My little puppy just came in whining and crying. I think he may have broken his elbow. I gave him a pain killer. The vet doesn't have any painkillers but I gave him hydrocodone ( a very small amount) and he seems to be going to sleep. He's very bad about chasing cars, but I didn't hear a car before he got hurt. I'm wondering if some big dog hurt him. I'm most upset since he's such a devil-may-care happy dog that I hate for him to be hurt. I will call the vet tomorrow, but I'm telling you, I'm getting overwrought taking care of mother and 7 animals, plus working. That's probably why I had the mini-stroke a couple of weeks ago. I don't think I can take care of the world anymore. I'm really getting tired though Mother and the animals were doing well until just a few minutes ago. I wonder if this stress is why I'm at a plateau in weight loss.

Stress makes my band tighter than a virgin on prom night. But it may not be so for everyone. Lots of people are stress eaters. I am, too but my band is not a stress swallower.

I have a husband, a mother-in-law, a granddaughter, and one psycho dog, plus a daughter who, though she does not live with me, still drives me nuts because she has two children and not a brain in her head. I understand how you feel. Of course, I'm majorly co-dependent, too, so that might be part of the problem....LOL.

I really think stress has something to do with my lack of weight loss, not to mention the 1/4 bag of Fritos I just ate. I can't eat in the morning at all so I have a Protein drink. But by evening, I can eat and I do.

Sergeant doesn't seem to be terribly hurt. I gave him some dog painkiller and he's up and limping around. But I don't think he's peed or pooped all day. I slept on the couch all night with him and it just about killed my back. Luckily, I didn't have to be at school until 2 p.m. today so I finally went to bed in my bed and got some sleep. I note that my back hurts when I'm stressed which is about all the time. But while Mother was in the nursing home, it hurt less. In fact, it didn't hurt at all for a couple of days.

I've been totally stressed out for over 5 years now, so I guess I can go on though the back thing is getting problematical. I'm sure glad you read all my bitching and groaning. The ice and snow we had didn't help a hell of a lot either. They promised me they wouldn't let mother out of the hospital in bad weather and yet it was sleeting when they called to tell me to pick her up. I took my old Cadillac and slid around in a major intersection. It was supposed to get much worse (and it did) so I told them to hurry. They said they'd have her ready to go in 45 minutes. They didn't, but I was so bitchy since they'd welshed on the deal, that I did get her out in about 15 minutes. I told them I'd remove her IVs myself if they didn't step on it. Then we drove 20 mph all the way home. I had to put de-icer on the ramp at the door to get her in the house. But I made a fire and turned on the Christmas lights and she was snug as could be. That was a few days ago and I'm the slave again now. They served her crushed ice in the hospital so now I have to make her crushed ice 2 or 3 times a day. Clases are over this week and I long ago figured out how to avoid having to give a lot of finals, so next week should be nice and restful. I am looking forward to having almost a month off. People don't realize that the long vacations are not for the kids, but the teachers. We are all pooped and spring is the long semester. I'm usually nearly dead by the end of spring semester.

Anyway, thanks Carlene for listening to my venting. Boy, I hope to be as slim as you someday, but I don't know. You don't look like you're in your late 50s. I do.

If he is still limping I would have him checked by the Veternary , I have a little yorkie and they can hurt themselves so easily .. better to be safe than sorry .

Bitter, we haven't heard how your puppy is doing. Is he okay? I will also venture another comment which may be out of line but here it goes: I do think that taking care of your mother is very, very hard on your emotional health. Is there any chance that you can get a break from this? It sounds as though you could do with a holiday.