Tuesday, December 31, 2019
ND
Part of me wants someone whom I shall refer to as ND.
We argued today. It happens every so often, but we resolve things quickly and continue our talks. I know he and I will never be anything more than friends, but he is so much more than a friend - I can always count on him for sound advice, calm and collected discourse, and a sense of calm that puts everyone at ease.
I'm not ready for you to only be a memory
Alison is having more bad days than good days.
In February 2019, she was paralyzed in her back legs and tail. With acupuncture and lots of pain medication, she regained the use of her hind legs. Her tail has not come back "online."
In May 2019, the vet noticed a drop in Alison's weight from 9 pounds to 7 pounds. We worked on bulking up her weight through higher fat content food.
In November 2019, the vet explained that she had only a week or two left, but she has managed to survive almost two more months. She had dropped from 7 pounds to under 5 pounds, and the vet found a mass in her abdomen but couldn't test it due to Alison's low body weight.
Alison's weight has gone up and down every week since that November appointment, and she is still walking, eating, drinking, and using the litterbox properly.
We have an appointment today for End-of-Life evaluation and care after several days of extreme lethargy, weakness, lack of eating, and general pain. Depending on what the vet says, we might need to euthanize her today or we can wait.
No one is ready to lose a person or a pet, but I am really not ready for her to only be a memory.
In February 2019, she was paralyzed in her back legs and tail. With acupuncture and lots of pain medication, she regained the use of her hind legs. Her tail has not come back "online."
In May 2019, the vet noticed a drop in Alison's weight from 9 pounds to 7 pounds. We worked on bulking up her weight through higher fat content food.
In November 2019, the vet explained that she had only a week or two left, but she has managed to survive almost two more months. She had dropped from 7 pounds to under 5 pounds, and the vet found a mass in her abdomen but couldn't test it due to Alison's low body weight.
Alison's weight has gone up and down every week since that November appointment, and she is still walking, eating, drinking, and using the litterbox properly.
We have an appointment today for End-of-Life evaluation and care after several days of extreme lethargy, weakness, lack of eating, and general pain. Depending on what the vet says, we might need to euthanize her today or we can wait.
No one is ready to lose a person or a pet, but I am really not ready for her to only be a memory.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Alison
Alison is one of my cats. She was born in July 2002, and I adopted her in 2003.
December was difficult. She developed a UTI, and during the exam to determine the cause, the vet diagnosed renal failure (she is in the very early stages of it, but her kidney health is actually pretty good right now).
She's always been a very active cat, and she wasn't letting her antibiotics slow her down. The UTI passed, and she was doing really well.
And then February 7th happened. She was fine in the early morning, jumping onto counters and begging for treats. Twenty minutes later, she was in the dining room, dragging her hind legs and tail behind her. I rushed her to an emergency veterinary hospital in a nearby city, where they immediately did blood work and a full exam.
They suggested letting her stay overnight to go through more tests, have X-Rays done, and then recuperate. Chris and I even got to visit her before her bedtime (yes, my cat has a specific time of day that she grabs her favorite toy and expects to be tucked into her blankets for the night).
The next day, the vet said she improved but then declined again, so I scheduled a feline neurology appointment for the following morning. The neurologist suggested lots of rest, a padded cage or room separate from the other cats where she would have a reduced risk of falling and injuring herself further, and possibly starting acupuncture treatments.
Today, I was helping Alison into her little bed, and she stretched and I felt her back crack (in a good way!). She immediately started taking a few more steps on her own.
Tomorrow, a vet/acupuncturist is making a house call to come treat Alison. We'll see if this helps her regain use of her limbs.
We head back to the neurologist on Saturday.
I know both of my cats are turning 17 this summer, but it seems they have lots of life left in them. Alison is seriously motivated by kitten chow (bad for her kidney health) and treats (also not the greatest for her kidneys).
So far, the two vets at her regular veterinary clinic, her ER vet, and the neurologist say that as long as she has a good quality life and is still eating and drinking....just keep that going!
We'll find out tomorrow morning if the veterinarian/acupuncturist suggests the same.
December was difficult. She developed a UTI, and during the exam to determine the cause, the vet diagnosed renal failure (she is in the very early stages of it, but her kidney health is actually pretty good right now).
She's always been a very active cat, and she wasn't letting her antibiotics slow her down. The UTI passed, and she was doing really well.
And then February 7th happened. She was fine in the early morning, jumping onto counters and begging for treats. Twenty minutes later, she was in the dining room, dragging her hind legs and tail behind her. I rushed her to an emergency veterinary hospital in a nearby city, where they immediately did blood work and a full exam.
They suggested letting her stay overnight to go through more tests, have X-Rays done, and then recuperate. Chris and I even got to visit her before her bedtime (yes, my cat has a specific time of day that she grabs her favorite toy and expects to be tucked into her blankets for the night).
The next day, the vet said she improved but then declined again, so I scheduled a feline neurology appointment for the following morning. The neurologist suggested lots of rest, a padded cage or room separate from the other cats where she would have a reduced risk of falling and injuring herself further, and possibly starting acupuncture treatments.
Today, I was helping Alison into her little bed, and she stretched and I felt her back crack (in a good way!). She immediately started taking a few more steps on her own.
Tomorrow, a vet/acupuncturist is making a house call to come treat Alison. We'll see if this helps her regain use of her limbs.
We head back to the neurologist on Saturday.
I know both of my cats are turning 17 this summer, but it seems they have lots of life left in them. Alison is seriously motivated by kitten chow (bad for her kidney health) and treats (also not the greatest for her kidneys).
So far, the two vets at her regular veterinary clinic, her ER vet, and the neurologist say that as long as she has a good quality life and is still eating and drinking....just keep that going!
We'll find out tomorrow morning if the veterinarian/acupuncturist suggests the same.
Friday, January 04, 2019
2019: Purge, Purge, Purge!
2019 Reasons to Purge, Purge, Purge
It's time for all that "New Year/New You" crap.
This year, I am focusing on Goals rather than Resolutions. (more on those at a later time because it seems that four of my seven goals are, perhaps, not realistic in the span of one calendar year)
One of my cats is experiencing Stage 1 renal failure. She has arthritis, as well, but other than those two things, she's a pretty solid little Golden Girl kitty. The vet is optimistic about the antibiotics, medicated food, and the water intake, so far.
I am removing a minimum of ten (10) items from my home per day and discarding, donating, or gifting them.
So far in 2019, I have eliminated 32 items, and I have the rest of today to pick more items to go.
I started watching Hoarders (in the background) while I clean my home. It seems to help motivate me to keep going, as I am desperately afraid of reaching "Hoarder" status.
I am a packrat. I was raised by a cluttered packrat. She was raised by a minimally neat hoarder. The neat hoarder was raised by a Hoarder.
I am reading every day, and I've started writing again. I love my three jobs (coordinator in educational sales, German teacher, and English & German teacher with contracted course writing duties).
I'm making friends with some coworkers, which makes me happy. I have felt a little isolated as my social life really just consists of spending time with my boyfriend (with whom I live).
It's time for all that "New Year/New You" crap.
This year, I am focusing on Goals rather than Resolutions. (more on those at a later time because it seems that four of my seven goals are, perhaps, not realistic in the span of one calendar year)
One of my cats is experiencing Stage 1 renal failure. She has arthritis, as well, but other than those two things, she's a pretty solid little Golden Girl kitty. The vet is optimistic about the antibiotics, medicated food, and the water intake, so far.
I am removing a minimum of ten (10) items from my home per day and discarding, donating, or gifting them.
So far in 2019, I have eliminated 32 items, and I have the rest of today to pick more items to go.
I started watching Hoarders (in the background) while I clean my home. It seems to help motivate me to keep going, as I am desperately afraid of reaching "Hoarder" status.
I am a packrat. I was raised by a cluttered packrat. She was raised by a minimally neat hoarder. The neat hoarder was raised by a Hoarder.
I am reading every day, and I've started writing again. I love my three jobs (coordinator in educational sales, German teacher, and English & German teacher with contracted course writing duties).
I'm making friends with some coworkers, which makes me happy. I have felt a little isolated as my social life really just consists of spending time with my boyfriend (with whom I live).
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