Out of darkness comes light, out of despair, hope and out of death, new life...
Bob and I decided that we'd seen too much death lately and that both us and the kitties needed some new energy. Please join us in welcoming Finnegan James to our herd. Finnegan was found wandering the street by one of my clients. He was neutered and in good health, other than being a little thin. They had him FeLV/FIV tested, de-wormed and vaccinated. They were planning on keeping him, but their resident cat wouldn't allow it. That's when the flyer was posted at my work. Normally, I might not have acted on this, but according to the flyer, Finnegan (originally "Steve") was scheduled to go to Cat Adoption Team on July 7th, which is my birthday. That for me was a sign. I made a phone call, and yesterday we welcomed Finnegan into our family.
He is currently living in our 4th bedroom, although I'm starting to isolate him in other rooms during the day, in order for him to leave his scent. He is friendly, although a bit nervous, having fended for himself and then being moved around a bit (he boarded at a kitty motel and also lived in my clients' bathroom). It's going to take him some time to bond with us, but once he realizes that this is his forever home, I think the nervousness will subside. He seems pretty easy going and the other cats don't seem too upset by his presence; they seem more put that they have lost access to a room!
Finnegan's right ear has been tipped, indicating that he may have been part of a feral cat colony at one time, although he doesn't act feral. I'm hoping to introduce him to his new brothers and sisters this weekend.
I wasn't sure if I would adopt another cat anytime soon, but this feels right. We invest a lot of love in our pets, only to have them leave us all too soon. Yet with each loss, the void left in our hearts eventually heals. When this happens, we are ready to welcome another pet into our home and hearts. This is but one way we can honor the memories of those pets who have passed on.
Ellen
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wow, can't believe it's about 5 weeks into training! Had a great track workout this past Wednesday in the sun :) (finally) and this Saturday we're increasing our miles again. we're running 9 after having run 5 last week! I'm also training for another half marathon on July 11-the Feuled by Fine Wine half marathon in Dundee. Can't wait! I remember back in January how intimidated I was doing my first half-now I've started running them for fun. Odd how things change once you face those fears!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Welcome to my Blog
Welcome to my blog. I've started this page as a way of sharing my Team In Training experience along with my other adventures. I hope to update it weekly.
I just completed my second half-marathon yesterday (the Helvetia Half), averaging a 9:37 minute mile! Two more half marathons this summer along with Hood to coast. Then in October, I am running the Portland marathon-my first full! I am running this with Team in Training, so I am currently raising money for LLS. Check out my website and consider making a donation if you can. http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/portland10/ellen
So, where to begin? In January, I received a post card from an organization called Team-In-Training. They train endurance athletes for marathons, triathlons, century rides. The athletes in turn, raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I'd been wanting to get into running, but never knew how to train properly, and I was worried about injuring myself. Plus, I wasn't sure if I would really enjoy it. This was the perfect opportunity to get some training while doing something good. It wasn't long before I was hooked. I completed my first half-marathon in April (The Race for the Roses) and averaged a 10 minute mile! I also raised $2043 for LLS. I was hooked on running and on team in training.
Monday, April 26, 2010
8 is not enough...
On the heels of one tragedy rides another. Today I lost my beautiful Dusty Elizabeth to gastric lymphoma....
Dusty had been gradually losing weight for some time. An ultrasound in November was unremarkable, except for some thickened bowel loops, so I decided to treat her conservatively for inflammatory bowel disease. She responded well to prednisolone and initally gained some weight back. We decreased her pred dose and she maintained for a few weeks but then started to lose weight again. Around the time we lost Bagheera, Dusty had some intermittent vomiting and inappentance, but it seemed to resolve, so I thought it might have been due to the stress of losing a family member. This past week, she started having vomiting episodes and a poor appetite, as well as noticeable weight loss. We ultrasounded her on Thursday and discovered a large (3cm!) mass in her stomach. We took some fine needle aspirates and sent them out to the lab that evening. Dusty recovered from her sedation and ate well as though she was making up for the past week. The results came back Friday morning as lymphoma so I started her on chemotherapy that afternoon. Friday night she vomited everything she had eaten that day. I treated her with anzemet and SQ flids-Saturday she seemed like she might be starting to rally, but that evening, she seemed to be starting to lose ground. This morning Dusty was under the bed trying to get comfortable and vocalizing. She came down with the rest of the herd, but was very weak and her gums were pale. I noticed that she had started panting intermittently as well. Based on my experiences, I knew that she was most likely bleeding internally, propbably from her tumor and that the one last thing I could do for her was to let her go before nature took its course. I brought her into work-I think she was actually on her way out when we pulled into the parking lot, but at least we were able to make her transition a little smoother.
Dusty was born on my front step in Akron, Ohio. She was one of four kittens that Samantha (my oldest) gave birth to. Her sister Wiggles died at 6 years of age and her other sister Trouble and brother Boots are still with us. Dusty earned her name because as a very young kitten she liked to hide in the back of the birthing box, like a little dustball. She was always a very lithe little cat and loved to leap onto tall counters, particularly if I had something interesting to eat. Her favourite treat was graham crackers and she was always insistent that I share them with her. One of Dusty's favourite things to do was to lick and chew on plastic bags (although she never tried to eat them) and lick the bathroom blinds. She would always seem to zone out while doing these things, so much so, that I would have to clap my hands just to bring her back to the present. Thus, I called her my "OCD kitty." I also referred to her as my sensitive girl, because every time I lost a feline family member over the years, she always seemed the most affected by it. Dusty had quite the vocabulary-every mew, trill, chirp and coo had some meaning and it developed into a very special means of communication between us. She was also very vocal, earning the nickname of "Loudmouth Louie," because she like to vocalize (loudly) during the wee hours of the morning and would sometimes hop up on the bed and meow in my ear (especially if she thought I was sleeping in too late on the weekend ; ) ). Dusty got along well with the rest of the herd but was particularly close to Samantha and would frequently groom her and curl up with her. Their favourite spot was in front of the fireplace.
Sixteen years is a long time to have forged a bond, and yet it is not nearly long enough. All we can hope for is that we have given our companion animals the best lives possible and that we are able to let them go when it is their time.
Ellen
Dusty had been gradually losing weight for some time. An ultrasound in November was unremarkable, except for some thickened bowel loops, so I decided to treat her conservatively for inflammatory bowel disease. She responded well to prednisolone and initally gained some weight back. We decreased her pred dose and she maintained for a few weeks but then started to lose weight again. Around the time we lost Bagheera, Dusty had some intermittent vomiting and inappentance, but it seemed to resolve, so I thought it might have been due to the stress of losing a family member. This past week, she started having vomiting episodes and a poor appetite, as well as noticeable weight loss. We ultrasounded her on Thursday and discovered a large (3cm!) mass in her stomach. We took some fine needle aspirates and sent them out to the lab that evening. Dusty recovered from her sedation and ate well as though she was making up for the past week. The results came back Friday morning as lymphoma so I started her on chemotherapy that afternoon. Friday night she vomited everything she had eaten that day. I treated her with anzemet and SQ flids-Saturday she seemed like she might be starting to rally, but that evening, she seemed to be starting to lose ground. This morning Dusty was under the bed trying to get comfortable and vocalizing. She came down with the rest of the herd, but was very weak and her gums were pale. I noticed that she had started panting intermittently as well. Based on my experiences, I knew that she was most likely bleeding internally, propbably from her tumor and that the one last thing I could do for her was to let her go before nature took its course. I brought her into work-I think she was actually on her way out when we pulled into the parking lot, but at least we were able to make her transition a little smoother.
Dusty was born on my front step in Akron, Ohio. She was one of four kittens that Samantha (my oldest) gave birth to. Her sister Wiggles died at 6 years of age and her other sister Trouble and brother Boots are still with us. Dusty earned her name because as a very young kitten she liked to hide in the back of the birthing box, like a little dustball. She was always a very lithe little cat and loved to leap onto tall counters, particularly if I had something interesting to eat. Her favourite treat was graham crackers and she was always insistent that I share them with her. One of Dusty's favourite things to do was to lick and chew on plastic bags (although she never tried to eat them) and lick the bathroom blinds. She would always seem to zone out while doing these things, so much so, that I would have to clap my hands just to bring her back to the present. Thus, I called her my "OCD kitty." I also referred to her as my sensitive girl, because every time I lost a feline family member over the years, she always seemed the most affected by it. Dusty had quite the vocabulary-every mew, trill, chirp and coo had some meaning and it developed into a very special means of communication between us. She was also very vocal, earning the nickname of "Loudmouth Louie," because she like to vocalize (loudly) during the wee hours of the morning and would sometimes hop up on the bed and meow in my ear (especially if she thought I was sleeping in too late on the weekend ; ) ). Dusty got along well with the rest of the herd but was particularly close to Samantha and would frequently groom her and curl up with her. Their favourite spot was in front of the fireplace.
Sixteen years is a long time to have forged a bond, and yet it is not nearly long enough. All we can hope for is that we have given our companion animals the best lives possible and that we are able to let them go when it is their time.
Ellen
Sunday, March 21, 2010
9 little Indians
It is with a heavy heart that I write this email. On Friday I lost my beloved Bagheera to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, it is a disease in which the walls of the heart, particularly the left ventricle, become increasingly thickened, making it more difficult to function properly. It is a often not diagnosed until symptoms present themselves in the form of congestive heart failure, a saddle thrombus, or sudden death. Sometimes a murmur can be ausculted during an exam, which can aid in diagnosis.
Bagheera was diagnosed over 3 1/2 years ago, when he started acutely limping and Bob thought he'd hurt his leg. He brought Bagheera into Dove Lewis, where I was working at the time. His orthopedic exam turned out to be normal, but the crackles we heard when ausculting him indicated congestive heart failure-radiographs confirmed this. Bagheera spent the night at Dove on lasix and a nitroglycerin patch. An echocardiogram the next confirm that he had HCM. We were referred to cardiology NW for continued management. His prognosis at that time was 1-2 years.
Fast forward 3 1/2 years. Bagheera had been seeing the cardiologist every 6 months for an echo. For awhile, the only changes we made were increases in his dose of lasix. Then in December, I noticed an increase in respiratory effort. An echo performed by the cardiologist revealed a thrombus in his already very large left atrium. He had pleural effusion and 300ml was drained from his chest cavity. We increased his lasix, but 3 weeks later, Bagheera needed another chest tap. We also noticed on ultrasound, that the thrombus was increasing in size. He started going 2 weeks between chest taps, but seemed to bounce back after each one. After his last tap on 3/8, he didn't seem to bounce back as well. This past week, Bagheera didn't want to eat and seemed generally weaker. On Friday, his respiratory effort was markedly increased, less that 2 weeks after his last tap. He couldn't seem to get comfortable and had lost interest in the things he liked to do. I had to let him go. Bagheera passed peacefully in the presence of those who loved him. It broke my heart to lose him, but it was worse seeing him deteriorate this week.
I inherited Bagheera when he was just 6 months of age. One of my co-workers at the humane society broke up with her boyfriend and had nowhere to go, except back to Kansas, to live with her family. She asked me to keep Bagheera (whom she had adopted from the Humane Society) until she could come back and get him. He ended up becoming a permanent addition to my feline family.
Bagheera was the quintessential cool cat. Nothing fazed him-not car rides, vet visits or being pilled. He loved to ride in his carrier, and when we moved here from Ohio, he would always walk into his carrier after breakfast, waiting for us to pack up his brothers and sisters. He was a gentle soul, yet would be very protective when an stray cat or dog would show up outside the house. He got along well with his brothers and sisters, and was known to sometimes initiate a squabble :) Bagheera was good-natured about being pilled. I used to joke that he would walk up to me and say "pills please" and practically open his mouth. I truly believe that his good nature and calm disposition helped him live with HCM for as long as he did.
Bagheera was 1 in a million, but also a perfect example of just how unique and special our fur children are. Cherish your time with them-it is much too short and once they are gone, the void they leave can never be filled.
Ellen
Bagheera was diagnosed over 3 1/2 years ago, when he started acutely limping and Bob thought he'd hurt his leg. He brought Bagheera into Dove Lewis, where I was working at the time. His orthopedic exam turned out to be normal, but the crackles we heard when ausculting him indicated congestive heart failure-radiographs confirmed this. Bagheera spent the night at Dove on lasix and a nitroglycerin patch. An echocardiogram the next confirm that he had HCM. We were referred to cardiology NW for continued management. His prognosis at that time was 1-2 years.
Fast forward 3 1/2 years. Bagheera had been seeing the cardiologist every 6 months for an echo. For awhile, the only changes we made were increases in his dose of lasix. Then in December, I noticed an increase in respiratory effort. An echo performed by the cardiologist revealed a thrombus in his already very large left atrium. He had pleural effusion and 300ml was drained from his chest cavity. We increased his lasix, but 3 weeks later, Bagheera needed another chest tap. We also noticed on ultrasound, that the thrombus was increasing in size. He started going 2 weeks between chest taps, but seemed to bounce back after each one. After his last tap on 3/8, he didn't seem to bounce back as well. This past week, Bagheera didn't want to eat and seemed generally weaker. On Friday, his respiratory effort was markedly increased, less that 2 weeks after his last tap. He couldn't seem to get comfortable and had lost interest in the things he liked to do. I had to let him go. Bagheera passed peacefully in the presence of those who loved him. It broke my heart to lose him, but it was worse seeing him deteriorate this week.
I inherited Bagheera when he was just 6 months of age. One of my co-workers at the humane society broke up with her boyfriend and had nowhere to go, except back to Kansas, to live with her family. She asked me to keep Bagheera (whom she had adopted from the Humane Society) until she could come back and get him. He ended up becoming a permanent addition to my feline family.
Bagheera was the quintessential cool cat. Nothing fazed him-not car rides, vet visits or being pilled. He loved to ride in his carrier, and when we moved here from Ohio, he would always walk into his carrier after breakfast, waiting for us to pack up his brothers and sisters. He was a gentle soul, yet would be very protective when an stray cat or dog would show up outside the house. He got along well with his brothers and sisters, and was known to sometimes initiate a squabble :) Bagheera was good-natured about being pilled. I used to joke that he would walk up to me and say "pills please" and practically open his mouth. I truly believe that his good nature and calm disposition helped him live with HCM for as long as he did.
Bagheera was 1 in a million, but also a perfect example of just how unique and special our fur children are. Cherish your time with them-it is much too short and once they are gone, the void they leave can never be filled.
Ellen
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