July 8th 2008 12:50 pm
[link to this entry]
Hello to my catster buddies! It's been quite a while since I have updated my diary, so I better slap an entry together before everyone thinks that I've fallen off of the planet!
As most of you know, growing old is for the birds! My hearing is still there, a bit, but is currently at the point that I feel I have to YELL at my Mommy in order to be heard. You know, the kind of scream/howl/meow that makes a human's ears bleed? Or, makes your Mommy or Daddy think that you're in extreme amounts of pain, only for them to find you just standing in the bathroom waiting to be brushed? Yup, that's where I'm at. Actually, it's sort of fun to let out one of those howls at about 2:00 AM, just for the hell of it. It's even more fun when it startles my little brother out of his sleep, and makes his fur stand on end! MOL!
Aside from the fun stuff that I mentioned above, growing old comes with some icky stuff, too. Like being unable to contain my tinkle within my litterbox. THAT makes Mommy CRAZY! Sometimes I like to pretend that I can't climb into the litterbox, even though it's only 3" high, and I'll tinkle right in front of the box. But what I keep forgetting is that Mommy isn't buying it....I AM able to jump up on her bed to sleep at night, afterall! So, because of this, my fluffy butt is going back to the vet this week. Probably Friday. Mommy thinks it could possibly be another infection, or maybe my diabetes is back. I've tried telling her, actually YELLING at her, that that's not the case. I'm going to be 18, and....well...sometimes old kitties do things like this! Alas, she won't listen. As for my eating and drinking habits, I do both regularly and with gusto! I still love being brushed, I still purr on a regular basis, and I am still demanding. So, aside from a little bit of tinkle, it's all good!
Hope all of my dear friends are doing well. I think of each and every one of you often. Much love to you all!!!!!
Love,
JoJo (Mouth)
March 28th 2008 12:15 pm
[link to this entry]
Hello kitty friends! It's been a REALLY long time since I have updated my diary, so, I do apologize. However, now seems as good a time as any, considering my ordeal over this past week. And maybe this entry will help other kitties that might be going through the same thing.
Mommy had to shove me in that horrid cage....the one that Sheppy always gets shoved into! I was not happy, AT ALL! But, she was worried because I tinkled on the carpet. The last time I did something like that was 9 years ago, prior to being diagnosed with diabetes. So, she figured something had to be wrong. I went to see the nice lady in the white coat last Friday, and they took some blood tests and a urine sample. After I got home, it was pretty much downhill from there. I wouldn't eat, but would scream for food. I wouldn't go to the bathroom. I threw up bile. Mommy was getting really scared. So, back into that horrid cage I went, and off to see the lady in the white coat AGAIN! This time, I was so dehydrated, they made me stay two nights in a row. I was hooked up to an IV, given fluids, etc.. I was MOST unhappy.
Finally, on Friday, the vet received my diagnosis. I had contracted some form of E. Coli! Apparently kitties contract it once in a while. However, because I'm an Olde Furt, my body was unable to fight it, and I became very sick. The good news, though, is that it is not a life or death situation. Or at least it didn't turn into one. The vet has me on powerful antibiotic injections, given once a day. Mommy was finally able to take me home on Friday because I began to eat and drink a little bit. The vet showed her how to give the injections....even though she used to give me insulin, Mommy was a bit out of practice! And now, 3 days later, I am back to my old, cranky self! I even screamed at Mommy for food every couple of hours throughout the night. Figured I had some catching up to do with my demands!
So, dear kitty friends, that is my March in a nutshell. I hope all of you are happy and healthy! Have a wonderful Spring!!!!!!!
Much love, and many purrs and head-bonks,
JoJo
October 6th 2007 5:34 pm
[link to this entry]
Hello, sweet kitty friends!
Just a quick, and to the point, entry for me this evening. Mommy is busily sweeping up the litter that Shep threw out of the box. I know he does that on purpose....I've seen him in there with a measuring cup. When Mommy isn't looking, he scoops up his litter, and dumps it JUST outside of the box. Then he giggles, and runs. Hmph!
So, quick and to the point....here we go. Mommy fed me. As usual. It was really warm here today, and the sun was shining JUST RIGHT on the throw rug. I saw that bright spot, and hit it! I was sound asleep for at least 25 minutes. Until.....there was a knock on the door. Mommy jumped up, opened the door, and it was Shep's pill girlfriend, Andrea. I chuckled when I saw her. I thought to myself, "Sheppy's in need of a good pilling....", and rested my chin back on the rug. Within two seconds of thinking that, I was scooped up! What the....????!!!!! I growled. I hissed. I, well, didn't do much else, considering I'm almost 17 and arthritic. The next thing I knew, Mommy was holding my upper half, and Shep's pill girlfriend, Andrea, was clipping my nails! HOW RUDE! Oh, goodness! I was MOST unhappy! Then again, I always scream like someone is killing me if I'm picked up. Mommy calls me, "Drama Queen". I don't know what that means, but you better believe I'm hitting the dictionary after I finish this entry.
Ok. Back to my nightmare. I will admit, it took Andrea all of a minute and a half to clip my nails. Doesn't matter. The embarrassment, the humiliation, the fact that Shep stood there and watched! I swear he had a sneer on his handsome tabby face...I swear it!
I have since recovered. Actually, I recovered as soon as she was done. Mommy put some food in my bowl, and I forgot what happened after that. But, I will admit, it's MUCH easier to walk around. Mommy told Andrea last week that if she didn't come and trim my nails, she was going to leave me stuck in one place for a week with a food bowl in front, and a litter box in back.
Where is the love????? Aargh!
Love, and lots of purrs,
JoJo
PS: I must not be too unhappy...I am currently in my warm kitty bed, next to Mommy and her computer!
August 1st 2007 1:45 pm
[link to this entry]
Oh boy! Mommy FINALLY changed my food! I'm an older kitty, and I've had quite a few teeth pulled over the years because of my diabetes. Unfortunately, that always meant gulping down large amounts of air while I was eating my W/D dry food. I guess I've been doing it quite a bit lately, because Mommy accused me of burping! I was NOT happy! I'm a lady, I don't do things like that. So, Mommy went out and bought me the W/D canned food. No more burping, plus I get a full tummy!
My little brother came back from his 6th chemo. treatment, and obviously feels just fine. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having him home! But, sometimes it's nice when it's just me and Mommy. He spent last night sleeping next to Mommy's head. But today, he groomed, and groomed, AND groomed me! When Mommy came home to feed us lunch, my head was just soaking wet. That seemed to make Mommy very happy.
Not much else has been going on. Sheppy appears to be more newsworthy than me, at least for this week! I just wanted to say hello to all of our kitty friends. Hope each and every one of you are doing well. Many purrs and head-bonks!
Love,
JoJo
July 6th 2007 8:19 am
[link to this entry]
My little brother came back from his third round of chemo on Tuesday. He seemed to be doing pretty well, until 9:00 PM. I knew he was feeling icky because he didn't try and knock the shrimp Mommy was eating out of her hand! From that point on, and almost through his entire birthday, he slept. Mommy was just beside herself. Sheppy felt so warm, and Mommy didn't want to leave and go to work. Thank goodness her boyfriend was in town visiting. He kept a close eye on Shep, and fed me a few handfuls of food to keep me quiet! Ha! Sure fooled him!
Sheppy was feeling a bit better on Thursday, but was still pretty warm. I even snuggled with him for a couple of hours, but I don't think he noticed. After that, he really started feeling better. He opened every single cabinet in the house. It was sooooo loud, that it made me jump off of the bed! Then he proceeded to eat more food. I think Mommy had to give him another appetite stimulant (Remeron) when he had a fever, just so he would eat. Well, it worked! He's been screaming for food ever since. And we all know, when Sheppy gets fed, I get fed! Woooohooooo! Thanks again, Shep!
Hope all of my kitty friends are doing well. Special kitty prayers for those that need them!!!!!,
Love JoJo
June 29th 2007 12:32 pm
[link to this entry]
Well, I guess Mommy has had it! Grandma and Grandpa came into town last night. I was really happy to see them, even if Grandpa does sit on my chair, and take up the WHOLE thing. All three of them tried to hold Shep down to give him his meds! ALL THREE!!! Grandpa even put on a pair of thick gloves so Shep wouldn't scratch him. They gave up after 10 minutes. Stressing Shep out tends to increase his heart rate, and then that icky fluid comes back. But, Mommy will have the last say in this matter! I heard her call a local vet, and ask if she could pay a tech. to come once in the morning and once at night, to give Sheppy his meds. She, the tech., will be starting tonight. I guess Shep will be getting his meds after all!!!!! What a little stinker. He's such a sweet guy, all affectionate and loving....until he sees a little pill. I'm going to make sure to stay and watch, this should prove to be interesting!
Love and purrs to all of our friends!
JoJo
June 27th 2007 8:10 am
[link to this entry]
Well, Mommy took Shep to the vet again yesterday morning. He didn't howl this time, but I could tell that he was really scared. I kept wondering if he was going to come home last night.....and he did! Yeah!
I guess that mean lady in the white coat looked at Sheppy's insides, and found only a small amount of fluid surrounding his lungs. It wasn't enough for them to remove, so that was good news. Also, he's gained 2 ounces! I thought he looked a bit fluffier. I could tell by the way Mommy grunted when she picked him up in that plastic prison, that he had gained some weight! They gave him his second round of chemo yesterday, too. Mommy said that the vet tech. made a comment about Shep eating an entire can of tuna immediately after his treatment. She laughed and said normally kitties are too sick to their stomachs to actually eat after chemo. But not Sheppy! He sure loves his tuna.
They also took the staples out of his chest, and the incision healed up really nicely. Plus, he's now much more comfortable without them...they would pull a bit when he would lie down, and it would hurt. So, he slept right next to Mommy's head all night, and then woke her up for some food around 3:00 AM. That's a bonus for me....I get some of my food, too! Good boy, Shep!
As for today, Mommy gave him his meds this morning. He was most unhappy about that, and ran upstairs and hid under the bed. Plus, he's a little lethargic after his chemo, so it's a good thing that he's sleeping.
OK, everyone. I guess that's it for today. I told Shep that I would be in charge of the diary entries until he was feeling better, so I'll write more tomorrow. Oh, I almost forgot! He wanted me to tell everyone how much he appreciates all of the purrs and support. It makes him very happy to know that everyone is rooting for him!
Love and purrs,
JoJo (Shep's Big Sis)
June 23rd 2007 8:57 pm
[link to this entry]
She was so happy to get my little brother (Shep) home on Wednesday. So was I, even though I pretended that I didn't know who he was for a while. That's just my nature.....
And then Mommy became upset again last night.
Apparently she saw Shep acting and breathing differently. I thought he was ok. But then again, I was sacked out on my blanket at the foot of the bed, my belly was full! Next thing I knew, that horrible plastic thing with bars was being opened, and Sheppy was howling. He was MAD! Mommy was telling him he was going to be ok, and then she told me that they would be back. I got scared and hid under the bed.
About 2 hours later, Mommy and Shep came back. Mommy had been crying, and Shep was REALLY loopy! I mean, my little brother is mellow, but, gosh! He seemed to be feeling pretty good, and ate a bit. Then he went upstairs and crashed on the pillow next to Mommy's pillow. He must have slept for 3 solid hours, uninterrupted. Then, of course, he woke up and started screaming for food. I'm assuming by his loud behavior, that he is just fine.
I know Mommy gets upset when she has to take Shep to the hospital. He just doesn't understand why. I know, because I have heard Mommy talking on the phone with my Grandma and Grandpa, and Uncle Volkmar...Mommy's boyfriend. Apparently, Shep has been misdiagnosed 3 times at this hospital. I don't know why. It's supposed to be one of the best in the US. But they have really let Mommy down. They told her that Shep should have surgery because the Pathology dept. at MedVet found a Thymoma. They told her that surgery was his best option. So, she said ok. They did surgery, sent out the mass to Pathology, and they once again said that it was a Thymoma. But, Sheppy was still getting fluid in his lungs.
So, Mommy took him back to MedVet every 3 days, to get his lungs tapped so he could breathe better. Then another Dr. got involved. And another..and another. They all contradicted one another. One thought it was Hyperthyroidism, one thought it was the sac around his heart, yet another thought it was another mass. None of them could figure out what was wrong. Meanwhile, Mommy told them what she thought. Not one of them would listen, and ignored her when she said she didn't think it was the sac around his heart, that he STILL had diarrhea, and that she didn't think he had an overactive thyroid. They all ignored her, and performed more surgeries.
His pericardial sac was removed, his 'overactive' thyroid was removed, and something that they thought was another Thymoma was removed. Everything was sent to Pathology again. Only this time, Pathology came back with a different diagnosis. Sheppy was diagnosed with Lymphoma, with less than 9 months to live if Mommy decided to go ahead with chemo.
I guess Mommy is so angry because they should have come to this decision a long time ago. When Mommy asked all of them why the diagnosis 2 months ago was wrong, they said, "We don't know. Pathology made a mistake." Well, that is 2 months that Mommy will not get back. And their 'mistake' has cost my little brother his life. Meanwhile, Sheppy is in pain from surgeries that should never have been performed, he is 2 months behind on chemo, and MedVet has charged Mommy over $14,000.00, just to put her back at square one. And that's not counting the upcoming chemo for the next 19 weeks. That is why Mommy is so mad and hurt. MedVet really messed up, and now I will be lucky if my brother is around for my birthday, let alone his.
Shame on you, MedVet of Worthington, OH.
June 21st 2007 6:39 pm
[link to this entry]
Well, this has not been a pleasant 2 months, AT ALL! My little brother left for the first time for only a few hours. That's fine. But then he left again, and again, and again. Every time he came back, he smelled different. I hissed at him a few times, just to let him know that I didn't appreciate it. He always made up for it though, by cleaning my head for at least ten minutes. That made me feel better. And then he was gone for a REALLY long time.
The first time, Mommy was really upset. She cried alot, and gave me lots of extra squeezes. I tried to make her feel better by snuggling under the covers with her, but she was still sad....and that made me sad. I howled constantly for my little brother, but he never showed up. But Mommy did. Always. Which made me think, "What if I howled just for the heck of it?" I got TONS of attention! What a brainstorm! I was content! Mommy would not let me out of her sight, and I could get all of the brushings and cheek rubs that I wanted! Until...I was shoved in that same cage that my little brother had been shoved into. Uh oh. I had underestimated the power of my howl.
Mommy carted me off to the vet in a matter of minutes. I was most unhappy.
I guess she was afraid that the stress of not having Shep at home had caused my diabetes to flair up. I kept trying to tell her that I was fine! She would NOT listen to me at ALL! She kept cooing to me, and saying that it would only take a second, that I would be coming home, etc. Whatever!
We arrived at that building where they always poke me with needles. I met a really nice older kitty who has arthritis like myself. Her name is Buffy. She's lucky. She's able to have steroid shots every two weeks to make her back feel better. I can't have those, though. It brings on my diabetes, and the last time I had one, I ended up with fluid around my heart. That was sooooo not fun!
So, the lady in the white coat (that I have known for the last 12 years) poked at me with that stupid needle, and drew blood. Oh, and that tech. that was there? Well, she trimmed my back claws. I made sure to scream REALLY loudly for that one...just because I could. AND, she embarrassed me by telling everyone how much I weigh! I'm BIG BONED! My Mommy tells me that all the time! How rude!
As for my results, they came back negative for diabetes. I have not lost weight, and I have not gained any, either. Apparently hard to believe, according to that vet tech! I seem to be doing pretty well for a 16 year old kitty. My back bothers me now and then, and sometimes my joints pop. Mommy has me on Glucosamine (sp? I'm a cat, give me a break!), and that will take 30 days to load, but I sure LOVE the taste! Until then, Mommy picks me up (which I HATE!), and carries me up and down the stairs. But, I'll get over it. Since my brother has been at the hospital, Mommy has taken on the role of grooming me. Every morning I spend 15 minutes in the bathroom with her while she brushes me, and cleans my fur with a wet washcloth. It makes me purr. And then I sleep.
As for my little brother, he came home last night! He acted like he usually does....nutty! He was everywhere. Opening cabinets, screaming for food, sticking to Mommy like glue. He even walked up to me and licked the top of my head. He couldn't do the full grooming bit, though. He has staples all down the front of his chest, and they're uncomfortable. So, I promised myself that I would try to be considerate of his situation, and forgive any rude behavior... such as puting me in a head-lock! But, once those staples come out....he better be ready for a good snuggle!
|
|
Sort By Oldest First
 
(What does RSS do?)
|
My Account
close
