If you have been sharing our journey for a while, you’ll know about our first unplanned night in hospital.
Well, last night we had our second.
When I picked Bubba up from daycare, her carer said she’d been very quiet, listless and not her generally happy self all day. As soon as we got home, Bella was up close and personal checking on her. I should have known then that there was something wrong. Dogs just know!
Almost as soon as we were home she began to oscillate between not wanting to be put down, to screaming and clinging onto me, to pushing me away and writhing around – obviously unable to get comfortable and in a world of pain – to clinging onto me again, all the while crying at the top of her lungs.
This wasn’t the cry of a tired or grumpy Bubba, this was the cry of a Bubba in agony. The cry that mumma has no explanation or instant fix for. I tried putting her to bed. I tried walking the house with her in my arms. She’s getting a big bottom molar tooth so I thought it was that, but nothing seemed to help. Not nurofen, not gum gel, not pure chamomile root. She didn’t even want her num num. In fact, the first num num I put her to bed with, she chewed right through.
I got her up and snuggled her on the lounge with me. But she couldn’t get comfortable, and looked at me like this, through blood-shot eyes and with tear-stained cheeks. Beary, who as you know generally keeps a safe distance from Bubba unless on his terms, was so worried for her that he was practically glued to her side.
I called the 24 hour emergency nurse (what a fantastic free service that is, and they are all so lovely!), she ran through an assessment and said she wanted me to take Bubba to the emergency room at our closest hospital.
Lucky for us it was a relatively quiet night in the pediatric ward. My mum arrived not long after we did and we were seen and Bubba assessed by a couple of nurses then two doctors. They managed to get a urine sample (I sat her on the potty, something she’s never done!) but then – after she’d finally gone – they said they needed a cleaner sample. How do they do that?
They catheterise your 17 month old Bubba.
My heart started to break. They gave me an information sheet about the process. My heart broke a little more. I stopped reading because I couldn’t read through my tears, so my mum read it out for me. Ouch. Ouchie ouch ouch ouch. And no. Did they really have to put my already not happy and not well Bubba through that?
Apparently they did.
So with my mum, me and a nurse holding my terrified, screaming bubba down, two doctors made a number of attempts to get the catheter in. I put my own fear aside and did what I hoped would help her. I held my face as close to hers as I could, held her beautiful little hands in mine (which she had a vice grip on) and sang our songs to her. I got through Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Rainbow Connection and LOVE. That’s how long it took. And she screamed the whole time. Of course she did.
When it was finally over, I scooped her up into my arms, held her against me and sobbed into her little shoulder. There are some things you can never un-see, never un-experience and never un-feel.
Luckily she’s so little that she’s probably forgotten about it already and all she’ll have as a reminder is a sting when she pees for a day or so. For mumma though, it was an experience I found horrific.
I wish I could know I’d never feel my heart breaking watching her in that much pain ever again, but life is going to hurt some times.
bumpyroadtobubba 
Poor baby, was it a UTI? ? I hope she is on the mend soon.
urinary tract infection … and she’s woken up worse this morning poor love so off to the doctor again for us. paws crossed she’s better soon. thanks for caring!
I feel for you guys so much. Hope she gets better soon. xxx
Thanks G xx
OMG MJ! Hope you both recover quickly. I could barely read all of this post. By the time you were trying to read the information sheet, I was trying to read you blog through my tears. And they just kept getting worse – now I am typing this thru my tears. From our own experience of our little guys operation, kids do bounce back – far far better than us parents. Un-see, un-experience, un-feel – never truer words. Thinking of your beautiful family. Love us xo
I just kept thinking: do it to me instead, I’ll take the hurt for her. If only we could? x
I liked this post (not the scary time) because I can feel a huge amount of love here and that makes me happy…your little one is lucky to be loved so dearly xx
Thank you. I am so incredibly lucky she chose me to be her mumma! x
it was a joint decision, beautiful mummy x
What a terrible experience for Bubba and for you. Get better soon sweet Bubba xxxxxx
Oh Dog! Poor Bubba! I hope they get her healed up soon.
Poor little Bubba. I hope that little peanut is all better real soon. Cupcake and I send lots of snuggles and hugs to Bubba and you and Beary and Bella. xo
My heart went out to both of you when I read this…I sure hope she’s doing better now. Lots of love to all of you.
Praying and praying and praying for you to get through this and to get home safely….
Big collie hugs!
I’m so sorry for both of you that is such a frightening and painful experience for Bubba and I know for you. I hope she gets some meds and gets better really soon. Sending her lots of love and hugs. Hugs to you to mumma you need them.
We both really appreciate the hugs – you’re right, we do need them. I am so very glad we have fur family too – our Bella & Beary have been amazing! x
Bella did a wonderful job of being there for Bubba and letting you know that something was really wrong. Your right animals can be amazing.
I teared up reading this as I’m home alone with a sick, sad, snotty bub myself. She’s sleeping for now, thank heavens. It’s true, we mums would take it from them (x10) if we could, though your sweet angel was much worse off than mine. May I be so bold as to ask you to please feel free to bring us sad-bubba blog post without photos; I’m sure you’d much rather be cuddling her with both arms than wrangling a camera for us! Best wishes xx
I usually take photos on my phone which is generally in my pocket! If it or my camera are out of reach I don’t take photos … although I want to capture every moment, not just the happy/fun ones. Don’t worry, she gets LOADS of cuddles! 🙂