Aw, thanks, everyone!!!
You guys are the BEST!
Honestly, I think she's going to be ok.
As I said, if it's cancer, this is the fastest first symptom I've ever seen, and probably the fastest first symptom in the history of all cancers to pop up.
I just don't think it's cancer.
But, I guess odder things have taken place in life.
Whatever it is, though, we're going to get her through it and do what we have to.
I'm trying to keep my mind on happy things right now. Life is going on as if this is just something minor that will be resolved easily. I got approved from a reputable rat breeder, and I'm happy about that. My mind's happy place is planning for new rat babies in the future.
If I don't stay happy about that then my mind will "back and forth" about what this COULD BE for the next 2-3 days.
I HAVE TO go on right now as if this will be easily resolved. As if it's just an infection that her antibiotic will clear up.
Or I'll be in a ball, on the floor, crying my eyes out and freaking out inside my head while my mind goes down the doom of "The Cancer Path".
IF it's cancer, and IF they have to remove the lymph node, and they decide it's best to do chemo on her as a precaution as well, then it will be taken care of. My father-in-law said he would be help us get her to and from appointments so that Ben doesn't have to miss work. And that's awesome because Ella's most favorite human in the WORLD is my father-in-law. So that will help her through any possible nasty treatments she might have to endure.
But the fact is that right now we don't have any answers yet. And I CANNOT allow myself to dwell on "What-ifs" or anything like that.
I have to go grocery shopping today and run some errands. I don't want to leave her SIDE and I'm afraid I'll miss the doctor's call.
But life cannot change. No end-of-life treatment of the MzSmackchatter yet!
Things are remaining normal around here with a minor "bump" in the road that WILL BE resolved.