I spent a few months over at tumblr. *points below* I have quite a few tumblr-only posts that I’ll eventually move over here… I’ve missed the feeling of a real blog. Don’t get me wrong, I love tumblr for what it is. And I figured I could reach a bigger audience (and I sort of did). But not the audience I really wanted. Getting “likes” or reblogs is great but I like comments. Ok, no. I love comments. I like feeling a connection with my readers and being able to respond back either here or on twitter. But a real connection. So after contemplating for a while and talking to my friend Eve (ok, so she’s more like my platonic soul mate) when she came back to blogger… I came back :)  

• Toshiya has been recovering from a really nasty infection. He’s still not his normal self and he’s become very dependent on me. I’m not sure if he actually enjoys it… though he loves coming up onto the sofa and curling up next to me or half on top of me. I still have to either hand feed him or direct him to eat. His leg isn’t very strong so he falls a lot. It’s pretty much breaking my heart. But I’m being a good cat mommy and being there for him. You can read more about the medical emergency here and the beginning of his recovery here.
Thankfully he’s more aware than he was before. I missed those eyes.

• I’m officially unemployed. My back is still recovering and my former manager pulled pretty nasty tricks out on me that I won’t get into detail here because I, unlike other people, don’t trash talk others. I’m pretty disappointed in how things ended with my last job but with the way my back has been healing, it’s better this way.
• Completed my 2011 Reading Challenge! I really didn’t think I was going to be able to because with the meds I’ve been on I really haven’t been able to concentrate on anything besides tweets and tv shows, lol. But I pushed myself on the last week of the year and got to 50. Now, starting on my 2012 reading challenge has been awesome. 4 books in the first week? Hell yeah! :D

Last night I went to sleep with the idea of doing a photo every hour… didn’t do it, lol. Maybe I can do it tomorrow? Perhaps. Here are the photos I did take, lol.

My Soul To Take

She doesn’t see dead people, but…

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who’ll be next…

So the first book I decided to read for my book club this month is My Soul To Take which has a short nice prequel that I read last night after finishing The Perks of Being A Wallflower. The one thing that stood out most abut Kaylee to me in the prequel was her sense of humor, loved it. Started reading My Soul To Take today, seems promising so I’m hoping that despite the new cover where a quote that I can’t stand on books “Twilight fans will love it!” is stamped across it. Why do people think this is a good marketing thing? I hate that. It makes me cringe at the idea of another book trying to be the “Next Twilight”. Shouldn’t every book, ever series be distinctive and unique? Well I hope this book (series) is!

:)  

I did what I usually hate other people doing. I read a book only because I want to see the movie. Before I start dodging books and possibly tomatoes (why do people have tomatoes readily available to throw anyway?) in my defense… I always try and read the book before the movie anyway! I’m one of those Hunger Games fanatic who sorta snickers at the people just now reading the trilogy. Only because I’ve been trying to get people to read it for some time now and it’s absolutely amazing. But I really really really have a sad obsession with Ezra Miller. Yes. And no, it’s not his pretty face. Just watch any of his films and you’ll understand my lil’ obsession with this talented young man. 

Anyways! He’s playing Patrick and I wanted to know more about his character so I read it. And I fell in love with the book and I desperately wish I had read it when I was in high school. High school was by far the most awkward, loneliest time for me. Or so I thought until I reached adulthood lmao. But I’m sure it would have been one of those books that just really talked to me when I was in HS. A few years too late, but I absolutely loved the book anyway. If you haven’t read it, I would say give it a shot. 

It’s also my first book of 2012 :) 

Good afternoon good people of Middle-earth! Just wanted to pop on here and give an update on Toshiya. Yesterday he spent the whole day sleeping in his bed and I even had to hand feed him while he was half asleep just because I wanted him to have some nomnom’s in his tummy. Today he’s feeling a little better! He’s gotten up a few times to ask for some food and now he’s upgraded from his bed to mine. He’s pretty much sprawled all over the bed.

I had to ask Francisco to come upstairs and remove my AC from my bedroom window because it was pretty much freezing in my room and I don’t want Toshiya to get sick on top of his recovery. Of course he decided to make fun of my pussy wagon and then he cringed when he asked if Toshiya ever had cat tail and I told him he was neuteredbefore he had any and as a man he gave his condolences to a knocked out cat on my bed, lmao.  

He’s still sleeping but he’s much more alert than he was yesterday :) 

This morning Destinie and I rushed Toshiya to see his vet in Brooklyn. After days of worrying over him I was more nervous about finding out what was wrong with him. Since he’s underwent Perineal Urethrostomy (P.U. surgery where they removed his penis and testicles in order to make his urethra larger) I was afraid that he had another intestinal obstruction. When the nurse called us we went into the room quietly until he asked me to tell him why we were back and I couldn’t shut up as I told him every single thing that I saw was wrong and different with Toshiya. He found him gorgeous until he told me to hold him while he tried to get his temperature. Of course my lovely cat decided he was going to his and swat at him. He then rushed into my arms (the cutest thing ever! Until the nurse walked out and he turned those hisses towards me when I touched his leg). 

When Dr. Mann finally came in he chuckled at my little rants on what was wrong and what I thought was wrong and he agreed with me. He took Toshiya’s temp and it was 104°! I knew he had a fever but I didn’t know it was that bad! And he was much warmer during the weekend. He immediately said they would run some tests but they would have to sedate him and then take care of the problem. So he sent us away for a few hours.

Destinie and I decided to try and go to an ihop we had passed by but when we got there it was closed… but there were people in there not eating… but they were in there.  o_O weirdest shit. I was sorta out of it so I kept spacing out when we were in Aeropostale while Destinie shopped. Finally Dr. Mann called me to tell me that it was not an obstruction but something different. Toshiya has cellulitis and he had to take care of it the best he could. Said he would talk to me in more detail when I pick him up in an hour. We got a hot dog and cheese fries across the street because I was going to pass out. I haven’t slept in two days and I hadn’t eaten all day. But when we were driving back to the clinic we saw a sushi place and stopped by to get something a bit more filling. 

Cellulitis is an inflammation involving the deep layers of the skin. Most cases are caused by animal bites or scratches (such as wounds inflicted during cat fights). Puncture wounds allow bacteria to become established beneath the epidermis. Infection can be prevented in many fresh wounds if proper care is taken within the first few hours.

The signs of skin cellulitis include pain (tenderness to pressure), warmth (it feels hotter than normal), firmness (it’s not as soft as it should be), and change in color (it appears redder than it should be). As the infection spreads from the wound into the lymphatic system, you may see red streaks in the skin and be able to feel enlarged lymph nodes in the groin, armpit, or neck.

The lymph node in Toshiya’s left hind leg was extremely infected. When we got back Dr. Mann took us downstairs to see the x-ray and explain a little more about what he did for Toshiya. So… the infection was pretty advanced and made his liver very enlarged but Dr. Mann believes this will resolve itself with the antibiotics he injected in him. In order to try and kill the infection Dr. Mann has to literally cut holes into Toshiya’s leg and inject antibiotics directly into the muscle through the holes. It’s not as morbid as I thought… though seeing him shaved with chunks of skin missing isn’t easy for me. But it’s better than watching him act weird. When he finally came to me he was meowing and basically being his usual self. He screamed and screamed until we got him into the car. I had to go in the back with him because he was shoving his head around like he wanted his funnel off and wanted to rip through the stroller, lol. 

Because my cat is a special I have to feed him by hand. He makes such a ridiculous mess trying (and failing horribly) to eat his food. Yes! He got home and wanted to eat! And this proud Mama wanted to cry (I did a lot of that today). He ate all his food and now my hands reek of cat food. In my rush I didn’t ask how long the funnel has to be on so I’ll have to email Dr. Mann and ask the questions that slipped my mind because I was just happy to see my baby acting like the little asshole that he is :)

So far the recovery is going well. He’s still limping but he isn’t as lethargic as before. He’s sleeping a lot but not that scary I had to poke him a couple times to make sure he’s breathing sleep. Still waiting on his bloodwork *crosses fingers* and further examination of his x-rays. This emergency was extremely expensive. But I have faith and I am more than blessed to be home with Toshiya sleeping on his favorite rug tonight. 

Thank you all for your well wishes, your prayers and your love. You all mean so much to me for understanding my love for my cat. He’s my baby with a bad attitude :) and more than anything many many many thanks to my lovely Destinie. Whom everyone in the clinic thinks is Mama #2, lmao. When we went to pick up Toshiya they called down with “Toshiya’s mom’s are here.” I almost died laughing when Destinie’s eyes bulged out of her head like “o_O WTF…” Without you making me laugh and looking out for Toshiya and I both I have no idea what I would have done today. I probably would have sat at the clinic sobbing while I waited. I’ve known you for less than two years and you are one of the most amazing friends I have ever met. Toshiya and I love you very much <3 

And how has your second day of the year been? As eventful as mine? lol.

I didn’t sleep at all last night watching Toshiya. He’s still out of it, he’s worrying me like crazy. His vet was closed today for the holiday but I left messages and I’m praying they’re open tomorrow. If they aren’t, we’re just going to end up going to the ER because I can’t stand to see him like this. I keep blaming myself, thinking of what did I do wrong or what happened to him that I didn’t notice something earlier except that he was just being moody. 

We stayed at my parents for a bit before we came home. He’s not curled up in his bed but he ate a little. A little is better than nothing. I want time to just fly by already so I can wake up and call his vet and head to Brooklyn. Thankfully he hasn’t gotten worse but he hasn’t really gotten better. And that’s what I do.

I’m trying my very best to stay strong. 

In no particular order :)