Indeed... what happened to Feb??? Well, Feb was a combination of pleasure and pain, both of which prevented me from posting here.
1st the pleasure: our trip to Puerto Vallarta. We had a fabulous time! The weather was terrific and we had a lot of fun. I'll post photos and details of the trip in another post.
Now pain: an unexpected health issue. Unbeknownst to me, prior to leaving on our trip I got cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection. I thought I had a muscle strain and just took ibuprofen during the trip. You know how it feels after you've pulled weeds or done some other kind of activity that uses muscles in a different way? It was more of a "discomfort" rather than "pain".
However, upon our return home it quickly became more painful so I made an appointment with my doctor. He diagnosed the cellulitis and prescribed 2 antibiotics. (I'd heard of cellulitis but really had no idea what it was. I thought it had something to do with cellulite!)
The cellulitis unfortunately was on my left inner buttock, and due to the swelling and pain of putting any pressure on it, I was unable to sit or lay on my back. So I laid on my right side while awake (mostly watching TV) and slept on my right and left sides.
But instead of improving while on the antibiotics, the swelling and pain intensified. My doctor's office was closed for the weekend so I called the answering service and left a message. My doctor called back and I explained the situation. He called in a pain medication to the pharmacy and said to come into the office 1st thing Mon morning.
However, in the wee hours of the morning on Mon I woke up in a puddle. I was rather alarmed and woke Spouse up to help. The cellulitis had abssessed and began draining. Gross!!! Spouse was a real trooper and cleaned me up, then stripped the bed, rolled up and threw away the mattress cover, then remade the bed. He placed a couple of old bath towels on the bed where I was going to lie down again.
As directed, we showed up at the doctor's office. Remember, since I could not sit I had to lay across the back seat on my side while Spouse drove me to and from the office. We were escorted into the examining room and I removed my sweat pants and underwear so the doctor could have another look.
"Ooohhh... this is not good. The cellulitis has increased in size and has now abssessed. There are a couple of openings. This is beyond my abilities. You need to be seen by a surgeon who can clean this out."
Needless to say, all this was quite alarming. I've never been told by a doctor that my condition was beyond his abilities! My doctor immediately called a local surgeon's office, explained the situation, and set an appointment for the next morning. Spouse drove me to the surgeon's office and again I removed my sweat pants and underwear so the surgeon could examine me. I guess I should have known it was bad when the surgeon called in another surgeon to consult. There were a few minutes of talking between them in medical jargon, most of which I didn't understand. Then I was told what was needed was too involved to be done in the office. I would need to be admitted to the hospital and have surgery.
I was admitted, IV inserted in my arm, and prepped. The surgery was a breeze since I was completely out. I had to stay in the hospital 4 days while the "wound" (their terminology for the cellulitis area that was operated on) was packed (with gauze) and unpacked twice a day. Despite being given morphine the packing/unpacking process was excruciating!
I was released from the hospital with prescriptions for more antibiotics and hydrocodone for pain, and told to continue the packing/unpacking process at least until my follow-up surgical visit at the end of the month. Obviously I could not do it myself due to the wound's location, so I was set up with a visiting nurse. But then we found out the nurse would only come 3 times a week. The wound had to be dressed at least 7 times a week! Fortunately Spouse has lots of sick leave and vacation time. He stayed home with me for 2 weeks after being released from the hospital to care for me.
And I really needed the care too. I was so weak and in so much pain! In addition to the wound dressings, he shopped and cooked for me, helped me shower, use the bathroom, and dress me, and made sure I was taking the antibiotics and pain meds at the right times. Since the nurse highly recommended a high protein diet to promote tissue healing, Spouse bought and prepared lots of high protein foods and helped ensure I'd consumed at least 90 grams of protein each day.
I finally began to get my strength and stamina back just in time for my surgical follow up visit on Mon. The surgeon was pleased with the wound's progress, but said we needed to continue with the wound packing/unpacking for another 2 weeks. Its March 1 and I'm hoping to return to work next Mon the 6th. After being on vacation for 1 week, I've been home on medical leave for another 5 weeks, for a total of 6 weeks out of work.
Just this week I've finally begun to sit for a few minutes at a time on a memory foam pillow. I tried one of those inflatable donuts but found it too difficult to balance. I'm trying to build up to being able to sit a little more each day. In the meantime I'm standing at the kitchen peninsula to use my laptop.
I'll keep you posted on my condition.
'Tales of the Sissy' is a play on words related to Armistead Maupin's novel 'Tales of the City' which chronicles the daily lives of several seemingly unrelated people. Since my blog chronicles my daily life and I am gay (hence the stereotype 'sissy'), I decided to call my blog 'Tales of the Sissy'.
Showing posts with label sick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sick. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 01, 2017
Friday, December 18, 2015
Sick
Ugh - I hate being sick. Not that anyone actually enjoys being sick, but I really hate it. Fortunately I'm not sick very often, so when I do get sick I find it terribly inconvenient. In my brain it would seem that people who are sick more often are less inconvenienced because they're more used to being sick. Does that make sense to anyone besides me?
In addition to feeling crappy, I also hate being sick at this time of year because it causes me to miss fun holiday events. I missed my company's holiday party on Wed night, and missed the Blue Moon's employees and performers party on Thurs night.
I'm hoping to feel well enough tomorrow to go to my friend Joe P's big Christmas soiree AND perform in the Legends Christmas show that night.
Wish me luck!
I've got acute sinusitis. The symptoms are similar to a sinus infection only there's no
infection, so there's no point in taking antibiotics. I'm taking Clariton-D for the sinus congestion, 800mg Ibuprofen for the sinus pain, effervescent immune support (a tablet of several vitamins and magnesium that disolves in water) to hopefully shorten the duration, cough drops when necessary for sore throat. Just before bed I also take ZzzQuil which contains a sleep aid because the sinus congestion is causing breathing problems which make it hard for me to sleep. I'm taking everything I possibly can to treat the symptoms and feel better as soon as possible.In addition to feeling crappy, I also hate being sick at this time of year because it causes me to miss fun holiday events. I missed my company's holiday party on Wed night, and missed the Blue Moon's employees and performers party on Thurs night.
I'm hoping to feel well enough tomorrow to go to my friend Joe P's big Christmas soiree AND perform in the Legends Christmas show that night.
Wish me luck!
Friday, January 16, 2015
Fri fragments
I just realized I haven't done a Friday fragments post in a long time, and since I have several small topics to share today, its entirely apropos.
I'm not a person who gains pleasure from cooking, but I recently 2 very easy and very tasty dishes that are compatible with my Fit for Life plan. I made a soup with Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, ham cubes and rosemary. It was delicious! I also made turkey chili with beans which was also delicious.
I had a cold/sinus congestion earlier this week. Fortunately Clariton-D took care of that within just a few days. However, now Spouse is starting to have the same symptoms.
On Tues I took both dogs for their vet visits. Marvin was due for a rabies booster and his annual exam. Walter had his neuter surgery, or as I call it his "big boy surgery". Both boys were terrific at the vet - no barking or 'scared' behavior. Walter was groggy for the balance of the day, but was completely back to normal the following day.
I took Big Ella to the DMV to be inspected and have the tags renewed. It was a pleasure to do this since our DMV is so well-managed. There was no line at the inspection lanes and only 1 car in front of me at the drive-thru window, so I completed the inspection AND renewed the tags within about 5 minutes and never got out of the driver seat.
I've been trying to get Spouse to agree to go on a winter trip. I'd love to return to Puerto Vallarta, or go someplace new that's warm. He has been reluctant and has cited every excuse he could think of. "We just went on a trip in July" which is true, but doesn't mean we can't go on another one in Feb or March. "We don't have the money" which is NOT true, because I pay all the bills and manage our finances. He wouldn't know where to begin to find out how much money we have. I haven't given up yet though.
So that's what's going on in my life this week.
I'm not a person who gains pleasure from cooking, but I recently 2 very easy and very tasty dishes that are compatible with my Fit for Life plan. I made a soup with Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, ham cubes and rosemary. It was delicious! I also made turkey chili with beans which was also delicious.
I had a cold/sinus congestion earlier this week. Fortunately Clariton-D took care of that within just a few days. However, now Spouse is starting to have the same symptoms.
On Tues I took both dogs for their vet visits. Marvin was due for a rabies booster and his annual exam. Walter had his neuter surgery, or as I call it his "big boy surgery". Both boys were terrific at the vet - no barking or 'scared' behavior. Walter was groggy for the balance of the day, but was completely back to normal the following day.
I took Big Ella to the DMV to be inspected and have the tags renewed. It was a pleasure to do this since our DMV is so well-managed. There was no line at the inspection lanes and only 1 car in front of me at the drive-thru window, so I completed the inspection AND renewed the tags within about 5 minutes and never got out of the driver seat.
I've been trying to get Spouse to agree to go on a winter trip. I'd love to return to Puerto Vallarta, or go someplace new that's warm. He has been reluctant and has cited every excuse he could think of. "We just went on a trip in July" which is true, but doesn't mean we can't go on another one in Feb or March. "We don't have the money" which is NOT true, because I pay all the bills and manage our finances. He wouldn't know where to begin to find out how much money we have. I haven't given up yet though.
So that's what's going on in my life this week.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Pain meds
Since the pain from the herniated disc is worse when I am in a sitting position (eating, working, driving) I asked the doctor for some pain medication. The ibuprofen I've been taking just wasn't cutting it. Tues after work I picked up the prescription for Tramadol, and took 1 after dinner. The dosing said to take 1 or 2 within an 8 hour period, and didn't mention anything about taking it with food.
Since my arm was already hurting at 8am yesterday, I took 2 pills with my morning cup of coffee, then went to work where I had 1 more cup of coffee and a glass of water. Then at 1pm I began feeling hot and flushed. It felt as if the temperature had suddenly gone up to 150 degrees in my office. I was literally sweating in my clothes. I also started to feel nauseous. I went outdoors and stood in the cool 40 degree air for a few minutes, then returned to my desk.
"Hey, its after 1pm. I must be hungry and that's why I'm nauseous" I thought to myself. So I grabbed my lunch from the refrigerator and ate an apple. I was still so f'ing hot and didn't want to continue sweating in my clothes, so I went outside for a few minutes again to cool off. As I came back in the nausea got more intense, so instead of going back to my desk I went to the bathroom. And vomited.
I thought that was the end of it and rinsed my mouth out and patted my face with a cool wet paper towel. I had clients coming into the office in 15 minutes and I needed to get myself together. But before I could get from the bathroom to my desk the nausea returned in waves.
I had to call my clients and cancel the showings planned for the afternoon. Fortunately they were very understanding and we rescheduled for Fri. As soon as I got home I ran to the bathroom and vomited again. I laid in bed for a few hours and each time I attempted to get up, I felt a wave of nausea again, so I stayed in bed from 2:30pm and until this morning. Spouse brought me some oatmeal and ginger ale around 8pm because I was so hungry. I'd only had coffee and an apple all day.
The potential side effects listed are nausea and vomiting, but since I didn't experience them on Tues night when I took 1 pill after dinner, I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have taken 2 pills on an empty stomach. Since today is my regular day off and I've been in comfortable positions all day I haven't needed to take any pain medication today. But just to be sure, I will take 1 after dinner tonight to make sure that is the correct way for me to take them.
Since my arm was already hurting at 8am yesterday, I took 2 pills with my morning cup of coffee, then went to work where I had 1 more cup of coffee and a glass of water. Then at 1pm I began feeling hot and flushed. It felt as if the temperature had suddenly gone up to 150 degrees in my office. I was literally sweating in my clothes. I also started to feel nauseous. I went outdoors and stood in the cool 40 degree air for a few minutes, then returned to my desk.
"Hey, its after 1pm. I must be hungry and that's why I'm nauseous" I thought to myself. So I grabbed my lunch from the refrigerator and ate an apple. I was still so f'ing hot and didn't want to continue sweating in my clothes, so I went outside for a few minutes again to cool off. As I came back in the nausea got more intense, so instead of going back to my desk I went to the bathroom. And vomited.I thought that was the end of it and rinsed my mouth out and patted my face with a cool wet paper towel. I had clients coming into the office in 15 minutes and I needed to get myself together. But before I could get from the bathroom to my desk the nausea returned in waves.
I had to call my clients and cancel the showings planned for the afternoon. Fortunately they were very understanding and we rescheduled for Fri. As soon as I got home I ran to the bathroom and vomited again. I laid in bed for a few hours and each time I attempted to get up, I felt a wave of nausea again, so I stayed in bed from 2:30pm and until this morning. Spouse brought me some oatmeal and ginger ale around 8pm because I was so hungry. I'd only had coffee and an apple all day.
The potential side effects listed are nausea and vomiting, but since I didn't experience them on Tues night when I took 1 pill after dinner, I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have taken 2 pills on an empty stomach. Since today is my regular day off and I've been in comfortable positions all day I haven't needed to take any pain medication today. But just to be sure, I will take 1 after dinner tonight to make sure that is the correct way for me to take them.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Sick
I mentioned in my vacation posts that on Thurs we stopped at the WalMart to pick up some sinus decongestant. I was starting to feel sinus pressure and congestion. I took the medication for the next several days but I think it only slightly delayed the inevitable. I was about to get sick.
The flight home was only tolerable because I felt like dozing and relaxing the entire day. But I felt horrible and wound up going through an entire pocket-size package of tissues on the planes.
I went to work on Mon and plowed through the many emails and pretty much got back up to speed at work, despite feeling like crap. But Mon night I developed chills and body aches. I had on flannel pajama pants, thermal shirt, and socks but just couldn't get warm. I wrapped up in a fleece throw and watched TV with tissues in hand.
I could tell I would not be able to make it into work the next day so I texted my team members to let them know I was staying home sick.
I went to bed at 10pm Mon night and didn't get up until 10:30am the next day. I had a small bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee, then collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. I felt so tired, as if I hadn't just slept for 13 hours. I continued taking my sinus meds and blowing my nose, but didn't leave the sofa the rest of the day.
Wed was a repeat of Tues.
Thurs is typically my day off, but having been home sick Tues & Wed I decided to go into work. It was tough but I made it through the day. Fri, Sat, and Sun I continued having sinus congestion, but the chills and body aches were gone, so I decided to go to the doctor on Mon.
After talking about my symptoms and having a physical exam, my doctor told me I had the flu on Tues & Wed, and simultaneously had an upper respiratory infection. He prescribed an antibiotic for 5 days.
Although I'm not back to normal yet, I'm feeling a lot better now and my symptoms are beginning to subside. Its been over 2 weeks and I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.
The flight home was only tolerable because I felt like dozing and relaxing the entire day. But I felt horrible and wound up going through an entire pocket-size package of tissues on the planes.
I went to work on Mon and plowed through the many emails and pretty much got back up to speed at work, despite feeling like crap. But Mon night I developed chills and body aches. I had on flannel pajama pants, thermal shirt, and socks but just couldn't get warm. I wrapped up in a fleece throw and watched TV with tissues in hand.
I could tell I would not be able to make it into work the next day so I texted my team members to let them know I was staying home sick.
I went to bed at 10pm Mon night and didn't get up until 10:30am the next day. I had a small bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee, then collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. I felt so tired, as if I hadn't just slept for 13 hours. I continued taking my sinus meds and blowing my nose, but didn't leave the sofa the rest of the day.
Wed was a repeat of Tues.
Thurs is typically my day off, but having been home sick Tues & Wed I decided to go into work. It was tough but I made it through the day. Fri, Sat, and Sun I continued having sinus congestion, but the chills and body aches were gone, so I decided to go to the doctor on Mon.
After talking about my symptoms and having a physical exam, my doctor told me I had the flu on Tues & Wed, and simultaneously had an upper respiratory infection. He prescribed an antibiotic for 5 days.
Although I'm not back to normal yet, I'm feeling a lot better now and my symptoms are beginning to subside. Its been over 2 weeks and I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Holiday this & that
Wed night the owners of the Blue Moon had their employee/performer holiday party and gift exchange. (The Blue Moon is where I perform in the Legends shows. Yes, that's me in the Elton John costume.) The food was terrific and the bar was complimentary. After everyone had eaten the gift exchange began. Everyone brought a gift valued about $20 and folks could either 'steal' a gift that was already opened by someone before them or pick something from under the tree. I picked from under the tree and got a bucket of loose change!! Needless to say no one tried to 'steal' my gift. But it all worked out, as I took the change to a CoinStar machine the next day and converted it into a gift card.
Although I don't take many photos, Marvin is just the cutest and friendliest little guy I could hope for. He has really brought joy to our lives, and in general is easy to live with. However, he is not fond of cold weather and wind. When we take him outside to do his business he wants to run back inside as soon as possible. We've gotten him a sweater and a jacket but they are kind of awkward to put on so we don't use them unless we're going for a walk. But even when he has an accident I can't get mad at him. Who haven thought that I'd be the one to be smitten by him?
About a week ago Spouse started to get a cold. Not wanting to be sick at Christmas, he immediately began taking Zicam and other remedies to try and prevent the cold from knocking him out. Unfortunately he's still got the cold, but fortunately he doesn't really feel badly. I hope he'll be okay with our full holiday schedule.
Speaking of the holidays, on Mon all 130 cards went into the mail, and yesterday I wrapped all the gifts, so our countdown to Christmas has started. Unfortunately I did not have time to do any holiday baking this year. I usually like to make cookies to give to neighbors/friends and to enjoy ourselves but I just didn't have time for it this year.
Spouse is off work all of next week off and my office is closed Sun-Wed. Since I work tomorrow and perform tomorrow night, we can't leave for VA until Sun morning. Once we arrive we'll pick up Spouse's mom and take her with us to meet Kerry & Hugh, Kelly, George, and Lisa for our annual lunch of pizza and hippie rolls. That night we're having dinner with our buddies Mike & Clark and Ron & James, followed by coffee and Christmas cookies at R&J's house. Then on Mon morning we're heading to my cousin's house (about an hour away) for a visit and lunch. That evening we'll join the rest of the family at Spouse's sister's house to celebrate Spouse's mother's birthday. Yes, her birthday is Christmas Eve! My old friend Kathryn will stop by for a visit that night too. Tues morning we'll have a leisurely, relaxing breakfast and hang out with Spouse's mom for a few hours, then have Christmas dinner around 2 or 3pm at his sister's house, followed by opening gifts. We're coming back home on Wed.
Although I don't take many photos, Marvin is just the cutest and friendliest little guy I could hope for. He has really brought joy to our lives, and in general is easy to live with. However, he is not fond of cold weather and wind. When we take him outside to do his business he wants to run back inside as soon as possible. We've gotten him a sweater and a jacket but they are kind of awkward to put on so we don't use them unless we're going for a walk. But even when he has an accident I can't get mad at him. Who haven thought that I'd be the one to be smitten by him?
About a week ago Spouse started to get a cold. Not wanting to be sick at Christmas, he immediately began taking Zicam and other remedies to try and prevent the cold from knocking him out. Unfortunately he's still got the cold, but fortunately he doesn't really feel badly. I hope he'll be okay with our full holiday schedule.
Speaking of the holidays, on Mon all 130 cards went into the mail, and yesterday I wrapped all the gifts, so our countdown to Christmas has started. Unfortunately I did not have time to do any holiday baking this year. I usually like to make cookies to give to neighbors/friends and to enjoy ourselves but I just didn't have time for it this year.
Spouse is off work all of next week off and my office is closed Sun-Wed. Since I work tomorrow and perform tomorrow night, we can't leave for VA until Sun morning. Once we arrive we'll pick up Spouse's mom and take her with us to meet Kerry & Hugh, Kelly, George, and Lisa for our annual lunch of pizza and hippie rolls. That night we're having dinner with our buddies Mike & Clark and Ron & James, followed by coffee and Christmas cookies at R&J's house. Then on Mon morning we're heading to my cousin's house (about an hour away) for a visit and lunch. That evening we'll join the rest of the family at Spouse's sister's house to celebrate Spouse's mother's birthday. Yes, her birthday is Christmas Eve! My old friend Kathryn will stop by for a visit that night too. Tues morning we'll have a leisurely, relaxing breakfast and hang out with Spouse's mom for a few hours, then have Christmas dinner around 2 or 3pm at his sister's house, followed by opening gifts. We're coming back home on Wed.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Hospital
My good friend Jason is in the hospital. He's been there since Sat night. They discovered he had a ruptured polyp on his bowel and is having surgery today.I've been to visit him every day since Mon. The hospital is literally walking distance from our house and I haven't had much on my 'to do' list this week so its been easy for me to spend a few hours with him each day.
Its weird because I absolutely hate going to the hospital. I hate how hospitals smell like antiseptic, and I really don't like being around all those sick and injured people. Fortunately Jason has a private room so its not been that bad hanging out with my buddy Jason.
He'll probably be in the hospital another 5 days, then need several days of bed rest at home. I'll continue to visit and support my friend as long as he needs it.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Mixed emotions
Its kind of hard to believe that the cruise we booked back in March is finally here. We leave tomorrow evening for the airport, fly to Florida on Fri, and board the ship on Sat for a week's cruise to Grand Cayman, Roatan Honduras, Cozumel Mexico, and Princess Cay Bahamas.
Today I did 5 loads of laundry so Spouse & I will have everything clean when we select our clothes for the trip tonight. Tomorrow I will pack everything, run a few errands, and tie up a few loose ends.
Its very exciting to think about being on a huge, luxury cruise ship with 6 of our friends and a bunch of other people for a week of sun, fun, eating, and relaxing!
But I have mixed emotions because of Pouncer. He has been on 3 different antibiotics over the last 6 weeks but has not improved. At the last vet visit the Dr. basically told me they had done everything they could for Pouncer there, but that in order to find out what was causing his recurring sinus infections he would have to be treated by a specialist up state.
I called the specialist to inquire what the goal of the procedures would be, the expected treatment should they find a mass or tumor (which is what our local vet suspects), and the cost. It was not an encouraging call. The exam, the 2 procedures, the biopsy, and the overnight stay and related fluids and meds would cost $2,000. - $3,000. If they find a mass or tumor they may be able to remove it at the same time, depending on what it is. If its cancerous they would have to do radiation or chemotherapy, neither of which is included in the estimate above.
Pouncer is 12 years old and I do not feel it is a wise use of our money to go that route.
He doesn't seem to be in any pain, but with the way she sounds when he breaths (raspy, gurgly, congested), I'm guessing he feels a similar way as humans feel when they have a very stuffed up nose.
My instinct is to continue the antibiotics until they run out and then see how he does. If he stops eating or seems to be in distress, I would do the humane thing and have him put to sleep. But we are leaving tomorrow evening and will be gone for 10 days. A friend is going to care for Jordan and Pouncer for us, but I am uneasy about leaving Pouncer in this condition.
Once the antibiotics are done on Fri, his condition may deteriorate quickly or slowly - we'll have no way to know. Once we get on the ship we won't have cell phone reception. Plus, I feel badly asking our friend to keep an eye on Pouncer in case he seems to be getting worse.
What if he does get worse and seems to be in distress? How awful for our friend to have to take him to the vet to be put to sleep!
What if Pouncer passes away on his own while we're gone? How awful for our friend to find him and have to "do something" with him.
Part of me wants to give Pouncer more of a chance to respond to this last antibiotic treatment, but since we will be gone it puts the burden on our friend.
Part of me thinks we should say goodbye to Pouncer tomorrow and take him to the vet ourselves before we leave on our trip.
I just don't know what to do.
I want to be excited about our big trip, but my heart is heavy over Pouncer.
Today I did 5 loads of laundry so Spouse & I will have everything clean when we select our clothes for the trip tonight. Tomorrow I will pack everything, run a few errands, and tie up a few loose ends.
Its very exciting to think about being on a huge, luxury cruise ship with 6 of our friends and a bunch of other people for a week of sun, fun, eating, and relaxing!
But I have mixed emotions because of Pouncer. He has been on 3 different antibiotics over the last 6 weeks but has not improved. At the last vet visit the Dr. basically told me they had done everything they could for Pouncer there, but that in order to find out what was causing his recurring sinus infections he would have to be treated by a specialist up state.
I called the specialist to inquire what the goal of the procedures would be, the expected treatment should they find a mass or tumor (which is what our local vet suspects), and the cost. It was not an encouraging call. The exam, the 2 procedures, the biopsy, and the overnight stay and related fluids and meds would cost $2,000. - $3,000. If they find a mass or tumor they may be able to remove it at the same time, depending on what it is. If its cancerous they would have to do radiation or chemotherapy, neither of which is included in the estimate above.
Pouncer is 12 years old and I do not feel it is a wise use of our money to go that route.
He doesn't seem to be in any pain, but with the way she sounds when he breaths (raspy, gurgly, congested), I'm guessing he feels a similar way as humans feel when they have a very stuffed up nose.
My instinct is to continue the antibiotics until they run out and then see how he does. If he stops eating or seems to be in distress, I would do the humane thing and have him put to sleep. But we are leaving tomorrow evening and will be gone for 10 days. A friend is going to care for Jordan and Pouncer for us, but I am uneasy about leaving Pouncer in this condition.
Once the antibiotics are done on Fri, his condition may deteriorate quickly or slowly - we'll have no way to know. Once we get on the ship we won't have cell phone reception. Plus, I feel badly asking our friend to keep an eye on Pouncer in case he seems to be getting worse.
What if he does get worse and seems to be in distress? How awful for our friend to have to take him to the vet to be put to sleep!
What if Pouncer passes away on his own while we're gone? How awful for our friend to find him and have to "do something" with him.
Part of me wants to give Pouncer more of a chance to respond to this last antibiotic treatment, but since we will be gone it puts the burden on our friend.
Part of me thinks we should say goodbye to Pouncer tomorrow and take him to the vet ourselves before we leave on our trip.
I just don't know what to do.
I want to be excited about our big trip, but my heart is heavy over Pouncer.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Pouncer
I had to take Pouncer to the vet this afternoon. He was exhibiting the same symptoms as last Sept and last Dec when he was eventually diagnosed with a bacterial infection in his sinus.
I was happy to find that the 'low budget' vet's office had no strong animal smells this time and had received a minor make-over. All the circa 1979 furniture was gone from the waiting area and replaced with wrought iron-looking furniture with cushions. There was a new tile floor and the walls had been painted, making for a much more comfortable waiting experience.
Pouncer hates riding in the car (probably because he never goes anywhere in the car besides the vet) and moaned and growled the whole way there. Like last time, he would not come out of his carrier for the exam so we had to tip the carrier almost upside down to get him out. He must have been pretty stressed/scared/pissed off because he moaned, growled, and hissed at the vet assistant and the doctor. I tried to calm him by petting him and lightly scratching him in his favorite places, but he was only slightly distracted from his embarrassing behavior.
I was happy the vet took the time to read through all the notes from the past visit as well as the faxed records from the 'glamor vet'. When I offered that Pouncer was exhibiting the same symptoms and I suspected a bacterial infection in his sinus, she asked "yes, but why would he keep getting it?" Unfortunately neither of us had an answer. She confirmed with me that Pouncer was still an 'indoor only' cat and that there were no other cats in the house. Somewhat at a loss, the vet suggested we give Pouncer the same antibiotic as before, since it seemed to work before.
Typically I would be more curious and want to know more about why Pouncer gets bacterial infections. However, I am not eager to subject him to multiple traumatic car trips, stressful exams, and further expensive and inconclusive tests. He's 12 years old. As long as I don't have to take him to the vet more than 2-3 times a year, he responds to the medication, and I don't have to spend more than about $100. each time, I'll do that. But I'm not going to continue to stress and traumatize a 12 year old cat so I can have a concrete diagnosis. Medicine is called a 'practice' for a reason; sometimes they just aren't sure.
I have to give him the medication twice a day for 2 weeks. His symptoms should be much better (if not gone) by that time. In the meantime he gets extra love from his daddies.
Crush du Jour: Axel Brooks
I was happy to find that the 'low budget' vet's office had no strong animal smells this time and had received a minor make-over. All the circa 1979 furniture was gone from the waiting area and replaced with wrought iron-looking furniture with cushions. There was a new tile floor and the walls had been painted, making for a much more comfortable waiting experience.Pouncer hates riding in the car (probably because he never goes anywhere in the car besides the vet) and moaned and growled the whole way there. Like last time, he would not come out of his carrier for the exam so we had to tip the carrier almost upside down to get him out. He must have been pretty stressed/scared/pissed off because he moaned, growled, and hissed at the vet assistant and the doctor. I tried to calm him by petting him and lightly scratching him in his favorite places, but he was only slightly distracted from his embarrassing behavior.
I was happy the vet took the time to read through all the notes from the past visit as well as the faxed records from the 'glamor vet'. When I offered that Pouncer was exhibiting the same symptoms and I suspected a bacterial infection in his sinus, she asked "yes, but why would he keep getting it?" Unfortunately neither of us had an answer. She confirmed with me that Pouncer was still an 'indoor only' cat and that there were no other cats in the house. Somewhat at a loss, the vet suggested we give Pouncer the same antibiotic as before, since it seemed to work before.
Typically I would be more curious and want to know more about why Pouncer gets bacterial infections. However, I am not eager to subject him to multiple traumatic car trips, stressful exams, and further expensive and inconclusive tests. He's 12 years old. As long as I don't have to take him to the vet more than 2-3 times a year, he responds to the medication, and I don't have to spend more than about $100. each time, I'll do that. But I'm not going to continue to stress and traumatize a 12 year old cat so I can have a concrete diagnosis. Medicine is called a 'practice' for a reason; sometimes they just aren't sure.
I have to give him the medication twice a day for 2 weeks. His symptoms should be much better (if not gone) by that time. In the meantime he gets extra love from his daddies.
Crush du Jour: Axel Brooks
Friday, April 30, 2010
Promising advancement
'Landmark' cancer vaccine gets FDA approval
By Elizabeth Landau, CNN
April 29, 2010

By Elizabeth Landau, CNN
April 29, 2010
A vaccine treatment for prostate cancer has become the first therapy of its kind to win approval for use in U.S. patients.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Provenge, a novel technique for fighting prostate cancer, on Thursday. The treatment involves taking a patient's own white blood cells and using a drug that trains them to more actively attack cancer cells.
"It's a landmark in the sense that it would be the first approved cell-based immune therapy," said Dr. Nina Bhardwaj, director of the tumor vaccine program at New York University Langone Medical Center, who is not involved with Provenge or its maker, Dendreon Corp.

"It's a major conceptual advance; it's a modest therapeutic advance," said Dr. Christopher Logothetis, prostate cancer researcher at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Logothetis testified to an FDA panel in 2007 about the drug, but has no financial ties to Dendreon.
"This is a significant improvement in survival, and is more significant in that it is a new way of treating prostate cancer," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, in an e-mail.
Because the treatment makes use of the patient's own cells, it does not cause the severe side effects seen in chemotherapy, Penson said. The main side effects seen for Provenge were flu-like symptoms, such as chills and fever, lasting one to two days.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Friday fragments
Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.
A friend sent me this, which I thought was pretty funny, especially after witnessing 2 blizzards within 5 days.
I can't tell you how many friends on Facebook has posted "Enough snow already!" or something similar.
Our buddies Bugs & Roger were supposed to come from DC for the long weekend (Presidents Day). We had tickets to a special screening of the gay-themed film "Hollywood, je t'aime". We were planning to invite Steven & Thad over for dinner on Sun. But all of those plans had to be cancelled due to the snow and Spouse & me both being sick. The film has been rescheduled to next month, so Bugs & Roger will come next month and we'll have our dinner party then. So now we have a weekend with absolutely nothing to do.
My friend Jared sent me this:
It made me think that maybe the act of mooning goes back farther than the 1950s, as I'd previously thought! :-)
My colleagues and I were supposed to travel to Richmond on Tues & Wed to meet our new VP of Sales (our boss's boss) but several of us decided not to go due to the blizzards. Additionally I stayed home because of being sick. So they rescheduled our visit for next Tues & Wed. We'll all have to give a presentation too. Oh joy. (Insert sarcasm here.)
My friend Jared also sent me this hilarious poster:
Can you believe they actually needed to post this? Too funny! :-)
Hope everyone has a nice Valentines day and a great weekend!
Crush du Jour: Kristian Bush
A friend sent me this, which I thought was pretty funny, especially after witnessing 2 blizzards within 5 days.
I can't tell you how many friends on Facebook has posted "Enough snow already!" or something similar.Our buddies Bugs & Roger were supposed to come from DC for the long weekend (Presidents Day). We had tickets to a special screening of the gay-themed film "Hollywood, je t'aime". We were planning to invite Steven & Thad over for dinner on Sun. But all of those plans had to be cancelled due to the snow and Spouse & me both being sick. The film has been rescheduled to next month, so Bugs & Roger will come next month and we'll have our dinner party then. So now we have a weekend with absolutely nothing to do.
My friend Jared sent me this:
It made me think that maybe the act of mooning goes back farther than the 1950s, as I'd previously thought! :-)My colleagues and I were supposed to travel to Richmond on Tues & Wed to meet our new VP of Sales (our boss's boss) but several of us decided not to go due to the blizzards. Additionally I stayed home because of being sick. So they rescheduled our visit for next Tues & Wed. We'll all have to give a presentation too. Oh joy. (Insert sarcasm here.)
My friend Jared also sent me this hilarious poster:
Can you believe they actually needed to post this? Too funny! :-)Hope everyone has a nice Valentines day and a great weekend!
Crush du Jour: Kristian Bush
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sick and snow
I'm still sick, but feeling a little better. Spouse says he feels better, but still sounds sick.
We're getting another blizzard today. Started out as rain and sleet, but is snowing to beat the band now. And its very windy so the snow is drifting like mad.
The big concern around these parts is roof collapses. DE has several chicken/poultry plants and
the local news has reported that several chicken coups have collapsed under the weight of the snow. They simply weren't built for this much snow.
Additionally, the roof has caved in at a Big Lots store in nearby Milford (the town where Spouse works), at a fire station, a school and at a few businesses. This all happened before today's additional snow fall. Its crazy!
That's pretty much all that's going on in my world right now. Thank god we haven't lost our power or heat.
Crush du Jour: Joe Manganiello
We're getting another blizzard today. Started out as rain and sleet, but is snowing to beat the band now. And its very windy so the snow is drifting like mad.
The big concern around these parts is roof collapses. DE has several chicken/poultry plants and
the local news has reported that several chicken coups have collapsed under the weight of the snow. They simply weren't built for this much snow. Additionally, the roof has caved in at a Big Lots store in nearby Milford (the town where Spouse works), at a fire station, a school and at a few businesses. This all happened before today's additional snow fall. Its crazy!
That's pretty much all that's going on in my world right now. Thank god we haven't lost our power or heat.
Crush du Jour: Joe Manganiello
Monday, February 08, 2010
Weekend lowlights
Mondays are the days when I normally regale you with the highlights of my fascinating and exciting weekends. (Insert heavy sarcasm here.) But I'll be honest with you and tell you that absolutely nothing exciting happened this past weekend.
The snow started falling about 4pm on Fri and didn't stop until about 8pm on Sat. During that time we had lots of wind and snow. Our area was under a blizzard warning and we truly had blizzard conditions. At times it was snowing sideways due to the wind. At times it was a total white-out. Tree branches snapped from the weight of the heavy snow and the wind, fortunately none on our property.
According to the local news, our area got 20.4 inches of snow, which may not sound like a lot to those of you accustomed to such (Tornwordo, Kevin, Jeff) but for us it was shocking. We rarely
get more than a couple inches here because of being so close to the ocean.
This was the view from our front door Sun morning, before the plow had come. Notice how short the lamp post looks due to the snow. Just a few feet beyond it is the street, but you'd never know it.
From the same spot on our front porch, but looking to the right you can see Spouse's car in the 'new' driveway. Just a few feet behind it is the street, which is completely undetectable in this photo as well.

This was the view from our front door today, after the plow had come last night.
Also from our front door, but looking to the left.
This is the view from the back of our house, from the screened porch. Notice how the snow drifted about 1/2 way up the fence. Since the fence is 6 feet high, the drift is about 3 feet high.
More drifts. One goes all the way up to our neighbor's window.
My car in the 'old' driveway. Notice the drifting toward the rear.
We're such fancy guys that we have an ice sculpture at our house.

Spouse & I were both still sick with colds (probably bronchitis) so we did little more than sleep, eat, watch TV, play on the computer, blow our noses, and cough the entire weekend. Now that's exciting!
Spouse's office is closed today so he has the day off. Since our street got plowed last night I encouraged him to go to the doctor since he's been sick over a week now, be he declined, saying he was starting to feel better. When you work at home like I do there are no 'snow days', so I reported to work as usual. However I informed my boss of my illness (since Wed) and advised that I would be taking a few 'rest breaks' throughout the day. I could just call in sick, ya know.
I cancelled my work out for tonight.
Crush du Jour: Jake Campione

The snow started falling about 4pm on Fri and didn't stop until about 8pm on Sat. During that time we had lots of wind and snow. Our area was under a blizzard warning and we truly had blizzard conditions. At times it was snowing sideways due to the wind. At times it was a total white-out. Tree branches snapped from the weight of the heavy snow and the wind, fortunately none on our property.
According to the local news, our area got 20.4 inches of snow, which may not sound like a lot to those of you accustomed to such (Tornwordo, Kevin, Jeff) but for us it was shocking. We rarely
get more than a couple inches here because of being so close to the ocean.
This was the view from our front door Sun morning, before the plow had come. Notice how short the lamp post looks due to the snow. Just a few feet beyond it is the street, but you'd never know it.
This was the view from our front door today, after the plow had come last night.
Spouse & I were both still sick with colds (probably bronchitis) so we did little more than sleep, eat, watch TV, play on the computer, blow our noses, and cough the entire weekend. Now that's exciting!
Spouse's office is closed today so he has the day off. Since our street got plowed last night I encouraged him to go to the doctor since he's been sick over a week now, be he declined, saying he was starting to feel better. When you work at home like I do there are no 'snow days', so I reported to work as usual. However I informed my boss of my illness (since Wed) and advised that I would be taking a few 'rest breaks' throughout the day. I could just call in sick, ya know.
I cancelled my work out for tonight.
Crush du Jour: Jake Campione

Thursday, February 04, 2010
When its okay to say "F*CK!!"
My cold has me feeling pretty craptacular today, plus I've been rather busy with work, so I'm not going to write much. Instead, I'll share with you some great photos a friend sent me, along with the caption: When its okay to say "F*CK!!"
Now, before anyone starts goin' all Snopes on me, I will say that I suspect at least some of these photos have been Photoshopped or otherwise manipulated. Authenticity is neither stated nor implied. These are for entertainment purposes only.
Enjoy...




























Now, before anyone starts goin' all Snopes on me, I will say that I suspect at least some of these photos have been Photoshopped or otherwise manipulated. Authenticity is neither stated nor implied. These are for entertainment purposes only.
Enjoy...




























Crush du Jour: Keith Bichette
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