BIG BOYS!

I weighed the rats again last night. Nigel is up to 12 ounces now! YAY! But...SIMON IS UP TO 14.6! Apparently he's been taking advantage of the extra food and treats, too!

More Updates

Well, I am so glad that I got to see Grandma and Grandpa and MOM last week! I was pleasantly surprised to see that Grandma still looks pretty much the same. Her face is slightly droopy and can only lift half of it when she smiles. (she calls it a half-a**ed smile, haha) She can lift her left pinky slightly. I also enjoyed seeing Ashley and Sandy again and seeing Ethan for the first time. He's a DOLL!

Today I talked to Mom to see when she was going to Shakopee to leave tomorrow morning. I was then informed that she cancelled/postponed her flight as Grandma is back in the hospital due to tingling in her lips and arms. They're going to check her Coumadin levels and adjust them and then adjust her BP meds.

And just in case you're wondering....Nigel is much better, too. Almost back to normal. For a comparison, here's the weights. Simon's was 12.4 oz on 2/17.


Here are Nigel's weights:

2/17 7.8oz
2/18 8.2oz
2/19 9.4oz
2/21 10.2oz
2/24 11.2oz

So he's almost back to his normal weight. I'm not sure what he was exactly, but it was very close to Simon's. If not a smidge bigger.

I'll blog more when I know more.

Grandma Updates

I talked with Gail Dalka yesterday on their way home from the Cities. She gave me all sorts of positive encouragement and thoughts on Grandma. Grandma can't swallow and does have a feeding tube. Saturday she couldn't move her arm, but Sunday she coulr lift it (didn't say how high) and was flexing her wrist. When they asked her if her wrist hurt, she said that her wrist needed to remember what to do (or something like that). So she was basically starting PT on herself. She choked on a couple tablespoons of apple sauce and could taste the meds the nurses had put in it.

Today I got an email from Mom that she is planning on coming on Thursday, leaving next Wednesday. We will be picking her up at the airport and bringing her to the hospital. Then we'll stay overnight at Jason & Chivon's. Go back to the hospital on Friday, then head home for my weekend shift.

I was also able to sign the paperwork for the car and get all the insurance situated. The DMV was closed because of President's Day, so I'll take care of that tomorrow. I'm glad we're going to have a decent car again. A humble car, but decent. Don also got a salvage yard/auto shop to buy Lucy the Lumina so that's good and taken care of.

Nigel Updates

Well, yesterday Nigel was 7.8 ounces. After feeding him Pedialyte, baby food and yogurt, today he weighs 8.2 ounces. His fur is no longer sticking out weird, he's less hunched, his eyes aren't as sunked and his testicles are starting to drop again. We're so happy. We really hope this is the cure, and the reason was simply a greedy Simon taking food, causing Nigel to weaken so he couldn't fight back.

The delicious Sweet Potato & Turkey baby food and plain yogurt.

Nigel's eyes yesterday, compared to Simon's eyes (below) yesterday.

Nigel's eyes today, although I swear twenty minutes later his eyes looked bigger.

The coat staring has reduced dramatically. His coat is more normal..sleek with minimal strays.

See, don't his eyes look bigger?

My Day So Far

First thing. I was woke up by Don at 4:45 this morning saying to try to pick up Nigel. I did....he's skin and bones. His eyes are sunken in, his hands are cold.... We fed him and nursed him for three, almost four, hours......he's still alive...we don't know why the sudden change from when we played with them 48 hours ago. I left a message with the vet and went back to bed around 8.


Last night when I got home from work I saw that there were messages, but I didn't feel like checking them. One was very unimportant and one was from my parent's number. I figured it was just my dad calling to chat. I would listen to it later.....

So when I got up at 12:30 this afternoon I checked the messages....still mom and dad,unimportant call, a photo order, and another senior's mom callling. No vet. But I listened to the messages. And here's the BIG THING.

Mom called at 7:29 to say that my Grandma had a stroke and was helicoptered up to Hennepin County Medical Center. Grandma went to go use the bathroom early Saturday morning/Friday night? and noticed her arm wasn't moving. She went to tell Grandpa and it came out a garbled mess. Grandpa called 911 and they came and got her and flew her up.

I have no way of getting there since the car quit on 2/8 (antifreeze in the oil in the motor...awesome). I feel helpless, and yes, I know that even though I couldn't do anything if I was there anyways, I don't like that I have no way there. Tuesday we're supposed to get the car from the office...I'm going to see if I can just do it tomorrow so we can go up. Grandpa is even renting an apartment 5 blocks from the hospital. $275 a week...kitchenette, bed, etc, so he can try to have some good sleep.

I talked/bawled/sobbed to my Aunt Nancy and then to Grandpa John...they said it's okay, that I shouldn't worry about it. Grandma Susan wanted to talk to me. She said, "Hi Cathy. I can't talk very well." I said, "It's okay Grandma, I understand you. I've had almost nine years experience of working with people that can't talk very well." She laughed. That made me happy. Then she said, 'I'll give you back to Grandpa." Now, that's what I know she said. What it sounded like was completely different. Almost drunk sounding...slurred.

Mom isn't going to fly up yet. Nancy doesn't think she needs to, and Jeff and Curt (uncles) aren't going either. Anyways, I had to unload. My heart is heavy and I feel powerless.

Year of the Rat

February 7, 2008 marks the start of the Year of the Rat on the Chinese Lunar Calendar.

So CONGRATULATIONS Simon & Nigel! It's YOUR TIME TO SHINE! hehehe

Why are They Called Book Worms?

I couldn't come up with a better title than that today. I just finished reading Stardust by Neil Gaiman and The Camera My Mother Gave Me by Susanna Kaysen. Now I started The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Amanda suggested it when I was asking her questions about the Hmong community and their culture (Amanda and her husband Joel learned Hmong to preach in the ministry to Hmong). It's about a Hmong child with epilepsy and American doctors trying to help. I'm only barely into chapter one, so I don't have much to say.


I don't know what else to say, but apparently I wanted to say something.