Category: bad day

A Poem for Newt

Once again, I am overwhelmed by the compassion and support of Newt’s friends and fans around the globe.

While celebrating yesterday’s excitement over Cat Liver Shunt Support Group celebrating its first Birthday / Anniversary, Newt was having another rough day.  Not nearly as bad as last weekend’s episode, which resulted in the 3AM trip to the ER for precautionary fluids, but moderately symptomatic nonetheless.

On top of the ever-present anxiety induced by another round of drool and lethargy, I was dealing with a puking cat, an abscessed tooth, an out-of-town Cat Daddy, an incessantly barking dog, a bout of doggy diarrhea, and a last-minute set of major changes on the current project.

I was tired.  Whiny, achy, emotional, frightened and frustrated.  And … just tired.

So very, very tired.

But I was not alone.

With the well wishes for Newt winging their way across the globe, and a wonderful, empathetic pep talk from “the best friend I’ve never met,” I found comfort and encouragement, and the strength to soldier on.

Our little group has developed such a sense of community – of family – it’s wonderful and amazing, and so welcome – especially at times like these. 

And to top it off, an extra special surprise arrived today.

There is a cat on our group, a very special older gentleman named Pingu, age ten, who has been medically managed for the last five years.  He has experienced several major setbacks of late, but through it all, his mum is always welcoming the newbies, and leading the cheering and support when we need it.

Today, upon hearing that Newt was still episodic, she emailed him a Get Well Poem that she’d written.

A Special Poem for Newt ( as he,s poorly!!XX)
Reprinted with Permission from Gayla Lamb

I know this wonderful handsome cat, he,s gorgeous , his name is Newt
He has a wonderful mum and a wonderful dad and he,s just incredibly cute!
But he get,s these days, just like his friends when he feels all yukky and sick
So extra cuddles from his mum and his dad i think could do the trick!
It,s sad to see , to have to watch to see him sleep and drool,
To know he feels so awfully sick when he,s usually so bloomin cool
He,s Newt the cat, well he,s the man, a dude to all his friends,
Whatever he says whatever he does yay Newt sets all the trends!
We love him to bits, and we hate to know he,s having some really bad days,
And that we all want to help as much as we can in all our different ways!
So sending him hugs sending him love and sending extremely good vibes
From Pingu and me and Sharky too and all the rest of the tribexxxxxxxxxxxxxx

GET BETTER SOON NEWTxxxx


Folks, I got shivers when, a few moments after reading her poem to Newt, the drool stopped, he ate a bit of lunch, had a drink, a bath, and then, curled up comfortably to sleep.

Never underestimate the power of friendship, love and Hope.

Nico Needs You

Hot and Sweaty Greetings!

We have been without power for the last 21 hours, and may not have electricity until tomorrow night.  Am having internet withdrawals, and am going crazy not being able to access our little Cat Liver Shunt support group. (This is what happens when you have it on 24/7 – you forget your password!)

Made it to the library where they have air conditioning – woohoo, and doing a fast email grab to check and see what’s going on with the shunt babies.  Newt is fine, lounging in the cooler areas of the house.  We have iced his chicken and his ricotta in the fridge, so he’s good to go.

However, one of his new friends, Nico in the Netherlands, is in crisis.  Nico is newly diagnosed, and from the email, it sounds as if he is in a severe hepatic encephalitis episode, and the vets are having difficulty bringing him out of it.

So, dear students, colleagues, fellow shunt cat owners, friends and loved ones, please send your vibes, healing energies, Reiki, prayers, whatever you care to share to little Nico. Your support has helped several other liver shunt cats, so am humbly asking for your Love and Hope to help Nico.

Will post again, once the power comes back on, or I can rig up a hamster wheel and generate some power.

Relax. Yeah, Right!

Wrapped the last project for Major Corporation, yay!  Have a couple of days to “relax” before the next one hits.  This one is scheduled to run for two months, so, trying to hurry and catch up before heading back into the fray.

Top of the list, Schnookie Snurfing, of course.  I miss having that spotted belly to snurf at will, and those darling pink footie paws waving at me from wherever Newt happens to be lounging. Have some other accounts that I want to try and wrap up as well, plus am still desperately searching for the shaman’s drumming CD that I wanted to share with a friend.  I KNOW it’s got to be here .. somewhere.  Am embarrassed that it’s taken so long. And I can’t even use clutter as an excuse, everything is pretty well organized and in its place. It’s probably hiding in plain sight, as the router software CD was, when I had to do an emergency network repair.

Note to self, never again should I be allowed to repair the network, or do any other computer repairs, until at least four days after completing a major project.  My aging brain does not recover as quickly from the long days as it used to, and is prone to making strange errors.  Cat Daddy said toward the end of this last effort, I was speaking German to him!  Uhm … das ist nicht sehr gut, ja? 

Needless to say, tearing the entire software library apart, ripping out all the computer cables, running back and forth between systems, all the while muttering obscenities (in English, German, French, Spanish and Klingon) on the first day after wrapping the deadline was rather amusing.

For Cat Daddy and The Dog.

I, on the other hand, was far less amused – particularly when I looked yet AGAIN where the router software was SUPPOSED to BE, and discovered, much to my bemusement, there it was … right where it belonged, hiding in plain sight.

::sigh::

Not a great start for “relaxing.”  Toss in the fact that Newt is having an odd spell the last couple of days, and I’m not doing much resting right now. 

Newt’s drooling.  After the last few days of him behaving oddly, he began slightly drooling this morning. He also refused his breakfast of chicken and cheese.  He’s been mildly off his feed for the last couple of days. Eating some, but pickier than his norm, and not clearing his plate. So, we resorted to the old standby of chicken morsels, and added a pinch of shredded cheddar.  Worked last night, but not this morning.

He’s been looking tired, and he’s been half-crouchy, and not lounging in his normal spots. This time around, he seems to prefer the floor, under the bed, or the annex box, where has gathered together some plastic bags for a nest. I haven’t the heart to take the bags away from him, as he seems so comfy there. In other words, he’s not seeking warm spots as in a usual episode.  Now it seems like he’s wanting cooler places to hang out.

Another shunt cat seems to get episodic during the heat.  Cat Daddy agrees that possibly it may be affecting Pookie as well, as we’ve had three days in a row of 100+ degrees.  The air conditioner has run non-stop (poor Dog, with his thick, hairy fur coat) to help keep the house cool.  Aside from giving Newt an ice pack for a nest, I’m at a loss as to what else to do for him.

Anyone else’s shunt kitties seem to go episodic during the heat? If yes, what do you do to help them? We’ve already been direct dosing the meds, offering enticing morsels for him, and keeping things quiet so he can relax.

Me, on the other hand? That’s another story!

Miss You Guys!

Just a quick hello from crazy calendarland.  I miss you guys!  I love my job, I really do, but sometimes I get to feeling a wee bit sorry for myself.  That is, until I kick my arse and get over myself  

Being a freelancer affords me the flexibility to spend the majority of my time easily arranging the calendar around our little liver shunt cat’s special dietary needs and the Dog’s potty breaks.  Frequent mini-meals, a la fresh din dins every 5-7 hours. Alas, the flip side of that means that when work comes in, all bets are off, and Cat Daddy and I scramble to ensure adequate lunchroom and hall monitor duties. 

Working on these major projects typically for 30 days each project means that usually I’m working 18 hours a day, 7 days a week for that month. If I’m lucky, the deadline extends for another week or month or three. Yay! More chicken and Lactulose money!  But it also means that my Schnookie Snurfing Sessions are severely shortened, as well as my other important home care rituals. Things like scratching Cat Daddy’s belly and kissing the dog’s cheek – or is it the other way around?  By the third week of the deadline, I’m so tired I don’t know whether I’m coming or going – or, scratching or kissing, as it were!

So that’s where the feeling sorry for myself comes in.  No time to keep up with our other shunt cat friends, no leisurely coffee visits with friends, no Newt News, barely enough time to shower, and collapse into bed for a few hours until time to get back to work.

Today was a short day, so I’m taking advantage of it to say hello to you loyal subscribers and assure you that Cat Daddy is taking his customary wonderful care of Pookie Bear.  Newt is doing fine, and actually helped me with my shower tonight.He’s been a little stinker of late, refusing to give me my much-needed spotted belly snurfs, but am hopeful that tonight will be the night. 

Rumour has it that our deadline is being extended, and not only that, another I’m being slated to immediately move over to another project when this one delivers.  Good news, right?

Yeah, except for the exciting fact that I’m soooo tickled to have been invited (dared!) to participate in the Tour de Fleece right in the middle of it all!  Excellent motivation to kick my spinning into some semblance of order.  I hope! Wish me luck.

And speaking of luck, going to close with a plea for your prayers, healing energies, well wishes, good luck, all your vibes please, for Marley in Australia.  Marley has been having a rough time of it lately, being hit with a double whammy – diagnosed with pancreatitis on top of his liver shunt.  He’s been having some rough days while his vets try to determine an effective management protocol for both of his issues.  His mums have been superstars in his care, and they are inspirations to many of us.  So, vibes if ya got ’em..

Oops, gotta go, Newt wants a snurf – woohooo!

Obsessed

Am beginning to suspect I may be a bit … obsessive.  OK fine, I’m definitely obsessive when it comes to my little Schnookums. And it’s possible those tendencies may creep into other aspects of my life. Like this new phase I’m going thru.  You know, with the sheep, and the bunnies, and the spinning? 

I’ve been telling Cat Daddy since Wednesday that Newt wasn’t quite right. Oh, nothing we could put our finger on, but you know how it is with our shunt babies.  We seem to know when a whisker is out of place … at forty paces …. in the dark … blindfolded.  And *something* just wasn’t right with him.  The feeling made no sense, as we’ve both been saying how good he looks, all sleek and glossy.  In fact, we caught the little brat sitting in the pizza pan on top of the stove, and his little poochy poo was puddled around his hind legs. New nickname – Dough Boy, and yes, we got a picture LOL.

But, he was just … quiet.  A bit too quiet.  Definitely wanted his snuggles, and even wanted his sling. Very odd, as usually he doesn’t ask for his sling unless he’s deep in an episode.  Also caught him half-crouchy during one of my nocturnal ramblings.  He didn’t even try to crawl into the fridge, so I direct dosed his Lact, checked for drool – you know the drill.

He’s also been off his feed, only finishing about half of his meals yesterday.  But still foraging on the pizza dish, go figure! Did not eat most of his 7AM breakfast, and was slightly drooling by 730.  Direct dosed his meds, let him chill out in his box.  He ate maybe half of his lunch, more direct dose with Lact.  Staggered out of his room in the afternoon for an ooze around the house and a bit of sunshine in the window. 

Drool was gone by the 7PM feeding, when he attacked the (freshly roasted, Cheap Chicken Friday) chicken with gusto.  Mixed some into his veggie mix, where he ate little.  Is now wheezing a bit here in the Annex Box’s Annex – his newest spot.  A cardboard box I’d set on the shelf to sort thru shred papers, and hadn’t yet removed.  Cat Daddy agreed that of course, we can’t move the box NOW, because it’s Pookie’s new spot LOL.  Sheesh do we rearrange our house, as well as our lives, for this kitty?  Uhm … YEAH, I guess we do LOLOL

So yes, I’ll admit it freely.  I’m obsessed with my shunt cat!  And why wouldn’t I be? He has brought such joy into our lives, and we laugh all the time at his silly antics and adorable spotted self.

I’m a bit more hesitant to admit that I’m currently also obsessed with something besides shunted spotted tabbies.  With sheep.  And spinning.  I’m hoping it’s a phase, but so far, it’s showing no sign of diminishing. 

In fact, I have pieces of two box charkhas halfway assembled in my workroom, and Cat Daddy had to physically stop me from cannibalizing the lawn mower so as to harvest a wheel to finish the kick spindle I’m making.  And it’s a good thing the neighbor pedals faster than I can run, am afraid I’d be trying to take their bike away to go with the pvc squirreled away, and make the spinning wheel that’s going round in my brain.

I’ve heard of counting sheep to go to sleep, but am really beginning to feel a bit silly about visions of sheep and spinning wheels and fleeces and fat designer yarn haunting my every dream!

So what’s YOUR obsession / passion?  What engages your brain when not wiping drool, giving meds, adjusting diet, or simply gazing in awe at your perfect little kitty shunt baby?

Don’t Enjoy Roller Coasters Anymore

Sneaking in a quick post between projects.  Need to wean myself away from New’ts blog at least for the next couple of weeks during the crazy upcoming schedule.

It’s been another up and down kind of day. 

First, the update on Newt’s friend, Simon – a tiny bit of hopeful news.  Last night’s report was that he had nibbled a bit of food on his own.  His vet is guardedly optimistic, and his family sends their appreciation for your encouragement and support.  They are visiting him today.

Red Feathered Newt Nest

As for little Newt? He’s having a bit of a rough day – probably the worst since this cycle began.  Was drooling last night, but ate his snacks.  Did not jump on the bed with me, preferring instead to drool and doze in his box.  At least he’s not hiding in the back of the costume closet in his red-feathered Newt nest. He’s been drooling rather heavily off and on today, resting in his box, or sitting in the annex box here next to me. He’s alternating between purring and wheezing.  Hair coat is ruffled, and he refused breakfast but ate some chicken for lunch. Direct dosed some water just to be cautious, and direct dosed Lactulose.

Have another email into his vet, and am curious why his Neomycin that was compounded with chicken flavor does not taste like chicken.  It actually tastes like sort of a lemony zing.  Doesn’t smell bad; doesn’t taste bad; but, does not taste like chicken.

I just shake my head.  Isn’t it interesting how one’s tastes and preferences can change situationally?  I used to adore the wild surges of emotion induced by the dips and twists and jolts and turns of the roller coaster rides at the County fair. Have often described myself, and been described by others, as an adrenaline junky.

And yet, with our Newt, and especially with his recent bout of up and down and round and round? Well, I’ve decided that I really don’t like roller coasters anymore.

The Newt Saga, Part 18

Thought we were home free last night.

Her Awesomeness, his beloved vet, re-assured that the Neomycin probably was not the culprit.  Could be a combination of the impressive hairball and the acupuncture points, as those points can sometimes cause increase in appetite, or vomiting.  She called Newt her little overachiever for scoring on both counts.

So back to last night.  Around1030 PM, he began foraging, counter stalking, climbing, jumping, playing, bright eyed and bushy tailed (well, as bushy as his ratty little iguana tail can be). Cleaning, pouncing, seemingly fully back to all-normal. 

The true test – is the Starving Jackal Piranha Hyena going to snap up his food with gusto?

Poured him a bowl of holistc canned food, and left it on the counter while placing the remained in the fridge.  Heard a thump, then growls and grunts and slurps of contentment.  Cat Daddy and I were both thrilled to see our hungry little boy perched halfway up the stool, with his front paws raised up on the counter, greedily gulping great gobs of goodness.

Hooray! Fist Pumps and High Fives of Happiness all around. Woohoo! Pookie Bear was back to his loudly slurping, chomping, food-crazed self! We can relax now.

Note to self “When are you EVER going to learn that nothing is certain with your little one?“

After he spent a comfortable night on my feet, I get up to find him once again moderately drooling.

Now to determine if it was the canned food that set him off, or what.  It seemed logical to offer it to him at the time, as it contains far less protein than the straight chicken he’s dined on for the last 18 days, but then again, we know how sensitive he can be to food.  ::sigh:: 

Once again, am wracking my brain and feeling guilty that this is my fault. Even though many of the other shunt cats have had very good luck with this food, Newt is not like the other cats in so many ways.  In my joy at seeing his voracious appetite return, I probably should have made him wait the extra five minutes it would have taken to fresh mixed his normal home cooked meal instead of letting him have the canned food. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. And oh, how it did my heart good to see how he relished it.

Going to massage his liver meridian, and work those liver points again today.  He ate most of his chicken breakfast, came out and helped me do the dishes, helped me clean the litter, and then wandered back to nap with his One True Love.

In other news, his vet has confirmed what Cat Daddy has been saying for months now – Pookie has gotten FAT.  He’s not obese or critically overweight, but once he stabilizes, he’s going to go on a diet.

His poochy pouchy is now pudgy!

Oops! And here I keep telling Cat Daddy that I am eating much healthier than he does because I eat what Newt eats.  Fresh veggies, chicken, a bit of cream (for my coffee). 

Hmmmmmm maybe it wasn’t the blizzard of 2010 that made us gain weight after all

Oh, Puke!

Literally.

Pookie had a pukey this morning.  Two of them, in fact. 

Unmistakably his, as evidenced by 1) the fact it occurred in his room sometime during his breakfast; and, 2) they consisted of gobs of chicken. No trying to determine the Anonymous Vomitor this time, no sirree bob. Two piles, looked as if it was the entire contents of his chicken snacks over the last three days.  Divided into two (2) groups, close to each other, and with a rough estimate of approximately one (1) US cup of chicken, plus a rather impressive, perfectly formed, tubular hairball, approximately two (2) US inches long and.75 inches in circumference, pretty tightly packed.  Unlike the Anonymous Hairballer’s pitiful, random offerings of semi-solid squishies, this one was quite impressive. 

No, I did not measure exactly, and no, I did not preserve it for the Hairball Hall of Fame. (But I was tempted!)

This came out of nowhere.  After his acupuncture yesterday, he spent most of the day quietly snoozing on the bed or in the sunny window. Not really drooling, just seemed to be in his usual post-acupuncture afterglow. Around 10 PM, he really perked up, began wandering the counters, foraging for snacks, waiting impatiently every time the fridge door opened, coming to us and begging for food. Eyes bright, alert, seemingly normal. Ate his two chicken snacks with gusto, and without waiting for the newly customary hand-fed offering of a pinch or three to get him going.

He spent the entire night at my feet in the bed, did not crawl down into his nest in the closet, seemed a bit sleepy this morning, and wanted his hand-fed chicken pinch or two, and then he began to eat.

All good news.

And then, puke happened. Now he looks like he’s drooling a bit, little tongue slightly distended, eyes tired, but is sitting upright in the sunny window looking outside. 

Am wondering if the Neomycin may be a contributor.  My biggest concern is what seemed to be such a vast quantity of barely (if at all) digested chicken.  It definitely seemed to constitute the last five or six snacks, so approximately 18 hours worth?

Will be sending this to his vet, and anxiously monitoring him for any change.

Mylo Needs Your Help

Friends,  Newt’s cat shunt friend Mylo in  Sandford Hill, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent UK has gone missing and needs your help desperately.

He has been missing since Sunday and his mum has put up hundreds of flyers, the radio has run an ad, the paper is supposed to run an ad tomorrow.  Mylo is an orange and white tuxedo tabby, very small (2 kg), with the the stereotypically copper-coloured eyes

As a liver shunt cat, Mylo is on medication, and sadly, his latest vet results arrived today, indicating that his liver has deteriorated even worse, so it is critical that he be located.  Her vet told her that Mylo’s worsened liver may have caused him to wander off and die.  As you can imagine, she is devastated by this comment.

You have generously shared your love, your Reiki, your Hope, your well wishes, positive vibes, and everything else with Newt, and I humbly ask that you now do the same for Mylo.

We are sending healing and love and Hope for the Greatest Good to Mylo and his mum, and hope that you will do the same.

Day 13 – A, Roller Coaster of Rapid Cycling HE Symptoms

It has been 13.5 days now since Newt hopped on the HE roller coaster.  Actually, probably a bit longer, as we noticed pre-episodic symptoms a couple of days prior.  But the drooling commenced at 6PM on 28 Feb.

Overview, to date:
The only way we can describe it has been that he is rapid cycling between HE symptoms associated with his liver shunt (drooling, lethargic, inappetance, clumsy, agitated, crouchy, purring) to almost back to normal. Mild to moderately symptomatic for an average of 12 – 18 hours, then almost normal for 12 – 18 hours. 

Not once full blown crisis as in the early days, (with major drool, dehydration, masssive lethargy, violent agitation, complete disinterest in food) and yet, not fully back to the normal Newt of the past glorious and wonderful year.

All possible triggers, however remote the probability, have been analyzed and discarded.

We’re staying the course with increased Lactulose, have offered him the holistic, low protein canned food in addition to his normal, home-cooked meals, hydration is still good.  In fact, he was drinking like a camel last night (in and of itself a bit alarming). Finally caught him urinating today, huge relief there. 

Working all points anywhere around the liver meridian, stomach points, liver points, heck am just massaging / acupressure anywhere I can get my hands on him in hopes of stimulating something to help him over the hurdle. He’s accepting Reiki periodically, but not drawing heavily.  Only a couple of times did he want massive quantities, and then, only for a short duration.

This morning, he was drooling, but showed much interest in the canned food, only to eat a mere US Tablespoon of it.  Turned up his nose at the creme fraiche. A bit of the wobbles, and a bit clumsy, but landed neatly on the counter to help me wash dishes.  Also helped me clean the litter pans, sweep and mop, and initiated play with the Lactulose dropper. Once again napping with his One True Love on his bed.

Am headed out to teach a Reiki for Animals class this afternoon.  Cat Daddy is on duty until he leaves for his gig, so at most, Newt will be unmonitored for an hour.

His awesome vet has called in a new Rx; going to try another antibiotic. 

Many thanks to all for their continued encouragement and support. I can’t stress enough that he’s so far, not critical – not even nearly as episodic as we’ve seen him before.  This is just so puzzling, to be bouncing up and down, mid-range, for so long.