Misery

This is day 27 with posion ivy.  It seems to come and go.  The initial breakout has healed but I seem to still have flare ups on my arms, chest, stomach and sometimes my legs although the legs just itch and I have not reactivated the rash.

I’ve tried several things and they provide relief for awhile then I forget about it.  I usually start itching at night and then by the time I wake up the rash has gotten worse.

I go to the beach soon so if this doesn’t go away soon I will look like a leper ……

Thanks for letting me complain.

Wassup?

I feel like I haven’t posted in forever.  So much going on but then again so little.  Buster is still dealing with his teeth problems.  I’m able to get him his antibiotic at least once a day and sometimes twice.  He’s been salivating alot and I read mixed things about that.  One site said it’s from the oral medication or another hinted it may be further mouth problems or liver problems.  I continue to monitor him.

We are still at wits in with the potty learning.  I brought home a borrowed book yesterday on “What to Expect in the Toddler Years”.  I’m surprised I didn’t already have this one.  I loved the “What to Expect the First Year” one.  Chapter 19 is about potty training.  Husband wants to punish and I say no….I think we are more stressed about it than he is.  I just get frustrated because they claim he does so well at school but yet when I pick him up he’s either wet or pees as soon as we get home.

Other family includes a nephew who is awaiting brain surgery, a 2nd cousin recovering from heart surgery and still dealing with husband’s sorry siblings over his mom’s stuff.  

And three weeks until my vacation…………

See…a lot yet nothing……….That’s my life.

Bad Teeth

I took off the afternoon to take Buster to the vet.  I drove all the way to the next town where my mom lives because I like the vet there and used to take all my animals there.  Buster’s abscessed tooth had burst and I think that helped the infection.  The vet recommended giving him a antibiotic shot mixed with an anti-inflammatory and then me giving him liquid antibiotic for 7 days.  She didn’t pressure me into having his teeth pulled or anything because of his age (he’s 15 we believe).  She listened to his heart and lungs and said they sounded good and with that she would feel more comfortable knocking him out to clean and pull teeth but as I already knew there is always a chance a cat that old won’t do well in surgery.

She suggested I take him home, give him the antibiotics and see how he does.  Then if I decide to I can bring him back for a teeth cleaning.  The thing about older cats and cats with dental issues is the older they get the more likely it is that this will happen again and next time he could swallow a tooth and get infection that could damage his insides.

I can already tell he feels better which made me feel better too.  I will start the liquid antibiotics tomorrow.  Luckily he’ll take it in his food.

Sick Kitty

I’m sad to say my oldest cat Buster is not doing very well.  At first I thought he was just getting old and just slowly going down hill after I noticed a couple of weeks ago how weak he seemed.  He couldn’t jump up on a chair without falling over.  After a dream about him dying in the yard and the dogs getting ahold of him, I brought him up to the screen porch so I could monitor him and make sure he is getting enough food.  Since the dogs have been running lose they tend to get into the cat food and since I have to feed them can food on the patio table….Buster may not always make it up there.

This week I noticed the right side of Buster’s face is swollen so I’m afraid he has an abcessed tooth again.  Last time he had one it burst before I even knew he had a problem and I gave him antibiotics I had left over from when the kittens were fixed.  He got better and was like a new cat.  This time I’m afraid he may need to go to the vet and have the tooth pulled.  Buster has a history of bad oral health.  He’s already had teeth pulled and cleaned but I’m not sure he could handle that again at his age.  I don’t want him to suffer though.

This just has me really upset.  I wish I still had some antibiotics left but I must have thrown it out when our power was out for 9 hours and a lot of the stuff in the fridge had to be thrown out.

I have a feeling this will be very expensive and the outcome will not be good which is why I am so upset.  But I know I need to do something very soon.

Your Breath is Really Bad

Isn’t it funny how when we are young or we get really old….we speak our minds more.  I mean when we are middle age adults we think about things (usually) before we say them and more often than not….have regards for others feelings etc (most people anyways).

On the 4th I was over at my sister-in-laws house for a cookout and swim party.  I had brought over a new recipe I wanted to try…Buffalo Chicken Dip (very good).  We decided to try it almost as soon as we arrived then I got in the pool.  My 4 year old nephew was in the pool and I was saying something to him and he was looking at me with a grimace on his face.  When I finished he said to me  when the most serious look on his face “your breath is really bad”.  I apologized and said I had just had this dip.  He said “Well you should have eaten a cracker or something.  You know you really shouldn’t get in people’s faces after eating like that.”  He still had the most serious look on his face.  I couldn’t help but laugh and be mortified at the same time.  But the fact of the matter was…my breath was probably bad….Now most people would be a little more tactful about a bad breath situation…but not children…They say it like they mean it.

Later my mom tells me how she talking to my grandmother about a gift my mother had brought her last time we were there for a visit.  My grandmother tells my mom….”Awh I don’t use that.  It’s too much trouble to put up”.  That really hurt my mom’s feelings and she was like….she didn’t have to tell me that!….

Well we decided old people are the same way as children…they just speak their mind and are honest…. It’s only in between that we keep our mouths shut.  I don’t know which is better….

Shoulda Know Better

Last Saturday morning I got up early to work in the yard.  The weather has been so hot that I thought I would start early.  I enjoy the back yard so much better after it’s been mowing and weeded.  Husband doesn’t always pay enough attention to it since no one but us see it.  So I get up early and start to head outside and husband says I should mow yet because there is an ordinance against mowing before 8.  Of course I believe him (he was lying) but I look online and found no such ordinance and go out anyways.

When I get outside I start to thinking how it’s saturday morning and maybe people sleep later (people without 3 year olds) and maybe I’ll do some other things before I start up the mower.  Our Pampas grass was looking terrible and had been taken over with Poison Ivy.  I had sprayed some of the Poison Ivy a week ago but was afraid I’d kill the Pampas.  I get the hedge clippers (the big one for cutting bigger limbs and it has a longer handle) and start pulling out the poison ivy.  I’m very careful not to touch it but of course I’m walking all over the fallen leaves and at one point pulled out a root that I thought was the pampas but it wasn’t.  No worries I’ll wash my hands and arms really well when I get inside.  Later I mowed and transplanted some plants then went inside washed my hands then took a shower.

The next day little boy decides to unload the garden cart which was full of poison ivy vines.  Husband brings him in immediately and washes him up and thankfully so far he has not had any reaction.  Me on the other hand….

My inner elbow started itching a little but I thought maybe just a bug bite.  Then Monday I was sitting in a meeting and I felt some bumps up behind my ear and on my neck.  I’m thinking spider bite since I’d been bitten recently.  But it starts to spread and burn.  Still thinking spider I came close to going to the doctor but decided to look online when someone suggested it might be poison ivy…..my wounds didn’t look so much like the pictures I saw on line until I noticed a spot on my wrist….yep poison ivy.

The worse part is it’s mostly on my left ear and behind it as well as the right side of my neck.  My left ear lobe is larger than my right and is red and has big bumps on it….it burns like sun burn!  I’m miserable and my husband just laughs at me because I should have know better than to get out there in that stuff…knowing it was there.

I bought some Sarna cream which helped some.  Tried the baking soda and water thing….not really helping but then I read about putting GermX on it.  That actually helped and I was able to go to sleep last night but then my inner elbow started to itch again this morning.  The ear still burns and is still swollen…I just look gross.  I couldn’t go to work looking like this and whining like this so I stayed home.  I was going to post a picture but it was just too gross.

That poison ivy is still out there in that garden cart….I ain’t touching it again!