It’s been sad this week, a bit. And a little stressful. I had to give a presentation today, and, as Julie recommended, had to use the useful presentation Jedi mindtrick.
This is NOT the data I presented last time. This is all NEW data.
I think they bought it.
My weekend started out sad. Last week, a friend in mine in the lab’s daughter was diagnosed with a possible tumor in her leg. Her daughter is 7, and the tumor is right on her growth plate. Today, after dealing with a stupid and mostly ignorant surgeon, they finally got confirmation that it IS a tumor, and that there is a small fracture in the bone. It will probably mean surgery, but waiting on it could cause the bone to break. If it breaks at the growth plate, it will mean many painful surgeries as long as she is still growing.
Right now, it means no activities - no dancing (she’s a dancer), no trampoline, no PE.
Poor girl. I hope they can fix her quickly and easily.
The other sad thing that happened was on friday. I got home from the lab, and outside the condo building there was something in the bushes. I thought it was a cat, so I went to shoo it away before I brought Sadie out.
It wasn’t a cat - it was a small hawk. And something was really wrong with it. It was randomly flapping it’s wings, it was jerking back it’s neck, and it couldn’t get it’s legs coordinated enough to stand on them.
I called Kev out, and after some discussion, we decided to put it in a box, take it inside, and put it out on the porch, where none of the numerous stray cats in the area could get it. Kev got it in the box with minimal pain (it did have a death grip on his finger for a bit) and we took it inside. I eventually found the number for emergency animal control. They were on there way.
We lifted him out of the box. He seemed better - his head wasn’t in a weird position anymore, and he seemed more alert. But he kept having what looked like seizures. There were no obvious injuries. I think he (or she) must have somehow flown into the side of the building. His neck wasn’t broken, but there must have been some brain damage. I don’t even think he knew where he was, or that we were even around.
I snapped a few pictures -
I tried to get a video, but unfortunately, he died a few minutes after these pictures were taken. Animal control doesn’t come for dead animals - we were told to put him in a bag and leave him for sanitation.
And for those that want to know, we think he was an immature Coopers Hawk. If anyone thinks differently, please let me know!
Poor girl. Hope things work out.
And poor hawk.
Although I’ve had to spend the last couple days chasing a BIG hawk away from my mom’s house. It spotted her Yorkies and hasn’t left since. Scary!
Aw…it was beautiful. I would have done the same thing (and would have done the same thing if it was only a little bird like a sparrow. I’m a sucker for animals in pain.).
Keeping my fingers crossed for the little girl.
Ah, crap. I don’t have lots of sage advice. All I can say is that I will remember the girl in my prayers, and light a candle for the hawk.
Poor thing.
The hawk probably had a broken neck. They do this back-arching, seizure-looking thing for a little while before they die that way.
Honor among predators. Damn right! Birds of prey are awesome!
I feel bad for the kid. Someone that young shouldn’t have to go through that kind of pain.
Sorry to hear about all the sadness. At least the tumor is treatable and the hawk had a quiet death.