In 2014, I started my petting sitting business. It was nearly an instant success. I had become so busy so quickly, I had to stop doing my morning shifts at the shelter. I had to consider hiring staff, which I didn’t want to do. One of the board members was retiring, and I was encouraged to “apply”. I requested to be on the board, and I was accepted as such. With my hectic work schedule, I wanted to still be involved with the shelter, and at that moment in time, it was pretty much the only way.
There were also “odd” jobs that needed to be done at the shelter that I participated in. Some of the cages were old (like 20 years old) and falling apart. The shelter’s cages were 4″ by 8″ large. Some high school students were looking to do some public service, so together we worked on the cages — re-painted, deep cleaned, and put new wheels on them. There was also a ton of painting to do. No different than any other house, there was always something that needed to be done.
One of the tasks I volunteered to do as a board member was to start a new process of onboarding new volunteers. Previously, it was the shelter director that did all this, and we wanted her to focus more on the shelter and the cats, and less on the volunteer base. I am proud to say that I brought on a good many quality volunteers that are still at the shelter today.
A Lack Of Confidence
Being a board member was definitely not for me. Self-confidence was not my strong point. You know that kid that sits in the back of the room and never raises their hand? Yup, that was me. I thought my ideas weren’t good ones, or ones that anyone would agree were worthwhile. I felt “less than”. The impression I got from the rest of the board members was, “why is she here?”. When I took on a task by the bull horns, it turns out another one of the board members was already doing it — even though it was agreed upon I would handle it. My confidence was non-existent. I had given up trying. I was elected to a three-year term, but after two years, I resigned my seat.
The Cancer “Bug”
Shortly after I had become a board member, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not only was it difficult for me to continue my duties as a board member, but I had to stop my petting sitting business. The treatment consisted of five months of strong chemotherapy. The first three months were every Friday, and every third Friday, it was an eight-hour day. The next two months were what the nurses called “The Red Devil”, and that was every other week. Neulasta was part of that regiment. Neulasta is a medicine that forces your body to produce white blood cells. It literally made my bone marrow hurt. And when I say “hurt”, I mean I couldn’t move hurt. My doctor had to put me on steroids and pain killers. It was awful, and I dreaded the Neulasta more than the chemotherapy itself.
My recovery was long. It consisted of targeted chemotherapy for eighteen months, three surgeries, and LOTS of talk therapy. The shelter was lost to me. Again.
P.S. Hope
Yesterday I forgot to mention how Hope did at the vet’s office. She was not a happy camper, that’s for sure! I think the picture says it all. Haha. She has some gastro issues, and her gums are really pale, meaning she is most likely anemic. We are trying her on a hydrolyzed protein diet to see if we can get her diarrhea under control. Hope lives up to her name, and is one remarkable cat! Back at the shelter, she is like her usual friendly self! For more information on hydrolyzed diets and why a cat would need one, please follow this link:
Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food: Does Your Cat Need It? – PetCubes