Get out the cheese and crackers 'cause I'm gonna whine

Yeah, yeah, I know I haven't posted forever.   I have no excuses other than time slips away from me and before I know a month or two or three has gone by.   And of course, the more time that passes the more I feel I must fill you in on everything. 

And that is overwhelming. 

Partly because there are things you don't really need to know or hear and partly because I don't know where to start.

Well, I'm just going to start and see where it all goes.

First off,   the earthquake, tsunami, fires and nuclear stuff in Japan has just been devastating.   So many people lost.   How do you recover from such massive losses?  And still they are having aftershocks, power outages, shortages of food and water and it is very cold too.   And I see some outpouring of aid and help but for the amount of people missing and dead and for all they are dealing with, it seems like most of us just want to forget it and go on.   I don't care if they are a rich country, that has very little to do with helping people that are facing such massive tragedies.   I just don't think that many of the folks living in the fishing villages were what ou'd call rich.  And even if they were, does that mean that they need less help and compassion?  Okay, I'm done with that rant for now.   On to the next thing.

Back in November on Veteran's Day we had to put Zelda to sleep.  This was such a hard decision but she had reached to point where she wasn't having fun.  This was a cat that would roll on the porch in the sunshine and smile.   You could feel her bliss.  But towards the end she wasn't having much bliss.  The cold affected her more and if you picked her up often times it caused her pain.   That made it an easier choice but it still grieves me.

 

 

Now we are facing another tough time with a pet.   You have to understand that all our pets (one dog and two cats) are in their teens or there about, so we know that it is only a matter of time that weel will face more losses.  It is part of life. 

But about a month ago we noticed Atlas limping.   We thought that maybe he sprained his leg and that it might just go away.  After a day or two it wasn't getting any better. A trip to the vet  sent us home with some pain pills and instructions to call and find out the xray results after the radiologist looked at them.  Not good news.   Not good at all.   Atlas has early malignant cancer in his right shoulder.  

There aren't many options.  We could xray him some more and see if it is in his chest and if not amputate his leg and  hope that it caught all the cancer.   We have opted to treat his pain and make him as comfortable and happy as we can in the time left.  And the vet agrees with us.  Given Atlas's size, age and already achy hips, amputation would be a kindness to him.  It might or might not delay the cancer. 

So he spends a lot more time in the house.   The cats hate him so many days are filled with cat growls and hissing as they assert that it is their house and he better know it.   There is a lot more dog and cat hair on the carpet and it doesn't seem to matter how much you vacuum.  There is always hair.  But it's worth it.  He's a good guy and deserves every bit of kindness we can give him.   After all, if you remember from a previous posting, he is the dog that was in our car when it got stolen and waited until the car was found some18 hours later to relieve himself.   Got to love a dog with a good bladder.

And to add to this all my eyes have been giving me trouble.   I've been to the opthalmalogist and it is just what I thought....floaters.  Gosh darn floaters in my right eye.  My "good" eye.   I've had floater in both eyes for a while but this showed up after I got up from a nap.  And it is right, smack dab in the middle of my eye most of the time.  It's not really something you can focus on a get a precise shape on because it is too close, so it's more like a smear on your eye...all the time.   I have a hard time telling if my glasses are dirty or if its my eyes.  And I want to rub it to get out the "stuff"  but that doesn't do any good because its inside the eye.  So, the doctor said to get used to it.  Easier said than done.   It shows up most when looking at light colored stuff like books or paper or the vista when driving.   And as iis the nature of floaters, it likes to shift around when you least want it to.  Which is so much fun when the floaters in both eyes decide to have a party when I'm driving.   I keep reciting the "just ignore it" mantra but that only goes so far.   Doc said that there was something they could do but it was only for extreme cases.   I didn't ask him but I did look it up when I got home.  He's right.  It's not something I'd like to do.  Basically, they suck out the viscous fluid in your eye, taking the floater with it and refill your eye with a saline solution.  That just doesn't sound so great to me.   So I have to learn to live with the floaters.   But I have to say, it really doesn't make me what to get out the bookbinding stuff and start measuring.  Augh, the thought of trying to be precise with this stuff going on wears me out.  And by the way, the doc won't tell you but it is tiring to deal with eye junk all day long.  I need more light to work, less light in bright conditions to drive and forget driving anyway at dusk.  The weird light at dusk and these floaters are jsut an accident waiting to happen.

But, I'm back.  I'll try to be a bit perkier next time but I won't promise.

Thanks for stopping by.  Be good to yourself and hug your loved ones.

Until next time,

doris

Comments

[Gigi]

Big hugs, Doris. I know what it's like to to through multiple pets being sick and having to put them down and I know it can be hard to deal with. I also just received the news from my eye doctor that I have cataracs so I'm feeling you there as well.We are sooo rowing the same boat my friend. If you feel like talking I am here, it would do me good as well.
xoxox

[doris]

Gigi, I'm so sorry I forgot to comment on your cataracts before. Both my MIL and my Dad have had the surgery (MIL both eyes and my Dad had one done and is having the other one done next month). I knnow it can be scary. Most folks are quite happy with the results from the surgery very quickly. But I so feel your pain. I hate having things wrong with my eyes that I can just rest my eyes or use eyedrops to take care of. And it does sound like we are in much the same boat. Vision smeary, not sharp and clear. Takse the fun out of a few things. I'll try to give you a call when I get a good time. Things are always hopping here.
love,
doris

[Nike Shox]

The idea has alternative. A little mystery novel!!