“When I played in the sandbox, the cat kept covering me up.” – Rodney Dangerfield

Me and Rowdy, in PA, '90 - '93

Mr. Creme continues to do well on insulin.  We try to keep his feeding times and insulin injections near the same time each day.  I have been giving his injections without help, although when I notice that Mr. Creme is not in a good mood, I ask Charlie to come and help to soothe him.  He’s fine, he eats and is alert, but like all of us, he gets up on the wrong side of his bed sometimes. 

When he had his last fructosamine test, he had gained a few ounces.  I’m scheduling another test for next week.  I hope his glucose level has dropped to a good level.  I’m still concerned about his back legs though.  He kind of walks with his back arched.  He’s still able to get in a chair on the patio, where he sleeps part of the day and he does get around pretty good.  I know that as long as a cat grooms himself, he is feeling okay.  Mr. Creme does keep himself nice.  He seems content to be in a chair on the patio. 

I check on him regularly and he always has access to his food and water.  The only good thing about his condition is that he no longer can go into the front yard.  But, it’s sad too, that now this once big, strong, cat, walks around with such uncertainty.  When you know a cat when he was a kitten and watch him move through his young prime, the meaning of “getting old, sucks” comes to mind.

Toby and Mr. Creme at 8 weeks old - always together

We’ve watched several of our cats get old and sick.  But, at 11 years old, cats should still be running and jumping and doing what cats like to do.  When a disease like lymphoma or diabetes takes over, it does usually cut the life short or at least inhibits what was normal.

Grady at one month old  (forever young)

We never will know what caused Grady's sudden death just before his 10th birthday.  It was quite a blow to lose him in February of 2010 and then lose later that year Taz in October. 

It was very hard to see Taz become the very thin, unstable cat that he became before he died of cancer.  I was looking at some pictures of him in his last few days.  That is when I really saw how sick he was and how bad he must have been feeling.  His clear, beautiful, green eyes had splotches.  It was like someone took a spoon and stirred up the color in the iris.  It distorted the color and the sparkle was gone.  I'm sure the chemo was part of the side effect.   

I keep his picture near my desk and in other rooms to remind me of him when he was happy and healthy and I think that’s how he is now, wherever he is.  That's the way I picture him in my mind anyway.  Better to remember the good, happy times with him and remember how lucky we were to have him for almost 12 years.

Chelsi, Taz (forefront), Calvin and Rowdy

I also think of Chelsi, Rowdy and Calvin.  We knew them all of their lives and we were able to enjoy them as youngsters.  That's how I like to think of them now.


Kiki and her kittens are still with us.  Charlie and I were joking the other day.  I said, “When “Dash” goes to her new home, we’ll have to tell them that they can’t change her name because she’s been “Dash” for 15 years!”  Charlie said, “Well, they might want to change her name to “Sloth”.

Dash and Cody still call us “grandpa” and grandmama”.  Of course, we talk for them.  They say, “We can out-run grandpa and grandmama!”  They are hard to catch, but we manage to trick them sometimes. 

Cody will come up and sit and sometimes even lay down on a lap.  Not surprisingly, she prefers Charlie’s lap.  But, she will let me pet her.

Dash is very independent and is always waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Cody takes her orders from Dash.

Last night we decided we would put them in their room upstairs to sleep.  We didn’t know what to expect when we went up to feed them this morning.  They were at the door and very glad to see us.  It was like they thought we had abandoned them.  They were so excited that they wouldn’t sit to eat.  Finally when Dash settled and started eating, Cody decided it was okay.  We let them out when they were through.

We’ve found that it makes things easier to separate the kittens at mealtime because our more “civilized” cats will not come to eat.  They are so polite when they eat.  The kittens are still growing and are always hungry.  They have no manners and go from dish to dish.  Usually I feed them on the cat patio and close the door so they can’t come in.  I have to block the cat door because they’ve figured out how to use it. 

Rhody is 9 months old now, 13 pounds, and although he has slowed in his eating, he still is a kitten and we haven’t been able to teach him that when he finishes his food, he can’t go to the next bowl and push Jason or Jonesie away from their food.  We probably need to start feeding him away from the others too.  Maybe I’ll try putting him on the patio with the kittens when I feed them tonight.

Lexi at one month old

Lexi is doing fine on her thyroid medicine.  Her weight has stabilized.  She’s not eating all the time and doesn’t seem to be overly drinking water.  She knows the routine.  In the morning she goes to the door to go out.  I swab her meds in her right ear and open the door.  When she comes in at night, I swab her left ear and she goes to the cat patio and gets in her bed.  I just hope she continues to live the rest of her life normally.

Ellie at one month old

Ellie seems to need her asthma meds more than usual.  Sometimes it’s the weather, but she was in the yard a little while yesterday, so the grasses could have irritated her. 

She’s in the house almost all of the time.  Only once in awhile she will come downstairs and go to the door to go out.  I usually will let her out, especially on nice, warm days like we’ve been having.  She doesn’t do much, just walk around sniffing and may eat some grass.  But, then she comes to the door and back in.  If I try to pet her, she runs ahead of me and back upstairs to her room and sanctuary. 

She has the weak leg condition that Toby had, so it’s hard to watch her climb the stairs and wobble from side to side.  She does make it okay though.  I think she’s walked like this for so long, she doesn’t realize she has a problem.  We don’t think she is in pain.

I’m still going to the chiropractor with my back problem. I have what is called Piriformis Syndrome.  It affects the piriformis muscle and the sciatic nerve.                           

The medical jargon:

“The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in your body. Five sets of paired nerve roots combine to create it, and it's about the diameter of a finger. The sciatic nerve starts in your low back, which is called your lumbar spine. The nerve roots are at the L4 and L5 vertebrae (the 'L' means lumbar, and the numbers indicate the level of the vertebra—where it is in your back). The sciatic nerve also travels through your pelvic region (sacrum).

In most people, the sciatic nerve runs under the piriformis muscle, which moves your thigh side to side. From there, the sciatic nerve descends through the buttocks and the back of the thighs. Behind your knee, smaller nerves branch out from the sciatic nerve and travel down to your feet.

Your sciatic nerve is part of a complex structure: your body's nervous system. That system is responsible for transmitting pain and sensation to other parts of your body. So, when something presses on a nerve, you'll feel it, and it won't feel good. With sciatica, something in your low back—a herniated disc, for example—compresses the sciatic nerve, which then transmits pain down your legs.

The piriformis is a muscle which runs from your sacrum (mid-line base of spine) to the outer hip bone (trochanter).

The muscles in and around the gluteal region help with three areas

1.rotation of the hip and leg;
2.balance while one foot is off the ground; and
3.stability for the pelvic region.”

Apparently my piriformis muscle is pressuring the sciatic nerve.  Funny how you don’t care what the names of your muscle and nerves are until they start causing you so much pain that you have to learn about them.

Anyway, I’m getting better with the treatments my chiropractor gives me every two weeks.  I also decided to try acupuncture yesterday for the first time.  It’s not something I thought of doing on my own though.

I have a friend who volunteers as a receptionist at an acupuncture clinic once a week.  For her volunteer time, she gets free treatments with the acupuncturist. 
I can’t say it was painful, in fact, it was very relaxing.  Even though my pain is on my left side, she inserted needles to my right hand, arm, leg and foot.  Then one needle on my left arm and foot and one in my forehead.
                   
I relaxed in a recliner with a blanket over my feet for about an hour.  I have to say it was relaxing at first, but then I started getting antsy because I don’t like to lie on my back for long periods.  A half hour would probably be better for me.

There are two opening for volunteer receptionists and I’m considering one of them.  I would get my treatments free (if I decide it’s helping me).  I do know that it’s not hurting my condition.

More later............



Do not regret growing older.  It is a privilege denied to many.  ~Author Unknown