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cocktail-party-in-an-abattoir · 4 years ago

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In Memoriam Herschel (2005-2021)

It was the late summer/early autumn of 2005. I was 16 years old. I went to a friend’s house for a get-together with other friends. She lived in a more rural area, so stray cats were not uncommon. One of these strays had recently birthed a litter of kittens. They were corralled into a blocked-off area in my friend’s den. Naturally, we all gravitated towards the kittens. We spent a good while petting them, playing with them, holding them, and watching them with their mother. A particular kitten was a gray and white tabby. This kitten had made its way towards me and tried to crawl up one of my jean legs. I was wearing bootcut jeans, so it actually managed it. I was immediately drawn to this kitten, the idea of asking my parents if we could keep it already forming.

While my friends and I were playing with them, we decided to give them all smartass, noncommittal names. None of us could sex kittens, so that was reflected in the names we chose. I named the gray and white tabby (of which there were two, but I zeroed in on the jean leg kitten) “Herschel.” Why? Well, when I was eight or nine, I used to play House with friends. I had heard the name “Herschel” on some sitcom, and I liked the sound of it. So, I often named my fake son “Herschel.” This became an inside joke between my best friend and me.

Back at home, I asked my mom if we could adopt the kitten. She had veto power. She was kind of hesitant at first but eventually relented. A few weeks later my friend and her mom brought the kitten over to my house. By that point I was already seriously referring to it as “Herschel.” We all just kind of assumed it was male. The first thing Herschel did after getting out of the carrying case was hide behind one of our bookcases and stayed there.

We took Herschel to the vet. Upon examination the vet tech proclaimed he was, in fact, she. Her exact words were “You have a little girl!” For better or for worse, I was committed to “Herschel” (much to my mom’s chagrin), so from then on, I had a girl cat with a boy name. This led to years of various people (mostly veterinary staff) getting her sex wrong. I don’t know that I ever bothered correcting them because, well, they were going to find out the truth soon enough.

Between 2005 and 2010, Herschel grew from a kitten with what my mom described as “Yoda ears” into a gorgeous young lady. She had the most beautiful green eyes. People always had nice things to say about her looks. She had an adorable bow-legged gait from the beginning. She grew into an affectionate little cuddle-bug once she adjusted to us. She was wary of strangers, which was probably for the best. She did not like to go outside as much as our older cat, Simba (RIP)—especially after being treed once—but she was a very skilled huntress. She even managed to get two hummingbirds. Obviously, I’m not a fan of such “presents,” but I couldn’t help but be impressed by her prowess.

In 2007, we adopted 2 labs named Olive and Penny (RIP x2). 2010, we adopted two fluffy black kittens from our vet’s office. We named them Buttercup and Licorice (RIP x2). Herschel respected Simba because of his seniority, but she absolutely despised the other pets. She would growl and hiss at them on sight. Because of this, the dogs had to stay downstairs while the cats had free rein upstairs. By 2012, Buttercup had gone missing, and we had adopted two more animals: a cat named Kid Twist (“Twist” for short) and a blue heeler named Bleu. Herschel did not care for them either. That same year my parents moved one state over, and I moved to a nearby city to stay with a family friend. The Menagerie went with my parents.

One day in 2013 or 2014 my mom commented about how Herschel hid under a guest room bed much of the time. She would only come out to do her business or eat. Since the dogs had free rein over the entire house, this meant there was no real “safe space” for Herschel. Thus, her reclusiveness. Mom was worried about her well-being. I offered to take Herschel under my wing. Mom agreed. Now, my housemate already had a few cats, so it wasn’t perfect, but it was an improvement over a house with dogs. Herschel had been under my care since.

In 2015 Herschel moved with me into the apartment I currently live in. Despite my apartment’s smallness, she was finally the one cat in a one-cat home. I had stopped letting her out because a) my apartment complex is positively labyrinthine b) the complex is next to a busy highway, and c) I wanted her to live longer and not harm any wildlife (although her hunting days were behind her). She didn’t seem to mind. For the next few years, she was my kitty comrade. Aside from some dental issues and a heart murmur, she always had a clean bill of health. I honestly thought she was going to live as long as Simba had (18, almost 19) because he was also a spry geriatric cat.

In late 2020, Herschel was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. She had been growing thinner and vomiting before I found out. I had to start giving her medication twice per day, but there was otherwise no change. She was still the empress I knew and loved, if a little slower. I thought that was going to be it. Then, earlier this year, the vet ran some more tests. While I had managed to lower her thyroid levels, the vet found another problem: chronic kidney disease. My blood ran cold upon hearing this because one of our pet labs, Olive, had died from kidney failure a few years prior. The vet told me while there was no cure, CKD could be managed with diet changes and medication. He was right, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with Herschel. She quickly went from stage 3 to stage 4 (4 being the end stage). I still kick myself about this because I feel like I could’ve found out sooner. Anyway, the vet suggested I should have Herschel hospitalized for a couple of days with IV fluids. The idea was to basically rehydrate her and then start a regimen of a new diet, supplements, and medication.

So, I waited outside for three hours until a hospital staff member came to collect Herschel. It would’ve been longer, but my very kind vet called ahead. A couple of days later my mom and I returned to the hospital to wait for Herschel. It was March 25th, my birthday. One of the vets called me and stated despite the diuresis, Herschel’s stats remained the same. She stated I had probably 2 weeks left with her. I knew she was right, but I was still determined to try. I gave her daily cocktails of medication. I learned how to give her subcutaneous injections to hydrate her. I got the prescription wet food. At first, she had more okay days than bad, but it eventually became clear she was circling the drain. Treatment transformed into hospice care. I was going to do everything possible to keep her comfortable. By the end she was incontinent and no longer eating or drinking. Then she stopped being able to walk. I knew I had to make the final appointment. After a long crying session, I did.

My mom came to help yesterday. Herschel was mostly immobile and out of it. Not even her favorite prosciutto roused her. I swaddled her in a changing pad and a blanket and slept with her next to me for one more night. She was still alive this morning if barely. Before we were set to go to her final appointment, I played her Sugarloaf’s “Green-Eyed Lady” (which will always remind me of her) and Audrey Hepburn’s version of “Moon River.” As my mom and I went to prepare her for the appointment, we realized how still she was. She did not appear to be breathing, and she did not react to anything we did. I took a flashlight to her pupils and… she was gone. She had died peacefully on my couch, which was one of her favorite spots to lounge. Honestly, I was relieved because the thought of taking her to a strange place to be euthanized frankly distressed me. I cuddled her ragdoll body from then until we were sitting in the vet office’s parking lot. Mom got a chance to hold her, too. A vet tech came out, used her stethoscope, and confirmed what we already knew. After a few more minutes with her we said our last goodbyes. I filled out paperwork confirming I wanted her ashes returned to me with a clay pawprint.

I want Herschel’s ashes buried on my parents’ property with the others. Maybe a little farther away since she did not like most of them. I’m also looking into urn jewelry so I can carry her with me. This cat saw me at some of my lowest points, including when I was furloughed from my job last year. This cat was sweet and affectionate but also a pesky little shit. This cat was the first living being I was fully responsible for. She somehow managed to be regal while shoving her butthole into your face. If she liked you, she came and sat with you. If she didn’t, she hid behind the washing machine. I’m convinced she was part slug because even at her largest she was able to fit into confined spaces. I will miss her trilling meows. She was beautiful to the end, and I will always love her and miss her. I don’t know if there is an afterlife or not, but if there is, I hope she has endless king crab and prosciutto to snack on.

#personalcocktail #pet death cw

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covid19updater · 5 years ago

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COVID19 UPDATES 04/01/2020

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

MORNING:

UK: Britain didn't properly prepare for coronavirus testing because it planned to rely on discredited 'herd immunity' strategy, claims leading scientist. Professor Devi Sridhar said UK Government had been following wrong advice Britain is still not mass testing and gave up on contact tracing as cases surged

NYC: Rikers island prison is offering prisoners 6 dollars/ hr to dig mass graves in NYC. LINK

Kentucky: Coronavirus patient put on house arrest for refusing ‘stay-at-home’ order LINK

RUMINT: In my 7 days on one of our (now 12!) non ICU #COVID19 units, I admitted 58 patients for COVID rule out, of whom 50 tested positive. Two died (DNR), 2 went to hospice, and 5 went to the ICU. That is… not my typical gen med service week. SEE MORE AT LINK

US: Trump predicts a very painful two weeks US President Donald Trump has predicted that the United States will face "two very, very painful weeks". "This is a plague," Trump said at a news conference. "The wave is coming and it is getting pretty strong," he added.

Spain: Spain's daily death toll reaches another record high Spain has seen 864 deaths related to the coronavirus in a day, a new record in a 24-hour period for the country, the health ministry says. The national death toll is at 9,053. There have been 102,136 confirmed cases.

Washington: Washington state has not released an update on the number of coronavirus cases since Sunday because its system is "overwhelmed." As a result, there's only limited data from local officials

World: Some figures in G20 are calling for a “one world government” to deal with COVID19. LINK

India: Two resident doctors of Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi test positive for COVID-19: Official sources

RUMINT (Mississippi): One of the things I'm worried about. I had another coworker quit yesterday due to the lack of concern from our hospital. They say we only need a surgical mask and goggles to care for POSITIVE patients. Um, no. Nurses are going to start walking in droves to other jobs and then the public will be screwed. We are not leaving the profession, just getting off the front lines.

US: "My advice to America would be that these guidelines are a national stay-at-home order."— U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams

Texas: Ellen and John were together for more than 50 years. Their true love story interrupted too soon by the coronavirus. LINK

UK: Some especially grim numbers from the UK today which is reporting 4,324 new cases and 563 deaths. This is the worst daily numbers so far. The totals are now 29,474 cases and 2,352 deaths.

Sweden: 500 new cases of #Coronavirus and 59 new deaths in Sweden Total reaches 4,947 confirmed cases and 239 deaths

RUMINT: I spoke to two Senior White House Officials this am. Both made it clear when #coronavirus spike passes the administration will take the gloves off on #China. One explained: “Trump is furious and wants action.”

Canada: Two men slain on rural Alberta road were hunting to feed their families after COVID-19 layoffs LINK

AFTERNOON:

Belgium: 90 year old Woman dies from #coronavirus in Belgium after refusing a ventilator and telling doctors: 'I had a good life, keep this for the younger'

China: BREAKING: China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country, under-reporting both total cases and deaths, the U.S. intelligence community concluded in a classified report

Canada: 'Best case scenario': COVID-19 measures expected to last until July, government document says LINK

Italy: When the singing stops, trouble starts. LINK

Italy: #BREAKING: Italy has confirmed 4782 new #coronavirus cases and 727 new deaths, raising the country's total to 110,574 with 13.155 confirmed deaths (Note: Yesterday Italy confirmed 4,053 new #coronavirus cases and 837 new deaths)

US: MIKE PENCE just now: "We think Italy may be the most comparable area to the United States at this point."

New York: NEW YORK STATEWIDE CORONAVIRUS CASES INCREASES TO 83,712, UP FROM 75,795 FROM A DAY EARLIER - GOVERNOR CUOMO NEW YORK STATEWIDE CORONAVIRUS DEATHS INCREASES TO 1,941, UP FROM 1,550 A DAY EARLIER - GOVERNOR CUOMO

New York: "The NYPD has to get more aggressive," @NYGovCuomo on enforcing social distancing.

NYC: NYPD considers DOA teams to pick up dead LINK

Philippines: Philippines leader Duterte tells police, military to shoot unruly quarantine violators LINK

Georgia: Georgia jumped to 4638 cases today

Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan bans use of word 'coronavirus,' threatens jail for anyone wearing a mask: watchdog group LINK

Florida: #BREAKING-- FL Gov. @GovRonDeSantis will be issuing exec. order today for ALL Floridians to stay at home, except for essential activity. "That order will be coming out momentarily...it will be going into effect tomorrow at midnight." @NBCNews

World: WHO's Tedros: “deeply concerned” about the “rapid escalation and global spread” of the coronavirus outbreak, saying global infections will eclipse 1 million with 50,000 deaths in a few days.

Georgia: Fulton county GA is voting on an order to command residents to stay home or face 1k fine.

New Jersey: N.J. GOVERNOR SAYS `BEGUN CONVERSATION' ON PLACES TO STORE DEAD

France: France - 4,861 new cases of #coronavirus and 509 new deaths. Hospitalized 24,639 (+1,882): 6,017 in intensive care (+452). Recovered 10,935 (+1,491). 34% under 60yo; 80 patients under 30yo. Total of 56,989 cases, total deaths 4,032

World: Conservative lawyer sues Chinese government over coronavirus outbreak LINK

US: @USNorthernCmd chief Gen O'Shaughnessy says the US military is planning to increase its presence on US southern #border amid #COVIDー19 pandemic to protect nation from possible COVID + migrants. (540 additional troops will deploy "very soon" adds Army North commander

EVENING:

World: Coronavirus can infect cats — dogs not so much LINK

California: Los Angeles County - 513 new cases, bringing the total in the county to 3,518 - 5 new cases are among the homeless population - 79% of positives cases are 18-65 years old; that's remained constant

Japan: Update: Starting from April 2, 2020 at 11:00AM (EST), Foreign Nationals traveling from the US will be denied permission to enter Japan until further notice.

US: Nearly 300 Homeland Security employees test positive for coronavirus

Brazil: So far today, Brazil has reported 1,119 new cases of coronavirus and 39 new deaths, raising total to 6,836 cases and 240 dead

World: U.N., WHO AND WTO WARN OF FOOD SHORTAGE IF COUNTRIES IMPOSE TRADE RESTRICTIONS - WAPO

US: NEW: The Strategic National Stockpile is deploying the last round of shipments in its inventory, depleting the bulk of its protective gear, according to a source familiar. (reporting from CNN's Kristen Holmes) #coronavirus #COVID19

US: U.S GOVERNMENT HAS REQUESTED 100 000 BODY BAGS, PENTAGON WILL DRAW SOME INITIALLY FROM STOCKPILE OF 50 000 IT MAINTAINS - BLOOMBERG. FEMA hasn’t given a specific delivery date request for the 100,000 bodybags, but the agency wants them as soon as they’re ready,

NYC: New York City's empty hotel rooms (85 percent are unoccupied) are going to be used as hospital rooms for those who don't need ICU, says head of city's public hospital system. Plan calls for 10,000 beds across 20 hotels.

Georgia: Breaking: 47 long-term care facilities in Georgia have COVID-19 outbreaks that the state is investigating, Georgia Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey said today.

Illinois: #Chicago officials say 20 employees with the #Fire Dept. and 50 with the #Police Dept. have tested positive for #COVID19. But the Lightfoot administration won't identify the units in which they were working. Cops wants to know so they can take precautions.

US: Trump adviser working with WH officials on messaging for pandemic said Trump “took a gamble�� that warmer weather would cause Coronavirus to dissipate, siding with aides pushing back on dire warnings coming from doctors. "He took a gamble and got it wrong,” adviser said.

Germany: Coronavirus in Germany: - 77,921 confirmed cases - 925 confirmed deaths - 6,113 new cases today - 150 new deaths today - 3,408 critical cases today (2,675 yesterday) Today is Germany's worst day since the outbreak has begun.

Louisiana: New Orleans East Hospital nurse dies from COVID-19 complications

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quoratopstories · 8 years ago

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What happens when a cat goes senile?

This is Kita. If he makes it to Easter, 2016, he will be 20 years old.

He most definitely has dementia. I work as a nurse with predominately seniors, & cared for a family member with dementia, and Kita behaves exactly the same.

He has good days and bad days. On every day he is clearly confused about whether he just came in from the outside, or if he needs to go now. (More so than that in/out game all pets seem to love to play.). If the weather is bad he forgets, and will ask over and over for you to open the door, and acts surprised every time that it's raining.

Did he just eat? Don't remember but he loves to eat and being hyperthyroid, he's too skinny, so we put him in front of a plate of food 20-30 times a day, and he eats a few bites each time...only to ask again in that special meow that 19 years has taught us both that someone needs to feed him. Of course, we go through the motions of feeding him again, and again, and again. I'm happy to do it all day long.

Wheres the litter box?! Well, we moved it closer, (who needs a dining room anyway?), his nose leads the way.

He will go into one room, and clearly have no idea why he went in there, only to turn around and wonder why he's in that room. Sometimes he cycles like this & I'll redirect him. Food works.

But he remembers many things too. Like a human, his long term memory is very much still intact. (Last 2 go). He knows me, my husband, our 3 dogs, but that pesky new cat confuses him. She looks like a cat he knew and loved, but this new one smells different. Fortunately he has always been a mellow cat, so most of the time he just goes with the flow, but he is clearly often surprised by her smell. Many other of his long term behaviors remain intact. Lap time, nail clipping, poke you in the face for attention time. He's been doing those for years. It's only the new stuff he has trouble with.

Before anyone suggest he's suffering, rest assured, this cat has a better life and better health care than I do. It's our family's choice to repay this guys long years of service as a foot and bed warmer by doing every thing we can to ease his golden years. If you can't understand that, 1) why have you even read this far?, 2) I pity you.

Well, he made it to 20! His dementia continues, perhaps a bit worse. We cook for him weekly, and he mostly eats only roast chicken and a rich stock made from that chicken. But the weather is warming, that warm spot by the back door is still all his, and we are still grateful for every day he is still with us. All is well.

Thank you all for the kind words, for sharing our joy, and especially for his many birthday wishes. He's still a cat, so he doesn't care, but my family and I are deeply touched.

We went to the vet today, fearing bad news, but the news was not as bad as it could have been. We have a wonderfully caring and understanding vet. Today he made it clear we are 100% into hospice care now. Whatever will make him comfortable, whatever will improve Kita's quality of life, that's what we will do. So he has a few more meds to take, and this vegetarian will still be cooking a chicken every week because my buddy likes chicken. We are lucky that Kita's dementia is the pleasant kind, but the end of dementia for cats is the same as people. It will take a miracle for him to see 21, but every day is a miracle here. He's happy. That's what matters most.

Kita has passed. Like many older cats, his kidneys wore out. I was there when he came into the world, and was there when he left. Thank you all for his brief burst of fame. I hope have inspired some, and given others the examples they need to do what their heart already knows. Some people just can’t understand, and I do still pity them.

Kita was one hell of a good cat.

Read other related questions on Quora:

My cat goes from pure sweetness to attack mode out of nowhere. Why does this happen and what can I do?

What goes through a cat’s head during the day?

What is the smartest thing your cat has ever done?

Read more answers on Quora. via Quora http://ift.tt/21ex2e2

#IFTTT #Quora

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bike42 · 4 years ago

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Adventures in Quarantine March-May 2020

Corona Virus Upends Life as We Knew It

Chapter One: Denial

Just after the New Year, we started hearing about Corona Virus, and the resulting disease of COVID-19 as something happening in China. Without giving much thought to the global nature of life these days, we continued life as normal.

On January 21st the first US case of COVID was confirmed in the US (Seattle area).

February 5-14: We flew to Florida for the IFA conference in Orlando, then spent a few days on the Gulf Coast in Sarasota. We had uncharacteristically warm weather and thoroughly enjoyed our get away.

Feb 25-27: Jeff travelled to Atlanta for his BrightStar Performance Group meeting. Compared to the flights just two weeks before, he said his flights were pretty empty, already people were cancelling their travel plans.

March 6 – I went to the UW Hospital for an ADRC Ambition Study Visit. Seemed like business as usual.

March 6-8 We met Sandra and Matt in Minneapolis for the week-end. With beautiful weather, we walked a lot and went to the Farmer’s Market at the Mill Museum, The Walker Art Museum, and on Sunday Jeff and I attended the Minnesota Auto Show at the Convention Center. We didn’t know it at the time, but it was the last time we were in large crowds and were able eat in restaurants until who knows when we’ll be back to that?!

March 10 Jeff and I drove to Chicago to attend the BrightStar Midwest Owner’s Meeting. Just before the meeting, BrightStar set up an option to attend the session virtually via something called “Zoom” meeting (had never heard of it before, but now we are Zooming nearly every day!). About 40 people attended the session, and Shelly, the originally hugger, mandated that no one touch, shake hands or hug. Honestly, I thought that was a bit extreme, but now in the era of “social distancing,” it’s our new normal. This was the last face-to-face business meeting we’ll attend in who knows how long. The BrightStar Leadership Team also decided to cancel the BrightStar Leadership Conference scheduled in Dallas in mid-April.

Madison had the first Wisconsin confirmed COVD-19 case on March 11, at the UW hospital.

March 12 – Governor Evers declared a “public health emergency” for the State of WI. We weren’t exactly sure what that meant at the time. Also, that day, Jeff had scheduled a visit with his primary MD Trent Thompson to discuss heartburn / exercise induced chest pain that he’d had over the last several months (note title of this chapter = denial). Dr Thompson scheduled an Upper GI exam and due the fact that Jeff used the words “chest pain” and he also had a slightly abnormal EKG, he also ordered a Stress Test. After the MD visit, we headed to Costco where there was quite a buzz with people stocking up on cleaning supplies – we thought it was hysterical, but this was the beginning of the great “Toilet Paper Shortage” of 2020. Crazy

March 13: CMS mandated that all Nursing Home facilities across the country stop in-person visits and limit entrance to employees only. Although not required of Assisted Livings, we thought this was a good idea and implemented it for our BrightStar Senior Living communities. We also instituted temperature and symptom monitoring for all staff as they entered the building, and daily temperature and wellness checks for our residents.

We also started having Home Care and Staffing employees that had traveled “out of state” start performing daily temperature checks. Since we’d recently been to MN and IL, we also started our daily checks.

Around this time, many schools were on spring break, some extended the break a bit, throwing parents into a panic.

The government started talking about plans to help the country – promised of $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits (on top of state benefits), payment breaks on SBA loans, and several other loan and grant programs for businesses. It really added to the confusion going on as schools were talking about closing, the threat of businesses closing, and then the uncertainty around if our business could be defined as “healthcare” and therefore an “essential business.” We were just in the process of switching over to Waunakee Community Bank, for personal and business, so it was a great time to see how much of a partner they’d be for us.

Chapter Two: This Just Got Real

Sunday March 15: We attended church as usual, not knowing that this would be the last church service we’d attend in person in some time. As it was, there was a bit of uncomfortableness during the time when we get up and move about and greet one another. No hugs or handshakes – some people bumped elbows, some practiced “distance” high fives. For the first time ever, I was uncomfortable with the thought of someone ripping off a hunk of bread for me as we participated in communion.

That evening we were notified that 2 BSL-M residents were sent to the ER with respiratory symptoms. We were relieved a few hours later to hear both had testing positive for influenza, and they were returned to the community where they were quarantined to their rooms and recovered without issue. We felt like we dodged a bullet.

Monday March 16: Jeff had his Upper GI procedure at St Mary’s outpatient surgery unit this AM. All the nurses were decked out in full PPE with facemasks, and only a small percentage of the normally scheduled cases were performed. With Jeff, they found a tiny hiatal hernia (too small to worry about), and Schottky’s ring (which they stretched). We were sent on our way, feeling somewhat like we didn’t get the answers we are searching for.

Sad afternoon, we got home from St Mary’s and decided we should take Tiger cat into the Vet’s Urgent Care as he’d been pretty listless for about a week. The vet was on “lockdown” and you called them from the parking lot and they came out and took your pet in – you had to stay in the car. I was not happy about that, but stopped myself from pitching a fit. Soon they called and told us they found that he was in early stages of heart failure, so we made the decision to put him down. We called Bailey to come out, and we were able to spend some final precious moments with a sedated Tiger, telling him how much we loved him and what a great cat he’d been. So hard, but a good end to a wonderful 16 years.

Tuesday March 17: normal day at work. We recorded several videos to be sent out to our staff with a “we got this” theme. So odd to look back at that now, didn’t even realize what was in store.

Wednesday March 18: Up as usual, and I headed downstairs to our home gym. Several minutes later, Jeff sent me a text saying “come up.” I found him lying on the floor in our bathroom – with horrible chest pain. I called 911 but it wasn’t until the EMTs were here with him hooked up to the EKG that I actually understood that he was having a heart attack. Now we know there were warning signs, but something like this was never on our radar!

Amazing work from the Waunakee EMTs and we found ourselves back at St Mary’s in the Cardiac Cath lab. Ryan joined me there, and after about 90 minutes we met up with Jeff in Cardiac Care Unit. Jeff had blockage of his cardiac arteries – repaired with 5 stents and now a life changing array of medications (blood pressure, cholesterol lowering and blood thinning). He was always fit, ate well, exercised, had low BP and cholesterol … but heart disease runs in his family and you can’t beat genetics.

He was in the hospital until Friday March 20th, and our world completely changed during those days. The cardiac event alone rocked our world, but during this time the governor signed a “Safer at Home” order which closed all businesses except those deemed essential. We emerged from the hospital on Friday to a different world.

Saturday March 21st was my dad’s 80th birthday. My parents were driving back to WI from Florida (also in denial), and it felt so wrong to not have them stop in to visit, or be able to visit them, but we knew we had to stay isolated at home at this point in our lives.

It took some time to get used to our new normal and get settled into our home. New routine for Sox our remaining cat as well. Much of that first week was a blur.

Tuesday March 24th - BSL-W resident Bob, had respiratory symptoms as was sent to the hospital early this morning tested positive for COVID-19. The news was devastating to me. My heart was breaking for all the families that trusted us to care for their loved ones. Even with restricting visitors and screening staff, the darned virus got in. While we already knew we weren’t alone – I can’t describe what a devastating feeling this was. Our management staff were amazing, however the majority of our caregiving staff (and our brother and sister cooks) all freaked out and left. Later that week, Doris, another resident that was already on hospice also died – presumably of COVID-19 since she had respiratory symptoms. On Saturday April 4th, another resident (Ray) suddenly developed symptoms and was admitted to the hospital, not expected to live. I took that news especially hard – I’d had a conversation with Ray during my last visit into the community (March 4th). He’d been watching the news about how hard the nursing home in Seattle was hit with the virus and felt like they were “sitting ducks.” What we learned was all attempts to screen or use available PPE wasn’t enough, when apparently, some carry the virus asymptomatically. Also, on Saturday, Ray’s wife Lynne went to the hospital and also tested positive for the virus, but didn’t have severe symptoms. On the morning of Thursday, April 9th, I was out for a run in the morning and as I was on my way home, I saw an ambulance outside BSL-W and I lost it. I’m sure I was quite a sight – yelling at God, screaming and crying on the sidewalk. Probably the most helpless feeling I’ve ever had. We finally got the health department to cooperate and provide tests for our staff and residents. 8 residents were presumed positive (3 deaths, 3 hospitalized and recovered, two showed no symptoms). 4 staff members tested positive and were quite ill, some out 4 weeks before they felt well enough to return. True heroes – everyone involved: residents and their families, managers, and staff.

Chapter Three: Our New Normal

Government – I’m not even going to get into what terrible leadership our president demonstrated during this crisis. Both the house and senate went to work in unprecedented fashion and in short time they introduced an array of bills – some good for us, some not, some that we’re still trying to figure out 6+ weeks later. Payroll Protection Act – gave us loans that could turn into grants if we keep people working – Families First Corona Leave Act was an FMLA that gave non-essential workers unlimited time off to care for their families – Federal UI Act promising $600 a week in UI on top of what someone can get from the state (more than most of our workers are paid to work!!). Crazy times, and a roller-coaster of uncertainty as we tried to figure out what applies to us, what works for us, what could hurt us, etc.

Zoom Meetings and “work” from home / gardening class. Zoom church. Zoom Yoga. Zoom meetings with friends. Zoom meetings with WI DHS twice a week regarding COVID matters. Zoom meetings with Littler twice a week, scaring the crap out of us with all the ways people can be suing us over COVID and myriad of other employment related issues!

School – though this didn’t affect us, school was cancelled for the rest of the year. Can’t imagine what that was like – the stress it put on working families, especially lower income who were less likely to have internet access and even access to food the way some kids did through school.

Workouts – we loved getting up every day without the alarm clock, having our home gym. On nice days I’d bring my yoga mat up to the porch. We gradually got out walking, measuring heart rates and before long we were up to walking 7 miles with weighted packs.

Cooking – Jeff always loved to cook and it was great to have the extra time to make soups and clean out the pantry and see what kind of mixes were in there. He also baked a Key Lime Pie, which was awesome.

Wine – initially we were home with Ryan bringing us supplies and groceries. My stash of “everyday” wine dwindled and I started tapping into the good stuff – I mean, what was I saving it for anyway? By May, we were venturing back to Costco with masks on, so I was able to restock the “everyday” wine. I also started making margaritas again – I mean, we had 5 bottles of tequila in our bar for some reason!! As the weather warmed up, our condo ladies (Judy, Joan and me) started having wine parties on our patio - practicing social distancing of course. Sure, was good to socialize with actual people again!

Puzzles – early into quarantine one night after Jeff had gone to bed, I got out a jigsaw puzzle that I’d had for awhile but had never put together (a series of VW beetles). We worked on it over the next few days and found it was calming, and something we could work on together. After we completed that, I found a few more in the basement, and then ordered a few more online. Like a lot of things, they were becoming hard to find – took 3 weeks for Amazon delivery!! The last one we are still working on – 1000-piece Macho Pichu with tiny little pieces!!

House Cleaning – after the heart attack, we realized we needed to quarantine alone, so we put our cleaning service on hold. At first, we’d forget that the toilets needed to be cleaned and we’d realize the floor was disgusting. It didn’t take long for us to get back into the routine of cleaning, and we think part of our new normal will be doing the cleaning ourselves again. We’re not working the excessive hours that we were 10 years ago when we first broke down and hired cleaners. Except wow – does the dust ever pile up!

Newspaper: “The Wide World of No Sports” The sports section is hysterical. They’re working so hard to find things to publish. Same with sports on TV. Really – who wants to watch old games and old golf tournaments. One cool thing though was they published the AP Writers Top 25 Sports Movies, so were working on watching all of those (some old favorites, some good, at least one so far has been terrible). Here’s the list:

1. Hoosiers

2. Bull Durham

3. Rocky

4. Caddyshack

5. Slap Shot

6. Field of Dreams

7. Raging Bull

8. Major League

9. The Natural

10. A League of Their Own

11. Moneyball

12. The Bad News Bears

13. Miracle

14. Hoop Dreams

15. Eight Men Out

16. Chariots of Fire

17. White Men Can’t Jump

18. Remember the Titans

19. Rudy

20. Seabiscuit

21. Breaking Away

22. The Pride of the Yankees

23. When We Were Kings

24. Brian’s Song

25. Friday Night Lights

26. The Sandlot

Chapter Four: Getting Old

Easter came and went. While I’m getting used to participating in church via video, Easter without family just felt like another day.

The week after Easter, we should have been at a conference in Vegas. Its been rescheduled to September, on top of everything else. If we can do things in September, we’re going to have to prioritize!!

Everything has been cancelled for the summer – IFA Summer Board meeting, Waunafest, Shake the Lakes Festival, State Fair, Farmer’s Market, everthing!! No idea how or when Baseball and Football will start, and if they’ll play games in empty stadiums or what.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided that the “Safer at Home” order was illegal, which threw the state into a state of confusion. There is a real divide between people that want everything back open, and people that are still freaked out. No one knows. As of May 26, 2020 – places are allowed to slowly open. Salons by appointment; restaurants at 25% capacity. We are still wearing masks in public, and since we’re working in healthcare, we’re enforcing even wearing masks in our office – not a popular decision, but they’ll be thankful if this spikes up again!

I’m feeling more used to it, and spending more time working on some of the work projects that I thought I’d be knocking out during this time. It was just so hard to focus for the first 8 weeks – everything was about the darn virus!!

Jeff is knocking off house projects like crazy. We’ve bought a new dinning room rug and moved some others around; he’s washing and waxing the cars that don’t go anywhere. I’ve got him on a chipmunk reduction program now.

I’m still working on my Master Gardner certification via Zoom and I’ve been able to spend a lot of time outside in the garden here and at our Waunakee BSL (and at church).

We’ve also taken a few social distance hikes with our hiking group, and just this week decided to postpone September’s trip to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro/Safari until September 2021. Its just too hard to believe that international travel will resume within the next few months. I was terribly frustrated with that – I’m such a planner and it was making me crazy with nothing on our horizon. Our hiking friend Gary came up with the idea to start knocking off segments of the Ice Age Trail – a 1000-mile trail that winds around Wisconsin. Brilliant!! That’s exactly what I need – get away from the media, away from the crowds, and into nature. By the time we’re done, things will be back to normal – whatever that is! Stay tuned!!

We broke the news to our Leadership team that we’re about to hit the road again. Most of them are used to it, and honestly, they brought us through this crisis with little support needed from us. I’m so glad to have a plan.

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daddyslittlejuliet · 6 years ago

Text

Adopting Old Dogs Instead of Buying a New Puppy

The post Adopting Old Dogs Instead of Buying a New Puppy by Elizabeth Anderson Lopez appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

Awww, puppies! So cute, so soft, so … annoying! Yes, puppies are adorable, but with their demanding training needs, love of chewing and oh-so-many pre-dawn potty trips outside, they may not be the best choice for you. Instead, consider an adult dog for your next furry family member.

“We encourage everyone thinking about dog adoption to consider their personality and lifestyle, along with challenges such as housing restrictions and amount of time spent at home to determine what pet is best for you and your family,” says Rena Lafaille, administrative manager of the ASPCA Adoption Center in New York City.

If your weekends are more Netflix and less hiking, a puppy may be overwhelming. “For people who are not active, puppies can be exhausting,” cautions Cheryl Yoshioka, founder and president of My Way Home Dog Rescue in Sandy, Oregon.

Puppies may present special challenges to those less physically strong, too. Age can be a factor for those walks — on both ends of the leash. “If Grandpa is out walking a puppy and it spots a squirrel, Grandpa had better be pretty strong or he’ll end up with a broken hip after the dog pulls him down,” says Kim Skarritt-Nelson, founder and president of Silver Muzzle Cottage, a rescue and hospice for homeless senior dogs, based in Rapid City, Michigan.

Benefits of old dogs

“When you adopt an adult dog, you know from the start what you are getting,” says Sarah Javier, president and executive director of the Animal Protective Association of Missouri (APA), in St. Louis. “Their size and physical appearance are fully developed, and for the most part, their temperament is established. We often see pets in the shelter that have some basic skills training. Those that don’t are often eager to learn and respond well to positive reinforcement.”

Another bonus? An adult bladder! “In many cases they are already accustomed to taking care of bathroom business outside,” Sarah says. “And for those who work, adult dogs are able to go for lengthy periods of time between bathroom breaks.” Many old dogs in shelters also have a history of living with a family and may settle in more quickly than a puppy, Rena says. And that may be helpful if your household already has human or furry kids.

Additionally, if you adopt a dog that’s been in a foster home, you also know how they do in a home environment. “You know if they are good with other dogs, good with cats, good in the car,” Cheryl adds. Of course, even an already well-trained adult dog will need time to settle in to your home and family. But you may enjoy more cuddles and less puddles.

Two major concerns people have about getting an older dog is the perceived costs and shorter time to spend together. “Adopters should always plan to spend more when dogs age simply because there may be medications required for arthritis and such, typically ‘old dog’ ailments,” Kim says. “However, puppies can also cost their owners an arm and a leg.” This could be from eating something he shouldn’t to breaking a bone. “It is also important to remember that life span is never guaranteed,” Sarah says. “That sweet puppy could develop health issues at a young age and that older dog could live to be 15.”

You may experience unexpected emotional benefits when adopting an adult. “When you adopt an older dog — especially one that may not have had a great life — you know that you have a ‘mission’ to make sure that he/she has the best life for whatever time they have left,” Kim says.

You may find, too, that old dogs will return that love even more. “Adult dogs are amazing companions right off the bat,” Cheryl says. “Most of the dogs have known love and lost it. They appreciate you.”

Mix it up!

Dogs of all kinds are looking for their furever home, including many mixed-breed older dogs. And this is where getting an adult dog may be a safer bet. People expect that a Beagle-Pug puppy will grow to a certain size. But you never know what else is in that dog’s lineage — or how big he might actually get.

“Mixed breeds can offer several benefits that prospective dog adopters should consider,” Rena says. “When you adopt a mixed breed, you may get a pet who is less prone to genetic defects and medical issues common to certain purebred dogs.”

Kim advises, “Regardless of the breed mix — and, sometimes you can’t tell the breed combo just by looking — you should always do your homework on the breeds you think your potential rescue may be mixed with.” You may decide your research will include DNA testing. “You can’t count on them to judge behavior, but you can have fun looking at your dog and seeing what part of their ancestry has popped out,” Cheryl says.

Although certain breeds are known to have certain characteristics, every dog is an individual and should be seen without prejudice, Rena says. “A dog’s breeding, socialization, training and background are all influential variables to their behavior. It’s extremely important to research the characteristics of different dog breeds but more importantly, ask shelter staff for guidance — they’re experts at making perfect matches!”

When considering your perfect match, look at old dogs — all of their benefits, not only the age. One may be just the right fit for you.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Puppies, a special issue from Dogster magazine. Look for Puppies on a newsstand near you!

About the author

Elizabeth Anderson Lopez is an award-winning writer based in Lake Forest, California. She and her husband have quite the menagerie, including two rescued English Bull Terriers named Dexter and Maybelene.

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com

Think You’re Ready for a Puppy? Your New Puppy Checklist

Do You Have Scared Puppy? What to Look For — and How to Help Him

Schedules and Guides for Feeding Puppies

0 notes

stiles-wtf · 6 years ago

Text

Adopting Old Dogs Instead of Buying a New Puppy

Benefits of old dogs

Mix it up!

When considering your perfect match, look at old dogs — all of their benefits, not only the age. One may be just the right fit for you.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Puppies, a special issue from Dogster magazine. Look for Puppies on a newsstand near you!

About the author

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com

Think You’re Ready for a Puppy? Your New Puppy Checklist

Do You Have Scared Puppy? What to Look For — and How to Help Him

Schedules and Guides for Feeding Puppies

0 notes

buynewsoul · 6 years ago

Text

Adopting Old Dogs Instead of Buying a New Puppy

Benefits of old dogs

Mix it up!

When considering your perfect match, look at old dogs — all of their benefits, not only the age. One may be just the right fit for you.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Puppies, a special issue from Dogster magazine. Look for Puppies on a newsstand near you!

About the author

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com

Think You’re Ready for a Puppy? Your New Puppy Checklist

Do You Have Scared Puppy? What to Look For — and How to Help Him

Schedules and Guides for Feeding Puppies

0 notes

l3irdl3rain · 1 year ago

Note

do you have any advice for someone looking to adopt special needs cats in the future? i’d really like to adopt a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia someday, but my friend said it’s weird to specifically seek out disabled animals. i just have a lot of free time and want to help animals with more care needs

I mean obviously I don’t think it’s weird to seek out special needs animals lol. I’ll never purposely adopt a young, normal cat. You’ll definitely get some people who do think it’s weird or even think you should just euthanize your pet. I feel like it’s especially bad when you adopt seniors that only live a couple months. Even people who aren’t necessarily negative about me doing it just really don’t get it. I’ve heard “why do you keep doing this to yourself” SO many times. And I know they mean well, but they just don’t get how happy this makes me.

ANYWAYS! My main recommendation is to make sure you’re financially stable first. CH doesn’t usually come with a lot of extra vet costs, but a lot of other special needs do. Whether it’s the cost of medications or just repeating bloodwork every couple months. And pet insurance won’t be interested in covering those since you adopted the cat with preexisting conditions.

If you really want to adopt hospice cats and you can’t afford the vet care if you look around enough you can usually find shelters that do foster hospice. So they’d cover the cost of vet care. Not every shelter is able to do this because of financial constraints, but you could probably find some near you if you looked enough.

#ask

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grublypetcare · 6 years ago

Text

Adopting Old Dogs Instead of Buying a New Puppy

The post Adopting Old Dogs Instead of Buying a New Puppy by Elizabeth Anderson Lopez appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

Benefits of old dogs

Mix it up!

When considering your perfect match, look at old dogs — all of their benefits, not only the age. One may be just the right fit for you.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Puppies, a special issue from Dogster magazine. Look for Puppies on a newsstand near you!

About the author

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com

Think You’re Ready for a Puppy? Your New Puppy Checklist

Do You Have Scared Puppy? What to Look For — and How to Help Him

Schedules and Guides for Feeding Puppies

The post Adopting Old Dogs Instead of Buying a New Puppy by Elizabeth Anderson Lopez appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

0 notes