Saturday, December 20, 2008
Another Animal Story
My brother-in-law is a veterinarian. He has been stunned of course by the story of Gizmo and the hairball. He sent us these photos of a recent surgery he performed, however, where the dog had ingested a ton of ... plastic!
Warning, these photos are kind of graphic, but it is interesting to see. You see my brother-in-law in action performing the surgery!
This photo literally is of Damian pulling the plastic out of the dog's stomach!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Gizmo's Surgery
Gizmo the Cat had surgery this morning.
Do you want to know what made up the mass?
Hair.
Balinese cat hair, to be precise.
The vet tech calls me and says, "We can't believe it was a hairball. It was most impressive."
Dante and the regular vet, Dr. Barger, want to see the hairball, just to ogle at its sheer size. Dr. Barger and the vet internist who ran the ultrasound along with another vet, Dr. Ross, have spent the past few days researching cancers that arise in Balinese cats.
They of course wouldn't tell us that they thought it might be cancer, but, well, what could grow THAT large and actually displace the intestines?
It's been quite a story among the vets at Acre View Pet Hospital and Holland Referral Veterinary Clinic, where the ultrasound was performed. Dr. Barger is going to keep the X rays in her clinical files to show people, it astounded her that much.
So the whole cat saga has a happy ending. And just when everyone thinks that Dante doesn't care about the cats, let it be known that he was the one who talked me into taking Gizmo to the vet when he noticed the change in her behavior.
Do you want to know what made up the mass?
Hair.
Balinese cat hair, to be precise.
The vet tech calls me and says, "We can't believe it was a hairball. It was most impressive."
Dante and the regular vet, Dr. Barger, want to see the hairball, just to ogle at its sheer size. Dr. Barger and the vet internist who ran the ultrasound along with another vet, Dr. Ross, have spent the past few days researching cancers that arise in Balinese cats.
They of course wouldn't tell us that they thought it might be cancer, but, well, what could grow THAT large and actually displace the intestines?
It's been quite a story among the vets at Acre View Pet Hospital and Holland Referral Veterinary Clinic, where the ultrasound was performed. Dr. Barger is going to keep the X rays in her clinical files to show people, it astounded her that much.
So the whole cat saga has a happy ending. And just when everyone thinks that Dante doesn't care about the cats, let it be known that he was the one who talked me into taking Gizmo to the vet when he noticed the change in her behavior.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Gizmo the Cat
Gizmo the Cat will have surgery on Friday, Dec. 19, in Oklahoma City.
Please pray for her.
She had an ultrasound today, and what they discovered was a mass in her intestinal tract. They haven't ruled out cancer.
I know it may sound strange that I ask for prayers for my cat, but I pray for all living things.
Of course humans are first. Well, some humans. :-)
Gizmo is and has always been a very special member of the family, a talkative and very outspoken Balinese beauty who we reared from a little runt into a beautiful, elegant cat.
She is a cat after my own heart, always speaking her mind in her little kitty lingo. If you ask Gizmo how her day was, she tells you; actually, she tells you that even if you don't want to hear it. The funniest Gizmo story is when she outright attacked a groomer at a Petsmart in Columbus, Ohio. I got the call from Petsmart. "Our groomer had to be taken to the emergency room."
Gizmo had attacked the groomer's hand. I asked, "Did the groomer touch Gizmo's head?"
"Yes."
"Well, that's where she went wrong."
You just don't touch Gizmo's head.
Please pray for her.
She had an ultrasound today, and what they discovered was a mass in her intestinal tract. They haven't ruled out cancer.
I know it may sound strange that I ask for prayers for my cat, but I pray for all living things.
Of course humans are first. Well, some humans. :-)
Gizmo is and has always been a very special member of the family, a talkative and very outspoken Balinese beauty who we reared from a little runt into a beautiful, elegant cat.
She is a cat after my own heart, always speaking her mind in her little kitty lingo. If you ask Gizmo how her day was, she tells you; actually, she tells you that even if you don't want to hear it. The funniest Gizmo story is when she outright attacked a groomer at a Petsmart in Columbus, Ohio. I got the call from Petsmart. "Our groomer had to be taken to the emergency room."
Gizmo had attacked the groomer's hand. I asked, "Did the groomer touch Gizmo's head?"
"Yes."
"Well, that's where she went wrong."
You just don't touch Gizmo's head.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Funny
An obnoxious drunk stumbles into the front door of a bar and orders a drink, the bartender says, "No way buddy you're too drunk."
A few minutes later the drunk comes in through the bathrooms, again he slurs, "Give me a drink." Bartender says, "No, man, I told you last time you're too drunk."
Five minutes later the guy comes in through the back door and orders a drink.
Again the bartender says, "You're too drunk."
The drunk scratches his head and says, "Damn I must be... the last two places said the same thing."
A few minutes later the drunk comes in through the bathrooms, again he slurs, "Give me a drink." Bartender says, "No, man, I told you last time you're too drunk."
Five minutes later the guy comes in through the back door and orders a drink.
Again the bartender says, "You're too drunk."
The drunk scratches his head and says, "Damn I must be... the last two places said the same thing."
Monday, December 15, 2008
Always finding the humor ...
A poem I wrote for Gizmo the Cat. Ha!
My cat has a mass
Like the one in my knee
I had a surgery
But my cat can't pee
Her intestines are all pushed
Off to the side
It really sucks
When your organs collide
My cat has a mass
Like the one in my knee
I had a surgery
But my cat can't pee
Her intestines are all pushed
Off to the side
It really sucks
When your organs collide
Gizmo's Internal Mass
Our beloved little Balinese Gizmo has an internal mass that we hope isn't cancer.
We'll be taking her to a veterinary hospital in Oklahoma City on Wednesday morning.
Gizmo is the sweetest, smartest cat on the face of the Earth.
Please pray for us and for her.
We'll be taking her to a veterinary hospital in Oklahoma City on Wednesday morning.
Gizmo is the sweetest, smartest cat on the face of the Earth.
Please pray for us and for her.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Remains of the Day
So I admit it.
Inadvertently, I got caught up in the Caylee Anthony story, and I sit in disgust and horrible disappointment as officials in Florida take 7-14 days to let DNA tests prove what gut instinct tells us, that the remains discovered by a meter reader near the Anthony home likely will be those of Baby Caylee.
There are so many of these type of stories anymore in the press, I suppose on some level I should be desensitized to it. Shouldn't we all?
But this is a particular sore spot for me at this juncture in my life.
I want a baby. I've been trying to get pregnant, at least now for a year, and then some here and there before that.
I've taken my temperature more times than I can count, struggling to stay awake each morning hoping that I don't choke on the thermometer if I do fall back asleep.
I've played mother to everyone in my life. I've mothered my friends; I've mothered my nieces and nephews; I mother children of friends; I mother the children across the street; when one of them falls from their bike, it's instinctive for me to rush to their side.
I mother the animals that are in my yard.
It's the Mother Instinct, and mothering is one of those precious "mysteries" in life that is so necessary to life.
My favorite Psalm has long been Psalm 139. You knit me together in my mother's womb...
No life is an accident, and when life is given to you, you should cherish that responsibility.
Besides my own struggle, I've watched so many other people around me struggle to get pregnant, good people who will provide wonderful homes to children.
It's one of life's greatest mysteries, why certain people can procreate. Dante, in trying to assuage me during our struggle, tries to find humor to make me laugh.
"Some animals procreate so easily because they're dumb. Maybe it's the same for people. Maybe it's the dumb people who are able to procreate so easily."
With this Caylee story, I know that there is a special place in hell for child murderers, especially when the person most likely is the very person who gave the child life in the first place.
Inadvertently, I got caught up in the Caylee Anthony story, and I sit in disgust and horrible disappointment as officials in Florida take 7-14 days to let DNA tests prove what gut instinct tells us, that the remains discovered by a meter reader near the Anthony home likely will be those of Baby Caylee.
There are so many of these type of stories anymore in the press, I suppose on some level I should be desensitized to it. Shouldn't we all?
But this is a particular sore spot for me at this juncture in my life.
I want a baby. I've been trying to get pregnant, at least now for a year, and then some here and there before that.
I've taken my temperature more times than I can count, struggling to stay awake each morning hoping that I don't choke on the thermometer if I do fall back asleep.
I've played mother to everyone in my life. I've mothered my friends; I've mothered my nieces and nephews; I mother children of friends; I mother the children across the street; when one of them falls from their bike, it's instinctive for me to rush to their side.
I mother the animals that are in my yard.
It's the Mother Instinct, and mothering is one of those precious "mysteries" in life that is so necessary to life.
My favorite Psalm has long been Psalm 139. You knit me together in my mother's womb...
No life is an accident, and when life is given to you, you should cherish that responsibility.
Besides my own struggle, I've watched so many other people around me struggle to get pregnant, good people who will provide wonderful homes to children.
It's one of life's greatest mysteries, why certain people can procreate. Dante, in trying to assuage me during our struggle, tries to find humor to make me laugh.
"Some animals procreate so easily because they're dumb. Maybe it's the same for people. Maybe it's the dumb people who are able to procreate so easily."
With this Caylee story, I know that there is a special place in hell for child murderers, especially when the person most likely is the very person who gave the child life in the first place.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Bernanke's Words
United States Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has said that our current economic situation can't be compared to the Great Depression.
Bernanke is a Depression scholar, so it's interesting to hear his insight.
Markets now are more stable and we have more mechanisms in place; and markets have an amazing ability to self-correct.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081201213246.v50zx9ik&show_article=1
Bernanke is a Depression scholar, so it's interesting to hear his insight.
Markets now are more stable and we have more mechanisms in place; and markets have an amazing ability to self-correct.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081201213246.v50zx9ik&show_article=1
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