Detroit transplants living in Dallas
Monty’s monthly neuro checkup was today, and while his white count was still on the low end it has come up a little since last month. Everything considered he is doing remarkably well and as of today he has taken his last dose of medication. I was warned this is a very dangerous time for the possibility of a relapse, so we’re continuing to keep a really close eye on him but remain optimistic considering everything we’ve been through.
After 9 months all of this is no longer needed.
In general, I hate people. I hold myself to a very high standard and when others can’t or don’t follow suit, disappointed doesn’t quite reach the level of adjective I tend to reach for. Then something happens that changes everything, puts it all in perspective, and in a moment nothing is the same. Life is funny like that.
Tuesday night our good friend John Walker was involved in a horrific accident while leaving his second home, the music studio, to be with his wife and children, and at this time he remains in a coma and in critical condition at the Baylor ICU. Hearing any kind of news like this is shocking, but to have it strike so close to home and within your inner circle is devastating. How does the universe allow something like this to happen to such an amazing person? I was numb, angry, I hated people even more, and I didn’t want to acknowledge it. The normally emotionally stalwart C shed tears, and I’m not ashamed to admit I cried.
But then something started to happen. Word spread. My Facebook feed lit up, exploding not with informal half ass condolences some might expect, but truly inspiring and emotional outpourings of love, energy, and support. Having the privilege of getting to know John since moving to Dallas it was however no surprise. You may not have met him yet, but he is already your friend, and one that you could count on for anything. Soon friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, business contacts, even people he never directly met were mobilizing, coming together to offer anything and everything they could, and I am absolutely humbled by the response. A donation page was set up and within 24 hours $13,500 had been raised to assist John and his family through this trying time, with many additional benefit events in the works. Even more importantly a Facebook group 900 strong has people pledging and scheduling to help with the kids, house cleaning, cooking, transportation, and anything else to help the family keep focused on John and his recovery. To be sure, he has a long road ahead, but he WILL get there with the kind of support he has.
Live life, love and be loved, smile, and surround yourself with good people.
I’m both honored and proud to know John and so many other good people here. He is an inspiration, as is the overwhelming outpouring of support that I have borne witness to.
For anyone who would like to contribute please visit: http://www.gofundme.com/2for2w
What were the skies like when you were young?[link]
Bank of America HQ from Belo Garden Park
Dallas, TX
Morning breaks on Main St from Belo Garden Park
Random Dude: Is that a Boston?
Me: No, French Bulldog.
Random Dude: Oh, Frenchie? [long pause] You know they can’t swim right? [longer awkwarder pause] Their head is too big.
Me: That’s why he has a life jacket.
Random Dude: I’m not the fucking ASPCA, man!
Pegasus Plaza, Main St Dallas
More good news today with Monty’s March checkup with the neurologist, and after nearly eight months today is officially his last dose of Prednisone. We had planned on one final chemo treatment with Cytosar, but the CBC again came back with a slightly below normal white count so we felt it best to forgo this in favor of dropping the Prednisone to continue stepping him down off the medications. This leaves 10mg Omeprazole (Prylosec) and 2.5ml Omega-3 Fish Oil daily, and 50mg Cyclosporine every other day as the only ongoing treatment.
Monty seems happy, and his activity level and interaction is nearly on par with his pre-diagnosis self. He’s one of the lucky ones, and we couldn’t be happier.
Not to be overshadowed by Monty, it was Bailey’s turn at the vet today for his first senior checkup. Yup, our big kitty is now a card carrying member of the AARC at 12! He’s had on-again off-again digestive and GI issues over the years, so fortunately this trip was preventative in nature and not an emergency. Even so, with the sounds he was making during the 10 minute drive to and from the office the ride was excruciating. Dr Naugler ran a full gamut of tests including physical, blood profile, urinalysis, and fecal review, in addition to updating his rabies vaccination.
Many of you may know of the tummy troubles Bailey endures from time to time, be it the constipation, picky eating habits, or vomiting if you look at him funny. He’s always been that way and we’ve learned how to deal with it. We’ve tried good food, bad food, canned food, dry food, raw food, baby food, and even stranger things like boiled pumpkin without much luck in either getting him to eat anything other than certain Friskies and Fancy Feast varieties. He eats and seems happy, but I’ve never been overly excited about what I give him. He also has a bit of an OCD streak when it comes to cleaning himself and has several bald spots because of this. Past vets tried to treat this as a psychological issue with steroids, but this was probably the worst thing we ever did for him as he was MISERABLE and did not last very long. So the news today that the recommendation going forward would be to transition to a special hypoallergenic diet did not come as a complete surprise, but the reasoning for it caught me off guard for what I have been overlooking all this time. The OCD cleaning could be caused by abdominal irritation due to food or food allergy and probably has nothing to do with boredom or psychosis, so I’m either the worst pet parent ever or, well I couldn’t think of anything else because I felt like the worst pet parent ever.
So changes are afoot for Bailey’s diet, and this could get “fun”. First up to taste test are the deliciously named canned foods “Intestinal Low Residue Pate” and “Hypoallergenic Senior Feline”, so wish us luck!
The city is a giant canvas used by the sun as it splashes light throughout the mirrored canyons. Somehow I managed to catch some pretty spectacular views two out of the last three nights…
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