18th February 2014

What a day. I hope we don't get a repeat of it too soon.

I was awoken by two concerned girls, Ginger the guinea pig had weepy eyes and wasn't eating any of his treats. He looked awful; so sad and sleepy and hardly moving. Rang the vets and headed in straight away. I was expecting it to be something minor and easily fixable. What I wasn't expecting was the lump they found in his abdomen. The poor children had to face the decision of them operating and it being cancerous and still losing him, or putting him out of his pain. The vet said guinea pigs are prey and only show pain when it's really serious. And poor Ginger was at the worst end. So through an awful lot of tears, we said goodbye and gave him his last cuddle. When the vet brought him back, she showed me the lump. It was far too big for a small guinea pig. She got a colleague to give a second opinion before she gave him the injection and they confirmed that even with an operation, he may not have survived due to the size and the possibility it was cancerous. Still doesn't make it easier and poor Bob has lost his best friend.

Then this afternoon it was a trip to the hospital to get a diagnosis on our eldest as to her problems concentrating. They say it's a mild form of ADD and she could take medication. We said no. She only has concentration problems, not behavioural problems. She has lots of friends, is always happy, helpful, funny, loving and caring. We will learn how we can help and support her, not give her the same medication that children with ADHD get. And now we have the tough arduous task of telling the school they need to help her more and not leave her struggling on her own. And we'll pay for extra tuition for her to help her to stay at the best level she can. She'll never be a grade A student but there are millions of people who were never grade A students but are still successful, happy and healthy. What more could I hope for in a child, she'll always be my perfect little girl.