Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Fuzzy Kitty and other things

this is the elusive Fuzzy Kitty, the Magnificent



she doesn't like to pose for pictures, much and is relatively a loner. though, she does come around now and then. we often see her binking in the early evening hours, becoming "crazy kitty" bouncing, and running up and down the hall. she is very determined, this one. she struts and poses when she wants something. she likes her quiet time with me when i go to bed each night to read. when H comes to bed, she leaves. once this week, H came in to tell me something, and F.K. was laying with me, she got up while H was talking to me, stood in the hallway where he could see her at the doorway, and bounced, and meowed and binked - her way of saying "GET OUT! this is MY time with R. you're not supposed to be here yet!" and once he left, she came back and resumed her position in my left armpit. this happened again the next night. she is our smartest cat, our mouser, our hunter, and our diva.

on to the dogs. the dogs don't like wet weather. but, they do like snow. this morning we had about an inch of snow on the ground and when i took them out to do their business, all they wanted to do was eat it. whatever.

we noticed last night that teddy's left eye looked swollen. when he finally let me look at it, it seems that there is a scratch of some sort above his iris...making his eye water, red where it should be white, and swollen all around both upper and lower eyelid. so, we're calling the vet today. he's acting normal otherwise. not rubbing at it and is being his old loving, spritely self, so it must not be TOO, too painful for him. but, i'm going to hope that they can see him today anyway. i can't go to sewickley, pa tomorrow without him being seen.

did i mention i'm going to see trish from wednesday thru friday? talked to her last night. she seems in good spirits, and the kids seem to be back to their old, lively, funny selves. she worries that they're acting TOO okay...but kids are tough. i'll see what's what when i get there.

so, i'm looking up info on cushing's syndrome (i found "cushings disease" is how to term it for veterinary links in Web MD, lynne, in case you're wondering, and "cushings syndrome" for the human stuff.) it is interesting. it would explain a lot about me, from my metabolism issues to my history of depression. what scares me is that Web MD in the overview says this:

"What is Cushing's syndrome?

Cushing's syndrome is a rare disorder that develops when the body is exposed to too much of the hormone cortisol. Cushing's syndrome is also known as hypercortisolism.

Normally, cortisol levels increase through a chain reaction of hormones. The brain's hypothalamus produces corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which stimulates the pituitary gland to make adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Then, ACTH stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol.

Cortisol affects almost every area of the body and is particularly important in regulating blood pressure and metabolism.

But if your body makes too much cortisol—or if you take certain medications that act like cortisol—you may develop a variety of symptoms. Cushing's syndrome may cause weight gain, skin changes, and fatigue and lead to such serious conditions as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and osteoporosis. If untreated, Cushing's syndrome can cause death."

DEATH????? um, this HAS been untreated with me. CRAP!!!!

OK, no need to panic yet. let's deal with one thing at a time. i go for my bloodtests within the hour. the good news is that whenever they test me for diabetes, it comes back negative for both types. also, i don't and have never had high blood pressure. thank goodness. i also don't have the stretch marks or large neck that comes with this lovely thing. phew! and i've never had a broken bone. but, i do have a history of depression, and i'd be surprised if i didn't have some osteoporosis.

then, back to call the vet. oh, this is going to be a fun day!







1 comment:

The CEO said...

Or, you could have diabetes. How'd you like to be a diabetic and have friends who are doctors who say that they are glad that they aren't diabetic. makes you feel oh so privileged.