Davy Jones Remembered

This morning, before my day really got moving, tragedy struck in Florida.  Davy Jones, a member of The Monkees, a band that was all the rage during my childhood in the mid-1960's, passed away suddenly of a heart attack.  By late this afternoon, most of my female Facebook friends were reminiscing about how they had a crush on Mr. Jones when they were younger.  While I don't recall having a crush on the gentleman, or having a poster of him displayed over my bed, I do remember watching The Monkees television show and listening to their music on the radio.  I may even have owned one of their records.

My daugther, being in her twenties, had never heard of Davy Jones or The Monkees, so I decided to visit YouTube for some samples of their work.  It was fun watching her reaction to some of the lyrics and goofy videos that have been posted from the TV show.  "I'm a Believer" is a favorite of many people (me included), as is "The Last Train to Clarksville."  Katherine the Great is partial to this one, "Auntie Grizelda."



Frankly, I don't recall this song, so it was new to both of us.  Take a listen and remember Davy Jones, the heartthrob who was named top teen idol of all time by Yahoo Music in 2008.  To read a bit more about his life, visit this article at Legacy.com.

Weight Loss Accountability

Over the past two years or so, I have (halfheartedly) tried to drop a few pounds.  Sadly, all I seemed to manage was the proverbial five-pound waffle, those same five pounds that experts say are gained and lost repeatedly by most dieters. Read more.

Bye, Bye Feeding Tube!

Tuesday was a day for celebration on Gooseberry Lane.  Fermata, my twelve-year-old tuxedo cat who has been battling a serious gastrointestinal lymph node infection since mid-January, had his esophageal feeding tube removed.  Hurrah!!!  That device, my constant companion for almost a month, the cause of much lost sleep, necessary and helpful though it was, will NOT be missed.  Yes, Katherine the Great and I did incorporate the routine of the apparatus into our daily tasks, but returning to the "normal" flow of activity around here cannot happen soon enough.  Today was a step in that direction.  I went to handbell choir rehearsal for three hours and, in the afternoon, I was able to take my daughter to voice lessons.  The family also grabbed a bite to eat at our favorite barbeque spot...without leaving a cat sitter behind.  Oh, the freedom of independence is such a joy.  Having a healthy kitty is even better!

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Long Overdue Kitty Update
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More on Fermata

A week has passed since my last kitty update, so I thought it time to bring you up to speed with Fermata's progress.  Last Sunday (2/19/2012), after a small hiccup in the appetite rebuilding effort and a consultation with the veterinarian, it was decided to leave the esophageal feeding tube in place for another week, just to be certain that Fermata could hold his own without it.  That situation seems to have materialized.  I am only using the tube in the morning and at eventide for medication administration.  Fermata does need an occasional appetite stimulant due to the fact that the anti-thyroid meds suppress his desire to indulge in the yummiest cat food I can find, but everyone can live with that for the short term.  Slightly more frustrating, kitty has made the command decision that, for the time being, he prefers Science Diet Adult Light dry food.  Leave it to Mr. Finicky to choose the food that has fewer calories, less fat, and more fiber when he needs more of the first and second, and probably an equal amount of the third.  Oh, well.  I think his choice of food can be overcome.  At present, I am not overly concerned about it.  I am just glad to see him coming for meals and demonstrating a consistent interest in eating.  Today, he practically sat on my luncheon plate to get at some pieces of chicken!

So, tomorrow the feeding tube will be removed and a fond farewell shall be said to it.  Hopefully, the stitches that replace it will not need the same amount of monitoring.  We could all use some sleep.

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Long Overdue Kitty Update
Kitty Health Update #3
Kitty Thyroid Update #2
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Long Overdue Kitty Update

Fermata looking dignified

Looking back at the blog, I see that I have neglected to post updates about Fermata, my hyperthyroid tuxedo cat.  At present, his situation is improving.  However, I believe that maintaining an ideal weight for kitty that makes me feel secure may be an ongoing battle, but we shall see.  At any rate, so much more has happened than just weight loss from a speedy thyroid gland.  Allow me to explain.

When I last left you, Fermata had been admitted to the emergency pet hospital in Rhode Island and was undergoing a battery of tests, most of which came back either normal or confirming what had already been determined (i.e., hyperthyroidism and no heart disease).  The worst of these results was, of course, the abdominal ultrasound that showed signs of hepatitis and enlarged lymph nodes in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as an "odd" texture to the liver.  Fearing that lymphoma was the culprit, the veterinarians performed some needle aspirations.  Thankfully, the results of those tests came back negative for lymphoma but positive for suppurative lymphadenitis, a bacterial infection of the lymph nodes in the GI tract.  Being on antibiotics for this infection, but still not eating wonderfully in the hospital, Fermata came home in the hope that, once away from the hustle and bustle, noise and smell of the cat ward, his appetite would return and he would be on his way back to being a ten-pound cat.  No such luck.

Arriving home on Thursday, January 25, 2012, my daughter and I worked diligently to encourage Fermata to eat more, but battling nausea from his medications, he just didn't feel like consuming anything.  Afraid that a further drop in his weight could cause additional complications, I returned kitty to the pet hospital for installation of an esophageal feeding tube.  Fermata has eaten with the assistance of this device since Saturday, January 28, 2012, the last night I think I slept more than two hours together.  I am hoping that the tube can be removed soon, as he has been eating the correct amount of food on his own to sustain ten pounds of body weight.  Frankly, I think I was actually starving Fermata before, unknowingly feeding him less dry food and not enough wet food in a misguided effort to switch from the latter to the former.  Silly kitty mommy.

One other development:  while in the hospital, Fermata started taking the tablet form of methimazole, rather than the cream version that I initially preferred.  Apparently, more uniform dosing can be achieved with the tablets and since he is tolerating them well, Fermata will be pilled twice a day from now on, unless my husband and I decide to have kitty undergo radioactive iodine therapy, which would remove any need for thyroid medication.  That decision is in the future, though.  The current priority is to return Fermata to his previous eating habits and to maintain a healthy weight in the ten to eleven pound range.

Related articles:
Kitty Health Update #3
Kitty Thyroid Update #2
Kitty Thyroid Update #1
Another Thyroid Patient