The new normal

This is Chester. He turns 10 in a month. When we met him, he was a baby at a pet store, and he cost ₱280 pesos (around $4.8 usd). This was in 2014. Since then he has been the constant of my life. He’s outlived 3 female bonded pairs (Sasha, Chunky, Chibi RIP). He’s had 2 celebrity vets. 3 homes, 5 rooms. And recently, more than a month of medical emergencies and vet visits at 2 clinics.

It started off with a watery eye and consistent sneezing. Because his main vet was out travelling, we took him to new vets, and because of his age, they did a battery of tests. His xray showed overgrown molars, and they warned us (A LOT) about putting him under. Because it wasn’t getting any better, after a teary facetime (because he just HAD to have issues when I was overseas), they put him under to trim his teeth.

He survived to live another day, but he refused to eat or drink. Looking very poorly, my sister and mom drove him to the (other) emergency vet. after ANOTHER teary facetime where they warned us A LOT again about the survival rate of rabbits his age. They put an iv on him to rehydrate and he was confined for the evening.

The update we got the next day couldn’t be any better. He ate hay by himself and they told us we could take him home that afternoon. It was challenging at the time because of an event my sister was going to, but the plan was to take him to our house so my brother could look after him.

He didn’t do well at home. He refused to drink. He was so weak. He barely ate anything. So less than 12 hours after coming home, he was brought back via emergency. They put the IV back on, and he was going to stay there until he could drink again.

It took 6 more days. Every evening was a teary facetime during visiting hours and praying the hardest I could that anytime I lost cell service, I wouldn’t get several texts or missed calls that they had to run back and he didn’t make it.

On the worst update, a decision was made to cut our national park trip short, drive back to California in an evening in 11.5 hours so I could get to my last minute moved up flight back home.

It was the worst 14 hour flight. No wifi connection I could pay for, and since it wasn’t a direct flight and a 3 hour layover, a second leg of torture, and the slowest traffic from the airport to the vet. But I finally made it. Saw his new condition for the first time. Cried a lot in both sadness and relief. Spent the next 3 days driving back and forth to the vet, until they told us that he could go home.

And a week, taking shifts so he has round the clock care, we’re still figuring out how we can best support him. Since the hospital, he’s now unable to get up on his hind legs, and fully control his front ones. He’s on two pages of medication, and has not gone back to eating hay.

It’s exhausting for all of us, but Chester is doing his best. He’s strong, but age has definitely caught up to him. I’m so grateful that he made it, and the progress he’s made. That I can affors the changes. That Joanna is as devoted to hom as I am.

As far as I’m concerned, the universe has given me so much to help get Chester here. And I’m going to do my best to keep him happy, healthy, and know how loved he is.