cat lady status: confirmed

i know i'm supposed to write about the reunion still, but i'm too distracted and icky, and i actually had a good time there so i don't want the recap to be distracted and icky too.

oliver was transferred to an emergency specialist's office today. he's been on fluids and antibiotics now for nearly 48 hours, and his fever still hasn't gone down and his white blood cell count is actually going UP. no one knows why. they've sent away for bloodwork to recheck him for FeLV and FIV even though he tested negative for both when he was a baby, just in case they missed it and now one of those - or another retrovirus - is what's making him so sick.

a new doctor at the new place is supposed to call me this afternoon after giving oliver a new exam. he's already had several xrays, an ultrasound - with another one scheduled for today - and his CBC taken at least 3 times, so i don't know exactly what this new vet is planning to do in order to come up with a potential diagnosis.

here's the thing, though, and it's making me feel nearly as bad as the fact that oliver is this sick to begin with: today's charges from the new vet brings the total i've spent in the past 10 days in veterinary bills alone to about $5k. my credit card doesn't have a very high limit, and there was already a balance on it because i'd just bought some new things for my apartment at the end of april. (like a new tv. those are expensive.) i had to take my car in today for a tune up, which is also going to run me about a grand. i'm still paying full rent on a 2-bedroom apartment because i've been lazy about finding a roommate for the past two months after one good prospect fell through.

in short, i'm out of money. i had to prepay the estimated cost of treating oliver at this new place today, so i'm not sure how they'll feel about letting me go on a payment plan for future bills.

oh, they also think they found a heart murmur today. it may be because of all the fluids he's been on, and if necessary they'll have a cardiologist look at it. i don't want to know how much a cat cardiologist costs. the incredibly frustrating thing is that even with all of this, no one has even the slightest clue what's wrong with him. all five thousand dollars has been in diagnostics and treatment... without ever arriving at an actual diagnosis, or a treatment that has had any positive effect. they still don't know how to fix him.

i'm sick over oliver, and i'm stressed about the money, then i feel like an asshole because i'm complaining about how much i have to pay to keep my cat alive.

i don't like this week.