Scooter Update 3.0

Hello Boys and Girls:

Today's Scooter Update: After an all-day fast (poor kitty) so she could be sedated for an x-ray, I come home to a ravenous kitty who looks like she wants to bite me. Her plaintive meow is responded to by me picking her up and shoving her delicately as possible into a cat carrier. I drive to the vet at Warp 2 to minimize the in-car time because as I drive, Scooter tries to break out of said carrier. She's been successful before, too so it's a real concern.

I must add, this is my original vet and not the new vet. He's checking for stuff that she hasn't done that I've asked her about several times with no discernible result.

We arrive at the vet's office which is, happily, deserted. I take Scooter out of carrier so vet doesn't have to risk life and limb to do so. He decides to try and x-ray her without sedation. I offer to hold her in place but he insists that it's not safe in x-ray room. I scoff, mentioning I've had more x-rays that anyone except Evil Knieval, but he refuses my assistance. I see why as he sends his two poor nurses in to do the dirty work while he discusses Scooter with me. He plays 20,000 questions and takes notes.

I try to pet the office cat -- they have an office cat -- named Levi. Levi takes one look at me and hides behind the microwave. Vet assures me I shouldn't take it personally, but I do anyway. I say hello to poor doggie who almost died of a ruptured appendix (or something like that) but is recovering but in pain.

X-rays are complete and I get Scooter and hold her while vet and I talk more and X-rays develop. X-rays show Scooter has mild arthritis so her walking issues are not related to that. She probably needs more exercise which she can't get. I'll try and get her to play more laser-pointer. He said he would discourage me from medicating her with anything at this point as it would cause more problems than it would cure. Glucosamine works well in dogs but he says not all cats respond well and he doesn't recommend it for Scooter -- something the other vet said as well. So, Scooter's back legs are slightly arthritic but not bad for a cat her age. He can't find the problem with her shoulder that is obviously there somewhere. Other vet thinks it's a torn ligament and says she can feel it but neither original vet or me can find said problem.

Ask vet to look at Scooter's ear gunk -- which both he and other vet have ruled out as ear-mites. He's amazed at how bad since I've just cleaned it again. He takes a sample to send to lab for testing to make sure it's nothing serious. Pay for vet bill -- Scooter has now cost more than my car. She's worth it, and I'm not complaining.

Take Scooter home and she eats like the pig she used to be. I want her to gain weight so she can build strength.

I'm stressed and Scooter's sleeping.

There's a box from Apple in my room. I'll open it this weekend.

Randomness Part Six

First, I updated an old post with some additional Cal alumni including Jay Ward (class of '41) the creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Second, blog traffic is creeping up again which pleases me. All-time historical hot topics now include Led Zeppelin in first place with about 7% of my 160,000+ hits since I got my tracking software. Daniel Radcliffe's Penis is still a hot (cough) topic at around 6% and that traffic does nothing but blow through here (forgive the pun). I'm half tempted to delete those posts because it's traffic I don't want. I won't do it of course. In third place is the Dell Sucks topic with about 3% of total traffic. Recent hot topics include the aforementioned in addition to my reviews of Terry Goodkind's books and my review of My Name is David. Also regaining popularity is that damned "Crazy Frog or Coldplay" post with 172 hits this week alone.

Third, I did not skate this weekend because Adrian was sick. I need a back-up skating partner. I am fat and need the exercise. I start a new diet along with many other people from work. I hope it helps. I want to lose 30 pounds but if I do half of that I'll be lucky. It's a one month contest. Tonight is my "last meal"

Fourth, I replaced all three of my exterior lights yesterday with ones that (I hope work). They're all made by Home Depot's "Hampton Bay" division and they all suck. The photocells don't last long and every year or so they have to be replaced. One year I will get motivated and get them from Lowe's instead but then I'll have to re-drill lots of holes in the walls for new mounting brackets.

Fifth, my neighbours are getting their new roof now. Amazingly, two years after the dual-hit of Wilma/Katrina people are still having roof work done in my neighbourhood.

Sixth, my ex-friends continue to vex me but it's my own damn fault that I continue to let them bother me. I could mention Josh's name here, for instance, but I won't. Or Eric's for that matter. Spiteful, I am :)

Seventh. Relatives suck. Pretty much the whole lot of 'em.

Eighth. I must be Belgian? Why? I am a bit Phlegmish today. That was funny as hell. I hope you laughed.

Ninth. At 3pm today we're all meeting at Cracker Barrel before the hockey game for a very late lunch or early dinner depending on your POV.

Tenth, and rather amusing, is the story of the first official piece of electronic advertising -- the fault of a dentist no less. Economist Magazine.

Last, but most important, Scooter got her check-up today. Everything is still same as last time, though she's lost a little bit of weight (not good). Her thyroid is under control from medication. Her kidney functions remain in the danger zone (just barely) but are not treatable -- the vet was surprised as she expected a worsening: good kitty :) So we're going to adjust (slightly) her thyroid dose from 1 pill AM and 1/2 pill PM to remove the 1/2 PM pill every OTHER day. Her shoulder ligament problem is worse -- it's more inflamed but there's nothing they can do as the vet doesn't think she can survive the surgery. I will get a second opinion soon.

Today's Medical Reports

Lots of health news today. I'll be self-centred and go first.

I am relieved as all hell to report that I do not currently have Barrett's esophagus which I was afraid I might have. Barrett's esophagus is a relatively uncommon side effect of Acid Reflux (see multiple previous blog entries) that often leads to esophageal cancer, which is generally fatal. Anyway, I don't have it so enough of that. However, my Acid Reflux is acting up strongly again because a new granuloma has recurred (if you remember, I had a previous pair) and is also located on my vocal cords. As such, I'm going on a new regimen of drugs and dtronger dosages and frequencies thereof and expect more arguments from my shit-ass insurance company. I am confident in Dr. Arin H. Newman, the doctor in question, so we'll see what happens. I go back in six months unless I feel my granuloma is getting worse in which case I go back immediately. Those of you who have talked to me recently know how bad my voice has sounded.

My dad is not-cancer free, but he's almost cancer free and it has retreated to negligible levels. There's no such thing as "almost" or "negligible" in the cancer world, but he is no longer in any immediate danger of dying from his lung cancer (second hand smoke is bad which is what caused it). All good news has some bad news with it, and this is no exception. His bronchial passageways, which were already a mess because of his chronic and severe asthma, are in very, very bad shape due to damage caused by the cancer treatment, so he is going to a pulmonary specialist soon to see what, if anything, can be done.

And, for those concerned, Scooter has stopped gaining weight but she is at a relatively healthy weight for her advanced (20+) years -- having recovered from the 5-1/2 or so pounds she sunk to at the bottom of her illness. She's happy. She's not so playful any more -- probably because of the ligament that's torn which they can't operate on due to her age -- but she's happy to be petted. She's even jumping small distances again, though getting down still challenges her. Her hearing is definitely shot for good (cry) and she has dental issues which they also can't fix due to her age.

Random Tidbits

SCOOTER UPDATE: She's feeling a bit better after we saw Dr. Child -- Dr. Child has a much better bedside manner than the other two doctors in the office. Plus she's a cat owner. Cat owners make better cat vets than dog owners (and vice versa).

She changed Scooter's medicine levels to 1-1/2 pills per day, down from her original 2 but up from the 1 that the other doctor recommended. She's still got all sorts of symptoms -- but most have lessened except the thyroid stuff -- but she seems happy and doesn't seem to be in any pain. I have to make the appointment to take her back in late September. At some point I also have to take her to see Dr. Diaz (my regular vet). I'm just reluctant to get two doctors involved if the first one seems to be doing a good job and knows what she's doing. [This has nothing to do with the fact the vet is very cute. I promise.]

SHOULDER UPDATE: I saw Dr. Levitt today -- my orthopaedic surgeon. My shoulder saga -- on and off again -- being painful and unpleasant. I figured I best check and see what the hell was wrong. His assistant made an initial assessment before the doctor saw me. Then sent me to a brand new x-ray machine that is digital (no film, film cartridges, or any of that). They take it and it's done -- and if they don't like it, they take another one. They can zoom it in/out and rotate it all from their control box. It looks like an MRI room actually only it's full of gantries so the machine can move around on its own or with their help.

A few moments later, I was back in the doc's office with the results. I kid you not -- under five minutes for the answer. The good news is: absolutely, positively, no serious damage and no surgery required. I am to continue to see my chiropractor. I was told what to tell him. But basically the muscle is knotted up and not in the wrong place and that's causing pinching and it just needs to be re-aligned. He asked me a lot of questions about my chiropractor -- because he feels most are quacks (as do I) -- but my answers satisfied him. And he gave Dr. Yoham the a-ok.

REST OF ME UPDATE: I also asked Dr. Levitt about a number of my other joint aches and pains. Sadly, his answer was the one I feared. I'm getting old and all those aches, pains, pops, and noises are part of the process. He said to do nothing out of the ordinary and hopefully it won't get much worse. I have mild arthritis in my knees, but that's not a surprise. It happens if you have surgery on your joints. Nothing life-altering. Yay.

RANDOM NEWS: In unrelated health news, I have an uncomfortable itch. You don't want to know where. I had to tell someone, and that someone is you. Aren't you lucky? In even more unrelated news, London is still not looking very good and I've thrown out a last ditch plan before I throw in the towel and try to combat the resultant depression.

SITE NEWS: I will have some soon. If you're clever and have been around http://www.panthershockey.net or my other pages http://www.darsys.com and http://www.darsys.net you may have already figured out what the announcement will be. But no formal announcement for 5 to 10 days. It's all related to the fact that the site authority level has been creeping up. We hit 3 earlier this year, and 4 a few months ago, 5 recently, and 6 yesterday. That's good because it means people are pay attention. That means more eyeballs. And those eyeballs (insert your own conclusion here).

More Tidbits. Everyone loves a tidbit.

1. I went to the Chiropractor today. My shoulder feels noticeably better right now, but overall it will return to crap in a few hours. I hate that. The pain has slowly been moving further towards the top.
2. My AC at home is still not behaving properly and it's got me pissed off. I'll revisit this with the AC people next week. I am far too drained to deal with it right now.
3. In my unending quest to find out the mysterious source of my rash, I went to an allergist previously. Since my last post I had the patch test (wearing a few dozen chemical patches on your back for 48 hours) -- all of which were negatives. Then I came back today and the rest of the injections. Over the two visits, I received a total of nearly 200 injections. I look like a druggie. Each battery you have to sit for 15 minutes for a reaction. I am not allergic to most moulds (odd) and barely allergic to cats. I am violently allergic to dust mites. On a scale of 1 to 4, I rated a 4++++. I am also allergic to dust (duh), parakeets, and horses. That's it. I passed all other allergen tests. All that would be fascinating except based on the rash, these aren't the causes. All done and no practical results except to try Claritin/D for a few weeks and see if that helps.
4. Scooter is seeming even more lethargic today. ::sigh::

Scooter Update 2.0

Scooter went in for a follow-up visit today.

Here's what I had given to the vet. (This refers to her original condition):
I just want to reiterate a few points: The morning Scooter had her incident she was fine. She was jumping up on tables, playing, being her usual rambunctious self. When I came home, she couldn’t move. When she tried to stand up, she would fall over and was unable to maintain any motion at all. She was lying in an unusual spot on the floor in an unusual position. I do not dispute the Thyroid diagnosis, but that is not a sudden onset condition with all these symptoms. I think that there is/was something else at work, and the Thyroid condition was certainly there but is probably unrelated to what actually happened.

Then I listed all of Scooter's current symptoms:
NONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS WERE EVIDENT PRIOR and all were sudden onset:
1. She doesn’t walk with a normal gait. She lists to the left like a poorly loaded ship as she moves. And on stairs especially, she walks near the wall so she doesn’t fall. (I bought her stairs so she can get in and out of my bed easily.)
2. The faster she moves, the harder it is for her to keep balance. If she runs, she falls over, especially if it’s on the stairs.
3. She can jump UP onto objects with no trouble (my bed, the counter, the table) so her muscle strength appears to be pretty good. But if she jumps down she lands and the falls forward, hitting her head and often rolling head over heels.
4. She has trouble climbing though. For example her litter box (4” tall) is an enormous challenge for her and she sometimes gives up and uses the floor next to it. She tries, but watching her try to balance and crouch isn’t fun.
5. She’s far more lethargic now – she just lies in her bed most of the day. I know that may sound normal for a cat, but it isn’t normal for Scooter. She used to run around with her bizzy-balls and drop them all over the house and scream at the top of her lungs for me to come throw them so she could chase them. When I used to come home, the house was a mess. This was true right up to and including the morning she fell ill (because the house was a mess when I got home and she had eaten that day as well).
6. She’s lost a lot of her hearing. I can actually sneak up on her if she’s not looking my way. Nobody should ever be able to sneak up on a cat. Especially my cat.
7. She is grooming approximately normally and seems happy if somewhat bored because she doesn’t want to move around much.
8. She also can’t talk except a quiet squeak.

So that's what's up with Scooter as of today. The Vet agrees there's something else going on. They currently have a cat there with the same exact condition (symptoms 1-4) but that cat has been there for months and they are unable to determine what's wrong. I suggested an equilibrium problem or a stroke. I was told cats don't have strokes in the sense humans do, so that wasn't it. The Vet agreed an equilibrium problem was possible.

Scooter had a new batch of blood work and thyroid tests. All pretty much normal. They are very concerned about her kidney results. In cats with thyroid conditions once the condition is controlled sometimes a kidney condition becomes evident. They're going to check her again next week.

They checked her (always nasty and gummed up) left ear and were sure she had ear mites. I told them it's always full of gunk which I generally clean every few weeks and that Scooter's regular vet has tested. Another test later, and it isn't ear mites. They've never seen so much ear gunk before considering they cleaned her out last visit too.

They've had me get non-drowsy Dramamine and suggest I give her a 1/4 tablet per day until next Tuesday and then I will bring her in again for more tests. After that the emergency vet is on vacation for 2 weeks.

Also, my condolences go out to Tom O'Drain whose mother passed away this morning.

Update on Dad III (Good News)

PET Scan: Lymph Nodes didn’t even show any cancer at all -- it's gone. That’s excellent news, of course. That's right: there is no trace of any cancer in the Lymph nodes. The tumour itself still has some activity, though. The doctor can’t be 100% sure it’s still cancerous due to residual radiation and scar tissue, though he's pretty certain it still is cancerous because he has no reason to believe otherwise.

The CT (cat) scan was still difficult to interpret due to lingering radiation. Different people dissipate radiation at different rates. There is still some lung collapse (hence his continued difficulty in breathing). The tumour is not well defined and the shadow is less solid. It is still possible that live cells could escape and go elsewhere, so we must be vigilant and he must be tested regularly.

Despite all of this, Dad has shown significant improvement and he is out of any immediate danger. However new spots of cancer are always bad because that means it’s spreading and we have to hope and pray that is never the case. We will retest in three months --- first week of November -- and see what’s happened then.

There will be no surgery, period. The doctor is confident no reputable doctor will perform any operation on Dad. With his lung partially collapsed, and the surgical risks he has due to his other conditions, the risks far outweigh any possible minor benefit and Dad’s chance of surviving the operation is very low.

His continued coughing is caused by radiation damage. It will eventually lessen and may even disappear, but it may just be a permanent, chronic cough. His tiredness is a combination of age and effects from his diminished lung capacity. There will be absolutely no radiation injections or even further radiation treatments at this time.

So, all in all, this was a very good day at the doctor. This was also significant for me, because this is the first time I've actually met the attending physician and talked to him in person. Dad's done his best to keep me out of the loop and given me his "sanitized" report so I don't worry -- apparently he thinks that will stop the worry process. So while I've been to the doctor's office with him before (see previous posts), it's been with the many other doctors involved in the process and not The Doctor.

It was a draining day, but generally a good day for Dad.

PS: No new news on Scooter. Several severe issues remain and spoke to the vet and she said to give it another week and bring Scooter in next week. If there is any noticeable change, of course, she said to rush her over. Scooter is not getting worse but she's not getting better either. I think a big problem is she isn't drinking enough.

First, a Scooter Update

Scooter is home. I picked her up from the vet earlier today. I'd love to tell you she's feeling fine, but she isn't. However, she is thrilled to be home. I spent some time with her, then left her alone for a short time to do a few errands. She cannot walk all that well, but she can walk. She made it to her litter box (and used it), she made it to her food bowl (and ate barely any), and she managed to jump into my chair where she was fast asleep when I came home. She doesn't smell too good, but I think that's because they weren't expecting her to come home today. She's also got a shaved leg where the IV was located. (See previous post if interested).

It still hurts me to watch her try and walk. On the one hand she is walking, on the other hand I use the term walking very loosely. It's more like staggering you'd see on a drunkard. But she seems happy, and is grooming herself. I brushed her repeatedly because she's shedding like mad. She sat in my lap for hours.

I spoke with Dr. Child who informed me that she was eating and has regained an entire pound. However I suspect it's mostly fluid from the IV. I will continue to monitor her carefully. She's also going to be on a wet food diet for a little while so she'll eat more and I'm going to increase her rations. I have the pills which I have to give her twice a day for the next month before they decide what the future dosage will be. I also got pill pockets to try to see if she'll eat them without a fight that way. My regular vet would like to examine her, but I will wait a few days rather than traumatize her with another vet's visit -- she also has to go back to the ER vet in 3 weeks for a follow up there.

I spent most of the day at home with her reading Harry Potter, and a review will be coming shortly.

Even More Scooter News :(

First, see previous post from yesterday. I had an appointment today at 4pm to pick up Scooter and take her home. This appointment was made yesterday because Dr. Child was confident Scooter would be in better shape and able to go home. Friday afternoon is not the time to go to a vet's office.

After a 15 minute wait, the vet came out to answer all my questions. It was Dr. Child's day off so it was one of the other two vets. She was a bit frazzled having finished some surgery on another critter of some sort. She patiently answered all my questions though not what I wanted to hear. They hadn't notified my regular vet Dr. Diaz who has many years of Scooter's medical history. They hadn't made sure she was able to walk. They were just going to send her home and have me bring her in every day for a week for a hydration. Fortunately, I have far more sense than they do, apparently.

Scooter was brought to me and she wasn't struggling with the assistant which was a bad sign. They put her down and she didn't make it two steps. I picked her up and held her. I explained to the vet how unsuitable it would be for Scooter to come home (two stories is bad if you can't walk -- too much risk of falling and getting seriously hurt trying to move around). She agreed and said they would hook Scooter up to an IV and try to rehydrate her and give her more food.

I told them I want time alone with Scooter before she went back to her cage. So I spent a half-hour with Scooter petting her and talking to her and trying to keep her happy -- all while trying not to cry. It was so pitiful I couldn't stand it. When it was time for her to go back to the holding pens, I took her myself and wouldn't turn her over. I am going to visit her again Sunday when Dr. Child is on duty -- and I might go Saturday afternoon as well.

Things just aren't looking too good right now. This vet has a totally different demeanour and outlook than the first vet. I left and went to my regular vet and demanded an immediate audience, and he graciously spoke to me. I explained what had happened and he agreed moving her to his office (or home) right now would just be a Really Bad idea. He also promised to check up with the doctor there. He feels much of this is due to Scooter's age and not the thyroid issue because the symptoms are still not fully matching. Cats with thyroid problems eat a lot and Scooter does not eat a lot any more. I won't likely hear from him again until Monday.

So I am going to have a bad weekend. I didn't sleep last night because Scooter wasn't beside me. I woke up, saw her bed, her dish, her toys and was reminded of her. Then I came home today and saw the same things. A few minutes ago, I caught myself checking her litter box even though she wasn't even home to use it.

Scooter News :(

Scooter has been losing a little bit of weight -- mostly eating a bit less. But otherwise she has been behaving normally. Just this morning she jumped up on the table and had a try at my breakfast -- something she normally does. She still jumps all over, and is generally active and cantankerous. Her only unusual behaviour change was about three months ago, she decided she wouldn't drink water from her bowl -- only the guest bathroom toilet. I have no idea about that, don't ask.

I came home today a little early, at around 515pm and I was not greeted at the door. I called for Scooter and got a meow in reply. This is unusual because she always greets me at the door and demands fresh food. She was laying next to her bed (not in it) and looked at me plaintively. I said hello and went over to pet her. She stood up, and fell back over. She tried to walk, but listed heavily to one side and fell over again. She tried to run and didn't get two feet before collapsing. I picked her up, grabbed the phone and called the vet's office immediately. My dumb luck that his day off is Thursday and Sunday. I swear violently and stuff Scooter into her carrier and she doesn't resist -- a bad sign to be sure.

I drive like a maniac to the 24hour emergency vet in my neighbourhood. I get there in under 3 minutes, narrowly missing several cars and bicyclists and using the sidewalk as a passing lane. I park illegally and run into the emergency vet's office. I notice Scooter had pissed in her cage, something she's never, ever done before -- meaning she really has no control over her muscles. (I talked to her the whole time so she wouldn't be afraid.)

The Vet's name is Doctor Jill Child, and she sees Scooter (but not me) almost immediately after I answer a few basic questions of the "what's wrong" variety for the receptionist. They put me in the holding cell for distraught parents, which describes me perfectly.

Scooter's been to the vet. She's even been to the emergency vet when she had blood in her pee. But I've never been in fear for her life until today. After about fifteen minutes the Vet comes and talks to me and says there's nothing obviously wrong and she doesn't feel her life is in immediate danger. She said she'll run blood tests and such and call me later and I should go home. She asks me lots of questions and observes that Scooter is a quirky but intelligent cat.

I come home and notice a few things (a) she ate about half her breakfast, (b) there's a relatively fresh log in her litter box, and (c) her toys are strewn about upstairs and downstairs. So clearly this is a recent development. A matter of hours, at most. I prepare to call the Vet to give her more details and just as I do, my phone rings. It's the Vet. She says all of her tests indicate Scooter's organs are in good shape but her weight is critically low and she's got an absurd amount of crud in her ear (an ongoing problem for nearly 7 years). Her cell counts are all very good. She believes it's a thyroid problem even though she has passed several previous tests. She will consult with Doctor Diaz tomorrow.

Scooter must spend the night at the clinic and be force feed via syringe. They are also going to medicate her with Thyroid pills twice a day -- good luck to them with that -- which she will have to take twice per day for the rest of her life. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that since I have to travel and such, and she's a very bad patient, too. Feeding her antibiotics for an occasional urinary tract infection has always been a challenge.

I will have more news tomorrow and update then.

I am sad, upset, and terribly anxious.