Small Talk: I Like Them All, I Just Can't Choose!

[ennui]

4 minutes ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

 The Chinese touring company he used is no longer taking Americans there.

But there are other companies that will take Western tourists to NoKo. And Iraq, and Iran. People have funny ideas about tourist destinations.  

If you go to the State Department website, they have a long list of travel advisories, including Mexico. 

[CarpeDiem54]

1 hour ago, lovemesomejoolery said:

I do have friends who have gone to South Korea and say it is beautiful.  And they have electricity there, so that's a plus!

My sister's hubby is career Army.  Early in their marriage it looked like my BIL might be assigned to South Korea for two years.  This upset my sister because apparently spouses and children aren't allowed to accompany them and have to stay stateside because it's such a volatile area of the world.  

[lovemesomejoolery]

7 minutes ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

My sister's hubby is career Army.  Early in their marriage it looked like my BIL might be assigned to South Korea for two years.  This upset my sister because apparently spouses and children aren't allowed to accompany them and have to stay stateside because it's such a volatile area of the world.  

Yes, it is volatile, particularly in the area near the base - I forget what it's called, demilitarized zone?  

My friends, one of whom is from S. Korea but has lived here just about all of his life, still has family there.  He was concerned that with everything going on in that region, he may not get back there for awhile and the trip had been planned since the Fall.  From there, they went on to China......I envy people who are that adventurous!      

[Denver Hoosier]

One of my DILs' sister has a husband in AF intelligence and they have been stationed in some interesting places over the years.  They are leaving in 2 weeks for a 2 year billet in Moscow.  With present developments in Russian-US relations, we have begun to worry a bit.  They have a 10 year old daughter who is going along with them.  Fingers crossed for an uneventful year.

He has only had one assignment where the family couldn't go.  That was the Middle East.  Lebanon.  Fortunately that only lasted one year.

[Snark Byte]

4 hours ago, ennui said:

Am I the only dog person here?

Dog person here!!!! I have an American Eskimo Dog and a Pomeranian/Papillion mix. I never had skinkids, so these furkids are my babies. I adore them!

My Eskie shown below.

Edited June 20, 2017 by Snark Byte
He's ROFL over the "sold the cat" post!

[CarpeDiem54]

43 minutes ago, Denver Hoosier said:

One of my DILs' sister has a husband in AF intelligence and they have been stationed in some interesting places over the years.  They are leaving in 2 weeks for a 2 year billet in Moscow.  With present developments in Russian-US relations, we have begun to worry a bit.  They have a 10 year old daughter who is going along with them.  Fingers crossed for an uneventful year.

He has only had one assignment where the family couldn't go.  That was the Middle East.  Lebanon.  Fortunately that only lasted one year.

Fingers crossed indeed.  That would make me extremely nervous.  I don't trust the Ruskies as far as I could throw Putin's horse.

[Cricket]

Hello all! I have A LOT of reading to do to catch up on this forum and the other! Update on our meeting with Joe's new surgeon yesterday in regards to the PET Scan -  I was so completely exhausted I was in bed at 6:30 and slept through the night. I went to work from the visit down with the surgeons at Albany Med. They kept us waiting for one hour and 15 minutes in the exam room while both surgeons reviewed the CD of the Pet scan. The only sure cancer was that on the liver which has enlarged to the size of a golf ball. They originally told us it was a fatty spot and nothing to worry about! They said no other spots of cancer showed. Praise to Jesus for this. They are going to have Joe take his next chemo as scheduled on Monday, then stop so he can go into surgery again, on July 13th. Dr. Nigam will remove the tumor on the liver and Dr Valerian his colon cancer dr. will remove the ostomy bag is is wearing now and reattach his GI system to his colon. He will be out of work for another month and there will be no more income coming in from him as he has used up his vacation and sick time. This is a worry of course. Dr Nigam said the tumor is not affecting the large veins and arteries in the liver at the moment so he wants to remove it ASAP and not wait till the fall and I am happy about this. Then after surgery, he will resume Chemo.

[CarpeDiem54]

Oh, @Cricket, that sounds like good news!  The loss of income is distressing, though.  I'll keep praying for you both and am hoping for Joe's full recovery.

[Cricket]

On 6/17/2017 at 0:02 AM, Coffeecup said:

HI Cricket, I just had my first PET scan four days ago, and I'm still sick. I hate to be such a downer, but that experience was so awful it was one of the worst days of my life. Background: I have COPD (emphysema) and a mystery lung infection, some nodules, that my doctor is trying to diagnose. (So far, no cancer has shown up on my other tests this year.)

Before reading the rest of my post, bear in mind that most people do not have serious problems with PET scans, according to the articles and patient discussion forums I read after my bad experience ... but here is what happened to me --

I usually research diagnostic procedures on Google and YouTube before going in for my appointments, because I am so terrified of medical testing. I feel less threatened if I know exactly what will be done to me. My doctor's staff and the diagnostic imaging center staff never tell me anything about the tests except to fast for a few hours ahead of time, so the "patient education" part is left entirely up to me.

This time I made a big mistake and didn't do enough research on PET scans. Due to a history of drug and CT infusion allergies, I got preoccupied with researching side effects of the barium swallow; you have to drink a big container of barium solution two hours before the scan. The one they gave me was called Readi-CAT 2 by Bracco Diagnostics, "barium sulfate oral suspension," 450 ml (15.2 ounces, a pretty large amount of fluid to drink all at once). It tasted like crap, but didn't any side effects except mild nausea, and it made me pee a lot.

I failed to research the actual PET procedure, and just had this information thrown in my face by the technician when I arrived for my appointment: Before the scan, they inject you with a radioactive solution, and then you have to sit alone in a little dark room for 1 1/2 hours!  They tell you to sit back in a reclining chair and not move, or rather, keep as still as you can, while the stuff circulates through your body. You aren't even allowed to use your eyes for anything, do as little eye movement as possible -- no reading, watching TV or looking at a cellphone or any other screen. When they told me about that, I started crying. I mean I was really sobbing. I felt like I was being put into solitary confinement in prison, and put in a straight jacket too. They told me I could go in and out to use the bathroom (it was next door to my room, and I had to pee frequently because of all that barium solution) but otherwise keep still. The light in the room was down to the level of a low wattage night light. They had a space heater running. It was not a good environment for me.

I learned later, the next day when I read about the procedure, that they won't even allow anyone to come sit with you and talk to you during the 1 1/2 hour period, because the radiation is dangerous. There was a sign on my room door "Warning: radioactive material in use" and a sign posted over the toilet "PET scan patients, please sit down to urinate, to avoid splashing radioactive urine on the seat, and please flush twice."  Thanks a hell of a lot; I'm sitting in that room getting cooked by radiation that is so dangerous no one can get near me, and somebody else's poor butt could get contaminated if I even drip pee on the toilet seat!

I absolutely could not keep still. I felt trapped. I never thought I was claustrophobic, but I sure was on that day. I cried for a while longer, and then tried to sit still, but I only lasted five minutes sitting in the reclining chair. Then I popped up and started pacing. I paced back and forth for the entire 1 1/2 hours, plus three trips to the bathroom. I will never forget it: five paces across the room, seven paces down. Trapped like an animal in a cage, pacing, pacing, pacing.  I also hit the reclining chair with my fists several times, using it like a punching bag. I was feeling hot, in addition to feeling so agitated, which I suspect might be an allergic reaction to the radioactive material. (Penicillin makes me feel just like that: hot, agitated, angry.) There was no call button in the room, and the technician never came to check on me. Every time I went out to use the bathroom, the whole place looked deserted, nobody around.

My later research indicates that I probably spoiled the test results by being active instead of still. (My results are not available yet. I was told to call and ask in 3 to 4 business days.) The articles said that the scan could show false positive results, or look too blurry to interpret, if the patient had been moving. In fact, the articles said the patient should refrain from any physical exertion for the entire day before the scan -- no jogging, exercising, or even sex. The articles also said there are dietary restrictions, limit intake of carbs and sugar the day before, since the radioactive stuff interacts with your glucose levels. Well, nobody told me any of that.

As for the actual scan, it was not bad compared to the agony of being trapped in that little room. You lie on a narrow table with a pillow under your knees, and you can have pillows to elevate your head if you wish. They put a big double flap of some white cloth or plastic over my abdominal area. I don't know whether this was to protect my female organs, or to strap me down. I didn't feel any sensation of being tied down.

My clinic said they do not make patients remove bras, jewelry or watches, since the amount of metal in those things is so small it doesn't interfere with the image. (Most articles about PET scans say to remove all metal from your body). I wore my own clothes and shoes, not a hospital gown. They just said to remove your belt because of the buckle. I didn't have any metal in my pants pockets, but I suppose men would have coins and keys in their pockets, and would have to remove those.  

My only serious physical problem with the scan was that I had to lay there with arms over my head for 30 minutes, while the table moved me slowly back and forth into the scanning machine (a big doughnut thing open on both ends, like a regular CT machine. You can see them on YouTube). I have arthritis in my shoulders. After about 15 minutes I started getting pain in my shoulders, and by the time the 30 minutes had passed, the pain was so excruciating I was ready to start crying again. Then it was all over with and they let me escape!  I was never so glad to get out of a place!

I am not sure (will ask doctor) what radioactive chemical was injected into me. According to Wikipedia and other sources, the radioactive tracer chemical most commonly used is "Fludeoxyglucose (18F) (INN), or fludeoxyglucose F 18 (USAN and USP), also commonly called fluorodeoxyglucose and abbreviated FDG, 18F-FDG or FDG." Articles said they may also inject you with other drugs at the same time. I have to find out if they gave me anything else that could have caused the bad reaction. Anyway, FDG is considered to be "safe" (haha, it's radioactive! Yeah, that's real safe!) and disappear from the body within a few hours. I kept feeling agitated for six hours after the injection, and thereafter felt weak and sick. I felt droopy, beat up and sick for the next three days, am only beginning to feel more normal today. My blood pressure went up 25 points shortly after the scan (no telling how high it got while I was pacing around), and it's still high today. I am still getting nauseated every time I eat a meal.

Anybody remember the 1950s horror movies about atomic monsters? People or small animals would get contaminated by radiation and grow to a gigantic size, or go crazy and destroy the nearest city. I feel like what happened to me was "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman." My agitation was so bad I think I could have torn down a building with my bare hands.

Here are a couple of articles about the chemicals and the PET scan; many more are available. As I said, I wish I had read all this stuff ahead of time. I found a survey of PET scan patients that said over 50% of them had not been given any information at all about the scan before they had it, so patient education is a real problem.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fludeoxyglucose_(18F) Article about FDG drug.

https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/cancerwise/2015/04/getting-a-pet-scan-what-to-expect.html short article

https://www.insideradiology.com.au/pet-scan/ long article

Cricket, best wishes to you and Joe. I hope his diagnosis and treatment result in success. I will keep you both in my prayers.

 

Wow. Your adventure was stressful. Joe and I just looked at one another when the tech brought two boxes marked radio active in on a dolly. Using the Geiger counter was jarring as well. They injected Joe, not sure if he had to drink something, probably. I know he had to eat a high protein, low carb dinner the night before. I had to leave once they injected him. Like you said, he was supposed to keep all his muscles extremely calm and the technician said that mere talking to me would be bad for the test, so I left. I went to the waiting room where I prayed. He, like you, said he felt awful afterwards... mostly the next day and the following.  He held his humor though, sending his brother a picture of himself with lazer beams shooting out of his eyes. His brother told him he was a sick puppy! My mom and dad both had COPD, my mom had sarcocidosis (sp) too which looked like nodules in her lungs. Praying for the best results for you.

Bronxbabe - How are you doing?

[Cricket]

On 6/18/2017 at 6:31 AM, Fishy said:

I have always LOVED the kitty name Mitzi - that's actually my fav.  My first two kittykats were named Mitzi (couldn't come up with anything better) until the next cat I got was a boy.  I always called them MitziBitzi.  AND - Mitzi is the first pet name on account authentication questions on certain accounts (shhh don't tell). ;-)  Here are my 2 - SheSheBooBoo & Mr. Schnoodle on any given day or aka Will & Grace.

My late soul sister Diana had one of these cats named Mitzi too. I spent many hours with her myself. Thank you for the pleasant memory in both of their memories.

[SuprSuprElevated]

4 hours ago, PearlClutcher said:

No Ennui,  you're not alone.   Lost my little girl back on February and still have a hole in my heart.  ?  I'll see if I can post a pic of her if anyone would be interested.   I think we have a bird lover here too.  Btw, those are very naughty dogs!

Sorry about your little girl PearlClutcher.  I know she brought you joy~

[SuprSuprElevated]

57 minutes ago, Cricket said:

Hello all! I have A LOT of reading to do to catch up on this forum and the other! Update on our meeting with Joe's new surgeon yesterday in regards to the PET Scan -  I was so completely exhausted I was in bed at 6:30 and slept through the night. I went to work from the visit down with the surgeons at Albany Med. They kept us waiting for one hour and 15 minutes in the exam room while both surgeons reviewed the CD of the Pet scan. The only sure cancer was that on the liver which has enlarged to the size of a golf ball. They originally told us it was a fatty spot and nothing to worry about! They said no other spots of cancer showed. Praise to Jesus for this. They are going to have Joe take his next chemo as scheduled on Monday, then stop so he can go into surgery again, on July 13th. Dr. Nigam will remove the tumor on the liver and Dr Valerian his colon cancer dr. will remove the ostomy bag is is wearing now and reattach his GI system to his colon. He will be out of work for another month and there will be no more income coming in from him as he has used up his vacation and sick time. This is a worry of course. Dr Nigam said the tumor is not affecting the large veins and arteries in the liver at the moment so he wants to remove it ASAP and not wait till the fall and I am happy about this. Then after surgery, he will resume Chemo.

Well, I don't want to be presumptuous, but that all sounds like pretty good news to me!  I hope you agree, and again, best wishes are headed off to Joe and to you.  It is your family's illness isn't it?  Take good care.

Edited June 20, 2017 by SuprSuprElevated

[Denver Hoosier]

Another dog person here.  I like cats, too, and have had several over the years, but my current doggies have a strong prey drive and I would fear that I would stress out a kitty far too much with the dogs chasing it all the time.

[Snark Byte]

Prayers and best wishes to everyone, whether themselves or a loved one, going through these health issues. I completely know what you're going through. After my husband of 24 years left me for a college student from Cambodia (who was born the year after we were married), I met Mr. Byte. We were together for 10 years when what we believed was a bad gall bladder turned out to be pancreatic cancer. He fought valiantly for 9 months, but his battle didn't end victoriously.

He was only 53.

I'm not even going to get into all the health problems I've had over the years, but I tell everybody I'm hollow. No internal organs left.

You just keep keeping on, and become grateful for each new day...

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, Snark Byte said:

Prayers and best wishes to everyone, whether themselves or a loved one, going through these health issues. I completely know what you're going through. After my husband of 24 years left me for a college student from Cambodia (who was born the year after we were married), I met Mr. Byte. We were together for 10 years when what we believed was a bad gall bladder turned out to be pancreatic cancer. He fought valiantly for 9 months, but his battle didn't end victoriously.

He was only 53.

I'm not even going to get into all the health problems I've had over the years, but I tell everybody I'm hollow. No internal organs left.

You just keep keeping on, and become grateful for each new day...

So sorry for your losses, but glad you're here to share it with us~

Edited June 21, 2017 by SuprSuprElevated

[Booney]

@Cricket, just want to chime in with the others here who have said it sounds like you and Joe received good news. No other cancer detected and the liver tumor being operable sounds very hopeful. I'll continue sending positive thoughts and prayers your way.

[Thumper]

Cricket, we have been wondering how you and Joe were doing.  Thanks for the update.  Sounds like you have good docs, with a good plan -- hugs and prayers continuing.

Snark Byte, you have been through a lot, too!  My condolences on both losses.  

I am in awe of the strong women on this board!

[TexasTiffany]

7 hours ago, ennui said:

Am I the only dog person here?

LOL!

No, you aren't. I've had puppy dogs most of my life. I like lots of different animals. I don't like snakes, lizards, spiders, nor baby alligators.

6 hours ago, kittygirl said:

No ennui, you are not the only dog person. Even though I'm kittygirl, I am very much a dog person. That's why my hubby calls me kittygirl...because I love dogs. Yeah, he's weird.

Now I'm confused. You are a dog person called kittygirl with a giraffe avatar. LOL

[CarpeDiem54]

{{@Snark Byte}}

[TexasTiffany]

6 hours ago, Friedbaloney said:

It's a tragedy and a terrible injustice. 

Sorry, that picture of a dog was a lot bigger than I thought it would be, lol. In my experience, most people who like cats also like dogs. Sadly, the same isn't always true when it comes to dog-lovers liking cats. I was really shocked when I had a cat for the first time and saw, first- hand, how much some people loathe cats.

I've wanted a rough collie since I was a kid. A sable and white one like Lassie. But my conscience won't let me buy a purebred dog from a breeder when there are so many homeless mixed breeds.  There are collie rescue groups, but, most likely, if I ever do decide to get a dog, it will be some big galoop from the pound. :) 

My experience has been the exact opposite. I don't let that guide my thinking. I love a lot of animals. 

[TexasTiffany]

3 hours ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

Fingers crossed indeed.  That would make me extremely nervous.  I don't trust the Ruskies as far as I could throw Putin's horse.

I wish Putin's horse would throw him. 

[lovemesomejoolery]

3 hours ago, Cricket said:

Hello all! I have A LOT of reading to do to catch up on this forum and the other! Update on our meeting with Joe's new surgeon yesterday in regards to the PET Scan -  I was so completely exhausted I was in bed at 6:30 and slept through the night. I went to work from the visit down with the surgeons at Albany Med. They kept us waiting for one hour and 15 minutes in the exam room while both surgeons reviewed the CD of the Pet scan. The only sure cancer was that on the liver which has enlarged to the size of a golf ball. They originally told us it was a fatty spot and nothing to worry about! They said no other spots of cancer showed. Praise to Jesus for this. They are going to have Joe take his next chemo as scheduled on Monday, then stop so he can go into surgery again, on July 13th. Dr. Nigam will remove the tumor on the liver and Dr Valerian his colon cancer dr. will remove the ostomy bag is is wearing now and reattach his GI system to his colon. He will be out of work for another month and there will be no more income coming in from him as he has used up his vacation and sick time. This is a worry of course. Dr Nigam said the tumor is not affecting the large veins and arteries in the liver at the moment so he wants to remove it ASAP and not wait till the fall and I am happy about this. Then after surgery, he will resume Chemo.

Thank you for letting us know - this sounds like pretty good news!  We'll all keep continuing the positive thoughts and prayers for both you and Joe.  Hang in there!

[Cricket]

8 hours ago, PearlClutcher said:

No Ennui,  you're not alone.   Lost my little girl back on February and still have a hole in my heart.  ?  I'll see if I can post a pic of her if anyone would be interested.   I think we have a bird lover here too.  Btw, those are very naughty dogs!

I love them all; kinda like the title of this forum. I had cats for years, Cricket was my  Himalayan as is my avatar. Honey was my cream Persian and Kelly was my calico long hair. Always been partial to German Shepherds, Max died last August and the new one will be 4 weeks tomorrow. We get pick of the litter, and looking forward to this dog, which will be named Cody, for Joe's recovery. We have a palomino horse named Sadie, chickens and one rooster, and salt water fish. I also have 4 large parrots and 1 small parrot. I love guinea pigs too, had them many years ago. Loved how they would squeal whenever the refrigerator door would be opened. My vet loves me.

[SuprSuprElevated]

3 minutes ago, Cricket said:

I love them all; kinda like the title of this forum. I had cats for years, Cricket was my  Himalayan as is my avatar. Honey was my cream Persian and Kelly was my calico long hair. Always been partial to German Shepherds, Max died last August and the new one will be 4 weeks tomorrow. We get pick of the litter, and looking forward to this dog, which will be named Cody, for Joe's recovery. We have a palomino horse named Sadie, chickens and one rooster, and salt water fish. I also have 4 large parrots and 1 small parrot. I love guinea pigs too, had them many years ago. Loved how they would squeal whenever the refrigerator door would be opened. My vet loves me.

Wow, what an awesome menagerie you have!  I'm a little jealous~

[Snark Byte]

5 minutes ago, Cricket said:

I love them all; kinda like the title of this forum. I had cats for years, Cricket was my  Himalayan as is my avatar. Honey was my cream Persian and Kelly was my calico long hair. Always been partial to German Shepherds, Max died last August and the new one will be 4 weeks tomorrow. We get pick of the litter, and looking forward to this dog, which will be named Cody, for Joe's recovery. We have a palomino horse named Sadie, chickens and one rooster, and salt water fish. I also have 4 large parrots and 1 small parrot. I love guinea pigs too, had them many years ago. Loved how they would squeal whenever the refrigerator door would be opened. My vet loves me.

I love this whole post, but I literally LOL'd at the guinea pigs squealing when the refrigerator door was opened. Hilarious and adorable!!!!!

[Cricket]

Funny note.... I came home from work yesterday after a morning at the hospital. One my way to work, went through a war zone... literally, trees falling as I drove through a bad thunderstorm. I am driving, wondering if there will even be power once I get to work. Well... just as I am climbing the last incline to the intersection I need to make the final leg of my trip, firefighters stop us and we all have to turn around and take a LONG detour. the storm brought down trees onto power lines. Ugh. Last night I attempted to go back home this way, no go. This morning, still nope. Anyway by the time I get home last night at 6 pm I am DONE. FINIS.  I usually spend an hour at least with my male Double Yellow Headed Amazon, Argus. I covered him and apologized that mamma had to go to bed at 6:30. HE CRIED, WAILED for 15 minutes like a baby. We still do not know how he learned this as there are no infants in this house. It was heart breaking. Animals are just amazing to me.

5 minutes ago, Snark Byte said:

I love this whole post, but I literally LOL'd at the guinea pigs squealing when the refrigerator door was opened. Hilarious and adorable!!!!!

They will do this. Anyone else here have guinea pigs who did this? One summer I brought my GP to VT where we would spend time with our cousins. We are best buds even now. Well we were about 12 - 13 and my cousin had a female and I had a male, and  we thought... why not? babies would be cute. Let me tell you, again, if you have ever had GPs... they made a DISTINCT call when they are going to do the deed! All of a sudden we hear our mother's voices coming from the other bedroom... "What are you girls doing in there!?" Ha.  It was funny. No babies made that night.

[Snark Byte]

I just might have to get a guinea pig now!!!!

[TexasTiffany]

1 hour ago, Cricket said:

I love them all; kinda like the title of this forum. I had cats for years, Cricket was my  Himalayan as is my avatar. Honey was my cream Persian and Kelly was my calico long hair. Always been partial to German Shepherds, Max died last August and the new one will be 4 weeks tomorrow. We get pick of the litter, and looking forward to this dog, which will be named Cody, for Joe's recovery. We have a palomino horse named Sadie, chickens and one rooster, and salt water fish. I also have 4 large parrots and 1 small parrot. I love guinea pigs too, had them many years ago. Loved how they would squeal whenever the refrigerator door would be opened. My vet loves me.

@Cricket, your post about Joe sounds on the good side. I'm glad for you!

I love the above post. You have quite the zoo. Your vet probably does LOVE you! LOL Does he send you Christmas cards? Group discounts? 

That's cute that your guinea pigs squealed about the refrigerator door opening. 

I'm sad for your Argus. Hopefully he will forget. 

I had 3 hamsters. My dog Sandy loved to watch them move through the tubes in the habitrail. Puff had blonde hair, but was mean. Binky had longer hair and liked to run super fast. Rudy was brown and white, not the prettiest but she had her charm. One night Puff was about to attack Binky again, just for the hey of it. I usually tapped a stick on the habitrail to startle Puff enough to send her back into her area. This time Rudy had positioned herself in between the 2 and stood up as tall as she could with outstretched arms. Binky was protected and Puff never challenged her again. It was like a Jesus moment in the hamster house. I called Rudy the peacekeeper after that. Some animals have more sense than people. 

[Coffeecup]

Cricket, this is pretty hopeful news for Joe. It sounds like the doctor is right about not putting off the tumor surgery. Hope Joe will recover quickly from the radioactive scan. It took me about three days to feel normal again. (BTW, my test didn't show any cancer, just "hypermetabolism." They referred me to another specialist.) Sorry you are entering a period of financial stress. I hope Joe can concentrate on getting well.

I was both amused and sad to read about Argus wailing and crying because he couldn't have his special time with you. I would love to have a bird, but I don't want to put a bird through the stress of living in a house with a cat. Same thing for fish. I would like an aquarium, but kitty would be hanging around it constantly trying to catch the fish. My cat was a stray and he hunted mice (I've seen him catch them, and he always wanted to bring them inside the house! Nonono!), so he still has that hungry hunter mentality.

SnarkByte, sorry you had that bad experience with your first marriage and the painful loss with your second. I'm glad you had those years of happiness with your late husband. As the old song says, "No, no, they can't take that away from me." A period of love and happiness is a priceless jewel that will last forever.

[SuprSuprElevated]

On 6/21/2017 at 0:16 AM, Coffeecup said:

(BTW, my test didn't show any cancer, just "hypermetabolism." They referred me to another specialist.)

Yay for the no cancer!  Boo for the 'another specialist'.  Good news.

Edited June 24, 2017 by SuprSuprElevated
It was insensitive.

[Cricket]

8 hours ago, PearlClutcher said:

@Cricket. So wonderful to hear that report and Joe's physician has a sound plan.  I got teared up over your feathered baby crying.  Argus sounds like a lovely bird who adores you.  I bet he knows the strain you are under, but they are resilient aren't they?  You and Joe undoubtedly are animals lover - that makes the both of you topnotch people in my book!  

I had an Abyssynian guinea pig when I was younger.  He positively squealed when the refrigerator door opened. That's where his goodies were!   

Yes, he is bonded to me, thus he HATES Joe. We have a small bathroom off the LR and the other day Argus was still out because I did not expect Joe home so early. He chased Joe into the bathroom and paced the bottom door frame where there is like an inch spacing, trying to squeeze under! As soon as he got to the farthest side I called Joe out who ran the opposite direction and into the kitchen. If you are wondering why *I* did not simply get Argus, he would have bitten me. Displaced anger. Amazon bites are the worst. Joe is great with Argus, not many men would tolerate it. I had a Abby GP too! So cute. They want the lettuce in the refrigerator! :) Makes me smile just thinking about them now.

8 hours ago, Snark Byte said:

I just might have to get a guinea pig now!!!!

You should! They really are wonderful pets. I have had them and rabbits, and I love rabbits, but the personalities of the GP can't be beat.  Never owned a mean GP either. While I had many (4-H) probably my favorite was like this one pictured. His name was Peanutbutter.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, lovemesomejoolery said:

 

Edited June 21, 2017 by artisto

[Guest]

14 hours ago, Cricket said:

Praise to Jesus for this.

^^THIS^^

[zoemom]

15 hours ago, Cricket said:

Hello all! I have A LOT of reading to do to catch up on this forum and the other! Update on our meeting with Joe's new surgeon yesterday in regards to the PET Scan -  I was so completely exhausted I was in bed at 6:30 and slept through the night. I went to work from the visit down with the surgeons at Albany Med. They kept us waiting for one hour and 15 minutes in the exam room while both surgeons reviewed the CD of the Pet scan. The only sure cancer was that on the liver which has enlarged to the size of a golf ball. They originally told us it was a fatty spot and nothing to worry about! They said no other spots of cancer showed. Praise to Jesus for this. They are going to have Joe take his next chemo as scheduled on Monday, then stop so he can go into surgery again, on July 13th. Dr. Nigam will remove the tumor on the liver and Dr Valerian his colon cancer dr. will remove the ostomy bag is is wearing now and reattach his GI system to his colon. He will be out of work for another month and there will be no more income coming in from him as he has used up his vacation and sick time. This is a worry of course. Dr Nigam said the tumor is not affecting the large veins and arteries in the liver at the moment so he wants to remove it ASAP and not wait till the fall and I am happy about this. Then after surgery, he will resume Chemo.

Cricket - good to hear from you!  Sounds like you and Joe got good news, I'm so happy to hear this.  Understand your worry about the lack of income; does Joe's employer have any short disability plan you might be able to access?  You two definitely don't need any further stress right now!  I will be keeping you both in my prayers.

[SuprSuprElevated]

This makes my gut hurt - 

launch-party

[CarpeDiem54]

2 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

This makes my gut hurt - 

launch-party

It makes me want to puke.  The entire Kartrashian/Jenner clan are a waste of skin.  There are so many needy people and these fools get rich for doing nothing.

[Cricket]

13 hours ago, TexasTiffany said:

@Cricket, your post about Joe sounds on the good side. I'm glad for you!

I love the above post. You have quite the zoo. Your vet probably does LOVE you! LOL Does he send you Christmas cards? Group discounts? 

That's cute that your guinea pigs squealed about the refrigerator door opening. 

I'm sad for your Argus. Hopefully he will forget. 

I had 3 hamsters. My dog Sandy loved to watch them move through the tubes in the habitrail. Puff had blonde hair, but was mean. Binky had longer hair and liked to run super fast. Rudy was brown and white, not the prettiest but she had her charm. One night Puff was about to attack Binky again, just for the hey of it. I usually tapped a stick on the habitrail to startle Puff enough to send her back into her area. This time Rudy had positioned herself in between the 2 and stood up as tall as she could with outstretched arms. Binky was protected and Puff never challenged her again. It was like a Jesus moment in the hamster house. I called Rudy the peacekeeper after that. Some animals have more sense than people. 

thank you! I love this hamster. I forgot I had them when I was young - 13-17. One day while at school my mom said she was in the dining room of our old Victorian, folding laundry. Somehow my hamster had gotten out of his cage (they are real escape artists aren't they?) she she said said she screamed because it startled her. I recall because she said she grabbed the nearest item, a large pair of her underwear to scoop it up and carry it back to its aquarium! She said she secured the top really well after that!

4 hours ago, zoemom said:

Cricket - good to hear from you!  Sounds like you and Joe got good news, I'm so happy to hear this.  Understand your worry about the lack of income; does Joe's employer have any short disability plan you might be able to access?  You two definitely don't need any further stress right now!  I will be keeping you both in my prayers.

No on the disability, not long term. Short term is the law here in NYS. that will bring us a whopping $160.00 a week. Can they stand it? Better than nothing I guess. Won't help with my mortgage but will buy me food and gas. At least the company has to pay his insurance due to the family leave law. His company has more than 50 employees. Thank you.

[Cricket]

Coffeecup - Got to do this without quoting, otherwise this will get merged again! YES! Joe felt bad for 3 days too! At least it showed your physicians something to go on. Yes, I no longer have cats, because I have the birds! Didn't think it would be fair to either species! I have had cats with the hunter instinct as you described; my persians were like the Fancy Feast cats and wouldn't be bothered to hunt a mouse. Joe and I witnessed it with our own eyes when we were building an addition onto our last home. A mouse got inside and Honey just watched it go... never untucked his feet from underneath him to be bothered. My daughter has two cats and they LOVE to watch their fish, but they just watch. Argus is a character to be sure.

[CarpeDiem54]

Happy World Giraffe Day!

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/checking-up-on-denver-zoos-newest-giraffe-dobby-on-world-giraffe-day

[ennui]

17 hours ago, Cricket said:

Always been partial to German Shepherds, Max died last August and the new one will be 4 weeks tomorrow.

And yet, no photo of Cody.  What's up with that?  

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

It makes me want to puke.  The entire Kartrashian/Jenner clan are a waste of skin.  There are so many needy people and these fools get rich for doing nothing.

Here's a tidbit that may be a skosh less maddening, but still evokes a serious head shake from me.  A three year old business:

casamigos

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, Cricket said:

thank you! I love this hamster. I forgot I had them when I was young - 13-17. One day while at school my mom said she was in the dining room of our old Victorian, folding laundry. Somehow my hamster had gotten out of his cage (they are real escape artists aren't they?) she she said said she screamed because it startled her. I recall because she said she grabbed the nearest item, a large pair of her underwear to scoop it up and carry it back to its aquarium! She said she secured the top really well after that!

No on the disability, not long term. Short term is the law here in NYS. that will bring us a whopping $160.00 a week. Can they stand it? Better than nothing I guess. Won't help with my mortgage but will buy me food and gas. At least the company has to pay his insurance due to the family leave law. His company has more than 50 employees. Thank you.

You probably already know this, but in case you don't...United Cancer Services is an organization that assists folks financially, if I understand correctly.  They may do other things as well, not sure. They will help with gasoline for your car to get you back and forth to appts., or taxis if unable to drive, etc.  A girlfriend who was battling inflammatory breast cancer received $500 toward a wig, and she was still working a decent job at the time, with a retired husband, and they weren't destitute by any means.  I'm not sure what all they can help with, but if you have a local or regional chapter, I'd look them up.  Best to you~

[StaceyNotStacie]

35 minutes ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

Happy World Giraffe Day!

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/checking-up-on-denver-zoos-newest-giraffe-dobby-on-world-giraffe-day

 Our local zoo, The Virginia Zoo, had a new baby giraffe born a few weeks ago. They're currently having a naming contest to name the little girl (must have an "I" name). 

http://virginiazoo.org/animals-plants/name-contest/

[Booney]

15 hours ago, Coffeecup said:

Cricket, this is pretty hopeful news for Joe. It sounds like the doctor is right about not putting off the tumor surgery. Hope Joe will recover quickly from the radioactive scan. It took me about three days to feel normal again. (BTW, my test didn't show any cancer, just "hypermetabolism." They referred me to another specialist.) Sorry you are entering a period of financial stress. I hope Joe can concentrate on getting well.

I was both amused and sad to read about Argus wailing and crying because he couldn't have his special time with you. I would love to have a bird, but I don't want to put a bird through the stress of living in a house with a cat. Same thing for fish. I would like an aquarium, but kitty would be hanging around it constantly trying to catch the fish. My cat was a stray and he hunted mice (I've seen him catch them, and he always wanted to bring them inside the house! Nonono!), so he still has that hungry hunter mentality.

SnarkByte, sorry you had that bad experience with your first marriage and the painful loss with your second. I'm glad you had those years of happiness with your late husband. As the old song says, "No, no, they can't take that away from me." A period of love and happiness is a priceless jewel that will last forever.

Kitty would get bored with it in short order. I have a 29 gallon aquarium in a bedroom that we turned into a den/office. When my kitties first noticed it, they were fascinated. Mittens, however, soon lost interest. Coco will still hop up onto the desk that's next to the tank and watch the fish - she may occasionally paw at the glass as a fish saunters by - but that lasts about 5 minutes and then she's on to other things. They much prefer sitting in a downstairs window watching all the birds in the yard visiting our bird feeders.

You should try an aquarium. They're so calming - sometimes I sit on the couch and just watch them swimming around. It's almost like meditation!

[ennui]

31 minutes ago, Booney said:

You should try an aquarium. They're so calming - sometimes I sit on the couch and just watch them swimming around. It's almost like meditation!

I've heard that aquariums will lower your blood pressure. 

[Booney]

1 minute ago, ennui said:

I've heard that aquariums will lower your blood pressure. 

I would believe that - watching the fish glide around puts you in a calm, serene state of mind.

[Cricket]

1 hour ago, ennui said:

And yet, no photo of Cody.  What's up with that?  

All my pictures are too large up download here. I use Chrome and don't know how to shrink them!

 

37 minutes ago, ennui said:

I've heard that aquariums will lower your blood pressure. 

Yea... unless the seams start to leak, and your blood pressure is sure to spike LOL.

Last fall my 55 gal hexagonal tank started leaking. What a job I had to scoop out the fish and drain the tank before it let go and spewed all 55 gallons of water on my hardwood floors. Fortunately I had a 10 gal tank at the office to take them to. I never replaced the tank as it was 30 years old and we had had it repaired twice already.

[kittygirl]

Yea !!! World Giraffe Day. My favorite wild animal. Hence the pic.

[CaffeinatedAunt79]

3 hours ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

It makes me want to puke.  The entire Kartrashian/Jenner clan are a waste of skin.  There are so many needy people and these fools get rich for doing nothing.

They are all distgusting people completely devoid of any morals and ethics.  Their world revolves around money and fame and they will do anything to get more of it.

[Booney]

30 minutes ago, Cricket said:

All my pictures are too large up download here. I use Chrome and don't know how to shrink them!

 

Yea... unless the seams start to leak, and your blood pressure is sure to spike LOL.

Last fall my 55 gal hexagonal tank started leaking. What a job I had to scoop out the fish and drain the tank before it let go and spewed all 55 gallons of water on my hardwood floors. Fortunately I had a 10 gal tank at the office to take them to. I never replaced the tank as it was 30 years old and we had had it repaired twice already.

Are you using a desktop or laptop, or a tablet? If I'm on my desktop, I open the picture, then click "Paint" and you can either crop the photo or reduce it in size. If I'm on my tablet (IPad), a trick I learned is to email the photo to yourself. When you hit send, it'll ask if you want to send the photo as small, medium or large file. Click small, email it to yourself, open the photo and save it.