for premature babies.

The other day she posted me the patterns for all these things and I am going to post the completed items to her in small parcels as and when I finish them. I wish there was a nearer drop off point to me. The premature coats and bonnets are like tiny dolls clothes. I shall enjoy doing those.

Hopefully this project will help me to forget about the side affects of chemo. Will let you know if it does, though I also have an arthritic wrist, which hurts when I knit. Always something to put up with, isn't there?

The brown bear in the photo below has not got extra short legs, he is just sitting down.

I have just completed Chemo 6 and will now lay low for a bit.

A Slice of My Easter.

Photo Copyright: Maggie May

I had a very hectic but lovely Easter because I had all my family come to stay with me. As usual all four grand children got along fine ......... in fact we hardly saw them because they played on the wii in the loft most of the time. As they are aged 5 yrs -14 yrs this seemed remarkable.

Some of the days were really sunny but cool and I managed to walk to a hilly park with my son as I hadn't had much exercise prior to that.

Bristol is a hilly city and it isn't possible to go very far without a steep hill to climb and Brandon Hill is no exception. I was really puffed out by the time I got to the top as my cells are probably not repaired from their last onslaught of chemo. However it is possible to look out all over the city and the views are amazing. What a pity that there are alterations going on and scaffolding and builders equipment lying around.

It was lovely to see the blossom on the trees, though.

On Easter Monday we went to Birmingham to see the grand sons' other nanny and I really enjoyed the visit very much. I came back with a little plant for my garden and with inspiration to do some charity knitting that the other nanny is doing. Of course if I do this, then I will have to send the knitted things to her because I can't find anything similar in Bristol.

Today everyone will be going home and it will be just the two of is again. I shall miss the company and commotion very much but I shall have heaps of washing to do and it won't be long till next Tuesday when I have to have my next chemo session if I am well enough. It comes round so quickly.............. sigh.