Stella My Hero

Rats. It is my conviction that Rats and Beavers are the most intelligent of all rodents. Beavers make hellish pets, they take soooo much effort to tame (^_^) better to just enjoy them wild, naturally. Rats make wonderful pets because you do not need to break the habit of damming up the frikkinʼ bathtub. I live with two rats, named Penelope and Stella (aka StelapodʼnʼPenelapod in cutesy baby talk).

Stella has been suffering under “a severe pneumonia.” She had lost half her weight in 3 days and became unco-ordinated She has been on something called Enrofloxacin™, and a strawberry flavoured diet supplement for old people through the worse part of the week. Last night we reached the eleventh hour, or chapel perilous, or what have you. She was gasping for air. She was convulsing for it. It looked painful. She could hardly breathe much less choke down even liquid food.

If ever you have tried to nurse someone sick to better health, you must realize how desperately you wish you could help. Of course, being there for them is about all one can do. I was worried that Stella would die last night. I know it was much worse for her, but it was hard for me too.

Some may say in these circumstances that it is most kind to put no expectations on the sick. I may not be the most kind person. I told her to fight and fight and damn well fight. I reason that if I am ever in a similar condition I will do the same. That is what life does - it clings, it holds on, it forces itself to persist, it fights. After many hours of ragged breathing, the sound of which reminded me of a saw, some Type 3 coffee with some friends and plenty of shifting discomfort, Stella's breathing became rhythmic and quieter. I rested with her on my chest for a few hours and gave her some boost™. With her breathing still shallow, but constant, I set her in her cage for a while. I woke up every hour through the morning, worried about her.

If this seems too fluffy for you, quit reading now, it's going to get worse. I canʼt say how much my words affected Stella. Certainly there are those who insist that non-human animals can't understand our speech. I differ with such people. I think that she not only heard me prompting her, but took it to heart. It is truely inspiring to watch 240 grams of tiny hands, twitching whiskers and bulging beady eyes strive so hard against circumstance. The sheer resolve, force of will, Stella displayed in beating this infection makes me proud. Such a tiny, fragile thing, without the strength to cross the floor of her cage, found the wherewithal to overcome her difficulties. On one level she is muscle and sinew, but on another she is tempered steel. She is my hero because of this.

Stella is a reminder to me to keep pushing even when the odds are against you and failure seems assured. She is a reminder to never give in, never give up. She embodies the best-finest aspects of the principles of obstinacy, survival and indomitable spirit.
More Importantly, my little girl is going to survive!

I must give credit where due. Penelope helped to take care of Stella, grooming her on a regular basis, sheilding her from harsh light, etc.

The one thing I will add is that (assuming the God I believe in exists), when I meet God, we are going to have a long talk about this whole issue of 3 days to become deathly ill and a number of weeks until full recovery. This issue is damned offensive to me and someone is going to answer for it (assuming there is a God).