Irrelevant Ramblings

I was just "closing" Scruffy's Feline Diabetes spreadsheet, and it occurred to me to wonder how far back his meter goes.  So, I checked.  May 3, 2008.  Just under a month after that magic time when he went OTJ on April 8, 2008.  In almost 8 years, he had only two glucometers - both One Touch UltraSmarts.  I guess I will be saving this last one, along with its ugly black case and the no-longer-manufactured-lancet device that was so much better than the newer one that replaced it.  I hope saving it doesn't jinx any of the ten remaining furry members of the family.....

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Yesterday was the first time in the four days since Scruffy died that I left the house.  It sounds so dumb, but I couldn't bear to get a shower without him being there.  Since obviously I can't give up bathing altogether, I forced myself to do it, standing in the tub with the water streaming down on me, sobbing my eyes and my heart out.

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Someone posted this week on the Feline Diabetes Message Board about the effect of steroids on FD.  I did want to record someplace - here, obviously - before I forget, that while the IV dexamethasone while he was hospitalized did significantly increase Scruffy's glucose level - into the mid-200's, generally, the prednisone that he took daily for the rest of his short life - about six weeks - really didn't do much of anything negative.  I don't know if it was related to the increased fluids (twice a day, instead of once).  In fact, the oncologist felt that continuing the prednisone , even though it was scheduled to be tapered off, might be helpful in reducing the inflammation in his failing kidneys and helping them to remove some of the excess calcium.   His diabetes was steroid-induced in the first place, but pred wasn't the crisis I expected it to be.  All in all, becoming an active diabetic again was pretty much a non-starter for my sweet boy.  His little pancreas had apparently actually healed quite successfully.  I guess we got one break in all this horror.....

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My good friend Linda (of Linda and Wild Thing fame, if anyone reading this belonged to the Feline Diabetes Message Board) sent me this:

It just arrived today.  A grave marker, with Puffy's name on it.  It made me cry.  (I probably didn't need to say that, since everything still makes me cry.) I'm thinking about how I want to fix the grave now. The marker, and maybe some flowers.  And maybe one of those little white picket fences for the whole area under the apple tree where all of our cats are buried.  Thank you, Linda.

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