$470 parakeet looks like a pretty normal little parakeet, right?

she was given to byron by a neighbor a couple of years back whose boyfriend wanted her to "throw it in the canal." so byron named her reject, a name which was shortened to "reege" so that i didn't have to feel evil when i said the name. ("you named your bird WHAT?") having a turtle named turty is bad enough. and a cat named kitten.

anyway, so this little girl has a big, nasty lump above her tail, apparently a tumor of the gland from where she would get the preening oil. i took her to the vet's last night and he advised me i had two options: medicate her, which would basically just prevent an infection in the tumor but wouldn't stop it from bothering her or getting bigger ($200), or surgery, to remove it ($400).

anyone who knows how i've been suffering financially as of late can imagine how i reacted to my options - at the vet's, i had to try hard to stifle the full-on crying and limit my reaction to watery eyes. but, when it comes down to it, there's only one right thing to do.

so reege's surgery is scheduled for march 3. she'll need x-rays, which may detect more tumors inside (in which case, surgery won't proceed).. will have laser surgery.. then require a hospital cage as she is wearing ONE OF THOSE CONES on her head so she'll leave the healing area alone. i'll make sure to get pictures.
  ¶ 10:30 AM