[BeCaME]: infertile bitches unite.

http://bethanybecame.blogspot.com/2012/03/infertile-bitches-unite.html?m=1

~ Christy Howell

Photos & Pets

Hola - what's with the new Google Chrome and Blogger partnership?  It's slightly confusing and I was really worried that my blogs were going to be lost forever.

I did a photoshoot a week ago for a friends' Boxer Rescue group.  I've been diving back in - going to club meetings and mentor meetings.  Working on marketing myself via my website - and a new website - as well as Facebook.

Check these out:
www.chowellphotography.com  (this is not staying - I will be moving my web address to another site).
Facebook:  Christy Howell Photography
www.sachianimalrescue.com

My next steps:
Register my name
Get a seller's permit
A bank acct
Insurance

At the same time - I need to finish revamping my website - and pricing.  Make postcards and business cards.  I have an idea for my Homeless Pet Photography aspect of it - Felix is going to play a role.

Recap:
Cola is still with me - her time is coming very close.  I took her to a new Vet - a lady in Lake Forest; whom Charlotte referred me to.  I had a free exam - and wanted her opinion.  Cola has some more time - but not a lot.  She's still on Rimadyl & Tramadol - will be on them for the rest of her time.  I can no longer afford to have my housecall vet come do her euthanasia.  My plans are to take her to Dr. Byers in Lake Forest for a euthanasia.  I will then drive her to the Pet Cemetary and drop her off for a private cremation.  It's what I did for my other pets; and I'd rather drive her anyway.

Cali is also still with me.  I took her to work with me on Saturday, (been a busy week), then I took her to the low-cost vaccine clinic at the same veterinary clinic.  While she was at the office - she was terrified. She was so uneasy about meeting new people - I was very worried.  She was freaked out at the Veterinary Clinic - but eventually warmed up.  I am worried that she has a partial tear in her right ACL...ether that - or hip dysplasia.  I have an estimate for a non-anesthetic dental; and another for xrays...it all adds up.

Sandy is healthy - as healthy as expected.  His next scheduled vet visit is in June.  He has kidney disease.  He is only eating Fancy Feast these days....of course the most expensive brand - The Florentine Collection.  He goes in to get a "Sanitary Cut" every 2mos or so....they shave his back end so he doesn't get all gross - with mats and tangles and clumps of litter.

Simon - is going to the vet next.  He's also been neglected for about 5yrs.  He needs an exam - although healthy.  I just need to pick up the responsibility for my critters.  I feel bad that I let Sandy go for so long - when his Hyperthyroid could have been caught years ago.

Tonight - the CEO of my company emailed me to let me know he declares the rest of the week "Bring your dog to work week"...how cool is that?  I may take Cola tomorrow.  She'd like that.  We're moving out of our offices this week anyway.

Jeff is in Vancouver for the week - I hate that.  I have been looking into possibilities and procedures on how to move back home.  I really can't leave my job right now - I am hopeful that I have a great future with them, even though I can't afford to put any savings away.

Alone

I am so lonely. Physically...emotionally. It's toxic

17

I was in a car accident when I was 18yrs old. It changed me; and NOBODY gets it.

I hate how terrified I am in a car, but nobody cares to understand.

Half of my life: being controlled by fear absolutely sucks:

Theres an app for that...

I have the Blogger App! I can now post from my phone!

There are so many fun apps you can get with an iPhone. I have tons of photography ones, travel aids, language apps...shopping apps. FUN!

Anyway. Not much else to say. Looking forward to a fun weekend. Tomorrow I am going to a photography event with a neighbour. A Mentor Program so that others can help others start up their photography business. Today I put together my portfolio in an 11"x14" album. I def want to stick with pet portraiture, so that's all I haw in there.

Have a great weekend!

Unemployed

January 3, 2012: Jeff lost his job.

Precision showed just how classy they are and asked him to meet for a meeting at a local Starbucks. When Jeff got there, the HR rep and his Sales Manager handed him a final cheque and said they were eliminating his position. Sayanora!! That's IT!!!

What dirty dogs they are. They even made him work between Christmas & New Years without any indication!

His coward, hypocrite, 'self-called' Christian, CEO, who tearfully BEGGED Jeff to come back to them 8m ago was nowhere to be seen or heard from. What a coward!

Anyway - life is stressful as hell right now. Who knows what the future will hold. For now, I have a house-husband and a clean house.

Wow - Blogger has changed!!!

My mom has requested that I write another post so that she doesn't have to keep looking at the goofy people in the photo on the last post. 

I'll have to write another post actually - but not right now.  This new format will take some time getting used to!  :-)

Hipstaprints.



"Feral" Foster Kittens were adopted last week!

 I'm really trying to blog more - I want a photosharing app - I may start using Tumbler...does anyone have any suggestions for any others?  I used DropBox and that's kind of cool - I just can't caption my photos in there.

Anyway - I've captioned some of these photos - so you can see my last week of adventure.  It's been a tiring week.

This week coming up will be a short one - it's American Thanksgiving on Thursday - so I have Thurs and Fri off - as well as my normal weekend.

My brother and nephew may come visit me this week. I hope they do - it will be nice to have something to do over American Thanksgiving. Last year was a dud as I had pneumonia. This year - Jeff has made his own plans to go out to his Aunts' in Murietta.

Nov 17:  Flight from LAX to Montréal

A little wine for the flight.

This is Miluaukee, (sp?)

My co-worker Eric - I was his "mentee" and shadowing him.

Today - RSM Lake - overcast beautiful

 Poor Cola is not doing very well.  I had the vet come to the house on Tuesday, (she's a great vet), and I have more pain control for Cola.  When I came home from my trip yesterday; she was holding up her one leg that I had her cruciate surgery on.  She's in pain.  Her muscles are virtually non-existant; so she can't afford to be lame.  She needs all 4 legs to support her body.

The woods at the lake

I love my iPhone!

Google Translate App - I used this on my trip to Montréal

Cal looking beau-tiful

Cali is really good.  Her walk today wore her out.  We lapped the lake twice.  She met other dogs and a few other people.  I talked to another couple - they have a box turtle as a pet  - they just leave it in their backyard.  When I worked at the shelter -we would get a lot of little turtles coming in; I may look into one and the care that pertains to one in the Spring.  They're all hibernating at this time of year.

11/11/11 11:11

Funky photos



I have ZERO idea how to format pictures on this blog.  I am trying to stack them nicely - but it won't let me...they're going to be scattered allover the place I think.  

Anyway - I just took all the photos off my iPhone and wanted to share some for those that aren't on Facebook. 

Dee and Dennis - two feral fosters

Our new Offices!!  My cube is behind Bri's

Simon and the Double-D fosters.



My birthday weeend with friends.



This is Cola - the day I chose her in November 1999.

Barb & I at the biker bar with her 2 frieinds.





Update

Sandy cat is doing well!  I took him to the Vet about 2 weeks ago and had some labwork rechecked.  His thyroid function is completely within normal limits - AND his liver and kidney functions are too!!

His recovery was fairly uneventful here at home.  I was told to keep him interested in eating by giving him the 'crappy junk food' cans...he ate them - but that also resulted in blow out diarrhea for about 3 weeks.  Not so fun.

In addition to his chemistries and Thyroid function - he had gained ONE FULL POUND too!  My skinny cat is slowly gaining more weight.  I take him back for another recheck in December.

Cola is also doing ok.  I have the vet comming over on November 15th for another recheck.  I am not doing labwork - she's just going to check Cola's quality of life - and give us a refill of pain meds for her hind legs.  They're starting to give out on her and she's taken a few stumbles.  My poor old girl.

Work is going ok.  Our Clinical Department has grown by leaps and bounds lately.  There are now 6 of us.  We moved last week to another location - just across the parking lot from the main office.  I am going to Montréal next week for a couple of days for my first Monitoring Visit.  I'm pretty stoked - I hope I learn a lot.

I went to Vancouver last month for Thanksgiving weekend.  It was fun to surprise everyone.  I got some good quality time with my mom and Rick.  It was perfect.  I don't know when I'll be going back - I have another long weekend coming up this month - November 25'ish for American Thanksgiving; but I'm really trying to save my money for myself.

I tried to trade my truck in last week - but I am upside down in the finances there.  They would give me $14,000 for it - but I owe $18,000.  Super bummed about that.  I want something less expensive to drive - something that doesn't cost me $600/month, (that includes gas).

Please check this out

I am on a mission to help my friends out - please click on the link:
 http://christy-findingahomeforfelix.blogspot.com/

:-)

Doctor Visits

A few weeks ago, I was at work and started to have an allergic reaction so something.  It hit me in the form of hives and itching allover.  It was really strange as I had never had a reaction quite this way before, (except to Penicillin).

I thought it was a contact allergy, (laundry detergent or bar soap), so the next morning I showered and went to work as normal.  At about 5pm - I started having the same allergic reaction - so I left work early and took off for Urgent Care, (it's like the ER, but in my Doctor's Office after hours).

They gave me antihistamines - steroid and 2 Epi-Pens to keep on me at all times.  I also got a referral to an allergist - and booked that in right away.  I was at the Allergist the following week - after struggling with the same reactions all week long.

I am allergic to EVERYTHING - except dog dander.  They did the scratch tests on my back to 39 different things.  21 of them were food; and 18 of them were environmentals etc...  A positive reaction is a welt that is any bigger than 1/2cm.  My largest welt was 9.5cm x 5.5cm!!!  The Allergist came in and said that I reacted more severely than anyone he has seen in a very long time.

Tomorrow I go in for my follow up - and he'll give me a full list of each of my Allergens.  I look forward to it.  There are Pros and Cons to the US Medical System:

PRO:  I got into the Allergist right away.
CON:  Allergy shots will cost me, (at the time of visit), $38 each injection/visit - and I will need to go in 2x/week for 3mos to start.  You do the math.

So - Allergy Shots can't be done at this time.  Also - the office is 10miles away - and the hours are not compatible with my work schedule without requesting time off, (twice weekly for 3 months).

I had my annual exam done last week too, (I was 3yrs late on that visit), everything is fine, (except for the Endometriosis coming back).  The Dr. referred me to an Infertility Specialist - so I'll get more diagnostics done at THAT visit.

Oh - I got my hair cut all off too.  I don't really like it, and may go shorter - it's to my chin now.  I need to get funky highlights and maybe some layers - something easy to manage.

I will be going to Montréal again on Oct 18-20 for work.  I hope to make it downtown with a different coworker that's also going.  I haven't been to Montréal in years.

Sandy is well - I still need to book him in for follow up labwork really soon.  I have a bag of fluids and have had to give him some SubQ fluids 3x in the last 2 weeks - but I was warned that I might have to anyway.

I have 2 little feral kittens for foster right now.  They are 4 weeks old and are so cute.  One Black Longhaired female; and the other is a little DSH Brown Tabby.  I should name them.  I hope they'll come around - today's day 3 and so far so good. 

Weekend Update

I have a busy week.....on Wednesday, Bri and I are flying to San Francisco for classes on Thursday and Friday for work.  We'll fly home on Saturday.

Sandy is doing well.  Other than blow out diarrhea every day - he's doing well.  I of course won't know how the radiation worked until I take him to the vet for follow up labwork.  $$$

Cola had a bath yesterday - she's doing ok.  Definately losing more hair - but  her scabs are healing up nicely.  For a week now, I've been putting an inflatable collar on her so she can't lick herself. 

Simon refuses to use Sandy's litter - so he's been finding new places to pee.  I now have to seperate the cats - and lock Simon in our room with a litterbox with normal clumping stuff.  What a nightmare.

We dog-sat Millie the JRT over the weekend.  She came over on Thursday night and was really good.  Sandy slapped her a couple of times; so she knew that he was the boss.  All animals got along otherwise and Millie had run of the house while we were home with them.

Well - not much else is new.

My Radioactive Cat is home.

Sandy update

Sandy is on Day 4 of his stay at the Nuclear Medicine Clinic.  I watch him on the livecam daily - and so does my mom.

What an emotional rollercoaster.  I miss him.  He is my last link to my Grandma and Uncle and I know that when I realized that on Sunday - I went into panic mode.  Until he dies - I promised that I would keep him safe.  I am happy that I still have him - and I've had him for 9years now.  Lots of memories...

I gave him to my Grandma in 1996 before Christmas that year.  He was born at Brookswood Vet and all of his siblings and mom Lilly were all adopted out.  Sandy was a cute little button and I knew I wanted him right off the bat.  Mom, Rick & I kept Sandy for a couple of months until he grew out of the mischief phase - my poor Grandma couldn't handle him.  She fell in love with him and I would go over to trim his nails at least twice a month. 

I remember when I took him out of my Grandma's house - I couldn't bring him to to the place where I lived - so I had to do long-term boarding for 3mos.  He's been a great little cat - and although he's had some major adjustment - going from a free roaming hunter of rats - common resident of the E.R....he's now a soulful old man that is about 77yrs old in cat years. 

In 2004, he nearly died from trauma to the belly and a resulting liver injury.  He came around after a lenghty hospital stay luckily.

In 2006 my mom flew him down from Vancouver.  As he was getting used to the house, I had gone outside and didn't realize that he had at some point followed me.  At some point, I was relaxing on the couch - when Sandy ran inside from the open front door - head held high - with the LARGEST lizard I have seen at that point in his mouth.  He was one happy cat.

That same year, his right eye became so diseased from some mystery illness or old trauma, that it was apparent he needed to have it removed.  Sandy became a pirate.

He's got personality - and loves the sound of whistling...perhaps he hates it...he'll run up to my face and try to bite the whistles out of my mouth.  He'll fetch plush teddy bears - then get frisky with them...often carrying them around the house as he howls to let everyone know he's got a hot date.  >^.^<

AVMI sent me the link for Sandy's livecam - you can log on here:  CLICK HERE
Username is: Howell57963
Password is:  Sandy
(just remember to exit now and then as they only allow 2 viewers at a time)

They've been great - emailing me photos of him in his 'cottage' and sending me videos.  I hope he makes it through this.

Here's a pic of him on Sept 6, 2011.  AVMI emailed me this today.

Sandy Photos

Here are his Tumours - there are 2. 

Sandy in his Cottage

My RadioActive Cat

Thyroid Update

We came home tonight at about 5pm from dropping Sandy off.  We were supposed to go to Bri's and head on down to the Orange Street Fair, but I was kind of a mess.

I ended up taking a nap and just woke up. 
Dr. Broome just called and Sandy had his scan.  He has a medium-sized tumor on his Thyroid,  but also has another in his chest cavity.  He said that they see 1/20 cats with this.

Sandy will have his treatment tomorrow and I will get another call tomorrow at about noon with his livecam info.

I don't want to lose him.

Connected by DROID.

~ Sandy ~

Sandy goes in today for his radiation treatment.  I am freaking out and really scared.  I just want him to be ok. 

The place seems really nice (according to the phone call and email communication I have had):  CLICK HERE.

Sandy had to have Xrays to rule out chest/abdominal tumours - and he passed.  I love the fact that they let me be so hands on with his labwork and xrays - have a look!



He's going to stay in the hospital at this place for about a week - or until the radiation wears off to a safe level for him to come home.  I will have a webcam in his cottage so that I can view him any time I want.

As soon as get the contact info - I'll send it along on my blog.  I'm so emotional about this procedure - I just want him to be okay.