Weekly Weigh-in 1

After one week of Weight Watchers, I'm 4 lbs less!

Loosing weight is really a perk of this plan. My intention was to learn what I need to eat better - better portions, healthier choices.

So, for this start of week two:

I've learned that a cup of peas is a lot of friggin peas.

I can refrain from using my extra weekly points until the end of the week when they're really needed.

I don't make very healthy choices on weekends - but still don't go overboard.

I can have only one cup of coffee a day because I don't want to spend the points on cream and sugar. Except on weekends, the points on cream and sugar add up fast.

My goal for last week was to eat more fruits and veggies. I didn't do so well on the fruit front, but I improved greatly on the veggie front. I had bags of frozen veggies in my freezer that have sat for weeks and even months. I'm down to one cup of corn.

My goal for this week is to eat even more fruits and veggies. I did well last week, but I know I can do better. I can eat more. I can get bags of salad and not let them go bad in the fridge before I finish them. I know I can.

Dreams and Things

Yesterday, I went back to working on a sewing project that I started years ago. Although it was bright and sunny, I decided to hold off taking pictures of the newest line of Gnomes until today (just because I really felt like sewing).

It's cloudy and rainy today. Go figure.

I guess that means more time in front of the sewing machine. Which is fine, naturally, but I'm not selling this dress. I do have some Gnomes to work on until my roommate wakes up.

I dreamed that I was living in my grandmother's house last night. When I woke up, I decided that, if I do get this place, I should get a dog. While I like Shiba Inus and Alaskan Malamutes, I might go with an Akita. They're like Shiba's, only larger. Well, if I do get a dog, it will be a fairly large one, and from a shelter or rescue. So, we'll see what we can find. Of course, it will have to tolerate Miss Luna. Miss Luna will have to learn to live with it!

DIEt

Ever notice how the first three letters in diet are D-I-E?

While I've got tons of Weight Watchers tools to track my progress, I'm going to write some things here as well. Probably mostly observations.

I've finally learned that one tablespoon of soy sauce goes a long way. And it's zero points. Huzzah!

I've also learned that I can avoid a twelve point cookie simply because it is a twelve point cookie.

And I've learned that I can hang with knitters and not eat a ton of chips or cheese Danish.

I think it's a good start for being more than halfway through my first week.

Feels Like Snow

Phoenix and I left the condo together this morning. It felt like it was going to snow. So much, in fact, that I had to ask Phoenix if she knew if it was supposed to snow. I'm so out of touch with the weather right now because I've been filling car time with a dramatization of the Chronicles of Narnia (Thanks, Fox and Fae!). She didn't know. I heard some people in the office talking about storms this morning, so I had to look it up.

Sure enough; rain, sleet, and snow are in the forecast for the next couple days. How interesting!

Developments

Miss Luna has a cardiologist appointment next Thursday. Roscoe went to the vet yesterday for yet another high fever. His doctor doesn't think the problem is toxoplasmosis at all, but bartonellosis. While that is much more common, it's kind of the same as toxoplasmosis - as in it's rare that symptoms are shown. And, the symptoms caused by bartonellosis are not in line with the behavior I observed in Miss Luna, nor would it account for Aura's blindness.

So, we're probably never going to know what the real problem is. It's far more likely that three cats would come in contact with the same thing than for each to have contracted something different. The only thing that my roommates and I seem to agree on is that the trouble started with Aura (not that any of us are trying to blame Aura in the least).

It looks like I didn't mention this a year or so ago, I couldn't find any reference to it anyway. It was some time last year, we've been trying to convince my grandmother to move out of her home and into an assisted living community. My mom and her siblings have done some research and some recommending. Usually, nothing sounds appealing to my grandma. On the last attempt, I mentioned buying her house. It's not in the best area, really, but she's been living there with no major problems for years.

Fast forward to now. My parents have identified yet another assisted living possibility. It's very near by and mom says the facilities are very nice. She also said some of their retirement cabins are bigger than my parents' house. Grandma seems to be considering this place seriously. Which means we'd have to sell her house. Once again, I'm considering looking into me buying her home.

It's a quaint little single-floor place with three bedrooms and one bathroom. They had an addition put on the back many many years ago that served as a dining room. There is a detached garage and a little fenced-in yard. It's enough space for me (though I would like to see about adding another bathroom) and possibly a roommate. (And it's possible that LDS and Gnome might need a place to live in the near future. Phoenix and Sunflyr, while they would be welcome, would likely not come with me.) It would put me close once again to Sunday brunches and kayaking and the Renaissance festival, but further away from the ministry I work with and the friends I've made out here.

As far as the neighborhood, well.... We really wanted my aunt to get out of there when she moved to Albuquerque. And we really want my grandmother out of there now, though those reasons are not all for the neighborhood. I went to high school in that area and, while I know things can change in thirteen years, I never thought the area was that bad. I know most of her immediate neighbors are kind and helpful. If I need my parents for something, they could be there in about twenty minutes.

There are a few downsides. If I see Robin infrequently now because of our schedules, it will be more so if I move back to Maryland. He won't be able to visit after work, and likely not after school either. We'd have to plan to spend weekends together or something. I'd once more have a near fifty mile commute to work. Though, for some reason, I don't see those drives as being all that bad anymore. Sitting in traffic may be another matter, though I hear the improvements to the Wilson Bridge have really helped on that.

I mentioned this to my dad this morning, who asked if I could swing it and if I really wanted to live there. Being able to swing it depends on the price, naturally. While I'm sure my grandmother would like to give me a deal, I don't want her to sell to me for less than what she needs for it. About wanting to live there, the simple answer is that I can deal with it. Dad also mentioned that the might be able to help me with financing, just as they offered to try to help me with Miss Luna's bills. And then he said it's something to talk about. I think I'll call my mother this evening.

Would it really hurt to look into it and consider?

Gone and Done it

A few weeks ago, I signed up for Weight Watchers at Work. The first meeting was today. Now, I signed up before Miss Luna spent some time in the hospital, and I really shouldn't spend the money on this in light of the bills I'm facing now. However, while it would be a perfectly legitimate reason to put this off for another twelve weeks or more, I decided to go forward anyway.

They can't hold classes without a certain amount of people signed up. I already signed the payroll deduction form. And, if I don't follow through now, who is to say I won't come up with some other excuse the next time it rolls around. No, going forward was a good idea. I may think differently when I see what it does to my paycheck, but right now, I think it was a good idea to do what I said I would.

I have a few extra pounds that would be nice to loose, but I'm not really doing this because I'm hoping to fit into a size six again (as if!). I'm hoping to learn how to make better choices, how to fill my diet with good foods like vegetables. I like eating vegetables but, more often than not, they just go bad in my refrigerator. Every bag of salad that I throw out is money going in that trash can too. I'm the first to say that spending money to save money is illogical but, in this case, I really need the help.

A friend of mine from the Renaissance Festival has had great success on Weight Watchers. LDS's mother also made the plan work for her. My dad started in November and has made some real progress. While I can't speak for LDS's mother, the other two people were at unhealthy places and could really see the benefits. The Leader even said that accomplishments do not have to be on the scale. I hope to see a change in what I buy, what I eat, and how long that energy will last me. And, as a bonus, this should work well with the Blood Type Diet that I've been (roughly) following for years. I can still get the no-migraine benefit.

I'm reminding myself to see it for its benefit, and not for the money that could be going to vet bills. It will be an added strain for a while, but I think it will prove worth it.

A Step Away From Brains

I could write another post filled with made-up words. Or I could simply say I'm tired.

If I ever have kids, I'm going to be a wreck when they get sick.

Newest Thought

When the assistant at the ER handed me the estimate for treatment, she told me that the doctor said a few things were optional. One of those things was the toxoplasmosis titer screening. When faced with the estimate I had (and that was not including the follow-ups that have yet to be added) how much is one little $130 test going to really save me? I decided to ok everything they suggested, including the optional tests, because I don't do well if I don't know. If some of those other tests came back negative, then they probably would have taken more samples and sent out those optional ones later.

I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I didn't dwell on that small amount compared to the larger total. Especially since this seems to be the culprit. Maybe this knowledge will help me deal with the cardiologist too.

Tests and Results

The ER doctor called last night to say one of the tests showed an exposure to Toxoplasma gondii (not a confirmed toxoplasmosis infection, just exposure, but the test is somewhat inconclusive in that regard).

Here is what I know of the parasite. It is common. Many humans are carriers. The risk of toxoplasmosis is the reason pregnant women should not change a cat's litter box, though people are far more likely to become infected from tainted meat than from their cats. Many cats already have it and may never show symptoms. However, once they have it, they develop antibodies and should never show symptoms after the initial infection. They also only shed eggs after the initial infection.



Who wants to hear about symptoms?

Toxoplasmosis can cause fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, pneumonia, blindness, loss of coordination, or seizures. Miss Luna had fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, respiratory issues, and loss of coordination. And, get this; it's possible that toxoplasmosis, not Feline Herpesvirus, caused Aura's blindness. Actually, with this news, it's highly likely.

That also means it's highly likely that Aura brought the parasite into an environment that should have been, for all intents and purposes, free from it. Symptoms, if they appear at all, are usually after initial infection, which means it wasn't dormant in Miss Luna and just choosing to come out now. It means exposure was recent. It also means that, once it runs through the cats of the house, they will all have the proper antibodies and any eggs still in the environment won't harm them. It further means that, once it has run through and the period of egg-shedding is over, there is no reason why I can't take Miss Luna with me when I visit my parents if I want. There's a bit of a bright side. This is assuming my information from the doctor and my research is correct.

I am racking my brain trying to figure out how the parasite could have been passed on, though. If we got Aura during her period of shedding eggs, that would bring them into the home (where they can survive without a host for a year or more and are very resistant to things like bleach). But, the eggs are shed in feces and must be ingested. To the utmost best of my knowledge, the cats do not eat each other's poo, and they're certainly not eating rodents that have eaten cat poo. I'll ask the doctor about that today, but the only thing I can think of is eggs got on Aura's feet through the regular use of her litter box, she tracked them through the house, the other cats walk there, lick their paws, and ta-da. I'm not sure if this is possible but, if this is what the problem is, it's the only thing that makes sense. How else does an indoor cat ingest a parasite that usually comes from eating an infected rodent?

Now, Dreá had the fever/loss of appetite/lethargy bit, but they didn't test for toxoplasmosis. Roscoe had a slight fever and some lethargy. It is possible that Roscoe has a stronger immune system than the other two cats, so symptoms didn't hit him as hard. I wonder if the anemia or enlarged heart is what made the symptoms so awful for Miss Luna.

There are still mysteries, and it's still frustrating. But, if my conclusions are correct, that actually makes things a little easier because, once we get this under control, our animals shouldn't have any more problems and shouldn't be a danger to other animals. Miss Luna has a follow-up today to check her red blood cell count, and I'll be sure to bring my questions. And I'll be coming home with yet another antibiotic. They also want to re-test her levels in a few weeks.

Since I had the ER doctor on the phone, I also got to ask about going to the cardiologist. He insisted it was necessary to assess the severity of her heart condition. If the results say it's minor and nothing to worry about, that would really be nice. If the results say she'll need monitoring or management, then I need to be aware of that. I understand. I'll call today.

My poor baby. She had to spend a weekend with the evil (but helpful) doctors, and she has to go back at least thrice more (and, if we're both lucky, that's all she'll need). She has to take this awful antibiotic and another will be added (hopefully in a pill form). The good side is that she is doing worlds better. She's talking to me like she used to, begging for her food, and prodding me to wake up. She's all over the house, climbing on things, jumping on things. That little part of her arm where they had to shave her for the catheter looks funny, doesn't it? Poor girl!

Do Anything

I would do anything to ensure my cat lives a long, happy, healthy life. I will put myself in debt (and have!), buy less for me if it means food for her, even move back in with my parents if that's what I have to do to keep a roof over her fuzzy cat head.

But, is a cardiologist really necessary? It is worth the stress on her, and the expense on me, for them to just repeat what the x-ray already confirmed ("yep, her heart is enlarged")? That's all well and good, but what can be done about it? They can't shrink it down to normal size. What good can they really do?

And on top of this, I have guilt, because I know part of my thinking is that I don't want to add to the already substantial bills and that I'm too late in getting her on an insurance plan. I'm also concerned about her stress. Going to the doctor is not an easy thing on an animal. It's bad enough that I must take her in tomorrow for more blood tests, and it's bad enough that I'm shoving disgusting medicine down her throat twice a day. But, what am I to do? I'm not an expert, I rely on people with the degrees to prove they know what they're talking about to advise me.

I would do anything. That's probably why I'm feeling so terrible about not wanting to do this.