Anyone had to spend days alone without anyone to talk to?

[Hanna3]

Hi all, apart from here and a brief visit to church last night (to make it feel Christmassy and to just be with people) I've had day after day for weeks now with nobody at all to talk to. This time of year especially it's really depressing. Old friends that live far away are gradually losing contact with me - I ring them but they don't ring me. I understand they're busy with their live elsewhere but still it's hard when you're lonely. I'm going to a Christmas Eve service at the local church tomorrow night to at least be with people for a little while... but otherwise all day I'm alone, just me and the dog. Sometimes I strike up a conversation on BB but then the other person disappears and that's the end of that...

How are people meant to cope with prolonged periods of social isolation? I read, I watch DVDs, normally I'd go for long walks with the dog but thick smoke from bushfires and intense hot weather have stopped that. I go to a café alone sometimes. Any ideas/help?

[Matchy69]

I am sorry that Sam is not real well.My thoughts are with you and praying for a speedy recovery for Sam

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna,

No pressure for you to reply lass... just wanting to let you know we are all still here sitting with you

Hugs

Paws

[Hanna3]

Hi Paws, Grandy, Katy, Mark, everyone

Sorry I'm posting late.. the vet rang about 6pm, he is the Swiss fellow I like very much, I think he is about 70... very nice. Sam is doing quite well, he is on fluids and had an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory of some kind, they keep him overnight on the drip and I can collect him tomorrow, but they want to feed him first so I had to go home and get some of his special food and go back to the vet... he said his teeth are bad again, it's less than a year since all the surgery, it's the soft special diet as he can't chew any bones etc.. the vet said to get soup bones and make sure there is no fat or marrow, I went to Coles but they had none.

I got him some carrots, maybe fresh carrot to chew, does anyone know about soup bones? There is a butcher in a street here I might try tomorrow morning and see if they have them?

So there's about three hundred dollars worth of treament but Sam is improved.. trouble is each bout of this knocks him around badly...

I haven't had a single night alone here since we came here - the house is so eerily quiet without Sam, if I do go out i'm used to his little face as he sits waiting for me at the screen door, and he's always next to me on the couch at night. It feels horrible without him!!

I am wondering if I can get a rescue kitten from the vet next time they have some, if I can afford one, and have it as company for me if anything happens to Sam.. and maybe company for Sam if he's not jealous of it?

Thank you all for stopping by, Grandy especially on your birthday!

Big hugs to all, I'm going to get some dinner, and I hope little Sam is sleeping soundly at the vet's and I'm glad he's on fluids and being monitored and cared for.

oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna,

That is so good to hear Sam is doing better...

Umm soup bones have marrow as that is the flavour & nutrient you are extracting when you cook them... as far as I know all bones have marrow... I wonder if he means "marrow bones" that are not cut to reveal the marrow... they are thigh bones with softish bone in the knobby bit at each end... you can let them chew away at the ends & take it off them before they get close to the marrow... they are beef bones so may be a bit big for Sam or he may enjoy the challenge... if you think they are too big then I would ask at the butcher if they have lamb/goat thigh bones which might be more Sam's size... the butcher may be willing to get some in (freeze the extra ones & thaw when you want to feed them) or he may have other ideas for you...

Sleep well

Hugs

Paws

[Hanna3]

Thanks Paws, I've been Googling around and discovered that a butcher not far from me apparently sells products for dogs, so I'll drive there tomorrow and see if they know what the vet is talking about!

How is Woofa now he's off the new medication? Is he sleeping OK and not having the confusion episodes I hope? How are you? No rain here at all, yet up north it's dreadful.

Big hugs.

[Katyonthehamsterwheel]

Glad to hear it sounds like Sam is improving. Sorry you have to be home alone tonight though- that’s hard.

What a good idea carrot sticks are. I wonder if deer antler might be appropriate? I presume it’s fat in Sam’s diet that needs to be avoided? I don’t know what antler are made of, but I presume not fat. Hopefully the butcher has some idea of what’s needed.

Glad to hear the rain hasnt impacted you there. The pictures I’ve been seeing on social media are phenomenal. I did hear there was a cyclone hovering off our coast up north, but I don’t know if it made landfall. There’s so much making news at the moment it’s probably hard for them to decide what to report on!

Do let us know how you go tomorrow x Katy

[Ggrand]

Hello Hanna, Paws, Katy, Matchy and everyone...🤗.

Hanna I’m so pleased little Sam is doing better and improving....It would have been a hard night last night for you without your little buddy being next to you...

Hopefully, by now he is back at home and in your loving arms...

Hugs lovely Hanna and everyone...including our gorgeous fur babies..🤗🤗

[Hanna3]

Hi Katy and everyone,

I'm not sure where you get deer antler, it sounds interesting. I found soup bones in Woolies this morning but they had a LOT of fat on them so no good at all. I bought a couple of carrots and thought I'd give Sam some pieces to crunch on and I'll try the butcher near me next week.

I picked up Sam this morning from the vet and when the nurse brought him out on the lead and he saw me he ran up to me! It's good to have him back and we had a stroll by the river and sat in the park for a bit while I chatted on the phone. A quiet afternoon at home as he's tired and anxious, understandably, there is a storm coming, it's hot and muggy and overcast and unpleasant, and I just had a massive asthma attack and I virtually never get asthma, so that's the weather... so we're having a boring arvo!

I have to work out how to pay for it all next week, sigh.

Paws, thank you for the tips about bones, I will talk to this other butcher when I can get there, I couldn't make it this morning...

I had a long talk on the phone, a dear friend from coastal town rang me terribly distressed, the news of Ukraine finally hit here and she was very distressed.. she has cousins in Kyev but is unable to reach them, and family members in Poland and they are worried Russia will have eyes on Poland too.. plus all the suffering overwhelmed her. We had a long talk and I will phone her back again tomorrow to see how she is.

Funny, one of the ladies I chat with in the dog park knows Sam is sick but hasn't enquired at all how he is. People are strange..

I feel tired of staying at home but honestly don't know what there is to do in such hot, windy, weather with a tired anxious little Sam.. I think he just needs rest and settling down again...

Hugs to all oxoxoxoxo

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna,

That is such good news to hear the lovely Mr Sam is back home with you...

After a week of hot humid oppressive weather a cool change moved through overnight & there is now a lovely cool breeze... hopefully it will reach up into where you are & give you some respite... I'm sure Sam would appreciate it & it would help him feel better.

My air con struggled with the humidity this week & though it didn't cool the room, it was much more comfortable (& cooler) sitting directly under the air flow from it... I wonder if you set yourself up with a book & Sam beside you & spend the rest of the day directly under your air con, whether that might help Sam settle.

Hugs

Paws

[Hanna3]

Katy, I gave Sam a piece of fresh baby carrot today and he loved chomping it down! I'm going to give him more fresh veggies from now on - I used to buy the little packets you can microwave, but fresh is crunchier. I give him broccoli and beans and carrot...

What is the weather like your way? We have a huge thunderstorm coming in now, thankfully, as it's been so oppressive all day.. meant to be cooler for the rest of the week here.

I hope you and Stormy are getting out and about at the beach! hugs.