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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / August 2004Latest on Brandy
Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but they found she's allergic to the anaesthetic. So she will be going to a different clinic where they use a different one, and have her operation Tuesday. She's okay, God be praised. Her foster mama will be there to monitor her during the spaying, and I hope to the highest heavens that all goes well for our Brandy. We should still be able to take her just before Labor Day. I want my baby! Brandy's mama-to-be is just out of the hospital, where I had to spend a bit of time for observation. I had an interaction with recently prescribed medication and they had to call the ambulance to my work. Took forever to get out of there. When I called Louie to pick me up, he held the phone out for the cats. I said I loved my Stosh and Roxie, and they were rubbing up on the receiver. Damn, I do love those kids. God's been good. Blessed be, Baha > Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but they > found she's allergic to the anaesthetic. So she will be going to a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > all goes well for our Brandy. We should still be able to take her just > before Labor Day. I want my baby! Oh, no! I thought it was all over.. > Brandy's mama-to-be is just out of the hospital, where I had to spend a > bit of time for observation. I had an interaction with recently > prescribed medication and they had to call the ambulance to my work. > Took forever to get out of there. Did the kidneything go okay yesterday? I thought that's why you were in there. Tweed > > Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but they > > found she's allergic to the anaesthetic. So she will be going to a [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Did the kidneything go okay yesterday? I thought that's why you were in > there. Oh, I'm not the kidney gal, I'm the psycho. The drug reaction was a complication resulting from a change in antidepressant dosage and the resulting effect on my system began to also affect my work. I've tried to get the powers that be to let me keep a cat at my cube to keep the stress away, but no dice... Blessed be! Baha > Tweed > > > Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but they > > > found she's allergic to the anaesthetic. So she will be going to a [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Baha <whoops> Sorry, I temporarily got you mixed up with CatNipped.. (sorry CN) You are *not* a psycho. I had to go on anti-depressants myself as a result of a bereavement, and I don't consider myself a psycho, just reacting to a bad happening. To have to take an anti-depressant doesn't make you a "pyscho", whatever that is. You are just sensitive, as are all the nicest people. Tweed > > > > Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but > they [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > "pyscho", whatever that is. You are just sensitive, as are all the nicest > people. Many thanks. It's good to know that there are people out there who don't stigmatize mental health issues. I'm glad you think I'm nice as well, thanks! (insert grin here!) Baha > > > > > Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but > > they [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > Baha Geez, Singh, our household and our gene pool wouldn't be functioning without our meds. If it were a heart condition no one would blink twice about taking meds... Christine > <whoops> Sorry, I temporarily got you mixed up with CatNipped.. (sorry CN) > You are *not* a psycho. I had to go on anti-depressants myself as a result > of a bereavement, and I don't consider myself a psycho, just reacting to a > bad happening. To have to take an anti-depressant doesn't make you a > "pyscho", whatever that is. You are just sensitive, as are all the nicest > people. No problem Tweed, it takes a while to get all us characters here straight (we tend to be equally weird, which is what makes this group so nice to be part of). Hugs, CatNipped >> <whoops> Sorry, I temporarily got you mixed up with CatNipped.. >> (sorry CN) You are *not* a psycho. I had to go on anti-depressants [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > CatNipped It's not us that are wierd, it's everybody else. :-)  SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. Your not kidding I'm alway's doing things like that Jean.P. > > <whoops> Sorry, I temporarily got you mixed up with CatNipped.. (sorry > CN) [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > CatNipped > No problem Tweed, it takes a while to get all us characters here straight > (we tend to be equally weird, which is what makes this group so nice to be > part of). I'm not weird, I'm extremely strange. Pam S. >> No problem Tweed, it takes a while to get all us characters here straight >> (we tend to be equally weird, which is what makes this group so nice >to be >> part of). > >I'm not weird, I'm extremely strange. Unique is a good word. Suz Macmoosette Thank Heavens There's Only One =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= Waiting for inspiration. Please hold while I contemplate my navel. |\__/| (=':'=) (")_(") >>>No problem Tweed, it takes a while to get all us characters here straight >>>(we tend to be equally weird, which is what makes this group so nice [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Suz > Macmoosette My cats are very good at niquing up on their prey... Pam S. >>>I'm not weird, I'm extremely strange. >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >My cats are very good at niquing up on their prey... Grrrrooooooaaaaaaaaan! Suz Macmoosette Thank Heavens There's Only One =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= Waiting for inspiration. Please hold while I contemplate my navel. |\__/| (=':'=) (")_(") >>> No problem Tweed, it takes a while to get all us characters here >>> straight (we tend to be equally weird, which is what makes this [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Unique is a good word. > Suz Weird, strange, unique. These sound like cat characteristics to me. Which must explain why you're all such nice people. :-) SignaturePurrs and headbutts. Adrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. >>> Oh, no! I thought it was all over.. >>>> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Tweed Indeed. I had to go on anti-depressants after watching 30 (actually 295 but I personally knew/had worked with 30) co-workers die when the World Trade Center collapsed. My doctor said it was the "trigger" for my depression. Prior to those tragic events, I was just fine. As the anniversary of the 9/11/2001 is coming up those horrific images will be all over the news again. I don't plan to watch television on 9/11. Jill OHMYGOD!!! I am so sorry you had to go through that. My heart goes out to you. I cannot imagine the horrors of that time, only try to remember the heroes. On the anniversaries I light candles and do my meditations for fallen heroes. I was once Wiccan, and this is something from that past that I have carried into my Sikh faith. We honor the spirits of those who died heroically, and those who still live despite witnessing the tragedy, for living through that horror is heroic itself. We incorporated this concept into my own wedding, where we paid homage in our temple for those who died in the Holocaust, the survivors and their descendants (my parents were in the camps as political prisoners. Matka was devoutly religious and forgave the Nazis, but my father carried his bitterness to the end.) You are a hero in your own right. Blessed be, Baha > >>> Oh, no! I thought it was all over.. > >>>> [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Jill > OHMYGOD!!! I am so sorry you had to go through that. Thank you. And their families thank you for the candles and prayers. We were bought out by a company in 1999 whose headquarters were in the WTC. I work in Info Tech which is both a blessing and a curse. After the acquisition, some people came from NYC to work in Memphis for a while, then they went back and took some of our Memphis colleagues with them. (Thankfully some were only short-term assignments.) As bad luck would have it, the morning of 9/11/2001 our techies were right on top of things. Within minutes every TV and large screen for presentations was connected to satellite so we could watch the events unfold. Gee, thanks guys. Some of the folks started getting text pages; it was heart-rendering. "Please call my wife". Stuff like that. It was terrible. My heart goes > out to you. I cannot imagine the horrors of that time, only try to > remember the heroes. I do try. And in fact I still correspond with someone who was so very lucky to escape that day. Thank you for your thoughts. And you are NOT a psycho! I love your posts. Jill > On the anniversaries I light candles and do my meditations for fallen > heroes. I was once Wiccan, and this is something from that past that [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] >> >> Jill I'm so very sorry to hear that, Jill. Lots and lots of purrs and gentle hugs, SignaturePolonca & Soncek > Indeed. I had to go on anti-depressants after watching 30 (actually 295 but > I personally knew/had worked with 30) co-workers die when the World Trade [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Jill In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.anecdotes", "jmcquown" > As the anniversary of the > 9/11/2001 is coming up those horrific images will be all over > the news again. I don't plan to watch television on 9/11. I don't watch all that on TV either. It was horrible enough when it happened, and while I'll never forget, I don't need an "anniversary" reminder. SignatureCheryl > In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.anecdotes", "jmcquown" > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > happened, and while I'll never forget, I don't need an "anniversary" > reminder. What's really weird (to me, at least) is the company I worked for, the subsidiary who lost those transfrerred people, would hold a "picnic" on the anniversary of 9/11. For the last two years they had a cook-out in the parking lot with a catering company serving up fried fish and chips and chicken and fixin's. And then have people from the company sing patriotic American songs. It struck me as so bizarre. I suppose it was intended to be a remembrance of the heroes, as Baha mentioned, but it seemed... well, just not appropriate. I gather they aren't going to do that again this year; apparently other people felt as I did. Or maybe they just got tired of paying to feed 500 people. (shrugs) Jill > >>> Oh, no! I thought it was all over.. > >>>> [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Jill OMG. How awful for you. It's no wonder you got depression. Sudden bereavement was a "triger" for mine too, but actually depression doesn't need a trigger at all, it can just happen. It's impossible to describe what it's like to someone who's never had it, it certainly wasn't like I *ever* imagined. On 9/11 I went to the local farm, maybe 3 miles away to get chicken food, like I have to do every week. I drove into the farmyard and when the farmer came out, he said to me that a plane had crashed into the WTC and then another one. And I am very ashamed to say that - as a Brit - I'd never heard of the WTC before then and I had no idea what this news meant. I just thought it meant two planes had crashed, sad as it was, and wondered why he seemed so upset about it. I soon found out when I switched on the TV. I was absolutely horrified, almost traumatised, by what I saw, and I don't think I will ever get the images of the people jumping from the windows out of my mind as long as I live. Some people from my home county also died there that day, one a 23 year old young woman, who lived perhaps 15 miles away from where I do. You might consider counselling to help you heal. Tweed >>>>> Oh, no! I thought it was all over.. >>>>>> [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > the WTC and then another one. And I am very ashamed to say that - as > a Brit - I'd never heard of the WTC before then Why would you have? I don't pay much attention to what goes in in Britain, either. Of course I'd know if a plane flew into Buckingham Palace, but that's a different thing altogether. > I just thought it meant two planes had crashed, sad as it was, and > wondered why he seemed so upset about it. > I soon found out when I switched on the TV. I was absolutely > horrified, almost traumatised, by what I saw, and I don't think I > will ever get the images of the people jumping from the windows out > of my mind as long as I live. Yes, it was horrific. I was told the first plane to hit the North tower flew directly into the office of our former director of I.T., Gary Lasko on the 99th floor. He commuted from Memphis to NYC weekly and left behind here a wife and young daughter. It was to be his 50th birthday the following week. In the days that followed, a co-worker was over at Mrs. Lasko's house and his daughter kept saying to him, "He has a pager. Can't you page him? He'll answer." It was so tragic because Neel knew, he couldn't answer. How do you explain that to a child? GAWD. > Some people from my home county also died there that day, one a 23 > year old young woman, who lived perhaps 15 miles away from where I do. There were a lot of foreign diplomats and other non Americans in the buildings that day. It wasn't just an attack on the United States. *WORLD* Trade Center. > You might consider counselling to help you heal. > > Tweed Thank you. I've done that. I'm better now but I sure don't want to be reminded by seeing those images replayed on television. I'll be busy packing for my next trip to work an art show with my long-lost love. Think these jeans would be good? How about this top? (We won't get into a discussion of lingerie.) Jill >Thank you. I've done that. I'm better now but I sure don't want to be >reminded by seeing those images replayed on television. I think there's a place in our hearts where, after a suitable time (which is different for everybody)....tragedy and grief just needs to be tucked away. But the media doesn't let us do that. They make sure we are wallowing around and re-living it as long as possible. Rant over about the media. As horrific as the Oklahoma City bombing was, and we were living just 10 miles away, it gives me a great deal of comfort to realize that out of all that, there was one, tiny little victory. My daughter was 18, she got so distraught she left school to give blood and became extremely upset there was no hands-on help she could do. It inspired her to become an RN. She is 27 now and is the best, smartest, most compassionate RN In the whole world. (IMO, heh) Sherry >> [quoted text muted] > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Sherry It also proves you are a great mother. Congrats! MLB You have a great daughter! Best wishes for you and your family, SignaturePolonca & Soncek <snip> > As horrific as the Oklahoma City bombing was, and we were living just 10 miles > away, it gives me a great deal of comfort to realize that out of all that, [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Sherry >Prior to those tragic events, I was just fine. As the anniversary of the >9/11/2001 is coming up those horrific images will be all over the news >again. I don't plan to watch television on 9/11. > >Jill Jill to a small extent I understand your pain about 9/11, whenever the media stages the annual reopening of the wound I want to hide. The coverage hasn't brought me healing, only pain. Baha purrs for both you and Brandy. Suz Macmoosette Thank Heavens There's Only One =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= Waiting for inspiration. Please hold while I contemplate my navel. |\__/| (=':'=) (")_(") > Indeed. I had to go on anti-depressants after watching 30 (actually 295 but > I personally knew/had worked with 30) co-workers die when the World Trade > Center collapsed. My doctor said it was the "trigger" for my depression. > Prior to those tragic events, I was just fine. As the anniversary of the > 9/11/2001 is coming up those horrific images will be all over the news > again. I don't plan to watch television on 9/11. I'm sorry Jill. That was a terrible terrible day - it must have been all that more terrible to have such personal connections to the tragedy. Big hugs to you. Susan M Otis and Chester >> Oh, I'm not the kidney gal, I'm the psycho. >> Baha > <whoops> Sorry, I temporarily got you mixed up with CatNipped.. > (sorry CN) That's funny - I confuse these two, also. I think because they joined RPCA at about the same time, and are both very entertaining writers whose writing styles have *something* in common that I can't quite describe. > To have to take an anti-depressant doesn't make you a "pyscho", > whatever that is. "Psycho" simply means "I don't understand your behavior." Seriously. I've heard people say, "I'm not crazy, I have bi-polar disorder." or, "Just because you have schizophrenia doesn't mean you're *crazy*." But if these things aren't "crazy", then what is? Crazy simply refers to unusual behavior that has not been explained. When something can be labelled and treated, then it is no longer scary, and people don't have to be ashamed to say they have that illness. But why should they ever be ashamed? Wouldn't it be great if people could make the logical leap to say: They used to think that people who heard voices were "crazy", and then they found out that those people have a chemical disorder called schizophrenia. And they used to think that people whose moods changed constantly from hyped-up to catatonic with depression were "crazy", but then they found out that those people have a disorder called bi-polar. So maybe all the so-called weird behaviors we still don't understand and still call "crazy" (or "psycho") are just not-yet-explained disorders, that are no more scary or weird or threatening than the ones that have been explained and treated. And that we don't have to call anyone "crazy". Or else, we're all crazy, and proud of it! :) Joyce Your so right The Mother of one of my Foster babies was scizophrenic and truly thought she was christened Chritine because she was Jesus Christ and would say *thats why all the Bells start ringing when I walk into a Church* but just talking to her was like talking to anyone and she was a lovely smiling happy person, with two older chidren who loved hervery much. Jean.p. > > "Singh" <bahadur@localnet.com> wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > Joyce I never understood, why such stigma? Nobody says jack if you tell them you're diabetic, or have epilepsy. But say bipolar and people actually back away, like they can catch the damn thing. I believe it is genetic myself; my natural mother probably had it, and Louie's parents show symptoms of clinical depression, which Louie also has. I was once asked not to take my medicine at work because some considered my disorder "offensive." I told the boss right off: "I have been sitting here for a month listening to four pregnant women give color commentary on their morning sickness, and you people consider a lousy handfull of pills offensive?" That put the kibosh on any more such talk! Blessed be! Baha > > "Singh" <bahadur@localnet.com> wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > Joyce > I never understood, why such stigma? Nobody says jack if you tell them you're > diabetic, or have epilepsy. But say bipolar and people actually back away, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > lousy handfull of pills offensive?" That put the kibosh on any more such > talk! Cancer. It is amazing how many people are made totally uncomfortable by cancer. I'm not sure if it's because they think it's catching, the operation scars can be ugly (Americans don't like their people to be "ugly"), they feel vulnerable, just don't know what to say, or a combination of the above. I've seen people just stare at Rob like he's from Mars when we're out somewhere. He may not be doing anything other than eating (he has excellent table manners, better than mine), but they stare at him like he's on exhibit. I've been there and I'd find the morning sickness color commentary offensive, too. Pam S. > Cancer. It is amazing how many people are made totally uncomfortable by > cancer. I'm not sure if it's because they think it's catching, the > operation scars can be ugly (Americans don't like their people to be > "ugly"), they feel vulnerable, just don't know what to say, or a > combination of the above. For me I'd say it's a combination of feeling vulnerable and not knowing what to say or do. And maybe thinking that my own needs in the friendship have just been completely invalidated, since nothing could be more important than the other person's life-threatening illness. So I feel guilty for even having needs at all ("How could I even think of asking her/him for anything when s/he's already dealing with so much?") Also I feel like I would be totally inept at helping, so why bother? As for contagion, I don't think it's so much that people are afraid that cancer is catching, but rather, seeing someone ill forces us to look directly at something we'd rather not think about, and that's scary. It reminds us of our own mortality, makes us think, "What if I'm next?" I'm not trying to claim any of this is rational, by the way. And I've talked to people who have been sick, and they've said that there's nothing they'd love more than to think about someone *else's* problems, to take their mind off their own. Or just to have a normal conversation with someone, where everything doesn't revolve around their illness. When a friend or relative stops asking for what they need because the think the sick person can't cope with that, it feels patronizing. I think it makes the most sense to let a sick or disabled person tell *you* what their needs and limits are, and otherwise, assume that they are capable people. Obviously, it's important to respect people's limits, but don't give them limits before they tell you what they are! :) Joyce > > Cancer. It is amazing how many people are made totally uncomfortable > > by [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > Obviously, it's important to respect people's limits, but don't give them > limits before they tell you what they are! :) Interesting flashbacks to me. I've come to the conclusion that you only have a chance to do the right thing for the patient, and often just screw the rest. Almost 30 years ago, my mother had metastatic breast cancer, and chemotherapy in a community hospital was rather new to everyone there. This was in New Jersey while I lived in DC. Much to the annoyance of some of the local relatives, I had surrogate powers, and after a bit, chart access. I knew what drugs my mother was taking, what the usual side effects would be, and her general condition as observed by the staff. When I first visited, before I went into the room, I knew that she would have lost most or all of her hair, and would have a very puffy face due to corticosteroid-caused fluid retention. So, I walked into the room and didn't go into any shock -- I just talked to her normally. Relatives that had been present took me to task for being "unemotional" and dealing with her "like a normal person." While I had no illusions of cure at this point, I also upset them because I didn't want to wail about the (non-imminent) end. There was no real way to communicate with relatives that still thought of me as a child, but also were stuck in superstition. Most could only say "the big C", while I was reading the pathology reports and discussing staging with the oncologist. It was somehow offensive to my aunts (inlaws) especially that when I made suggestions to the treatment team, I accompanied them with journal references or reference reports that the rest of the family couldn't understand. Sort of appropriately for this group, I did have to face some decisions on how aggressive to be with certain treatments. It's a different situation with an at least partially competent human than even the most closely bonded cat. I remember being put in a situation where the staff had avoided telling her that what they told her were "IV's to strengthen you, dear" were actually life-and-death interventions to a drug reaction -- a reaction that no one had explained to her. The difficult ethical choice was that if she didn't have the IVs, she would just go to sleep and not wake up, within 48-72 hours. There was one last aggressive treatment that could be tried, with a low but nonzero chance of success. I felt I had to present the options to her, and she elected to go for the last treatment. I was very careful to let it be her decision, and I still don't know if I should have given her my opinion -- which was to accept the known gentle death, rather than what would likely be a long and fruitless struggle. > Relatives that had been present took me to task for being "unemotional" > and dealing with her "like a normal person." While I had no illusions > of cure at this point, I also upset them because I didn't want to wail > about the (non-imminent) end. Oy - they were telling you how to *feel*?? Somebody always has an agenda. If you're calm, someone will think you're unemotional. If you're upset, someone else will say you're hysterical and can't be trusted to make important decisions. Sounds like your response was quite reasonable to me, and probably a big relief to your mother, who was no doubt dreading a bad reaction from you. > Sort of appropriately for this group, I did have to face some decisions > on how aggressive to be with certain treatments. It's a different > situation with an at least partially competent human than even the most > closely bonded cat. And this was all before those issues (about how much to tell a patient, when to "pull the plug", and so on) were even discussed in our society. Since that time there have been books, news stories, films, tv shows, etc, addressing this issue, so that there's some kind of framework from which to think about it. Not that it's any easier emotionally when you're faced with it, but at least people have a chance to consider the issue hypothetically, because it's no longer a taboo subject. You had to chart those waters pretty much on your own, while under a lot of stress. > I felt I had to present the options to her, and she elected to go for > the last treatment. I was very careful to let it be her decision, and I > still don't know if I should have given her my opinion -- which was to > accept the known gentle death, rather than what would likely be a long > and fruitless struggle. Apparently she preferred to struggle, and hang on to her hope to survive. In many situations, that amount of will to live could make the difference between surviving or not. You can't judge your decisions based on the outcome, because you have no way of knowing what the outcome will be. You can only make the best decision you can, given the information you have at the time - and later, you can evaluate your reasons for making the choices you made, regardless of how it turned out. And it sounds like your decision was based on respect for her right to have control over her treatment - a very noble and loving impulse. Joyce > Oy - they were telling you how to *feel*?? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > response was quite reasonable to me, and probably a big relief to your > mother, who was no doubt dreading a bad reaction from you. Some of our relatives had a fit because I was "too calm" about Rob being sent to Desert Shield/Storm I. I guess I was supposed to have hysterics, scream, throw a hissy fit, and go to Saudi Arabia to get him out. Now they think I'm "too calm" about Rob's cancer. These are some of the same people that treat us like we're poisonous. Sigh. Pam S. who's really glad to be across the country from the family at times. > > Oy - they were telling you how to *feel*?? > > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Pam S. who's really glad to be across the country from the family at > times. We can choose our friends but not families. The lucky people have family members who are also friends. Many of the second group have four legs. >> Oy - they were telling you how to *feel*?? >> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Pam S. who's really glad to be across the country from the family at > times. Some people do think just that. Like it will help or something. Or that it's not healthy and you are bottling it up. It's called, "let's deal with it". You are great just how you are :) > Some people do think just that. Like it will help or something. Or > that it's not healthy and you are bottling it up. It's called, > "let's deal with it". Yeah, sure. As though: (1) They know what you need to do to get through this situation. (2) They know for a fact that you are always bottling up your feelings. How do they know you don't confide in people you trust (ie, not them)? > You are great just how you are :) No kidding! You get to deal with grief, anxiety, stress, etc, in whatever way works best for you. Nobody has the right to try to tell you how you should feel or how you should express those feelings. Joyce > > Some people do think just that. Like it will help or something. Or > > that it's not healthy and you are bottling it up. It's called, [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > way works best for you. Nobody has the right to try to tell you how you > should feel or how you should express those feelings. These are tend to be the same people that see somebody delicately trying to keep their balance on a slippery surface, and break their concentration by yelling "BE CAREFUL!" A cat, mind you, will simply demonstrate how to get across the surface. > These are tend to be the same people that see somebody delicately trying > to keep their balance on a slippery surface, and break their > concentration by yelling "BE CAREFUL!" LOL! Don't ever play pool with such a person. > A cat, mind you, will simply demonstrate how to get across the surface. Actually, today Roxy demonstrated a decided lack of grace. My clothes bureau is next to my bedroom closet, and there's a high shelf in the closet that Roxy likes to leap up to and hang out on. She gets up there by jumping up from the bureau. But today there was a thin book on the bureau, so when she pushed off with her back legs, the book went the other way, leaving her with insufficient energy to reach the closet shelf. She landed on the closet floor, which luckily had a big folded comforter on it, so it was a soft landing. But not on her dignity - she actually raced out of the room, looking chagrined. (I had to cover my mouth to mute my chuckles.) She came back a few minutes later, eyeing the bureau suspiciously. I moved the evil book out of the way, cheering her on, "Come on, Roxy, get back up on that horse! You can do it!" She leapt up effortlessly, and is still up there now - I believe she is still hiding from embarrassment. Joyce > Actually, today Roxy demonstrated a decided lack of grace. My clothes > bureau is next to my bedroom closet, and there's a high shelf in the [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > and is still up there now - I believe she is still hiding from > embarrassment. LOL! Well done, Joyce, to get her confidence back so quickly. SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki >> Actually, today Roxy demonstrated a decided lack of grace. My clothes >> bureau is next to my bedroom closet, and there's a high shelf in the [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > LOL! Well done, Joyce, to get her confidence back so quickly. Heh. Heh. It's the kitty version of Paul Hamm :) On Wed, 25 Aug, Joyce wrote: ---------------------<snip>---------------------- >She landed on the closet floor, which luckily had a big folded comforter >on it, so it was a soft landing. But not on her dignity - she actually >raced out of the room, looking chagrined. (I had to cover my mouth to >mute my chuckles.) ---------------------<snip>---------------------- Lynda and I try out hardest to pretend we didn't see it when one of our babies does something like that. You're a good kitty-mommy to stifle your laughter. Regards and Purrs, O J In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.anecdotes", Howard Berkowitz <hcb@gettcomm.com> artfully composed this message within <news:hcb-9BDE66.18552224082004@text.giganews.com> on 24 Aug 2004: > These are tend to be the same people that see somebody > delicately trying to keep their balance on a slippery surface, > and break their concentration by yelling "BE CAREFUL!" > > A cat, mind you, will simply demonstrate how to get across the > surface. :)) This is what I love about them. SignatureCheryl >>> Oy - they were telling you how to *feel*?? >>> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >that it's not healthy and you are bottling it up. It's called, >"let's deal with it". You are great just how you are :) I had a heart attack in 1999. When I subsequently got my medical records from the hospital, I discovered that one of the doctors had been concerned by my "flat affect" -- in other words, he felt that I was too calm, not worried enough. Once I had made it to the hospital, I figured that I was in good hands, and went back to my usual analytical personality, asking the doctors questions about my condition and treatment. On another hospital visit, one of the doctors asked me if I was an engineer. When I told him that I was a computer programmer, he said that he had figured it was something like that. Such people, who methodically analyze problems at work, tend to do the same thing when faced with medical issues. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria >I had a heart attack in 1999. When I subsequently got my medical >records from the hospital, I discovered that one of the doctors had [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >like that. Such people, who methodically analyze problems at work, >tend to do the same thing when faced with medical issues. That's interesting. I found cardiologists to be clueless about anything except cardiology. I went to the ER for jaw pain. I thought I had TMJ or something. They decided because of an irregular EKG to run a heart cath. The arteries in my heart were blocked so badly they didn't even bother waking me up to tell me they were going to do a quadruple bypass. So I wake up and figure something went terribly wrong. Long story short, I ended up with 11 incisions, a carotid bypass, femoral bypass besides the heart bypasses. About the third day the vascular surgeon walked in and said, "You seem depressed." Well, duh, Sherlock. Sherry > That's interesting. I found cardiologists to be clueless about anything except > cardiology. I went to the ER for jaw pain. I thought I had TMJ or something. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Sherry Conversational gambit? Honestly, the best ones seem to be lacking in people skills, and that may have been his way of trying to get you to talk about it. The surgeon I had for my gall bladder removal (gallbladderectomy?) didn't warn me about post surgery depression. He had his PA do it. "Post surgery depression is quite common, no matter how needed the procedure, and how un-needed the body part is. The person has had their life changed by that surgery and they will never be the same as they were before. The patient may feel violated because the surgeon had their hands in his/her body. They may feel as though maybe the surgery wasn't necessary after all and might have gotten better without the procedure. They might also feel as though they are "less" because of the surgery, because now something is missing or different. They may also feel as though they are looking on their own obituaries because it was a life threatening problem. Whatever the cause for the depression, it is not uncommon and the patient needs to talk about it." Paraphrased from my surgeon's PA. I had fun with him after this and told him I was depressed because I didn't get a chance to help with the surgery and felt as though I were redundant and just an observer. He actually thought I was serious and tried to explain that I was a very necessary part of the surgery, but the Warrant Officer (nurse) laughing behind him gave me away. The PA then told me that I didn't need his help and left the room. Pam S. > > That's interesting. I found cardiologists to be clueless about anything > > except [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > people skills, and that may have been his way of trying to get you to > talk about it. LOL...I remember one day, after my coronary artery bypass, when my surgeon came in with his flock of residents, fellows and students, and sat down on the edge of the bed and started to chat. "Are you SURE you're board-certified"? He was shocked. "What? Why?" "Does the American College of Surgeons know that you make all the time needed for patients, are friendly to students, treat residents like peers, and the nurses all love you? Terrible example...." A lot of specialists behave like their stereotypes, but there can be exceptions. It's unusual that I have problems with a cardiologist, but then, I speak cardiology better than most dialects of doctor. >The surgeon I had for my gall bladder removal > (gallbladderectomy?) didn't warn me about post surgery depression. He [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > the Warrant Officer (nurse) laughing behind him gave me away. The PA > then told me that I didn't need his help and left the room. One finds fun where one can. When I had nerve surgery on my wrist, I knew the hand surgeon very well. He was doing it as a teaching procedure anyway, and was comfortable enough with me not getting panicky to include me in the discussion (I just had a regional block) and occasionally giving me a look inside my arm. It was more artistic, however, to collaborate with an invasive cardiology fellow at NIH, such that we mapped the inside of my heart with the theme of the Monty Python Norwegian Blue Parrot skit. Had half the team in hysterics and the other half utterly baffled. In general, it was a multicultural event, because one of the baffled one was the senior attending. He's Iranian-American, but most of us had to argue to find something as background music other than his favorite cowboy songs. > > Oy - they were telling you how to *feel*?? > > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > out. Now they think I'm "too calm" about Rob's cancer. These are some > of the same people that treat us like we're poisonous. Sigh. You struck a nerve with that one. My younger daughter has asthma, so do I. One thing you absolutely positively have to do when dealing with a child who is having an asthma attack is stay calm. Not easy when you are having a pretty good attach yourself and the both of you are already on steroids. I still bristle when I remember my mother-in-law screaming at me while I was getting things gathered up to leave for the hospital for an emergency admission with my daughter. I just wasn't acting excited enough about the whole thing to suit her. Jo > > Relatives that had been present took me to task for being > > "unemotional" [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > response was quite reasonable to me, and probably a big relief to your > mother, who was no doubt dreading a bad reaction from you. You really had to know my Aunt Shirley, the leader of the pack. Think Archie Bunker, with a thicker mustache and less empathy. Shirley met wonderfully that definition of a zealot as "one who would be happy to explain to an omniscient deity what the deity's correct actions should have been had it been in possession of all the facts." One of the great missed opportunties of my life was at my first wedding. Shirley had come with containers in her purse, and merrily raided the banquet table, filling them. My regret, on seeing this, is that I didn't give in to my urge to help her by pouring a quart of salad dressing into her purse. > > Sort of appropriately for this group, I did have to face some > > decisions [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > hypothetically, because it's no longer a taboo subject. You had to chart > those waters pretty much on your own, while under a lot of stress. At the time, there really were two separate areas of discussion. You are quite right that the general culture did not inform laymen in families about these issues. These had long been discussed among medical personnel, and that was my relationship with the staff. They told me they had not discussed options with my mother, but quite explicitly asked me if they should just stay quiet, not push the issues of the IVs to her, and let her die peacefully of hypercalcemia. I was in limbo. Today, the attending physician would probably discuss it with the patient, if the patient was at least somewhat aware -- and would have kept the patient informed. In other ethical Western cultures today (e.g., Italy), or in years past, the issue of discussing it with the patient would not have come up -- it would have been presented to the next of kin, or decided unilaterally by the treatment team. Howard Berkowitz wrote: (snip) > Interesting flashbacks to me. I've come to the conclusion that you only > have a chance to do the right thing for the patient, and often just [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > team, I accompanied them with journal references or reference reports > that the rest of the family couldn't understand. My best friend's mother has some kind of lymphatic cancer, and you know, outside of her one son's partner and the son from DC, the only one's who've been to see her are Louie and me? Her bald head from chemo makes her only surviving sister uncomfortable. He son who lives not five miles from Mama, and his wife and children, don't come by, Joyce told me they haven't even called. The other son, who lives in Maryland, comes up each weekend to see Mama and his partner (who lives now with Joyce.) I'm just disgusted at the rest. The one boy lives a spit away and his family won't come because they figure it's bad luck to look death in the face. (the truth of the mater is the chemo's working, the tumor's shrinking, and the "markers" in the blood are way lower than at the start.) Oh yeah, God forbid--The C-Word, only all right to mention in gossip! Joyce is an inspiring, tough old bird. She's not too vain to go out in public with her bald head and give a "Well what the f**k you looking at?" when someone stares too long. She'll joke with us about painting a target on her head so that the birds know where to drop one, then she can go play the lotto. (An old superstition, still believed by many of the old Poles locally, says that if a bird drops one on your head, it's good luck and you'll come into money.) She's held on through abuse, poverty, and the cancer with good humor and good faith. She'll be moving to Maryland with my best buddy when it's over. I'll miss them both. Blessed be, Baha Lots and lots of purrs and best wishes for Joyce to recover completely, SignaturePolonca & Soncek <snip>> Joyce is an inspiring, tough old bird. She's not too vain to go out in public > with her bald head and give a "Well what the f**k you looking at?" when someone > stares too long. She'll joke with us about painting a target on her head so [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Baha > Joyce is an inspiring, tough old bird. She's not too vain to go out in public > with her bald head and give a "Well what the f**k you looking at?" when someone [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > She'll be moving to Maryland with my best buddy when it's over. I'll miss them > both. Sounds like Rob, except that he currently has some hair (though in a strange growth pattern) and is more understanding than I am about people staring at him. Pam S. > I'm not trying to claim any of this is rational, by the way. And I've > talked to people who have been sick, and they've said that there's nothing [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Obviously, it's important to respect people's limits, but don't give them > limits before they tell you what they are! :) We understand the helpless feeling of the friends and family. It's the staring by "strangers" or those coming up to me and talking to me like Rob isn't there that really get my goat. With Rob, the more you treat him like he's human, the happier one is. It's one of the things he was so impressed with the cat group members we met on the road. Everyone treated him normally, Christine even let him debate with her son (who's very smart BTW), and even teased him. He felt more relaxed with our cat friends than he did with a lot of his long time friends and co-workers from the military. Pam S. ... >I'm not trying to claim any of this is rational, by the way. And I've >talked to people who have been sick, and they've said that there's nothing [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Joyce I can attest to that. Being a cancer survivor myself. I had to have an operation where they cut 2/3 of my lower lip off and had to sleep sitting up for 3 weeks because I had a feeding tube through my nose. I could not wait to get back to work so as to take my mind off of the situation that I was in. I was going back to work and then the Dr's. decided that I needed radiation and chemo. At first the Dr's. did not want me to work because of the added stress on my system. I told them that 1) If they wanted to get paid they were going to have to let me go back to work. 2) I only had so much Medical LOA and if I didn't go back within the week I was going to lose my position and possibly have to work in a place where there were known carcinogens and dangerous chemicals around. They relented and I went back to work. I was not very effective at work due to the chemo and radiation, but I shows up and gave it my all as long as I could. That was enough for them and they managed to keep me on. As my boss said at least you show up regularly. I feel that it is important after a serious illness to get on with your daily life and not dwell on the bad things. Any day that you are on the green side of the grass is a good day. Thanks for letting me rant. In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.anecdotes", Tanada <tanada@earthlink.net> artfully composed this message within <news:vEyWc.2122$Y%3.1513@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net> on 23 Aug 2004: > It is amazing how many people are made totally uncomfortable by > cancer. I'm not sure if it's because they think it's catching, > the operation scars can be ugly Pam, in my experience of having lost my son, people in general don't like to talk about horrifying things (to them) because either they don't know what to say, or they don't want to upset you. I read a poem on alt.support.grief that fit me totally, and it helps to understand both why people don't say what you expect them to say, and why we react when they either do or don't say something. I'm going to post it, but I don't expect many to understand it. You Can't Win With Me by Jane Warland~1996 If you say to me, "How are you doing?," With such sympathy and meaning in your voice, I reply, "I'm fine," And brush you off, Because to talk about my loss with you is just too painful. If you see me And don't mention the loss that is consuming my thoughts, I think you don't care enough, Or are too scared to mention it For fear that you might upset me. You can't win with me. If you say, "I'm sorry your son died," It is hard for me to reply to that. What do you expect me to say? I want to say, "I'm sorry too!" or "It's awful!" I want to scream, "It's not fair!!" But I won't because I don't want to upset myself today, Not in front of you. So I reply, "Thank you." That thanks means so much more than that. It means thanks for caring, Thanks for trying to help, Thanks for realizing that I'm still in pain. If you don't know what to say to me, that's okay. Because I don't know what to say to you either. If you see me smile or laugh, Don't assume I must have forgotten my son for the moment. I haven't, I can't, I never will. Tell me that I look good today. I will know what you mean. I'm getting good at picking up unspoken cues from you. If you see me and think I look upset or sad, You are probably right. Today might be an anniversary day for me, Or some event might have triggered a wave of grief in me. If you don't say anything I'll think you don't care about me, But if you do say something, It might make me feel worse. You could try asking if I want to talk, But don't be surprised if I say no. You can't win with me. Don't give up on me, please don't give up. I need your attempts however feeble, However trite you might feel they are. I need your thoughts. I need your prayers. I need your love. I need your persistence. I need all that but most of all I need to be treated normally, Like it used to be before all of this happened. But I know it's impossible. That carefree, naive person is gone forever, And I am mourning that loss too. So you can't win with me. I printed this and posted it on my bulletin board in my office and so far no one has read it/made a comment. But I hoped that if they did, they would understand me better because this fits how I feel. SignatureCheryl /dangit, now I have mascara in my eyes and I cant see > Pam, in my experience of having lost my son, people in general > don't like to talk about horrifying things (to them) because either [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > say, and why we react when they either do or don't say something. > I'm going to post it, but I don't expect many to understand it. <gentle snip> Cheryl, that poem is so true, and I think you're right about why people react (or don't react) like they do. SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.anecdotes", "Marina" <frankiennikki@yahoo.co.uk> artfully composed this message within <news:2p2c77Fg5rpkU1@uni-berlin.de> on 24 Aug 2004: > Cheryl, that poem is so true, and I think you're right about why > people react (or don't react) like they do. Marina, this is the part that makes my heart feel squeezed until it can't beat: That carefree, naive person is gone forever, And I am mourning that loss too. I don't know how to be the same as I was after this. Because I'm not. I am coming to terms with him gone, but what is left behind with me is not a happy person. I miss him so much. I miss what the future would have been. I miss watching him excel in his field that was new to him, but he was so good at it at, and I dream about going to see his band play because I never got to do that. They played so late at night at parties that I felt too old to go to, besides I was usually sound asleep when their set came on at 11 or 12 at night. And I feel cheated out of being a grandmother because I would have been good at it. My thoughts sometimes go back to the day when he was about 17 and told me the girl he was seeing was pregnant. My heart stopped then because he hesitated before he told me the baby wasn't his, that she was already pregnant when he met her. Now I dream about a different outcome and that it was his baby and I would have a part of him still in this world. I just really really miss him with all of my heart. SignatureCheryl > Marina, this is the part that makes my heart feel squeezed until it > can't beat: [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > and I would have a part of him still in this world. I just really > really miss him with all of my heart. I know, Cheryl. Yet, not having any children of my own, much less having lost one, I feel I can't claim to know how you feel, but still I believe I do know. Those words in the poem ring so true to me. Maybe I don't. But at least I can offer purrs and hugs. {{{Cheryl}}} SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki > Marina, this is the part that makes my heart feel squeezed until it > can't beat: > That carefree, naive > person is gone forever, > And I am mourning that loss too. > I don't know how to be the same as I was after this. Because I'm > not. I am coming to terms with him gone, but what is left behind > with me is not a happy person. I agree that you probably will never be the person you were before. But I also believe that you won't always be the person you are now. I believe that you can heal, and can find some joy in life again. Not that you'll return to the life you had when your son was alive, but that you'll find some new way of being that is probably not even conceivable to you now. That might not be much comfort to you right now, but I wouldn't expect it to be - the loss is still too fresh. Sometime down the road, though, you might find yourself feeling different. At least, that is my experience with every loss I've ever had in my life. For a while, it doesn't seem as though I'll ever be happy again. That seems to go on forever. The there's that day when I first hear myself laughing, for the first time in ages. And there's that first time when I'm able to have a good time, or look forward to something, or be joyful about one thing, or just appreciate something simple in life. I can't get to that point until I've grieved for whatever time is necessary, but when I do, it's like the sun coming out for the first time in years. It's not that all the pain goes away when that happens, but it is the point when I realize that I want to go on living, that there are reasons why life is worth living, and that I have hope again that I can be happy. I remember one line from Desiderata (sp?) - you know, that poem about being a child of the universe, and so on. Anyway, the line goes, "Neither be cynical about love, for love is as perennial as the grass." For some reason, that line has always stuck with me, and has reminded me time and again that even when things seem completely hopeless, that I could never love again or never feel joyful again, that the grass will grow back once again, like it does year after year. It might be deep winter now, but life does continue, and it will come back. {{{Purrs}}} Joyce > In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.anecdotes", "Marina" > <frankiennikki@yahoo.co.uk> artfully composed this message within [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > and I would have a part of him still in this world. I just really > really miss him with all of my heart. {{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}} Cheryl. I'm so sorry. Susan M Otis and Chester {{{{{{{{Cheryl}}}}}}}}} Sometime I think I'll never come to terms with the loss of my little brother. So much of what you wrote about your son applies to him too. It does help to have a purring cat snuggled against, but *nothing* can ever come close to what we've lost. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. > > Pam, in my experience of having lost my son, people in general [quoted text clipped - 85 lines] > > So you can't win with me. <<<<HUGS>>>> Cheryl I wish I knew what to say to you, but like a lot of people dealing with Rob, I don't know how to reply to this. Just that the poem is similar to dealing with cancer as well. Part of the person is gone and it will never come back, and things will never be the same as they were before. Sometimes I wonder which is worse, losing a loved one quickly, or slowly. Pam S. > Cancer. It is amazing how many people are made totally uncomfortable by > cancer. I'm not sure if it's because they think it's catching, the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > than eating (he has excellent table manners, better than mine), but they > stare at him like he's on exhibit. I was uncomfortable visiting my friend not because she had cancer or might want to talk about fears of dying and so on. I just didn't know *what* she would want to talk about! I felt like I was flaunting my health with my children when I was talking about them, yet she really perked up when she heard all the stories. I didn't want to come in and ignore her condition, focus too much on the condition, talk too much about her / myself. I thought it was important that I went anyway and tried to figure it out at the time. I think that she wanted distraction from the side effects of the chemo and some normalcy in the stories. Any further advice would be greatly appreciated! Susan M Otis and Chester > I never understood, why such stigma? Nobody says jack if you tell them you're > diabetic, or have epilepsy. But say bipolar and people actually back away, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > lousy handfull of pills offensive?" That put the kibosh on any more such > talk! At my former job, there were some who did not want me to take my insulin shots at work. Not even in the ladies' room! It wasn't as if I was going to inject right before their eyes, even. <shakes head> Yes, I was injecting insulin just to annoy them. Right.I understand being queasy about needles - I'm a bit queasy about them myself, though have had insulin injected several times a day since I was five years old, but that was a bit thick. SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki >> I never understood, why such stigma? Nobody says jack if you tell them > you're [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I'm a bit queasy about them myself, though have had insulin injected several > times a day since I was five years old, but that was a bit thick. That's insane!!!!!! Just insane!!!!! I cannot beLIEVE people! Yeesh. > > I never understood, why such stigma? Nobody says jack if you tell them > you're [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I'm a bit queasy about them myself, though have had insulin injected several > times a day since I was five years old, but that was a bit thick. On our last trip, at a Casino in Cherokee, North Carolina I saw my first sharps container in a public restroom. It seemed like such an incredibly good idea that I can't even imagine why they aren't everywhere. I don't know if this is a coming new thing or part of the ongoing Diabetes assistance and education in the area. (There is an extremely high incidence of diabetes in at least that group of Cherokee indians) Jo > On our last trip, at a Casino in Cherokee, North Carolina I saw my first > sharps container in a public restroom. It seemed like such an incredibly [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > incidence > of diabetes in at least that group of Cherokee indians) I'm not sure of what regulations apply, but they are more and more common. ISTR seeing them in every airport I've been in for the past year. > I never understood, why such stigma? Nobody says jack if you tell them you're > diabetic, or have epilepsy. But say bipolar and people actually back away, [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Baha That would be grounds for a lawsuit! Boy, I think I would have walked out. Kudos to your handling of it. Singh <bahadur@localnet.com> had some very interesting things to say about Re: Latest on Brandy: >> Did the kidneything go okay yesterday? I thought that's why you were in >> there. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >the powers that be to let me keep a cat at my cube to keep the stress away, >but no dice... I'm reasonably sure you're not the only psych case around here :-) [I tend toward depression myself]. Signature"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding. :-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL > I'm reasonably sure you're not the only psych case around here :-) [I > tend toward depression myself]. Me too. I wonder if that has anything to do with our attraction to kitties? Something along the lines of self-preservation... Dan > > I'm reasonably sure you're not the only psych case around here :-) [I > > tend toward depression myself]. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Dan When our first little poodle died, we were going through a rough patch as a family. After several months Charlie pretty much dragged me into looking at puppies. We fell in love with a beautiful little dark apricot girl that we finally named Brandi Alexandra. Only because as Charlie said if we actually named her Therapy we would be forever explaining. None of our cats have been particularly cuddly. Two ferals and three meezer boys over 35 years. Until last year we got our Siamese girl Rosie. She is my love, my sweetheart, and my almost constant companion. There is nothing like unconditional love and a warm body that is there when you need it. And purrs and kisses don't hurt either. Jo > There is nothing like unconditional love and a warm body that is there when > you need it. And purrs and kisses don't hurt either. > > Jo That's absolutely true! Cleopatra isn't much of a snuggler generally, but has let us know that at bedtime her place is on top of Nancy's pillows. Tabitha was quite the cuddle-baby when she was a tiny kitten (up until about 6 months old), but she now really dislikes cuddling. She loves sharing food with us, though, sitting on laps and get rather demanding when we don't feed her from our meals quickly enough. Amelia continues to be a snuggle machine, prefering to do so from the top of my shoulders. She *still* greets me at the front door from the top of the bookcase, insisting that I stop on my through the door to let her climb onto my shoulders. Little Sammy continues to be my best snuggler. Wherever I might be in the house or the yard, Sammy won't be too far away. And any time I sit down or lie down, I can count on Sammy joining me within a few minutes. I just can't imagine how empty life would be if I didn't have my furbuddies. Dan >Oh, I'm not the kidney gal, I'm the psycho. The drug reaction was a >complication resulting from a change in antidepressant dosage and the >resulting effect on my system began to also affect my work. I've tried to get >the powers that be to let me keep a cat at my cube to keep the stress away, >but no dice... puurs that they get the dosage fixed. As far as you're being pyscho, I wouldn't worry... you seem to fit in well here ;-)) SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html > Oh, I'm not the kidney gal, I'm the psycho. Oh well, no wonder you fit in so well here! LOL Really though, Singh, being sensitive and reacting to this sometimes horribly cruel world does not strike me as being "psycho", it's just being loving and caring enough to be affected when most "normal" people ignore all the pain and hurt that surrounds them. Hugs, CatNipped > Really though, Singh, being sensitive and reacting to this sometimes > horribly cruel world does not strike me as being "psycho", it's just being > loving and caring enough to be affected when most "normal" people ignore all > the pain and hurt that surrounds them. Well said, CN. Susan M Otis and Chester > Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but they > found she's allergic to the anaesthetic. So she will be going to a [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Baha Gosh! Purrs all around. I hope Brandy does OK. I hope you are better too. Scary. So very glad they found out before it was to late. Make sure you have the details for any future needs. Jo > Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but they > found she's allergic to the anaesthetic. So she will be going to a [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Baha We're nuts when it comes to records. We'll need them anyway, because the shelter's up near Niagara Falls, we live just outside of Buffalo and have our vet a stone's throw from here. We're pretty anal about the files, but that's a good manifestation of our OCD where the kitties are concerned. Blessings, Baha > So very glad they found out before it was to late. Make sure you have the > details for any future needs. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > > > Baha >Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but they >found she's allergic to the anaesthetic. So she will be going to a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >all goes well for our Brandy. We should still be able to take her just >before Labor Day. I want my baby! Thank goodness they found the allergy before the surgery. Purrs for the surgery to go well at the new clinic - and for her to finally be able to come home to you instead of the foster mom - though it sounds like her foster mom is a good one >Brandy's mama-to-be is just out of the hospital, where I had to spend a >bit of time for observation. I had an interaction with recently [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >said I loved my Stosh and Roxie, and they were rubbing up on the >receiver. Damn, I do love those kids. God's been good. Purrs for you and your med interaction as well. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html > >Our new little girl was supposed to have been spayed Wednesday, but they > >found she's allergic to the anaesthetic. So she will be going to a [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > able to come home to you instead of the foster mom - though it sounds > like her foster mom is a good one Thanks so much for Brandy purrs! So many people are pulling for my little girl, it's incredible. Yeah, Marilyn's fabulous. She must have it tough, fostering the kitties and having to give them up after all the work, and the resulting attachment. She said she was going to cry like hell when she relinquishes Brandy to us, but had no fear because she thought Louie and I would be good pet-parents. She has threratened us with dismemberment almost if we don't send her Brandy pictures for Christmas. I know how she must feel. Louie and I were really torn up when we gave Brian back to his owner, and scared out of our wits for his journey to England. We did a laying-on-of-hands for a safe trip and a blessing, and a group hug with Brian at the center. He arrived happily and safely, but I understand he misses having another cat to play wrestling with. Blessed be, Baha > >Brandy's mama-to-be is |
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