Freudian Reporting?

 

Hmmm... curious. What could have possibly caused the reporter for the Los Angeles Times to make a mistake such as this? It's quite a mystery, right? Or could it be that everyone knows that what O. J. Simpson, and Donald Trump had in common, in fact the only thing the had in common, was... wait for it... their obvious mutual criminality? Hell, I am just surprised that Trump didn't find a way to involve him in any way in any of his crimes. Strange.

 

Well done, Los Angeles Times! 

 

 

Note: The original L. A. Times story has been corrected.

Note: The circle typo at the top of this post is by way of

 Countdown With Keith Olbermann.

 

 

Wishing The Princess Of Wales A Healthy Recovery

 

From The New York Times...

A transcript of the video message given by

 

  Catherine, princess of Wales:

 

I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery.

It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.

In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.

This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.

As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.

As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.

Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.

We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.

At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.

• 
  
  
  

At The Margins Of Everything

"Birds know themselves not to be at the center of anything, but at the margins of everything. The end of the map. We only live where someone's horizon sweeps someone else's. We are only noticed on the edge of things; but on the edge of things, we notice much."

~Gregory Maguire

Out Of Oz

It's been one hell of a week... hasn't it? There is so much swirling around in my head right now, it's all beginning to blend together! My colonoscopy is less than a week away now. In fact it's only 5 days away, and I can admit it, I am getting scared! There is a big part of me that just wants to run, and there is another part of me that says, "cowboy up, and get it done!" I guess, when it's all said and done, I will probably decide to grow through with the test and just get it over with! It's just all very bad timing... as if there is any good timing for getting a colonoscopy! I am pretty sure, NO ONE looks forward to that!

Anyway, I am going to do lots and lots of photography the next few days, and distract myself from the doom. And it's not like there won't be any politics in the mean time to keep me occupy my attention. Trump is on the slow speed chase to political oblivion as I type this! Is it possible that something even worse is on the horizon? Something worse than, at last count, 11 women coming forward to tell their personal tales of being sexually assaulted by Trump? Could be! But what could it be? I don't even want to speculate! It seems like every day for the last year or so, he has managed to top himself with his despicable, deplorable, boorish behavior!

I guess we will see it when it gets here.

Right?

Until then... I am off to find some beauty. Some art. Something, anything that better fills my mind and imagination! Like that little bird, admiring that flower. I could learn a lot from him I think!

Wish me luck!

Leaf Of The Day

October 15, 2016

Mood: Happy :)

~Me :) 

 

Butt... Butt...

"A further sign of health is that we don't become undone by fear and trembling, but we take it as a message that it's time to stop struggling and look directly at what's threatening us."

~ Pema Chodron

The Places That Scare You

Okay, so, a couple of posts back, I explained that I had some news that I would be sharing with you but I first needed to come to terms with it before I made it an official part of this diary of me. I am ready now. Here is the thing. I haven't been feeling very good. I was sick a couple times, earlier this year, with a bout of food poisoning, and a urinary tract infection. Both carry similar symptoms. Nausea, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, both are nasty things to deal with, and because I also carry Fibromyalgia everywhere I go, every single day of my life, I am already prepared to keep colds, flu and the occasional bout of food poisoning and UTS's a little longer than most folks do. But when I did recover from those things, I found I was still really tired and I just didn't feel right. I put it all down to the stress of this past year, and believe me it was stressful, but the doctor wanted to know more, so in that I am in my 50's now, it was more important than ever that I got a full workup of tests including my annual FIT test. 

The tests showed a higher than usual white blood count, and that the FIT test came back positive for hidden blood in my feces. Terrific. The doctor has ordered a colonoscopy to see if it's colon cancer. Now, before you panic, the odds are that there is only a 5% chance it will turn out to be anything. When the colonoscopy is done, they will be able to see if there are any cancerous or precancerous polyps in my colon and remove them for biopsy. If there are some that are over a certain size, then that will require surgery. Sigh. The odds are in my favor, but with the way I have been feeling I am needless to say, unnerved. Actually, I am no unnerved so much as SCARED. I am scaredy-scared! I am scared of cancer. I am scared of the colonoscopy. I am scared of the IV needle they will be putting in my arm to do the test. I am scared.

SCARED. SCARED. SCARED.

I found all this out over a month ago. Since then I have grieved it. I have bargained. Denied. Gotten REALLY PISSED OFF. CRIED REALLY LOUD when the house was empty. And finally, made the appointment for the colonoscopy. So, with the grieving of my circumstance behind me (pun intended) I am now turning to humor, which has already seen me though so much in life, to help me though yet another stupid ASS situation I find myself in. I know this might be nothing, but I fainted one day, so that tells me it might BE something this time, but what can I do? I will just have to put my big girl panties on and bend over!

Right?

Okay, right. In an effort to get on with it... the being a big girl part...I was searching through self help books on Amazon.com a couple weeks ago, and came across this book, about one man's journey. It's a short story about the prep night before the dreaded colonoscopy. It's honest. It's funny. And most important it's very human. I enjoyed reading about his adventure, and I will be thinking about it when my turn comes next month. I have also been lucky enough to have gotten advice from Twitter pals who have had this test done, and live to tell the tale. They have all been very kind about sharing their experiences with me! I am lucky. And I am not alone. That's important to know at times like this, human stuff happens to humans other than yourself.

My advice to myself right now is...

COWBOY UP GIRLFRIEND

YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH WORSE THAN THIS!

And I have... I really have. And I am still standing, at least I am  when I am not fainting.

So, the test happens on October 19th. I will be sharing the journey because the month of October is our vacation month. It's our favorite month! We have our anniversary, and it's autumn, and Halloween happens, so is there any better time you can think of have a colonoscopy done? So, stay tuned. There is a lot coming in the future, including my Leaf Of The Day project for 2016! I am not going to dwell on the colonoscopy, it's only one part of what I hope will be a very busy, very life filled month. October is too beautiful to ignore!

LOL. 

I am bending over to stare cancer in the eye!

Mood: Concerned But Okay

~Me :)

The Gemini

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies."

~Unknown

When Alan and I visited the Conservatory Of Flowers Butterfly Exhibit last month, not only were we treated to a gorgeous variety of beautiful butterflies and the flowers they enjoy, we also got to see them as they are when they have just emerged from their cocoons! What A TREAT! In years past, the butterflies remained behind a protective glass viewing case until they had been emerged for a while, but this time around the conservatory releases them into the room as soon as they are completely free from the chrysalis. Baby butterflies! Okay, I know that it'd not really accurate to call them babies, as they are fully grown, ready to fly, fully mature creatures, but to see them at their most vulnerable makes one think of them as infants, if only for the few hours it usually takes them to spread their wings. This lovely little creature was born May 22nd, 2013! I love butterflies, nothing in nature can compare to their beauty!

According To The Universal Psychic Guild...

Gemini
Element: Air
The Ruling Planet: Mercury
Symbol: The Twins
Stone: Aquamarine
Life Pursuit: To Explore A Little Bit Of Everything
Vibration: Intense Mental Energy
Gemini's Secret Desire: To Be Ahead Of The Crowd

"I'm a gemini, so I change my mind every day."

~Natalie Portman

Click here to read more about Geminis.

Personally, I am a Cancer. My birthday is at the end of the month, so we will delve into what it's like to be me as the month moves forward! Doesn't that sound like fun?! ;)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 145~ Friendship In Autumn

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

~ Anais Nin, The Diary of Anais Nin, Vol. 1: 1931 - 1934

 

I have a lot on my mind this week. I am happy about vacation, I have really needed it this year, but as happy as I am about this time of rest and relaxation, I am also very sad, remembering my friend Steven and my cat Elvis, both having passed from life, and my life, way too soon.

Elvis passed away on October 8 2008. He was 11 1/2 years old, and the kitty love of my life. Smart. Funny. Determined. Understanding. Loving. Giving. Considerate. Charming. Quirky. Chauvinistic.Commanding. Confident. Compassionate. Loyal. Gentle. Womanizer. And there are many more single words that could describe him, but I will leave it here. These were his main traits. I miss him so much, sometimes I can barely breathe, but at the same time I know he is on the other side of life and fate, and he is happy, and he is cancer free. For that I am grateful, but at the same time not a day in 4 years has gone by that I don't think about him... and miss his silly ways.

 

 Steven and I met when we both had our blogs on AOL Journals. We became good friends. We both shared a big love of photography, and often shared our latest photos with each other. We had a twice yearly challenge between us. On Memorial Day weekend it was "Hamburger Day." A fun little challenge to see who could produce the most photogenic, and of course, best tasting hamburger in the land.

It was fun.

Every October 30th, Steven and I played a very different challenge... Haunted Refrigerator Night. I looked it up, and yep it is a genuine Wacky Holiday. And again, we had tons of fun with it. Sometimes I went for ultra spooky, sometimes silly and spooky, sometimes a little of both. :) I miss those times with Steven... I miss his friendship. His counseling. His suggestions about my photos. His understanding. He is willingness to be a friend when I needed one, and his ability to step back when I just needed to be quiet. When Alan tried his hand at photo blogging, Steven was the first AOL Journals friend to welcome him. That meant a lot to me, and it was fun to watch he and Alan become pals.

 

Steven had a cat named Pickle. Pickle and my cat Elvis became Internet friends. LOL. The two would cross post photos of themselves when the opportunity arose. During the 2008 primary season, Pickle and Elvis debated on who would make the better democratic candidate for the office of President. As we get closer to the election time, I might rerun Elvis's stance. It was a humorous post, with some serious undertones. Anyway, Pickle also had his say... it was a great way to open a dialog about the future. I wish I would have saved Pickles response, as Steven's blog has been closed and I will never get to read it again. That picture above was a gift from Steven, he emailed it to me that summer, I am so glad I saved it to a special drive on the computer.

On the day I wrote my post about Elvis's diagnosis with cancer, Steven confided that Pickle was also sick. Not with cancer, but rather because of his age... kidney failure. Pickle was 17 and he had lived a long life. So, between the the spring of 2008 and the early autumn of that year, Steven and I shared our heartbreak, and it made it all a little easier to take. Both of us lost our pets that year, and I think something in both of us died a little with our kitties. Alan and I adopted Hendrix and Dylan fairly soon after Elvis passed away, and while it didn't make the grieving hurt less, it did open this other bright sunny window that I think helped me cope a little better.

Today would have been my friend Steven's birthday. It feels strange to not be able to send him a card. He passed away a few days after his birthday in 2009. One's birthday and death should never come in the same week methinks.

I miss my friend.

But I can also hear him say... "Go find the photo." :) Like he is still here. I guess in a lot of ways... he still is.

Happy Birthday Steven.

"Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are to find."

~William Shakespeare

~Carly

Today's Link Is From My Pal JR. If You Haven't Had A Chance To See His Marvelous Photography... Go... Shoo... Go See It! :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-142.html

Blech

"If we see you smoking, we will assume you are on fire, and take appropriate action."

-Douglas Adams

Let's finish this weekend of rants with one last speaking of my mind, shall we? Does it get anymore inconsiderate then this? The other day I pulled up to a Starbuck's, for a venti sized elixir of life, aka, Venti/Shaken/Ice Tea/Lemonade with Passion Tea w/no sweetener, when I was cut off in mid-stride by a woman who just had to reach the door before me, but not before pausing for 5 seconds to deposit her cancer stick under the proudly displayed sign prohibiting such such behavior. This lady wasn't on foot mind you, she was parked in the car next to mine when I arrived. She stepped from her pristine oldsmobuick, lit up, and then made the decision to share her toxins with the world, knowing she was about to enter a smoke free environment. Sheesh.

It has bothered me for a long time. I don't understand how these useless things can even be legal? Lots, and lots of information available at our fingertips regarding the dangers being caused to smokers, and those around them, and yet even in 2008 folks are still lighting up. You know what breaks my heart. Folks like Dana Reeve, who passed away a couple years ago from Lung Cancer. She wasn't a smoker, but I suspect that the years and years she spent in smoky cabaret clubs entertaining people with her beautiful singing voice, probably left her lungs damaged. Her son is an orphan now, after having also lost his father, Christopher Reeve, to a tragic accident. How many good, but stupid, people contributed to her illness?

I know, I know... stupid is a pretty strong word. I don't use it often, but what would you guess is the intelligence level of someone who still continues to smoke, despite all the information available with the ease of a keystroke? I can meet someone nice, intelligent, giving, and loving, and instantly lose respect for them just because of this choice. The most attractive man on earth becomes hideous to me, just because of smoking. I watched my mother smoke my whole life. I say "my whole life," because she doesn't have a life anymore, she is dead. She would smoke, rather then eat, so she could stay "attractive." She was a fool. We all tried to tell her. She ended up with emphysema, and the lung capacity of a woman of 116, when she was just 50 years old. We won't discuss what life was like for her later in life.

I have been reading a lot lately about how to avoid some of the mistakes I made with Elvis. I want my two new little boys to be with me as long as possible. Alan and I are hoping for at least 20 years. The fact is, this is the last time I will be able to handle raising kittens. They are energetic little ones, and with my ever increasing degenerative arthritis, I know my olden days will be painful ones. It's all about planning ahead. In my travels I have also been educating myself on cancer in pets. I keep wondering if there had been something I might have done to cause the cancer Elvis had. So far I haven't found anything to suggest it was something specific I did, but I am sure that his being overweight, which led to diabetes, probably didn't help prolong his life.

I have learned that pets, cats and dogs, do indeed get lung cancer from the second hand smoke of their owners. The tragedy is that most folks who own pets, do so out of a genuine love for their fur babies. You can't put a value on how much a pet can enrich your life. I wouldn't have taken a million dollars for my Elvis, and I believe that's how most pet owners feel, and yet, there are the statistics which seem to indicate otherwise. Sigh. Maybe it was because I had just had my daily weep of loneliness for Elvis, but as I saw the inconsiderate woman deposit her cancer stick where she did, and in that moment, I had the question go through my mind about whether or not she owned and loved a cat. Sigh.

If you are a smoker, try to rethink your behavior. You must know by now the dangers of your actions. If you are a smoker, please reconsider what you are putting your loved ones, including your pets, through. You are asking them to watch you die slowly, painfully, and when you do die, what you get is rest, while your loved ones live in the pain of facing life without you. If you are a smoker, then smoke in your car, let the rest of us who really want to smell the flowers outside of Starbuck's enjoy them. If you have been smoking for any length of time, you probably can't smell flowers accurately any longer. It's too bad, a rose in December is something no one should have to miss in favor of carcinogens.

As always, I invite opinions. I ask only that you be respectful. Tell me what you think. Do you smoke? Have you ever lost a loved one to Lung Cancer? How about other cancers? Do you believe that smoking should be restricted to inside a person's home only? Opinions, opinions.

-Carly
"Environments"
Starbuck's
Somewhere In The East Bay
December 2008
Afternoon

The World's Best Kitty

"Love is stronger then death, though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries, it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger then death."

-Unknown

The Song Of Jellicles
*Click to read the full poem*

Jellicle cats are white and black,
Jellicle cats are of moderate size;
Jellicles jump like a jumping-jack
Jellicle cats have moonlit eyes.
They're quiet enough in the morning hours
They're quiet enough in the afternoon
Reserving their terpsichorean powers
To dance by the light of the Jellicle Moon

-T.S Eliot, Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats

My little fella will slip away peacefully today. His appointment is scheduled for 11:30 am. We know the time is right. His quality of life has begun to diminish at an accelerated rate for the past week or so. His cancer was being so aggressive with him. It is time to let go. I loved him so deeply, so deeply that I didn't even know I could love something as much as I loved him. But I did. And Alan did too. And oddly enough, there is a huge comfort in the love we all shared. Elvis was an amazing cat, and my best friend. He will still be a big presence in my life. I will keep his heart shaped diabetes tag on my key chain, and his favorite little shirt on my desk. Alan will keep his Angel tag on a chain around his neck, so Elvis will always be close to his heart. Elvis is the one you don't get over. There are too many happy memories to forget what a gift he has been. It was an honor to be his mommy, and somehow I know he will be right by my side in spirit for as long as I need him. He always did take such good care of me.

Here Are Some Of Our Favorite Memories...






















"When I am lost, or maybe gone astray, my guardian angel will show me the way."

-From Elvis's Angel Tag

Thank You Dr. B, Mary and Donna, for taking such good, kind, and loving care of my boy. You are family to us.

-Carly & Alan

Note: I am taking a few days off, but the Monday Photo Shoot will go on as planned. Be sure to join us next Monday for this week's Linking List, and an all new subject!

Standing Up To Cancer: An Elvis Update

"The power of love to change bodies is legendary, built into folklore, common sense, and everyday experience. Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter around... throughout history, "tender loving care," has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing."

-Larry Dossey

Well, my boy is off to chemotherapy! This will be his 5th dose of the stuff, and it is doing it's job well, because he is pretty much his usual goofy self most of the time again. He got two new shirts this week. One is a red and white sailor suit with a blue anchor on it that you see here, and the other one is a flannel tank top that has a big chocolate chip cookie that has the caption, "Got Milk?" LOL. Dr. B told me, from the very beginning, that there would be times when Elvis would look so good that I would actually forget that cancer was in the shadows. Weep.

Yeah, there are times when I let myself forget about it. Alan and I aren't letting it keep us from enjoying our boy, but mornings like this one, when it is really cold outside, and I wake up with Elvis curled into my side, I have to take a couple moments and cry. I know that I will be facing next autumn without him, for the first time in over a decade. Elvis has seen me through times I never thought I would survive, and even when things were going wonderful, and I was on top of the world, he was still there, taking care of me. Somehow, I kinda think that even death won't stop him from watching over me.

Have you heard about the special that will be airing on the three major networks this Friday night? It's called, "Stand Up 2 Cancer." Did you know that cancer kills one person every minute? EVERY MINUTE! My grandfather died of leukemia, and cancer has already touched Alan, when his father was diagnosed with it just a few years ago. Chances are, you might know someone right now who has been diagnosed with cancer, or already lost someone to it. Weep.

Go and look at the website, then be sure to watch it this Friday. It will be on ABC, NBC, and CBS at 8 pm. Watch it. If you donate a $1 or more, you can launch a star for a person you know who has been diagnosed with cancer. Alan and I are going to do that later this week for our boy Elvis. Yes, I know he's a cat, but there is research being done to find a cure for our fur babies as well. We are all in this together. Please remember, cancer can come at any age, if you haven't already had your annual physical, please make an appointment this week to take care of yourself. And while you are there, also talk to your doctor about having an A1C test for diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is on the rise as well.

Nearly three years after her death, I still miss and indeed mourn Pam. I miss her little IM's when she saw me log on really early in the morning, and her funny little comments and emails, and I miss... her voice. This has to stop, or at least more has to be done. Wouldn't it be wonderful if cancer was stopped in our lifetime? We all can't just hope it will happen, we have to make it happen. One day I hope to purchase a star for Elvis from the star registry, and then after he is gone, I can look up, and see him watching over me. It's a comforting fantasy, but I would rather have him cured and sitting by my side. For now, hope is all I have.

Don't forget to watch Stand Up 2 Cancer on Friday, September 5th!

-OndineMonet
"Elvis The Sailor Man"
Berkeley, California
September 2nd, 2008
Morning

It's Going To Be Interesting Living Out Of My Car...

"Money doesn't make you happy. I now have $50 million, but I am just as happy as I was when I had $48 million."

-Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California


It's going to be interesting living out of my car, at least until the finance company repossesses it. Thing are just the dire. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has chosen this coming Thursday, July 31st, as his target day to sign an order to reduce the pay of over 200,000 state employees, Alan included, to the federal rate of $6.35 an hour. He isn't even offering the state minimum level of $8.00 an hour. What that means for us is that we will be homeless in just a few months, Elvis's chemotherapy treatments will have to stop, and we will be putting him to sleep as soon as 2 weeks from now.

We have some food put aside in case of an emergency, enough for a month. I don't know what will happen with our cars, we might sell one of them back, but I don't know where we will get gas money for the one we will keep. I will get rid of all non essential items, such as the Internet. That will happen first. The thing that hurts me the most it the thought of looking at Elvis in the eyes, as I take him to Dr. B's to have him euthanized. What do I say to him, and then how do I live with it? He is at Dr. B's right now, getting the last chemotherapy treatment we will be able to afford. The pain over losing him is more then I can take sometimes. As I write this, and I face head on what is in front of us, I can't even breathe.

This still doesn't have to happen, but I know it will. From everything I have read, the slashed pay rate will probably go well into October. Oh we will get a big fat retroactive paycheck when the politicians finally have their way, but by then my little boy will be gone forever. Forever is a very long time. Now ask me why I will never trust a republican, any republican, again! If I lose the roof over my head I will survive, but Elvis won't. His little life shouldn't end this way.

-OndineMonet

Correction: The federal minimum wage is $6.55 per hour.

Elvis Update: Twisted Whiskers

"Attitude is the way you mentally look at the world around you. It is how you view your environment and your future. It is the focus you develop in life itself."

-Unknown

When I took this photo of Elvis back in May, I didn't realize it's strange and wonderful "Twisted Whiskers" quality. LOL. I love Twisted Whiskers, and now I have a pretty good photo of my boy posing as one! :)

Elvis has been having a hard time recently. I mentioned last week that Dr. B was unable to give him the dose of chemo that was scheduled for last Tuesday, because his blood level wasn't where it should be. It is a common thing with chemo, sometimes the doses come every 3 weeks, sometimes they come every four. There are some other things happening that have us worried, because no matter how you look at it, it isn't good news. The most striking is that Elvis has dropped 1/2 lb. in the last two weeks! That is a lot for a cat to lose.

He is such a trooper about taking his medicine. He never fusses much, but I know he hates it. Alan has been giving it to him every night before we go to bed, and often times it leads to some serious, silent crying from us. I know the medicine will help him feel better, and it does, he is a happy little fellow most of the time, but at the same time I know we will have to let go soon.

It's hard to tell when Dr. B will say the time is right. We have a strong verbal agreement between us that when the cancer starts to spread, or the chemo stops working, or Elvis's begins to be in pain, that will be the time. So far none of those things is happening. No pain to the touch, no tumors in other parts of his body, just the occasional bloody nose. When that happens he comes over to me, so I can wipe it with a soft tissue. LOL. It's so sweet. It didn't take me long to teach him that, he is such a smart little guy.

Sometimes, however, it's the things Dr. B doesn't say that worries me the most. Last week he looked a little bit sad as he weighed Elvis. I didn't ask why, I knew on some level that he was really concerned. Still, we have an appointment for this coming Tuesday. Elvis is outside playing right now. I can hear his bells as he walks across the yard in search of large yellow swallowtail butterflies. There have been a lot of them this year, and knowing him, he has already made a friend with one of them. LOL. Tuesday, will be a long day, so I am glad he is outside playing today.

Twisted Whiskers Website



-OndineMonet
"Twisted Whiskers Elvis"
Berkeley, California
May, 2008

Oh Yeah, That's The Spot! An Elvis Update :)

"People that hate cats, will come back as mice in their next life."

-Unknown

Me: Hey Elvis, what do you call a person who steals cats?

Elvis: I don't know mommy, what do you call a person who steals cats?

Me: Glad you asked Elvis, you would call them a purrr-snatcher! LOL

Elvis: Uh Huh.

Me: Hey Elvis!

Elvis: Yes Mommy?

Me: Why did the kid try to feed pennies to the cat?

Elvis: I don't know, why?

Me: Because his mother told him to put the pennies in the kitty!

Elvis: (Rolling his eyes) Oh brother!

My cat Elvis puts up with a lot from me, he is especially patient with me when I tell him silly cat jokes! LOL. He and I have a ton of fun together, our most recent fun has come from a snippet of colorful ribbon, which he loves to chase and catch. He also received a brand new squeaky mouse from his daddy this past week, and we are enjoying that as well. I have attached it to the ring on my desk drawer, and several times a day Elvis tries to pull it away for some chewy fun. Unfortunately, it tends to snap back, but that's ok with my boy, he enjoys a good challenge! :)

Elvis had his second dose of chemotherapy last Thursday, and all seems to be going well. He is eating his meals, and is more playful now then he has been in months. When he was first diagnosed, he was so wee and weak, but he has perked up and is such a joy! Something even more encouraging has been happening the last week or so, he is now back to climbing up on the bed to sleep with us at night again. When he wasn't feeling well, he would isolate himself. That broke my heart. I am afraid I don't sleep as well without that little bundle at my feet watching over me. :)

It's difficult to remember sometimes that he is dying. I know about all the realities, but he is such a good cat. So funny, so happy, so sweet. I don't know if it is particualry helpful to dwell on things when he is enjoying life so much right now. That inevitable day will be here soon enough. Right now the three of us are embracing life. We do a lot of laughing. I think that makes all of us a little healthier. :) I am so thankful to Dr. B and his staff for making this time as positive as possible. I know I am living the miracle I hoped for right now, with Elvis, each time I hear his happy little giggle.

So tell me, does your cat giggle? What is the quirkiest habit your pet has? If you would like to read more cat jokes, just click the link below! :)

Cat Jokes

-OndineMonet
"Oh Yeah, That's The Spot"
Berkeley, California
June 12th, 2008
Morning

Elvis Update

"In the middle of a world had always been a bit mad, the cat walks with confidence."

-Rosanne Amberson

For those of you who are new to my blog, I thought you might like to see why my cat's name is Elvis. LOL. There was never any other decision to make, when it came to a name for our boy, see, he was born with his name. I swear my Elvis is the reincarnation of Elvis Presley, because he shares so much with him. Food is my boy's favorite thing, followed closely by his love for women, he has managed to pick up every woman he has ever met, and he takes really good care of his friends. Not to mention the resemblance, and his sense of humor. LOL. My Elvis is a charmer to be sure. To say that I am proud of him would be a huge understatement. I LOVE him, and I always will. He will still have me laughing and smiling about our years together, when I am a very old lady. He is the one you never get over.

After trying the steroids, it has become clear that they aren't working. It seems that the cancer Elvis has is much more aggressive then we once thought. Fortunately, Elvis has a guardian angel, and we are going to be able to at least give the chemotherapy a try. He gets his first dose today. He has to be at the doctor at 9:00 AM, and we will pick him up at around 5:00 or so. Dr. B wants to see how he does with the drug, just to be sure there is no adverse affects. I am really hoping Elvis does well with the chemo, I love spending time with him, and he isn't in any pain right now, but he is uncomfortable. He has a lot of wheezing coming from his nose, and breathing is becoming much more difficult due to the erosion going on in his nostrils.

A good sign is that the bleeding from his nose has stopped, and he is really playful and loving. He is continuing to groom himself properly, and he asks for his meals on schedule. He played outside yesterday, I caught a glimpse of him walking across the back yard, on his way to the lemon tree, where he sometimes plays in the late afternoon. I have come to think of that tree as Elvis's lemon tree. It is so cute when he lays his head on a lemon and goes off to sleep. Over the winter, when he couldn't go out to play, he would steal an onion or an apple from the pantry, and rest his head on it. He makes me smile. And hopefully, with a little help from the chemo, I will have him as long as a year from now, and he will still be making me smile. So far, he is my little trooper, taking his medicine, and keeping to his schedule without complaint. I wish I were as brave as he is! He is my hero!

If you would like to read about the different types of Feline cancer, I found a great website called, Feline Cancer Resources. Give it a look see.

-OndineMonet
"The King's Baby Picture"
May 25th, 1997

Steven's Feline And Furball Friday: Caring For Elvis

"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not."

-Mark Twain

Thank goodness times have changed! LOL. It's not as difficult as it used to be. Take having diabetes for example. There are new insights and products coming along for we humans everyday. I was diagnosed with Type2 diabetes just last year, but from what I understand it I had been diagnosed even 5 years ago, my daily maintenance would have been much more difficult. Just the invention of the newer blood glucose meters that make checking my blood sugar throughout the day, is a big relief. I have read, that in the past, folks would stop checking their glucose readings, because of how painful it was. I can't really complain about that, I mean my fingers get tender and it isn't my favorite thing in the world to do, but I also know who lucky I am to have been diagnosed early on in my diabetes, and to have these wonderful new products and resources available to me. A lot is being done for we humans, I just wish more was being done for our furry friends as well.

Just like with myself, I didn't pay too much attention to the possibility of Elvis developing diabetes. Who wants to think about such things, until faced with it. Fortunately there is some course of action once your kitty is diagnosed. We immediately put Elvis on Petsulin, and a diet that was rich in carbohydrates. We began using Diabetic Management by Purina. He did pretty well on that. He didn't care much for the flavor, which made me a little sad, but he didn't fuss too much. He seemed to understand. I was diagnosed with diabetes just three months after he was. Elvis and I put our heads together, and decided to move forward together. We would just share that darned old diabetes... and kick it's butt. LOL. To a big extent, I am successful with my diabetes because of him. I decided that I wouldn't eat anything that would make him ashamed of me. If he had to be strong, how could I look him in the eye and not be strong as well?

Now Elvis has Feline Lymphoma. There is no cure. But, there is plenty of things I can do for my boy, besides sit around and cry. As an alternative to putting him on the chemotherapy, we have decided to start with a steroid injection every three weeks or so. Like with chemo, there is no guarantee's, but according to Dr. B, there has been a measure of success. Again, it won't cure his cancer, it merely shrinks the tumors and eases the discomfort of having them in his nose. He is happy, he is eating well, he is playing, and we have some serious cuddle time. He just got his first shot this past Tuesday, and it is a little soon to know how it is doing, but I think we are ok for now. I wish we could have afforded the chemo right off, I know that is his best chance, but the simple truth is, we can't. Sigh. That is the hardest part, but I am not letting that distract me from doing all that I can otherwise.

So, I am going to develop some nutritious and vitamin delicious recipes for my boy. I want to make his food, so that I am not giving him all the bad ingredients that are in store bought cat food. We learned about what canned cat food does to kitties, when Elvis developed some serious digestive troubles about ten years ago. As I have mentioned many times before, Elvis and I love to cook, and I have a little chef's hat for him. Beginning next week, we will be developing new recipes together. It will be a bonding thing for us. Hey, I have had to come up with recipes for my ever changing lifestyle, why not for my boy? There is a lot to be hopeful about, and that helps both of us deal with this time a lot easier. Attitude is everything when it comes to illness, and CATTITUDE is as well! :)

If you have a great cat or dog, you should consider playing along with my friend Steven's Feline and Furball Friday, which can be found at his blog, sometimes photoblog. It's FUN!

-OndineMonet
Elvis and his friend Nurse Mary
April 29, 2008
Afternoon

Heart And Soul, I Fell In Love With You Heart And Soul

"If you should die before me, ask if you could bring a friend."

-Unknown

The worst possible news came to visit us the other day. Elvis has cancer. Feline Lymphoma. There are no good options. Even with treatment his doctor believes that Elvis would only survive about a year. With treatments we can hold things off, and shrink the tumors in his nostrils, but it would not do a lot more then give us a little more time with our boy. He would be comfortable, and then the drugs would stop working and we would be right back here, watching him fight for his life. I have read that some kitties live as long as two years, but there is really no guarantee.

Alan and I want to put his dignity first. That means letting go in a few weeks. Right now he is in the back yard, chasing butterflies. He is in a good mood, he is still cleaning himself, and loving on us, and I look at him, and I think to myself, this can't be right. But at the same time, he has lost weight because he wouldn't eat, and even now we are giving him medicine to stimulate his appetite, without the medicine he wouldn't be eating.

Alan and I are in pieces, after spending a couple days in shock. He and I are going to go back to see the Elvis's doctor tomorrow, and ask some questions again, just so we are sure about what to do. Right now we still have a happy boy. He is such a happy little boy, and we are indulging him like crazy. That's where things are at the moment. I was telling a friend that I think Elvis knows what's going on, on some level. Last night Alan and I were sitting together crying, and Elvis came into the room and sat down between us. He put one paw on Alan and one paw on me, as if to comfort us. That's what he does. He takes care of us.

-OndineMonet
Elvis
April 21, 2008
Afternoon

When Beans Find Their Way Up Your Nose!

"With their qualities of cleanliness, discretion, affection, patience, dignity, and courage, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?"

-Ferdinand Mery, Her Majesty The Cat

My boy hasn't been feeling well. There is something wrong with the right side of his nose. Last week he stopped eating, and drinking water. I tried everything. I even bought him his very favorite baby food, and gave him a little cut up chicken, something he has never turned down, but he would have none of it. He was interested in the food, but because he couldn't smell it, he wouldn't eat it. That's the thing about cats. You can put food in their mouths and force them, but it will be going against their natural instinct. I know better then to try and force him to eat, all that would accomplish would be stressing him out, which in turn would complicate his diabetes. Sigh.

So, with all else failing, we took him to see Dr. B. Elvis was dehydrated, and his nose was swollen, so tests were done. A chest ex-ray first, then a cardiogram. His heart wasn't sounding right to Dr. B. It was a long wait in the waiting room. When the doctor called us into his office, I didn't see my boy. "We have mostly good news," said the doctor. His heart looked ok, no evidence of heart failure, and all his other vitals were good, but he was quite dehydrated and needed fluids. He was too grumpy for the doctor to do a blood test, so he got a little dose of kitty Valium, and an IV with fluids, and he was all set to spend the night, with tests scheduled for the next day.

My boy was in the hospital from Thursday, until Saturday afternoon. My goodness I missed my friend. I missed his morning kiss and pat on my face, and his goofy little routines, such as his rearrangements of his stuffed animals, and his knocking on the back door when he wants to check on the garden. One of our very favorite routines is the way he asks for dinner, every night at 5:30 when Charlie Gibson appears on ABC World News Tonight. Apparently Elvis likes to stay informed while dining. LOL. On the other hand it might be that Charlie Gibson and Alan sound a little alike. I am not sure which. ;) Last night, he asked for dinner, and he ate a little, which made us very happy, but it wasn't during the news. It's a start.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, he has a follow up appointment, and we will have all the test results by then. Too many scary words are coming up. Cancer is the scariest one. According to the doctor there was significant damage on the inside of his nostril, but a lot of things could have caused that. Sigh. I don't know. Maybe he inhaled a bean or a seed. His little nose is so small... I can't imagine how he could have, but then this is probably the only cat in America who actually has a personal choice in who delivers the news! LOL. It's just one more thing that makes me love him.

Please keep your fingers and paws crossed for my boy!

-OndineMonet
Elvis
Berkeley, California
April 20th, 2008
Afternoon