Hamstermergency

Noticed a large protruding mass under Ollie's eye this afternoon and I started catastrophizing. It had a big old scab hanging off of it and he was doing that thing rodents do where they use their little paws to clean their faces. Sometimes when stuff like this happens and I'm home alone I can't help but imagine the worst possible case scenario. In my head I'll see Ollie's swollen face exploding and then he dies slowly and painfully and it's all my fault because I should have saved him.

So I called my Dad who said that if it wasn't too much trouble I should try to clean him up. I could hear Rachel in the background asking questions like, "Is he okay? Is he moving? I knew he'd die while we were away!" I felt guilty for not checking on him as often as my mom specified on the list. Maybe if I even bothered to LOOK at him when I changed his water and food I would have noticed he wasn't okay, you know?

After I got off the phone I literally ran barefoot out the door (couldn't find my shoes), jumped in the car, and gunned it to the drug store for supplies. But what sort of stuff do you get for an abscess on a hamster? I had no idea. I still don't really... I just grabbed some latex gloves, q-tips, and some sort of antiseptic I forget the name of. But it had benzethonium chloride in it.

The actual process of trying to clean his gnarly red sore was unpleasant and really difficult. Ollie is quite squirmy. And did I mention that HE IS VICIOUS?! Every time he twitches or moves his head I think he's about to bite me so I let go and then have to go through the process of picking him up again. Long story short, I guess he's alright for now. I wish I had a little cone to put around his neck to keep him from scratching himself though. I suppose I could fashion one out of a bottle cap...

In terms of food and eating disorder drama- binges today and yesterday. But after tonight it ends forever! I'm serious this time.

Right, Eliza. Whatever you say.