Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Ug! 40 :(

OK, I finally weighed myself this morning. 210 pounds. Argh.

Couple weeks ago, I made an appointment (this Friday) to go talk to my surgeon to see if there's any adjustment that can be done. Not only for the weight gain, but I'm still on Prilosec - sometimes, I need two a day. That's not normal. By now, I understand I shouldn't need them anymore, but dang, if I forget to take one in the morning, by mid-morning, my innards feel really painful. I've learned to carry some with me for those times I forget.

I've done some research on-line and apparently there are things they can do. Special K doesn't believe I'm large enough to warrant any of it - that the surgeon will tell me to just quit eating the wrong stuff and exercise more. I hope not. That won't work. I am hungry. Constantly. Even after I've eaten already. Even when I've overeaten and my stomach hurts - underneath is that hunger feeling. Very bizzare. I can only assume something ain't right.

40 pounds. Damn.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

We've been adopted

For the past week, we've had a daily, constant visitor - an orange/white tabby, who happens to be very vocal. I remember her/him (I can never tell with cats; for simplicity sake, it's a "her") from last winter. She'd sit outside the kitchen window while I was cooking and meow - very loudly. I would then find a can of tuna or something, and some milk and put it out for her. She'd eat and then she'd go away. Then she was gone - not sure where she went. I do believe she belongs to someone, even though she hasn't got a collar, but her coat is so very soft and clean. I cannot believe she's feral. At first, I thought she was our old neighbor's cat, Snooks - looks very much like her, but Snooks was aloof and bratty; doesn't fit this kitty at all.

Well, she's back. Last week, I heard her outside the window while cooking. Did the tuna/milk thing - first few days, she'd run away and watch from a distance while I set her dinner down and wouldn't come back until I was back inside. But she got more trusting and finally allowed me to pet her. Instead of front of the kitchen window, I now set her dinner down on the deck.

Did I tell you she's vocal? And quite a little piggy, too. You'd think she hadn't eaten forever, but she looks healthy (I thought at first she might be pregnant, but I don't think so anymore - just very healthy). But as long as she sees me in there, she'll meow until she's sated.

I'm learning to ignore her. Only cuz she can only eat so much, you know? I don't want to make her sick. I'm surprised; it's usually dogs that will eat until their stomach is protruding; cats will nibble and then walk away. Not this one.

Few nights ago, she scooted inside while I had the sliding glass door open to put her food down. I tried to get her to go outside to her dish, but she was checking out the living room and made for the hallway, so I ran after her and picked her up. She nipped a little at my fingers, but I figured she smelled the turkey on them. She didn't seem to mind being held and I was rather enjoying having her in my arms.

Until the little fucker bit my nose.

No warning, no nothing - just bit - and hard! I now have a nice red streak down the left side of my nose. It's big enough on it's own - it didn't need this attention. Out the door she went. And while I'm still feeding her, she is not allowed in. If she did that to my nose, imagine what she might do to Sparks. And that just won't do. This is his house, where he is King.

So, she blew it. She had me suckered in. And she was almost an inside cat.

Until she bit my nose.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Seems to be working...

So, alright; the little shit looks really cute with a t-shirt on. I admit it. Call me silly.

And it seems to be working - all of it; not just the t-shirt. He's hardly pooped inside this whole past week - even peeing less inside. Special K stayed home yesterday and when I got home from work, what a greeting I got from him! It felt so nice :) He seems to be sleeping the night through.

So, looks like we're on the right path. Whew.

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Mr. Demento

If it's not one thing, it's another. Now it's poor Sparks.

Our little old guy has been off for the past many months. Heavy panting when it's not warm, walking in circles, walks into corners or furniture and then just stands there, like he's not sure where he is, and the bathroom issues. Lots of bathroom issues. It was just peeing, but he used to have an occasional accident. Now it's daily. Usually two or three times. And the poopin'. That's not so bad yet, but he never, ever would poop in the house (except that one time when we were gone all day and I mean allllll day - poor guy couldn't hold it anymore - that was our fault.) And we just had our carpets cleaned. I thought that would help - with all the smells gone.

Nope.

And the carpet guy said to stop using the Oxy rug stuff - that just makes it worse. Just use vinegar and water, which I have been doing and it does work terrific. Thank god for that.

At first we attributed his walking into stuff and then just standing there to his cataracts. But the heavy panting and the bathroom problems; Special K knew it had to be something else. She came up with dementia. So we looked it up. Seems right on target. And we found that other things that hadn't occurred to us now makes sense, like him not greeting us like he used to when we come home. Sure, he's still right there at the door but he runs past and up and down the hallway without jumping up on us like he used to. And the sleeplessness. I wake up almost nightly to his heavy panting and him wandering around the house. He used to sleep the night through.

There are some homeopathic things we found on-line that we're going to try. If we don't see marked improvement over the next two weeks, we found a new vet on-line that we'd like to try. He's way up in Monroe, but the reviews for him on yelp are freaking fantastic, and he's open on Saturdays, so we can visit Mr T at the same time.

It's kinda funny - one of the "remedies" is that we get him a t-shirt or a Thundershirt or an anxiety shirt (last two are pretty pricy; we're gonna try the t-shirt first). This will supposedly calm his anxiety and help with the panting and the feeling of listlessness. What I find funny is that I never wanted to dress him up in "human" clothes. I think folks who dress their animal companions up in sweaters and coats and costumes are just plain silly. So now I have to be "silly" and put one on. His Uncle M sent him three really cute t-shirts years ago that we have sitting in a drawer (cuz I always refused to put them on him), so we're going to try one of those to see if it helps.

Damn. I cannot lose the Sparkster just yet. Not ready. I know it's coming, but I'm not ready. Not this year.

Please.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Two months and seven days....

Was just outside; it's been on the overcast side all day and the sun just broke through. I was standing there, having a ciggie, with my face in the sun and my eyes closed.

Which made me think of Mum.

Which made me tear.

Damn, will I ever get over missing her?