My life has become split in two parts- exhausted at work, and home minding/monitoring my cat. Just under a month ago we made our first visit to the vet because he was straining in his litter box, and I just wanted to have him checked out. they sedated him, which relaxed his body enough to release what he had been holding in because it hurt to pee. Then they gave him some subcutaneous fluids (fluid under the skin) and sent me home with a prescription for an anti-inflammatory.
Two days later was blogthon, and he was listless and just not himself for most of the day, so I trucked him back off to the vet to be told “Yeah. Your cat has gas.” They gave him a shot of pepcid and he was back to his old self within hours. They also told me to discontinue the anti-inflammatory, just in case that, along with his change in diet had played a part in the day’s malaise.
Fast forward to last Friday. Julie was not only straining in his box, but was meowing in pain, with a few growls and some hissing thrown in for good measure. I felt his abdomen and it was harder than it normally is, so I called my boss to say I’d be in late, and set off for the vet’s office.
Having no appointment, I expected to have to wait a couple of hours to be seen. Not so. A blocked male cat is a very serious thing and they saw him right away. the vet said he was looking at a stay of at least 24 hours in the ICU so that they could give him fluids and keep a catheter in his bladder to measure his output. She also said the bill was likely to be in the $1000-$1500 range. OUCH. His previous two visits had cost me over $300 already. But he’s my baby and I signed the form, resolving to find some way of paying for it.
I visited him in the ICU Friday night, and got into a conversation with one of the techs. Apparently my sweet, docile kitty was a bit of a problem child. Being caged and uncomfortable turned him aggressive. There are so many doctors and staff there that they use a simple system to tell at a glance what the temperament and/or condition of an animal in any given cage. The cat in the cage next to Julie had a leg injury and was wearing a light restraint. The cage had a laminated card hung on the door with a cute little cartoony drawing of a snail. And my sweet baby? The cards on his cage, because yup, he was special enough to get two, were a rattlesnake and an alligator.
He was released on Saturday afternoon, much to everyone’s relief, but not before puling out two catheters, and trying to chew out his IV. He’s been home ever since, and I have been watching him closely for any signs that he might be having troubles again, feeding him his new prescription food, trying to make sure he’s drinking enough water, and giving him medicine twice a day, which he just loooooves.
He’s also not drinking much water- and it’s been unusually warm here- so last night he was given a prescription for subcutaneous fluids to be administered at home. I dreaded giving the dose the whole way home, but he barely seemed to notice, so that wasn’t as bad as I had feared.
I’ve kept him locked in the bathroom for the last few days because of his propensity to pee on everything. He seems to have stopped that, so I let him out for a little bit and he came and snuggled with me on my bed for a little while. He’s still in pain when he goes into his box, and vociferously objects when i touch his back end. I decided five days was long enough for him to be in pain, and called the vet again. They asked if I had any Metacam left (the anti-inflammatory) and I said yes, that Id only given him one dose and then was told to stop. I was then told that in addition to being an anti-inflammatory, it is also a pain reliever. I was worried because he had gotten sick after taking it the first time, but the vet said at the time that it shouldn’t have been related to the medicine, and I, desperate for my kitty not to be in pain anymore, dutifully dosed him up.
Two problems with that- It’s supposed to be given with food but Julie is refusing even treats at the moment. And then also, I googled metacam and discovered that it can be lethal to cats, but vets still prescribe it. My one consolation there is that i’m only giving him one or two doses, and they’re small- 0.44ccs every 24 hours. All the forum posts were for 9-10 pound cats and mine is 15 pounds. And they were all from before mid-2006, and according to Wikipedia, an oral suspension of Metacam was approved for cats in July 2007. I’m just crossing my fingers that he gets better and stays that way.
Oh, and anyone know how much I can get for my kidney on the black market? Because if he incurs many more vet bills, it just might come to that…

You know what I love? I love when I’m on IM with someone and I say “brb”, and then I get back to my computer, and like 15 minutes goes by and I think to myself “dude, where did [X] go?” and then I realize that I haven’t told them I was back yet. I’m brilliant I tell you.

(image copyright Amanda Haley)
This has been me the last two days, because LAURA AND BEN ARE MOVING BACK FROM SEATTLE!!! I know it’s really sad for their church family there and Ben’s youth group kids/families, but I’m so excited that my friend is only going to be a short drive away again. Seeing her once in 9 months is just not enough.

(I posted this during Blogathon but it should probably be on this page too.)
This is my baby, Julie:

He’ll be 9 in September, and I’ve been lucky in that he’s been really sweet and healthy for most of that time. He had one bout of trips to the vet- a very expensive 4 visits and 2 lab tests in 10 weeks. But that was 5 years ago and he’s been doing well ever since. A few days ago he started peeing on my laundry pile, which, sadly, is not unlike him if he’s mad at me or if his litterbox isn’t to his liking. He was acting weird, so I called the vet, which resulted in this:

It’s terrifying when you call the vet and they say “Yeah, that could be life threatening- you need to bring him in”. He’s got a history of bladder crystals and they were worried that he was “blocked”. In that photo, he’s getting subcutaneous (under the skin) fluid so he’ll absorb it and help flush any toxins out. It’s also about 2 in the morning in that pic.
We were sent home with medicine and the instruction to only feed him canned food for a few days. He was *thrilled* with that idea last night, scarfing down his dinner. Today, he ate the first half a can, but in the last several hours hasn’t touched the second half, and also refused a treat when I was upstairs a bit ago. So, the vet got called again, but they don’t seem concerned. I, on the other hand, am freaking out because it is very scary to see your pet not acting in accordance with their personality.
**I did end up taking him back to the vet that night. He got a couple of shots that must have been little needles full of magic because he was back to his old self three hours later. The vet told me to feed him a bland diet on Sunday, but that did not go over very well. I tried chicken baby food, per vet’s orders, he wouldn’t touch it. I tried regular chicken- still wouldn’t touch it. I tried lamb, also to no avail. Finally I fed him cat food, and he scarfed it down. Interestingly, it was chicken and rice cat food, he hat the first half can but not the second half can. It was the chicken and rice that he’d refused Saturday too, so this morning I gave him fish cat food and he ate that. So apparently, my cat is just a weirdo that doesn’t like chicken.

Looking for me? I’m over here today.

*headdesk*
*headdesk*
*headdesk*
*loud primal scream and the sound of two heeled sandals flying through the air and hitting a coconut*
*headdesk*
*headdesk*
*headdesk*

I’ve always had this weird memory for dates, and when things happened. I don’t know why or how it works, but if I can remember one or two details about it, I can put the rest of them together. So my mom just called and we had the following exchange:
Mom: I have an odd question for you- How old are Charlie’s kids?
Me: Uhh… who is Charlie?
Mom: Your cousin?? (In my defense, I know I have a cousin Charlie, but I’ve met him exactly once in 31 years and so it wouldn’t immediately occur to me that that would be who she was talking about)
Me: Oh, um…..
Mom: How long has Chrissy been married? (Chrissy is Charlie’s sister, and I met Charlie at her wedding)
Here is where the wheels start clicking in my brain.
Me: [thinking to myself “Well, I was driving Rusty when she got married… I drove Rusty from June ’99 to March ’00… she got married in July….”] She got married in July of ’99, so… 8 years. And I think Charlie’s kids were like, 8 and 11… so that would make them like, 16 and 19 now?
Mom: Okay, thanks. Bye.
In thinking about it, I can now also remember what I wore, the craziness of the day getting ready, where I parked, what I gave them as a wedding gift, what the cake looked like, that Chrissy got cake up her nose and in her eye (and was really steamed about it) and the fact that the first (and I think only) time I ever drank Goldschlager was at that wedding, with Charlie. Oh, and the wedding favors my aunt designed just popped into my head too.

What was that? You didn’t hear me? I’ll say it again.
Blogathon 2007 is here!!
The Blogathon is an innovative fundraising concept spearheaded by a couple of incredible ladies. It is a group of people who post to their blogs every 30 minutes for 24 hours to raise money for charity. Each on their own blog, each for their own charity. And why not? We’ve got these “blog thingies”, why not put them to better use than amusing ourselves or composing thinly veiled “open letters” to our coworkers.
Blogathonners are sponsored by their readers and friends who have a few bucks to spare and want put them toward a cause. All money pledged is paid directly to the charity- the bloggers and organizers never touch the money. At the close of the Blogathon, sponsors receive an email telling them their blogger made it and instructions on how to fill their pledge. It is done on the honor system, sponsors get a couple of emails tickling them to fulfill their pledges, but that’s it. No lists are kept for future years, no names are sold to charities.
This is my third year blogging for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. When I was 16 a close friend of my family’s died of AIDS related complications. Since then, I have known others who have fought this disease, and this cause is cemented in my heart and so I do what little I can to help. Blogathon is one of those ways.
Now I ask you for two things.
First and foremost I ask you for your money. I have no shame, this is me looking you right in the eyes as I point to the statistics and to the only pieces of my friend I have left and stick my hand out. Please sponsor me, please dig into your wallet and your heart and sponsor me, sponsor the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the important work they’re doing.
No amount is too small. I look at the bloggers raising thousands for their charities and think “Good for them”. I look at the bloggers who have only raised $10 and I think “Good for them.” We’re all in this together and every little bit helps change the world.
Second is 5 minutes of your time. You have to go the the Blogathon site, you have to register but it really easy to navigate. You will not be spammed. I think you’ll get a confirmation email, and then a couple of emails after the Blogathon tickling you to fill your pledge.
I’ve set the same fundraising goal every year I’ve done the ‘Thon. $250. The first year I raised $49 because I was too shy to ask people for money. Last year I raised $251 because of my amazing sponsors, and my final sponsor who wanted to see me exceed my goal. I’m at $25 so far this year and there are still 16 days left. I know I can get there. I know you want to help.
You can be as public or anonymous as you choose. I will post names of any pledges I receive, and link to your site if you’re a blogger. If you sponsor me anonymously I’ll put “Anonymous” in my sponsor list. If you want it in honor or memory of someone, send me an email and let me know that. You give me your money, I’ll list you just about any way you want me to…
And I can’t say thank you enough to anyone who sponsors me. To all my former sponsors, recurring sponsors, current sponsors, future sponsors… THANK YOU. I couldn’t do it without you.
Click here to sponsor me.
Click here to visit my Blogathon site.
Let’s change the world together.

I ran to the grocery store on my way home from work tonight. I went specifically for half a rotisserie chicken and some apples, but of course I wandered the aisles and picked up a cartful of other things as well, including the one treat I still allow myself; lemon sorbet. When I was done wandering I headed for the checkout, and ended up in line behind a woman I know from Hillbarn- she’s one of of our premier leading ladies, and we missed her this past season. She and I chatted while she was rung up and paid, and into my groceries being rung in.
As we were chatting, and the checker was ringing, I dug in my purse for my wallet.
Which wasn’t there.
So embarrassing.
I had stuck my wallet in my bottom desk drawer after buying lunch, and forgot to put it in my purse when I left. I had hot food, and the sorbet. Everyone was looking at me, and it was not fun. Thankfully, my office was only a few minutes away, and they can suspend the transaction so all they had to do was bag my stuff and let it wait for me to come back. They put the sorbet back though.
Fast forward 20 minutes or so, when I walk back into the store *with* my wallet. I headed back to the same checkout lane, where I hear “hi Judy!” I look up, and I know I know the couple standing in front of me, but I can’t place them.
“Remember us? Debbie and Dave…”
“Hey. Yeah, I do… I hate to say this, but I can’t remember from where though…”
“First Baptist”
“Oh! Yes! I knew it was either there or my last job… How are you? ”
“We’re good. What was your last job?”
“Oh, I was the assistant to the Vice President of Donor Services for a nonprofit”
By this time they’ve finished paying and getting their groceries bagged, and we moved away from the line a little bit. I explain that I was there earlier but had forgotten my wallet and had had to go and get it.
Since I talk with my hands I held my wallet up as I was talking about it, and I have to admit, I do have a pretty awesome wallet, which I guess looks expensive. I was also dressed pretty well, prompting Debbie to say that it looked like I had done pretty well for myself. She knew me when I was a college student who had just moved out on my own. I was a little bit of a mess back then.
Put a little positive spin on my embarrassing evening. After they left I got back in line and paid for my already bagged and waiting groceries. But why is it that I never see anyone at the grocery store, until the night I do something dumb and then I see three people I really respect?