Yesterday I battled with the @!$ing company called ApothoPet, aka Center Pet Pharmacy in Washington D.C. My vet called in Ed's refill on the 15th for Cisapride, a drug not readily available at most vets (on hand, that is), and unsafe for humans, so you can't just get it filled at a regular pharmacy either. You have to go to one of these pet pharmacies, that range in prices like the military has radar range, and you never know how reputable the one you finally settle on will be. This place is run half in part by a stoner who seems to be afternoon shift (read = no early am shifts) that doesn't know his ass from his face. His medication should have been here Monday. It is now Wednesday, and it's not here. When I called them and complained Monday, Stoner Guy said he'd flag down UPS and overnight it. I never got a call back to say if they did or not…they did not. I called again yesterday to see wtf was up, and got a nice girl that said she'd overnight 10 capsules gratis. I still don't have them.Stoner Guy said they were mailed out on the 18th, but he couldn't say why - only that it was odd that it took two days to fill.
Not only that, but the other package won't arrive until the !@$ing 24th, so I had my vet call the "expensive-but-reliable" people to overnight it. They charged me $69 for what ApothoCrap charged me $36 for, and yet again…I still do not have the pills.
Meanwhile… I got home from work at around 5ish, administered Ed's laxative (it had been 2 days since his cisapride ran out, which keeps his bowels from backing up), and fed him and Lestat. I couldn't wait to watch them both finish eating, because I had to get down to the vet by 6pm (closing) to pick up Ed's heart medications, which the old vet feels it is necessary to keep him on for a while to prevent another episode. So I go there, pick up the meds, head down to meet up with The Muppet. We headed back to my place.
What we found when we arrived was a landmine zone of puked up food, not even digested or chewed all the way. As we cleaned this, Ed continued to puke, and showed us that he was unable to poo at all. Everywhere he went, he tried to go and couldn't. He was drinking water, and puking. It was time for his heart meds, so I had to give him the medication even though there was a 99% chance he'd puke it up. I gave him a double dose of the laxative, in increments over 2 hours. He seemed to keep down the pills, but I couldn't be certain he didn't puke them up again too… Every hour on the hour all night long, he was puking. A lull happened around 4am, and I slept I think until 5:45, when I heard him puking again, and got up to clean.
I called the vet at 7am and arranged to take him in for the day. They are going to extract the backed up poo, figure out if this little lump he felt around his lymph nodes is causing any problems (he is having trouble swallowing, I noticed, when I gave him his laxative and heart meds this morning…which he did keep down). I found a giant puddle of pee next to his pet bed, behind the chair I normally sit in when I'm working.
The results are also in for his lab results - negative for Cushings Disease, as his adrenal glands are normal.
It's just all so sad. We are back to square one with whatever is wrong with him. Please say a prayer to whatever gods you support, and if you don't believe in any, light a candle for him anyway. Please.
Giant Hearted Kitty Update
Current mood: melancholy
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It is with mixed feelings that I write this, because in no way can my words be taken as an upsided or downsided situation with Ed. I spent a few hours late yesterday at the new Vet's office, and I really, really, REALLY have to commend their dedication and attention to detail. The staff is wonderful there. On occasion in your life you have the opportunity to meet doctors of your own that (I mean really) "get it," and aren't afraid to read up in medical texts on things right in front of you, or are always looking into new procedures, illnesses, and therapies. I think I have had maybe two such doctors in my life time, and that was in Marin at Greenbrae (one has since retired, and not by his choice – he simply got too old). Ed now has one such doctor.
This in no way diminishes his previous vet care. Muppet actually made a comment that could sum it up nicely; our regular vet is very young, and may not have had experience with the type of issues Ed presents, as what I am about to describe is very rare. It is also very difficult to diagnose, and can often go undetected because it piggy backs on more important, scary illnesses, such as Diabetes and Cancer – neither of which Ed has been diagnosed with in the past.
After close examination of the cardiac sonograms taken, it was determined that Ed does not, in fact, have heart disease. There is no build-up of reservoir of blood in the "receptacle lake" area of his heart muscle, and most importantly, the walls of his heart are not thick enough to assume heart disease as a viable problem. His murmur comes and goes; this has been noted by all three vets.
It was determined that along with his heart, his liver and gall bladder are enlarged…but his bloodwork came back normal, excepting an issue concerning the liver enzymes, where one area was scary high (if normal range were 20-100…Ed's was over 1500).He has had skin problems recently – and was treated for multiple random sores (not caused by fleas or other pest) on his skin that scab over. He has significant hair loss and thinning, combined with a change from his thick black coat to a mangy, very thin, grayish-brown coat. He has chronic problems with constipation and bowel issues. He is obsessively hungry all the time, and drinks a lot of water (marked increase from last year). His decline can be noted from January on…most significantly noticed in March. His eyes are sometimes buggy…meaning, you can see the whites of his eyes on occasion.
When the vet showed me his skin, it was paper (and I do mean paper thin – it was gross) thin, and very fragile…and there is something called "Fragile Skin Disease" associated with this kind of condition, where the skin is so thin and fragile it tears easily—like if you grab a cat by the scruff of his neck, the skin could actually come off. This is the result of a high cortisone production and build-up, which also means a doughy, sort of pot-bellied abdomen and weak abdominal muscles, all of which Ed has. The vet likened it to as if his body was giving himself cortisone shots daily, because he has never been on any cortisone therapy with any vet.
His abdominal sonogram looked relatively normal, however…and his adrenal glands were not enlarged. The vet believes he may have a very rare disease in cats, called Cushing's Disease, which is also common in humans, and sometimes in dogs…but rarely cats. In Ed's case, this could be just a hormone imbalance, and with proper treatment it could be regulated.
If you read up on Cushing's Disease in Felines, however, you will see that only 50% of cats that have adrenalectomy surgeries survive—most of which die within a few days post operation. Similarly, only 50% who do medical treatments not involving surgeries survive. Since there is almost always an underlying bigger issue causing Cushing's, and it is not likely to be Ed's adrenal glands or diabetes, it is likely that he has some kind of cancer that has not presented itself yet.
Cancer is, of course, bad…but it is much more treatable than something like Cushing's because there are so many more options available.
Come Monday, Ed will undergo a special test to decide if he can be diagnosed with Cushing's disease. I'll post an update soon after—as this test process will take all day.
Thanks you to everyone for your kind words and well-wishes for Ed. This has been a very emotional process, and your thoughts and good vibes have helped us through immensely. Ed is on medication to keep him stable right now, and he's doing well—almost back to his normal self, but still lethargic and not eating as well as I would like him to be.
It has taken 7 months to get this far in finding out what's wrong with Ed...and in finding out the real problem we can stop treating symptoms and actually treat the big issue--which may make him healthy or at least healthier again.
Those of you who have had the pleasure or profound amusement to meet my big black cat Ed, know why we call him special. He is perhaps one of the sweetest, most loving, and overly-affectionate empathic cats I've ever met, who loves to enunciate when he's talking to you (or at you), as much as he loves to eat. He brings joy to everyone he meets. He has the personality, intelligence, and whimsical nature of a four year old child…and sometimes…a very large dog. He is a lap cat. He sleeps on my head at night. He likes to hug. He likes to kiss. He likes to pet you with his paws, because he knows it feels good when people pet him. He sometimes steals your food when you are not paying enough attention to the plate…and when he's been scolded, he sometimes feels so bad that his eyes well up with tears and he appears to almost cry...:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
He has been my companion for 11 years, and his heart very, very big and open to anyone that needs a little (or a lot) of love.
We found out just how very big his heart is last night.
At 6pm I got home from work to find a very different sort of cat at the door. Though he did greet me, he did not meow at all, which is completely abnormal for him. When I gave him his medication in a little bowl of milk, he did not so much as touch it, or cry for more…or cry for food in general, which is part of his routine. He usually meows like a broken record until he gets fed his dinner, and I noticed he was very uncomfortable around the abdomen, and very tired. He followed me from room to room and tried to lay down wherever I was, until he was too tired to even do that, and found a spot on top of my purse (the thing he knows I never leave with out) at the table. I knew something was very, very wrong.
I called the Muppet and he was on his way home by 6:30, and we took Ed to the emergency vet in the outer ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Richmond, who saw him right away. He said he had a terrible heart murmur, and then took some x-rays, which showed his abdomen, and also his liver, lungs, and heart. There was a ton of fluid back-up in his lungs, making it difficult to breathe, so they put him on oxygen and I couldn't see him then. The vet went over his x-rays with me and showed me where Ed's heart should be, and said it was grossly enlarged—and it was. About the size of your fist…or a human size heart.
The vet kept him overnight to watch him closely, and after about 11pm they took him off the oxygen, as he was responding to the two medications they gave him to help reduce the fluid, and get his breathing back to normal, as well as his heartbeat. The vet recommended an emergency cardiac sonogram be done the next day, and though we already had one scheduled for the 25th—this needed to be done immediately. Our vet only gets the sono guy once a month, so he recommended a place that had the machine kind of near the Fillmore area. We called this morning, but they were not seeing new patients, so the ER vet actually spoke to him on the phone and that got us in…we were so relieved. Between these two very knowledgeable doctors, we felt Ed was in better hands than ever.
I am now awaiting the results of the abdominal sonogram, followed by the cardiac sonogram.
I can't tell you what a wreck I was last night, and I am very thankful for all the friends who called or sent texts to let me know they were praying for my little man, and that they hoped he'd be ok. I'm very thankful for the Muppet and all his support last night—as well as today. Friends and Animals have always been as important to me as family—especially at times when I didn't have family growing up (and that's a very different thing now).
I can't begin to tell you what knowing that I might wake up this morning and not have my Eddie to come home to every day did to me, but I haven't cried that hard in a long time.
I would like to thank All Animals Emergency Hospital and SF Pet Hospital for their extraordinary attention to detail and giving Ed the best care they know how with limited frame of reference. Whatever happens, I know he has and will receive the best care possible.
Barfodder News, Updates, and What I’ve Been Up To
Current mood: adored
I know, I know. I'm behind on the blog.
Cemetery Dance is sending the galleys this week, and Daniele Serra has done a beautiful Frontis Piece for the book. Have a looksie:
I'm still plugging away at Elements with Linda Addison, Marge Simon, and Charlee Jacob - which is proving to be a very dark journey (in a good way) for all of us.
Lets see...Last month and this month I did some traveling. Spent my little sister's birthday in Texas with the family, and then it was off to Waterwookie's wedding reception in Maryland. Which was kind of like a highschool reunion, along with several characters that I used to be in rock bands with before I moved to California in 1995. We all sat around with acoustic guitars (it took an hour to get them all in tune), and sang old butt rock songs. Unfortunately the only songs we all knew both the lyrics and the guitar parts for turned out to be either Skid Row or Pink Floyd...which was amusing in itself. It was a lot of fun, and it was great to see the old gang.
We stayed at my Auntie's house in Manassas, Virginia--which was beautiful and relaxing. We brought her and my Grandmama some fresh St. George cheese from the Matos Family Farm, and left a bottle of Longboard Syrah with a few Gisperts for my Uncle to enjoy, who was in St. Louis on a Harley road trip. Unfortunately the Muppet's grandmother of 98 passed away on that trip, so we had to cut it short and return home. She lived a very full life, I'm told, and passed away on her birthday.
A few weeks ago I mentioned the reading for Rudos and Rubes Publishing, which was a lot of fun. I read from their edition of The Guilt of the Templars, hoisted a few beers, and generally had a good time. John Shirley turned up, who I have not seen in ages, and it turns out he'll be giving a reading this Thursday night at the Edinburgh Castle, so I'm planning on heading to that as well.
My former editorial assistant from Spiderwords, Baine, is in town from Boston this week - we Bigfooted last night and then hung out at home, catching up over taco salads and champagne before he tripped the light fantastic over in the Castro.
Tonight we celebrate Accident Prone's birthday in Oakland (who also used to be my assistant back when she was a poor college student and I could afford her); tomorrow we celebrate Muppet Man's birthday in San Francisco.
I have finally given consent to get rid of my Liberace Meets Cleopatra style coffee table, which has lost its glass top and a leg in the war. I have always said I would one day get it fixed, but truthfully, I will never make the time... I put it up on Craigslist for someone who might want to refurbish it, but so far, I've had a lot of flakes make appointments to come and look at the table, that none of them kept. If you live nearby or have secretly lusted after (ok, ok--those of you who have loved it have never done so secretly) it for some time, drop me a line.
The new Liberace Meets Cleopatra coffee table will be this one, in case anyone thought I was toning down my taste in décor. I might even have a Happy New Gaudy Coffee Table party, come to think of it...once it's finally delivered.
Oh, and thanks to a coworker and former Macromedian, I finally got my new copy of the Adobe Creative Suite (yay!), which means the old Raingraves.com website will be getting an overhaul, and the revival of Spiderwords can begin...as soon as I get a new (used) laptop. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!
Currently
listening
:
Disintegration
By
The Cure
Release date: 1989-05-01
Reading @ Edinburgh Castle 6/14 with Johnny Strike (CRIME) and Michael Lucas
I will be reading for Rudos and Rubes Publishing tomorrow night, 6/14, at the Edinburgh Castle on Geary in San Francisco with Johnny Strike (of CRIME fame), and Michael Lucas. While this will not be my own work, it *will* be from the Rudos and Rubes release of The Guilt of the Templars. Depravity, debauchery, sodomy, and the Pope. What more could you ask for? Michael will be reading from his own work, and Johnny will be doing a fantastic performance piece complete with ye olde timey sound effects and guitar accompaniment.
Come on out and join us this Saturday night – get a pint, some fish and chips, and enjoy the show!
Today I played with an Alligator in the Sewer. Since we are aiming for 30-40 pages each, this may cut down my section a bit, but in an appropriately deviant way.
Marge shared with Charlee, Linda, and me a bit of flash fiction for her section, which is fantastic. Gritty. Dirty. Dark.
I've added a 500 word story as well, and we're waiting on the feedback from the other gals.
While I can't say I've ever had a difficult collaboration--not ever--this one seems to be flowing very easily.
S'posed to be very hot in the city this week...and the urge to play hookie to surf on Thursday in 100 degree heat is definately strong, but I'm traveling to Virginia at the end of the month for Waterwookie's wedding reception (they are getting married at Yellowstone Park this month but having the reception in Maryland), and can't spare the PTO.
I saw Sephera Giron's wedding pictures, and they are absolutely beautiful. I sure wish I could have been there. :)
the reclamation of beached sand dollars counted in the thousands, so much treasure for a child looking for one and only one on the shore;
I can't blame this one on the sewer Can't blame it on defecation debris Or the mud of dirty dredgers Polluting my beach, my sea And the shore;
My green's gone black with tar And that ink's in the money promised To clean it all up, those dead Tarred and feathered, bunkered-- Oiled to the shore;
Four big spills in a summer Fifty new birds endangered Zero federal hazmat help And my ocean's still Unclean. Unclean.
stressed
melancholy
worried
adored
artistic
sad