Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Arwen Evenstar]

Yay! Two of the 4 boxes we sent to PR made it today -FINALLY!  My SIL burst into tears to have them, since the boxes contained items hard to find or cleaned off the shelves before she got in the store.  

So happy at least half of our care packages made it there. 

5 minutes ago, ChiCricket said:

Oops..you sure did!

Don't apologize...it bears repeating, particularly if it means our forum members share with their friends and family via email or social media.

[Arwen Evenstar]

21 hours ago, SMama said:

There a song by silly boy band Menudo titled Coqui. Look it up on YouTube ...

Yes, that same silly boy band that introduced the world to Ricky Martin.  

I have the benefit concert for Somos Una Voz (only seems to be on Spanish speaking TV) on pause while Mr E fixes dinner.  I think I'll give the vid a look, thanks. ?

[Love2dance]

6 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Yes, that same silly boy band that introduced the world to Ricky Martin.  

I have the benefit concert for Somos Una Voz (only seems to be on Spanish speaking TV) on pause while Mr E fixes dinner.  I think I'll give the vid a look, thanks. ?

The 10:00 segment was also on NBC and several online stations.

[ChiCricket]

Just got a phone call from my daughter Rosa in Puerto Rico. My husband's younger brother Miguel  had a heart attack last night and is in a hospital in Arecebo. :(

 Thank goodness they went there. Her husband (who is a doctor) is talking with the hospital doctors now. Please keep him in your thoughts. 

[Arwen Evenstar]

12 minutes ago, ChiCricket said:

Just got a phone call from my daughter Rosa in Puerto Rico. My husband's younger brother Miguel  had a heart attack last night and is in a hospital in Arecebo. :(

 Thank goodness they went there. Her husband (who is a doctor) is talking with the hospital doctors now. Please keep him in your thoughts. 

OMG, ChiCricket.  That's so awful.  I'm so sorry.  They got there just in the nick of time!  Things could have been much worse had your son in law not been there to attend him and advocate for his care. Of course, we will keep Miguel in our thoughts and prayers. 

[ChiCricket]

I know we are SO lucky to have them there. I'm sitting here bawling thinking of all the people who don't have the same access to care. OMGosh can't wait for 2017 to end. :(

Edited October 15, 2017 by ChiCricket

[Temperance]

On 10/14/2017 at 2:02 AM, Honeycocoa said:

Almost Like Praying (Lin Manuel Miranda's benefit song for Puerto Rico) is great) the musical theater nerd in me wonders if people know that's the song Maria from West Side Story?  

I wonder if people would remember Maria from West Side Story was Puerto Rican. 

@chicricket Yikes! Thinking good thoughts.

[Arwen Evenstar]

2 hours ago, Temperance said:

I wonder if people would remember Maria from West Side Story was Puerto Rican. 

@chicricket Yikes! Thinking good thoughts.

I think many people who saw West Side Story had no inkling of who or what Puerto Ricans are all about, back then or now. Most people still don't know Puerto Ricans are US citizens, pay taxes, and have fought and died for their country serving in the armed forces.

[magpye29]

4 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

Please keep him in your thoughts. 

Praying.

[bythelake]

4 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

Just got a phone call from my daughter Rosa in Puerto Rico. My husband's younger brother Miguel  had a heart attack last night and is in a hospital in Arecebo. :(

 Thank goodness they went there. Her husband (who is a doctor) is talking with the hospital doctors now. Please keep him in your thoughts. 

After all they've gone through in Puerto Rico, this seems like the last straw for your family. Sounds like he is getting the help he needs and hope he makes a full recovery.

[Love2dance]

4 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

Just got a phone call from my daughter Rosa in Puerto Rico. My husband's younger brother Miguel  had a heart attack last night and is in a hospital in Arecebo. :(

 Thank goodness they went there. Her husband (who is a doctor) is talking with the hospital doctors now. Please keep him in your thoughts. 

Oh, so sorry to hear that, @ChiCricket. Miguel is in my thoughts and I hope he will get the care he needs in Arecibo to return to health. It all seems like too much. The stress of the unbearable conditions has probably affected the health of countless people there.

[kaleidoscope]

Prayers ♥

[ChiCricket]

On 10/15/2017 at 3:32 PM, ChiCricket said:

I know we are SO lucky to have them there. I'm sitting here bawling thinking of all the people who don't have the same access to care. OMGosh can't wait for 2017 to end. :(

I feel guilty (but still incredibly lucky)because my brother in law got taken to a first rate San Juan hospital (out of the little mountain hospital he was in.) That only happened because my son in law is a doctor/hospital CEO (hard to explain his job) in Florida  and had great pull. They immediately took Miguel into surgery after taking him there by helicopter, and operated on him, unblocking two arteries. He is doing well.Thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers, I really appreciate them all.

Ps now Rosa and Nathan are kind of stuck in PR..can't find a flight out, and he needs to get back to his hospital, and she needs to get back to her 3 kids. I just know they're exhausted, but are determined to keep helping until they can get back home.

[SMama]

So glad they were there for your BIL. Sending positive thoughts and prayers his way.

Edited October 17, 2017 by SMama

[Sew Sumi]

Just wanted to check in and let you all know that you are constantly in my thoughts. Some good has to come out of this, right? 

[Arwen Evenstar]

10 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

I feel guilty (but still incredibly lucky)because my brother in law got taken to a first rate San Juan hospital (out of the little mountain hospital he was in.) That only happened because my son in law is a doctor/hospital CEO (hard to explain his job) in Florida  and had great pull. They immediately took Miguel into surgery after taking him there by helicopter, and operated on him, unblocking two arteries. He is doing well.Thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers, I really appreciate them all.

So glad to hear Miguel got the appropriate medical intervention and that he's on the mend.  Yup, when you have a doctor as a family member, they do have a lot of pull for some reason. We have 4 out of 5 nieces and nephews who are doctors (on the mainland) on my husband's side, so if a family member wasn't getting the care they needed, you bet they'd swoop in, but I would feel the same way you do right now about how unfair that seems to the rest of people anywhere--because it is.

[Arwen Evenstar]

Finally! The last of our 4 boxes was delivered.  Priority mail from Houston to Ponce took anywhere from 8 to 13 calendar days. 

The USPS is about the highest functioning entity on the island right now. This is going to be the lifeline to our families as they continue to struggle to find canned food and batteries.  

My SIL accompanied a friend to San Juan yesterday, so she wouldn't have to drive back alone after dropping her husband off for his business trip.  She told my husband that the road there had some major delays because one of the exit ramps had to be made two way because they were afraid the other side was going to collapse.  The town of Cayey looked like a war zone. She said all the trees were bald everywhere you could see.  The island was a beautiful lush green everywhere all year round.

[bigskygirl]

I admit I have been cranky because of no land line phone service and internet problems, but I cannot imagine not having food, water, shelter, and medical and phone service for a long period of time. Yes, our service repair order was cancelled last week for some reason, but the repair tech showed up about a hour today before we were expecting him, and everything was taken care of. I guess it was a cable in our neighborhood causing the problems.

@Arwen Evenstar and others who are having family and friends in the wake of horrible weather and other dangerous conditions, I hope things get better for your family and friends, and you will be able to stay in contact with them.

[Arwen Evenstar]

@ChiCricket, hope you’re doing ok. I know you’ve had a lot of upheaval in these last few days. Hugs.

[Chess Girl]

Long time lurker. first time poster...  I live in NW NJ, I teach at afterschool programs.  We recently downsides after 2+ years of DH being unemployed.  ChiCricket, I hope your BIL is okay.  Arwen, I hope you are doing okay with all of your stuff and your family.  You are a family and I want to join, not just read on the outside.  Glad to see you back bigskygirl.  

[Barb23]

Welcome to the family  Chess Girl !

[Chess Girl]

Thanks for the welcome!  I have been reading this thread since wonderwoman and even earlier.  Today's problem:How do I get meds into a cat that is so picky....   We've just moved and the tech was fantastic, she tried kitty crack AKA Temptations, baby food and straight tuna and Autumn would have none of it.  She's on oral antibiotics and her first dose went to a sibling, who was not as discerning. 

[zoomama]

21 minutes ago, Chess Girl said:

Thanks for the welcome!  I have been reading this thread since wonderwoman and even earlier.  Today's problem:How do I get meds into a cat that is so picky....   We've just moved and the tech was fantastic, she tried kitty crack AKA Temptations, baby food and straight tuna and Autumn would have none of it.  She's on oral antibiotics and her first dose went to a sibling, who was not as discerning. 

i wrap my doggy meds in cheese and she eats them out of my hand. maybe a cat would do that too? (i dont do cats at all. they are deadly to me). 

[bythelake]

37 minutes ago, Chess Girl said:

Thanks for the welcome!  I have been reading this thread since wonderwoman and even earlier.  Today's problem:How do I get meds into a cat that is so picky....   We've just moved and the tech was fantastic, she tried kitty crack AKA Temptations, baby food and straight tuna and Autumn would have none of it.  She's on oral antibiotics and her first dose went to a sibling, who was not as discerning. 

I think cats are supposed to be lactose intolerant, so no cheese. I use cheese or a small slice of deli ham for our dog's nightly Phenobarb. She's an epileptic. The cat likes the ham as a treat too ( minus the Phenobarb). The dog's pill is small so it works great, but antibiotics are usually larger. Could they give you a liquid that you could use by eye dropper and just squirt in her mouth?

[Absolom]

I wear a long skirt and back the cat into it, get both sides of jaw so her mouth opens, toss the pill as far back in her throat as I can, hold her mouth closed and gently rub her throat until she licks her nose.  I have yet to find anything I could hide a pill in that a cat didn't eventually notice.  

[CherryMalotte]

My mom would butter up the pill and swear it worked, the butter would help the pill slide down the throat.  She swore it always worked - thought I've never tried that myself.  Of course this would also entail someone holding the cat while she pried the mouth open and shoved the pill in, and keeping yourself away from a jaw slamming crunch into any fingers.  *sigh* Picky beasts... 

[Absolom]

Putting a bit of peanut butter around the pill works on dog.  I happen to have a dog who is excellent in smoking out the pill no matter what it is wrapped in.  

[ChiCricket]

10 hours ago, Chess Girl said:

Long time lurker. first time poster...  I live in NW NJ, I teach at afterschool programs.  We recently downsides after 2+ years of DH being unemployed.  ChiCricket, I hope your BIL is okay.  Arwen, I hope you are doing okay with all of your stuff and your family.  You are a family and I want to join, not just read on the outside.  Glad to see you back bigskygirl.  

My BIL is doing well, and as long as he stays on the heart medicine they gave him, he should be fine. I'm very happy my daughter and SIL got back to Florida late last night.

Let's see if I can share a video of them trying to go a back way to go see my husband's family (the bridge is out on the road we usually drive up there.

[bigskygirl]

Can you try to put the pill in some wet cat food and spoon feed it to the cat? My husband and I tried liquid antibiotics. It was not as easy as the vet said it would be. *lol*

[Love2dance]

4 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

My BIL is doing well, and as long as he stays on the heart medicine they gave him, he should be fine. I'm very happy my daughter and SIL got back to Florida late last night.

Let's see if I can share a video of them trying to go a back way to go see my husband's family (the bridge is out on the road we usually drive up there.

Thank you for sharing the video, @ChiCricket. Hopefully they will soon get all the services they need, but it is reassuring to see they are OK and BIL is doing better.

[Arwen Evenstar]

5 hours ago, Chess Girl said:

Thanks for the welcome!  I have been reading this thread since wonderwoman and even earlier.  Today's problem:How do I get meds into a cat that is so picky....   We've just moved and the tech was fantastic, she tried kitty crack AKA Temptations, baby food and straight tuna and Autumn would have none of it.  She's on oral antibiotics and her first dose went to a sibling, who was not as discerning. 

Welcome and thanks for the shout out! I get mine compounded by BCP Pet Pharmacy.  They ship all over the country and compound for zoo animals and exotics.

Transdermal gels work best for my kitties, but that’s not an option for you this time. Try these: Dip the pill in Gerber baby food meats or dredge it through cold bacon fat.  They will look at you as if hey that was yummy, why did you force that down my throat?

[Arwen Evenstar]

@ChiCricket, thanks for sharing.  It’s a miracle the house in Lares sustained so little damage. 212 mph winds! Wow!  They must have been so happy to see family.

[Jynnan tonnix]

We used to have a cat which was incredibly difficult when it came to getting pills down her...And anything you figured out that would work once, she would see right through the next time. Some of the things which worked once: pill pockets (malleable treats you can wrap around the pill), which you  can find in any pet store, hairball remedies in a tube with a sort of Vaseline consistency - put crumbled pill in that and spread on the cat's paw..they will lick it off. Or the tried and true method of wrapping the cat in a towel and poking the pill down her throat. Comes at risk of life & limb (yours, not the cat's), but is sometimes the only way. You can get a plastic syringe-type pill holder (I think it was called a pill-popper from the vet which makes it marginally easier. To be honest, I don't recall any medication we got for her which we managed to get all of into her before it was flung off, spit out, or otherwise lost, but she did live until just a couple of weeks shy of her 18th birthday...so not too bad at that.

[bythelake]

5 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

My BIL is doing well, and as long as he stays on the heart medicine they gave him, he should be fine. I'm very happy my daughter and SIL got back to Florida late last night.

Let's see if I can share a video of them trying to go a back way to go see my husband's family (the bridge is out on the road we usually drive up there.

 

Great video. How proud you must be of your daughter and SIL to travel all that way. That's what family is about. Hope your BIL continues to improve.

[Almost 3000]

7 hours ago, Chess Girl said:

Thanks for the welcome!  I have been reading this thread since wonderwoman and even earlier.  Today's problem:How do I get meds into a cat that is so picky....   We've just moved and the tech was fantastic, she tried kitty crack AKA Temptations, baby food and straight tuna and Autumn would have none of it.  She's on oral antibiotics and her first dose went to a sibling, who was not as discerning. 

I had a cat that was very sick many years ago and my dog just had some minor surgery and the vet gave them an injection that is suppose to work over/for a week. It costs more but I opted for it so I wouldn't stress either the pet or me out.

Edited October 20, 2017 by Almost 3000
It was an antibiotic so would work in your cat's case too.

[lookeyloo]

5 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

My BIL is doing well, and as long as he stays on the heart medicine they gave him, he should be fine. I'm very happy my daughter and SIL got back to Florida late last night.

Let's see if I can share a video of them trying to go a back way to go see my husband's family (the bridge is out on the road we usually drive up there.

@ChiCricket - thanks so much for that moving video.  It really does put a personal touch on the tragedy and devastation.  It made me teary eyed to see "Tia Minerva" when your daughter asked her if she was scared.   I'm glad everyone is okay although their lives are still in turmoil.  

[CalicoKitty]

2 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Welcome and thanks for the shout out! I get mine compounded by BCP Pet Pharmacy.  They ship all over the country and compound for zoo animals and exotics.

Transdermal gels work best for my kitties, but that’s not an option for you this time. Try these: Dip the pill in Gerber baby food meats or dredge it through cold bacon fat.  They will look at you as if hey that was yummy, why did you force that down my throat?

I was going to suggest turkey baby food.  That has worked well for my picky kitties, especially with liquid meds.  I have found that, much to my surprise, sometimes they LOVE the liquid meds and lap it up right from the dropper.

[MargeGunderson]

My 21 year old cat takes her many pills in a pill pocket (soft treat with a hole to put the treat in) if she's being good, but if she's being bad, she gets them in a little bit of cream cheese inside of a bit of low sodium turkey. She's usually bad.

[Arwen Evenstar]

My beautiful black Persian mix cat can feign swallowing a pill and then I hear it ricochet off the wall....kids!

[lookeyloo]

14 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

My beautiful black Persian mix cat can feign swallowing a pill and then I hear it ricochet off the wall....kids!

We had a big black part Persian who did the same!  We had other cats and pilled them successfully. This one would seem to cooperate with every method and then walk away, give us a side eye, spit the pill out and run!  Quite a defiant character. 

[Jynnan tonnix]

2 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

We had a big black part Persian who did the same!  We had other cats and pilled them successfully. This one would seem to cooperate with every method and then walk away, give us a side eye, spit the pill out and run!  Quite a defiant character. 

The cat I was talking about had that trick in her repertoire as well...None of our cats have ever been particularly easy to pill, but she was the worst. None of the dogs could care less. Whatever you wrapped the pill in, they'd inhale it and look for more...

[Jynnan tonnix]

Urgh....should have knocked wood when I mentioned hardly ever getting sick the other day...Seems that I managed to pick up something at the airport/on the plane coming back from visiting Mr. Jyn in Virginia over the past couple of weeks..Came home Wednesday morning, woke  up with a sore throat Thursday morning, sneezing and dripping on Friday, though as long as it just played out like a cold I was OK with it. Now running a fever of up to 102.8 which only came down to 101 a couple of hours after taking Tylenol. And nobody else is home. I hope this goes away in the next day or so. Not fun.

[Arwen Evenstar]

16 minutes ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Urgh....should have knocked wood when I mentioned hardly ever getting sick the other day...Seems that I managed to pick up something at the airport/on the plane coming back from visiting Mr. Jyn in Virginia over the past couple of weeks..Came home Wednesday morning, woke  up with a sore throat Thursday morning, sneezing and dripping on Friday, though as long as it just played out like a cold I was OK with it. Now running a fever of up to 102.8 which only came down to 101 a couple of hours after taking Tylenol. And nobody else is home. I hope this goes away in the next day or so. Not fun.

So sorry, Jynnan.  I pray it’s not the flu, as you are probably not going to be able to get Tamiflu since it has to be given within 48 hours of symptoms. It doesn’t shorten the flu, but it makes one more comfortable than you would otherwise be,

It promises to be a vile cold and flu season. Next time, take airborne 3 days before and after your outbound and your return flights.  We swear by it.  We also do it when we’re visiting nieces and nephews, little germ factories they can be. Bless them.

[AUgirl]

I hope it's not the flu. My 13 year old was down a week with it-then ended up with a mouth and lip full of ulcers and fever blisters. Tamiflu really didn't help him. 

Hope you're better soon. 

[Love2dance]

On 10/21/2017 at 6:05 PM, Jynnan tonnix said:

Urgh....should have knocked wood when I mentioned hardly ever getting sick the other day...Seems that I managed to pick up something at the airport/on the plane coming back from visiting Mr. Jyn in Virginia over the past couple of weeks..Came home Wednesday morning, woke  up with a sore throat Thursday morning, sneezing and dripping on Friday, though as long as it just played out like a cold I was OK with it. Now running a fever of up to 102.8 which only came down to 101 a couple of hours after taking Tylenol. And nobody else is home. I hope this goes away in the next day or so. Not fun.

So sorry, JYNNAN TONNIX. I sure hope you are feeling better today. Since you are home alone, I’ll play mommy and remind you to drink LOTS of fluids and try to at least eat soup or toast. Hugs.

[Jynnan tonnix]

7 hours ago, Love2dance said:

So sorry, JYNNAN TONNIX. I sure hope you are feeling better today. Since you are home alone, I’ll play mommy and remind you to drink LOTS of fluids and try to at least eat soup or toast. Hugs.

Thanks...feeling better today, with just a leftover cough. I made myself a big pot of chicken soup when I first started feeling as though I was coming down with something, so that's been enough for one or two meals a day, and  I have a bag of clementines which go down well. Guess it's time to think about taking a shower since I probably smell like something the cat dragged in about now. LOL. 

[Rabbittron]

5 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Guess it's time to think about taking a shower since I probably smell like something the cat dragged in about now. LOL. 

Or Jill's house?

[MargeGunderson]

4 minutes ago, Rabbittron said:

Or Jill's house?

Oh, burn!

(Glad you're feeling better JT)

[Arwen Evenstar]

17 minutes ago, MargeGunderson said:

Oh, burn!

(Glad you're feeling better JT)

Me too

[Jynnan tonnix]

3 hours ago, Rabbittron said:

Or Jill's house?

Haha! Bad as it might have been, I'm thinking that at least my stale, sweaty self had no hints of dirty diaper added to the mix!