Life is Wonderpurr Without Rocks

Hi evfurrybuddy, this is the Noo and Impwoved Dori. *wavy paws*

I am feeling so much better without a yoo tee eye, an alien and now without wocks in my bladder. It's been a week since I went for my oppurrashun. Let me tell yoo, I did not enjoy that at all. 

Not only did I have to be kept overnight away from my momma, but they dared to put me in a pink onesie. Despite the Cat Care Clinic's brand color being purrple, they put me in a pink onesie. 

Pink! I was so upset that I took it off during the night and messed it up, so the next day when the girl saw me, she had to wash the onesie before I could go home. She told Momma I'd had a pawty in my cage. I think I made my point. Don't mess wif me!

Anyway, this past week I was made to eat prescription noms and take pain pills. Those pills made me very loopy. So much so, that the first night I was home, I climbed the cat tree near the kitchen and FLEW three foots through the air onto the kitchen counter where Momma was making chimken salad. She was horrified. But I got to taste chimken salad.

By Friday I was done with those pills. I do not like having anything shoved into my mouf, and so I started to hide. I chose a Chewy box cave in the senior room where I've been recupurrating. Momma had to drag meowt, and when she saw me giving her my vewy bestest scowl, she knew I was serious. But she kept on giving me those pills until Friday when I fought her off. I'm only seven pound, but as Momma says, I may be smol, but I'm mighty.

Then there was the issue of the pwescwipshun noms. No offense to Hills, but I did not like their cuisine. Of course Momma had two cases of it, but sad to say she's now trying to hide it under the other noms (without success let me tell yoo). I do prefer the Purina Pro Plan U/R canned noms. Very delicious. It's like a chunky stew. I like it so much, I'll even eat it cold from the friggerator.

On Monday - exactly one week after my oppurashun - I slipped out of my unflattering pink onesie and made a run for it. Momma noticed me running nekked and found the offensive onesie under the bed covers. She washed it and tucked it away in her memory box where she put my original collar and DollyMeow the First. On Monday she also texted my doctor to tattle on me that I refused to take any more pills and am running around nekked. My doctor is off on a purrsonal leave, so she won't find out until Thursday, but I'm feeling so much better now. Yay me!

Jesse has been doing well, too. He's spending more time on the floor than counter surfing, which tells Momma and Daddy that he's feeling great, despite going for chemo. He even sat on the floor while Fwank and Wabbit were hovering around. Jesse used to be afraid of them, but now he's telling them -- "See my warrior collar? Ah'm not afraid of nobuddy. 'Specially you two."

This Thursday Jesse and Daddy have to leave the house at 5:30 am to drive to Jesse's next appointment where they will take a biopsy to see how his body is doing with the chemotherapy. Please keep him in yoor thoughts and prayers. Thank yoo so much.

And... ChauncieMarie has been doing well too. Momma did a glucose curve on her on January 3rd and the doctor said it looked great, and to keep her at the 1 unit of Lantus. ChauncieMarie likes her pwescwipshun noms, and gets a half packet of Purina Pro Plan HydraCare Liver Flavored Liquid Supplement with each meal, and even as a treat. It helps keep her hydrated, so she hasn't needed sub-q fluids. In fact, we all enjoy the flavor so Momma adds it to mine and Opie and the other seniors meals.

As yoo can imagine, my Momma doesn't have much of a life anymore. Playing nurse has taken the lead in her day over writing books, and social meowdia. As a result, she's really behind in visiting blogs and Instagwam and Faceybook to help me comment. Sad to say I still can't type wif these paws.

So! We had a meeting last week and decided to allow her to take a mental health bweak starting Monday January 29 to February 12th. She will then not feel the footprint of neglect in her back like she does now, and will have time to clean out closets and drawers, purge old papers lurking in the dark corners of her office, brush us and give us pedicures, and finally put a game-plan together on how to manage so many social accounts. Jesse graciously gave up his Instagwam at the start of this month and moved in with me, but sadly that's not enough. So I guess there will be more reductions to come.

I look forward to stopping by to visit yoo during our social bweak and catching up on what yoo've been up to. If yoo have any suggestions on how yoor hoomons are able to manage yoor social meowdia life without feeling overwhelmed, I would be happy to pass it on to her.

Love yoo all, and thank yoo again for yoor messages of support and yoor prayers.

Until Next Time...

Dori's Proof of Life Celebration

Hi evfurrybuddy, it's me, Dori. *wavy paws* I know this isn't Tuesday, but I am so vewy thankful to all of yoo who sent me messages and prayers while I was suffering from having wocks in my bladder. They hurted something awful, and I wouldn't wish on anybuddy, including Wabbit. Which is saying a lot since I still have my westwaining odor against him in place.

It's been a highly stressful few months with Jesse sick with lymphoma, and ChancieMarie sick with diabetes, and Opie sick with CKD, and now me with a yoo tee eye, a nasty alien and finally - bladder wocks. It's a good thing my momma doesn't have a Life because she has had no time to do anything other than play Nurse to us all.

Thank yoo Mister Terry and Miz Ann for wanting to bwing attenshun to my opurrashun. I love my sunflower pikchure so much. Love yoo all, Dori

Pawsitively Dori is Excited About Monday

Hi evfurrybuddy, this is Dori. *wavy paws* Happy Mew Year! 

My fwends, 2024 is all about looking at the bright side of life. Everyone has troubles, but steeping yourself in sadness like a much-used tea bag leaves yoo weak and bitter.

I’m starting this Mew Year off with a fresh message every Monday to inspire yoo to improve yoor mood and determination to live life with a smile on your beautiful face.

Sunflowers represent a long life and lasting happiness, something we embrace at my house. So look for sunflowers on my social media. And if you follow my hashtag #PawsitivelyDori yoo will start each week with a message from me that just might lift yoor spirits and put a spring in yoor step.

Jesse the Toothless Wonder

Dear Friends, Yesterday Jesse had his first appointment with the oncology team at University of Florida Small Animal Hospital. The ultrasound revealed lymphoma is present in multiple areas of his body, including his spleen which puts him in the Stage 5 category. However, the team notes that Jesse’s lymphoma has highly unusual or atypical features. His cells are intermediate, neither small which are good, nor large which are bad. They also cannot be 100% sure of what the organ of origin was. While technically very advanced because it is present in so many different places, he has apparently no clinical signs, which is usually not the case when the disease has spread this far.

Jesse was administered his first dose of cyclophosphamide, with a daily prednisolone prescription. His eye looks fabulous, so the drops are working to simmer down inflammation. Because Jesse is not checking all the typical boxes for a cancer of this type, his doctors want to see him in another week to determine how his body is reacting to the treatment.

The oncology team expressed yesterday, just like the ophthalmology team did back in November, that Jesse was “a very sweet boy” who took both the lengthy examination and treatment with grace. His Resident Intern Clinician mentioned that when cats react strongly to being in this kind of environment, their treatment can be negatively affected. Clearly, this won’t be a problem for Jesse. His lead oncologist is celebrity Dr. Rowan Milner, who has twice received Clinician of the Year awards. And in recognition of his development of a new melanoma vaccine and for other research, Milner was named Clinical Researcher of the Year by the Florida Kennel Club. He also won the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence and received a faculty enhancement opportunity award from the Office of the Provost at UF. Despite this heartbreaking diagnosis, we think Jesse is in great hands.

During these first couple of days while the cyclophosphamide goes to work, we have been told his poop and pee will require special care in handling. So, he’s hanging out in my office, which he thinks is great, to avoid the other cats from using his litter box.

We are all about positivity, despite having numerous senior cats requiring advanced medical attention, so please refrain from commenting with premature condolences. You would never know Jesse is sick to look at him. He’s eating fine, active, and strong. Thank you all for your prayers and support.  Kim

Fire Pee, Aliens and the C Monster

Hi, evfurrybuddy,  this is Dori. Although I may change my name to Ripley because of what happened to me this past week. But first, I want to welcome all of yoo born in December to the Ber Month Fan Club. Yoo don’t have to be born during a Ber month to belong to my Club. Yoo just must love everything about the months ending with a Ber.

So,what happened to me was, last week while Doktor Feelgood whooped it up in Hawaii, I had fire pee. Hoomons call it a urinary tract infection. Momma bought me medicine and cranberry treats, but by Tuesday I was still spending too much time in my litter box. So, when ChauncieMarie went for her all-day glucose curve, Momma took me in too. So, there I was in the bad box, curled up in a cute lil ball, hoping nobody would see me. But when Momma picked me up I broke my pearl necklace that I got for my OctoBER birthday. Pearls scattered all over the place, but Momma got them all, and the next day Daddy fixed it, so I’m back to looking pretty in pearls.

I was prescribed a big ol’ pill every day to chase away my fire pee. I really hate taking pills, but what can yoo do. However - and this is the part where I might need to change my name to Ripley from the movie Aliens - when Momma got up the next morning, she noticed I was in my litter box, and when I got out, I scooted on my booty. And I was squealing! So she picked me up to wipe my booty, and yoo know what she found? Oh! It’s just too horrible and too embarrassing to talk about. I’ll let yoor imagination figure it out. 

So, I got medicine to terminate the alien inside me, and I’m getting extra treats that will help me feel better again.

Meanwhile ChauncieMarie, who was diagnosed with CKD last year, has been struggling with her newly discovered diabetes while Momma and Dok Feelgood try to get her insulin dosage right. Momma has increased her food, adding delicious HydraCare, while reducing the insulin. ChauncieMarie said to tell yoo all she's appreciative of your thoughts and prayers. 

Opie has been feeling pretty good despite getting CKD this year. He's still eating like a lil piggy, so keeping him out of the not-prescription noms is a constant battle.

And ... I'm sad to tell yoo my brother, Jesse the Toothless Wonder, has been diagnosed with lymphoma. On Monday December 11th he travels to Gainesville's University of Florida Small Animal hospital for a meeting with the oncology department. His appointment isn't until 1:30 and he's not allowed to eat beforehand, so he's going to be very hissed off about that, cuz Jesse is all about food.

You'd never know he's sick. His eye looks better because of the eye drops he gets twice a day, and he's eating well and bouncing around like he owns the place. We pray these are good indications that he's going to be a success story and beat the C monster. Please add him to yoor prayers if possible.

Because of everything going on, I know yoo will understand that we won't be posting much throughout the holiday season.

Time is precious, my fwends. Hug each other tight.   Love, Dori