Thankful Thursday: Mewsings on a Muse (Medallion)

Four years ago I was stunned to win a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers' Association on my very first try. I won in the Blog category, and my post submissions had been regarding Truffles' sudden passing. My experiences through that tragic time inspired some of my best writing, and to have it acknowledged by a group I respected so much and had wanted to be a part of for a very long time was one of the highlights of my life.

Over the past few years I've won several more Certificates of Excellence but in all honesty I didn't expect to ever win another Muse. The competition is incredibly stiff and just being a contender is an incredible honor.

This year the awards ceremony was held virtually. It was held the weekend before my mother's birthday and I had family things going on but I planned to dip in and out of the ceremony as time allowed. I wanted to catch the very beginning though and kept watching when the Written Article: Health & General Care categories were announced first since I had submitted three articles in those categories. 

I almost fell off the couch when my name was announced as the winner of a Muse for an article I wrote for Canidae, The Heartbreak of a Saddle Thrombus Blood Clot, chronicling not only my personal experience with Truffles, but going on further to explain what a saddle thrombus is, signs to look out for, treatment options and the fairly bleak outlook. 

While it was a shock to win another Muse I had to smile knowing that once again Truffles was the reason behind it. Even from the Rainbow Bridge she's touching hearts and making a difference in people's lives. I shared her story hoping it might help just one cat parent going through a similar situation. I'm sure I'm not the only one who had never even heard of a saddle thrombus before experiencing it firsthand, and it's terrifying beyond words when you don't know what's going on. My goal is to one day write another article on the subject filled with hope and medical advances that are saving cats' lives from such a hideous condition.

Unfortunately I don't have a link to the article because Canidae's blog shut down in January and they inexplicably removed the majority of their content. Thankfully I saved everything I wrote for the site and I plan to republish it in its entirety here very soon because it contains such valuable information.

Many thanks to the judges for honoring my beloved Truffles with another Muse Medallion. This award belongs to her and her alone. 

Visit Brian's Home for more thankful kitties and doggies!