My Big Fat Orange Cat

One of the difficult things about working in a veterinary clinic is watching other people loose their pets. You can’t not help be affected by it.

People who love their pets and bring them in and find horrible diagnosis’ are always hard. You fight with them and support them in all their decisions because you’ve known them for a long time. You know their pets are loved and they are doing the best thing for them.

Other times disasters happen and emergencies walk in. Sometimes you know these people. Sometimes you don’t.

I remember one evening as we were closing up, a man came in.  He had been in before but not often. His dog wasn’t old. Generally it was healthy. He had just gotten home from a trip and picked the dog up at the kennel. It wouldn’t stop seizing.  He came right over.

We got him into the clinic, helping him carry this large doberman into the back.   I worked the front so I waited there, cleaning and getting things ready for the morning, hoping for good news.  He waited up front hoping for good news.

Our doctor came out and talked to him. Nothing we had done in the intervention had stopped the seizing.  She couldn’t give more without risking the dogs life. He had been seizing for half an hour at this point and given that we couldn’t interrupt the problem, the prognosis wasn’t good.  Seizures become more serious the longer they gone, with the potential to damage more and more brain cells.

She explained all of this to him and he agreed it was for the best to have his dog euthanized.  He signed the papers.

Because it was an emergency, our doctor hadn’t filled out all the paperwork for billing so he and I had to wait once again.  I waited, again preparing for morning and doing some light cleanup around the desk.

He waited sitting in the front office with his head down. One of the techs brought out the collar and leash his dog had on him when he was brought in.  I remember the man holding it in his hands, his knuckles white. He was  big man and perhaps 50 or 55.  He was there alone.   The pressure on the collar as he grasp that, squeezing the life out of that piece of cloth said more about the pain he was in than any tear.

Paying the bill, he did so without speaking much and didn’t meet my eyes.  I had worked in the office long enough to know that to have offered sympathy would have broken through all his defenses and frustrated him.  He didn’t want anyone to see his pain.  His world was one where men don’t cry.

To this day I hope that he had a wife to go home to or someone he could talk to about what had happened.  I really hope he didn’t go home to a lonely house, made even more lonely by the surprise loss. He had come home from a wonderful trip only to find sorrow.   We never saw this man again but his hands haunt me.

I haven’t blogged here for awhile. Busy.  Sick. Lots of reasons. Also I keep thinking I really ought to write about veterinary medicine and everything I wanted to say had to do with politics.  And I still want to talk politics.

I am ecstatic about the Obama win.  I think it’s wonderful.   What I don’t understand is some bizarre energy that I am bringing in.  First I said something to a friend on facebook and a mutual acquaintance started snipping at me about being happy there. Then I was all happy at work and I was told to be quiet because the receptionist really liked John McCain and everyone was all apologetic to her.

I want to know why I can’t speak my truth?  It makes me very uncomfortable there.  But I don’t know what to do.  There is a part of me that really doesn’t want to do acupuncture and perhaps I’m not supposed to do it at all. I don’t know. It might be easier to just go and get a real job for awhile.  I don’t know where and I don’t know doing what but that would be okay.

Around me I hear others who are just too upset to hear about the good news that OBAMA WON!  I wonder what they think will happen?  What is so frightening about him?  Why was it safer to vote for a woman who doesn’t even know Africa isn’t a country but a continent and McCain was far more likely to start another war than Obama?  I just don’t understand and I feel really sad about that.

Welcome to the Carnival of the Cats! We hope you enjoy your stay. Look around. Everything is free but free doesn’t mean it’s not fun!

It started off a bit slow, but boy did everyone show up!

Let’s start out with some good music.

Someone fell over in a puddle–both a Carnival entry and a photo hunt lazy at the Poormouth.

Parker is looking out the door! She’s quite tall.

Playing in the bag is fun over at Manx Mnews.

The furbabies are upping the meds.

Look at this lovely Calico over at Elms in the Yard.

Maus is a terror in blue jeans.

Callie is modeling for fall at the Oubliette

Isegrim has some leaky eyes.

Sisu found a cat registered to vote.

Chica and Pumuckl are touring through Germany

Here’s an adorable Friday Kitten blogging.

A reminder that cats are independent (which Cheysuli believes means should be for her!)

Chey, Gemini and Georgia are all thankful for various things!

Ah sunshine and Temptations from ilnfidel.

Imeowza is up high on Caturday.

Meowza is ready to pounce over at Mind of Mog!

Faith Boo is getting Fractious.

The Railway Kitty keeps cash coming.

Daisy is a special guest at Diamond’s lair.

Harley starts getting trained as a prince.

Diamond’s Castle is haunted!

Look out Lady Cats! The Tabby of Dreams has arrived at Tabbylicious.

Someone is napping before the big house trashing party!

The boys are having a grand skirmish at Purrs.

Fat Eric is getting some wonderful Scritches this Sunday while London has a warm autumn day.

Remember, don’t believe everything you hear.

Check out these Airborne cats

Ah naps in piles at If at First…

Meet Fanny and her kittens at Feline Rescue Inc

There’s also a nested tabby family at Feline Rescue today!

The House Panthers have some great graphics for those wonderful black cats to use!

Miles Meezer gets shrimp on the Futon! My cats are jealous!

Gree is looking magnificent over at the House of Mostly Black Cats.

Kate has claimed her cat tree at No Deep Thoughts.

Ivy won a Nobel Prize for Napping over at Strangeranger.

I suspect that Caitie over that the Good Cats will gave Ivy a run for her prize!

Mom is home for Samantha and Tigger so they are enjoying their Sunday at Life from a Cat’s Perspective.

Kimo and Sabi demonstrate lazy for this week’s photo hunt.

Nina and Victor enjoy prizes from the Monty Q Content.

T’Abby Normal is taking a break for Sunday!

Napoleon over at Cats Goats Quotes is enjoying his food.

Momma Grace and Company are enjoying their Sunday.

Cat Synth is preparing for performances!

Kashim, Othello and Salome are taking it easy (after getting neglected!)

Have you checked out the Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos?

Or Weekend Cat Blogging yet?

Carnival of the Cats is coming here this weekend.

Rocky and his staff are swamped and couldn’t do the carnival so we are taking it on here at My Big Fat Orange Cat!

Submit your articles here!

I really don’t understand the argument that healthcare is a responsibility.   Saying we don’t have an inalienable right to healthcare is like saying we don’t all have the right to be alive.  Literally.

I find it frustrating that these are the same people who fight against higher taxes and government spending. Don’t they realize that when poor people get sick enough they will eventually find a hospital that is state run and required to help them and we, as tax payers foot that bill?  And that we could have saved ourselves a huge amount if we had offered general healthcare because we would have paid to have the problem treated BEFORE it became life threatening which was a lot cheaper?

Everyone is worried that people want handouts People do not want handouts. I will treat anyone for whatever they can afford. It has to be something, but I’ll slide down t $10. As a beginning practitioner I offered.  No matter how good people were feeling they wouldn’t take me up on that offer. I had a woman who was the most incredibly injured person I had ever seen but because of a loop hole in the insurance she wasn’t covered by her car insurance and because it was a car accident and should have been covered by her car insurance her personal health insurance refused to cover it. Her attorney told her she didn’t have a case.  I treated her for $25 a treatment. I would have gone lower but she said she could afford that.  Instead of treating to get her better, we worked on maintenance because she could only afford to come in once or twice a month–sometimes three times. She really needed to be seen several times a week.   But she was proud and didn’t want a hand out.

I’ve seen the difference in people in my practice before and after treatments and when they can’t pay because their insurance decides they aren’t really covered, I’ve offered low cost or no cost treatments but they don’t want charity.  I’ve offered trades but they feel they have nothing to trade.

People aren’t looking for a handout.

As a provider I also see the other side.  The insurance company who covered a patient seeing me for years and then said–oops you aren’t a provider and stopped paying me and tried to get me to pay it all back.  We went to the insurance commissioner.

My friend who has health care but a long illness means the company tries to deny claims for all sorts of reasons–even requiring that she go to a second doctor to confirm a long standing diagnosis to avoid paying.

I have another friend with a pre existing condition who can only live in one area because that’s where her current insurance covers her and she can’t get insured with another company with the condition she has.

Finally I have a friend that I haven’t heard from in a month.  She’s 41.  Her husband 63.  He had a stroke.  The insurance won’t pay for full time care because he can walk (but not much else). She works full time.  She can’t take care of him and work.   Assisted living homes won’t take him and she can’t afford the ones who can.   She was told to divorce him and leave him on the street and someone would have to take him in.   To save a life I have to treat my life partner this way?

These people work.  They pay for healthcare.  They all deserve better than what they are getting.   Health care is absolutely a right and I will not sit down and shut up when anyone says anything otherwise.

I’ve been trying to think of ways to add more vegetables to my diet. I can eat them, but my husband, like so many isn’t really into them.  I’m tired of feeling like I have to come up with two separate diets or eat them on the sly, as if vegetables are wrong to be eaten.   He needs to stay healthy as well!

So last week I made lasagna.  I didn’t use meat. I used spinach and zucchini.  He wasn’t thrilled with the zucchini slices, but I’m thinking grated zucchini might not even be noticed.   And over all he enjoyed the meal. Today I did something similar with enchiladas.  I used rice and beans for the filling but I grated zucchini into the beans.   Additionally I made my own pico de gallo, given that the tomatos are growing beautifully this fall.

I love grated zucchini. I can be added to almost anything and it just makes things so moist.  A few years ago when one of my zucchinis got a bit overgrown because I didn’t notice that there was a hidden squash, I figured I’d just grate it up in everything. I added it to potato salad and about anything else I could think of.  Most things were just moister and probably had a bit more fiber and nutrition!

It’s vegetarian so will be healthful (and has only a little cheese).  Also it has a couple of servings of vegetables that he can get without really knowing it.  I did purchase one of those heat and eat trays from Safeway with broccoli and cheese and rice.  That was lunch and it was good.

I can always hope that by doing this I’ll loose a bit of the extra weight I’ve gained too!

I was forced to watch the debates last night. My husband is a big fan of seeing things as they are and not the commentary. I’m far more addicted to commentary. Besides, I know that I will just get mad at John McCain.

One thing I noticed was something that frustrated my husband. Obama kept pointing out places where McCain was correct or where he made a good point.   He always stated that this point is right and then went on to say where he differed.   I think that was a valuable thing.

McCain, it was noticed by almost everyone, didn’t even look at Obama.  He said Obama “doesn’t understand” or “is naive” in spite of logical comebacks and very thorough responses to every question.  McCain scowled and hunched and looked mean.

It makes me wonder in the long run, will people vote for the guy who seems to focus on our greatest strengths as human beings, compassion, unity, equanimity, and understanding or for the guy who seems to focus on our basest impulses–aggression, derision, and scorn.  Who do we admire?  Who do we want as a leader?

I can only hope that it’s the former.  We’ve had enough hatred and need more compassion.

Sometimes veterinary medicine makes me feel older than anything else. I feel like some old lady always screeching about “I remember when…” rather than living in the now.  All I need is a cane.

For instance, I remember when Amoxicillan, you know, the pink stuff that you keep in the fridge when your cat gets sick, cost $6.00 plus tax.  Yes really. Now it’s $20 something.  It’s the same stuff.   There’s no research into this.  It’s not a new antibiotic that’s oh so much more effective. No it’s Amoxi.  And it’s expensive.  Whatever happened?

I understand that costs can be outside the veterinarians ability to change. I mean if the pharmaceutical companies are charging you so much, you have to pass that on.  I get that.  But what happened? How did medical costs suddenly go up so much?

I take out my cane, “I remember when it cost $18 for an examination at the veterinarian…” my voice shakes.

Now it’s closer to $50 for a basic exam.

No wonder there are pet insurers out there. Of course if you’ve missed the boat and your pet has a pre-exisiting condition, they are worse off than you are with one!  Well, maybe not. I mean at least the vet insurance just says they won’t cover you for it–end of line.  No other double talk.

Still…

I have to wonder about some of those low income people who adore there pets.  How do they take care of them, even minimally?  I am saddened to think of that because after all pets can help us live longer, healthier lives.   They make us happy.   Not being able to care for them has to be one of the most powerless feelings in the world.

My husband insisted upon watching the Republican National Convention. I saw much of Sarah Palin’s speech.  So much of what she said was blatantly untrue.

For instance, Palin says that Obama will raise taxes on individuals. In fact, Obama will lower taxes if you make less than $250,000.  Yes he will raise taxes on interest income and dividend income. He will also raise taxes if you are wealthy.  I do not hear the mainstream media saying anything about the blatancy of such lies.  We can never know what a politician will actually do, but Obama is on record about his tax breaks.

Palin claims, “I told the Congress “thanks, but no thanks,” for that Bridge to Nowhere.”  However before that Palin had been FOR the Bridge to Nowhere.  She had in fact been for it for more time than she was against it.

Palin claims that Obama has never written any legislative reform. Apparently she missed the work he did on improving Walter Reed, and Senate Bill 2349 in which he and Russ Feingold for ethics reform.   In the Illinois Senate  Obama was chief sponsor of bill creating the Health Care Justice Act.  At his fact check site, you’ll find a list of legislation that Obama has either personally written or sponsored or worked closely on getting passed.

Palin says “Victory in Iraq is finally in sight… He wants to forfeit.”

In fact, it’s tough to win an occupation.  In fact, even George Bush has already declared victory in Iraq so I don’t know how Obama can be forfeiting something we clearly have already won.

Palin says, “Al-Qeida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm to America… He’s worried that someone won’t read them their rights.”

Strictly speaking, perhaps this is truthful. What she doesn’t say is that to believe otherwise is to operate outside the current laws of the land. As a potential Vice President, Palin should legally hold no other stance as the job of the Vice President and President is to uphold the current laws.

Why is no one talking about this?  Why does no one care that the rhetoric of the Republicans is no longer just spin but outright lies?  Why doesn’t the media cover this?

Sadly, the media is now corporate owned.

In high school I stood up and was passionate about a Free Press.  If Corporations own the press, it is no longer free. It is held hostage to money making.   In that situation, you see our country falling apart, our constitution being eroded and you see people who think they are standing by freedom giving free reign to those would take away even more rights.  These people do this because they don’t know.  The press isn’t doing it’s job.

I remember working at a vet clinic and I remember feeling for those people who came to our office. Not everyone has money. The people who really love their pets want to do the best by them but don’t always have the money.

I remember once, perhaps a year or so after I started at the vet, one of my doctors came out of a room. She was seeing a young couple who had never visited our clinic before. They had a kitten who was sneezing and coughing. It was obviously quite sick. They called up asking the prices of things.

I believe at that time we charged about $22 for an examination. Antibiotics and such were extra. Apparently in the room the couple told our doctor that they had $27.35 to spend on the cat and were hoping they could do something for it for that price. They were obviously sincere and wanted something for this tiny cat that they couldn’t afford but wanted to do what they could, honestly.

My doctor walked out of the room and gave me the invoice sheet where she had marked things down. She whispered, “They said they have $27.35. Make everything come out to about $26 so they can afford the tax as well.”

I remember going to the computer and changing numbers as I could and rechanging numbers for those items that would not be changed. Their kitten got an antibiotic injection and basic antibiotics as well as a nail trim for that cost.

That young couple took wonderful care of that cat. They were prompt about having her spayed. After the first year where they struggled for vaccinations, as time wore on they were able to keep up on the annual exams. That kitten didn’t get sick very much and turned into a lovely cat, considering how awful it had looked as a baby. I know they came back because of the compassion of this doctor. They would only see her.

I think about them sometimes and wonder what paths their lives have taken. I wonder how long the kitten lived. I wonder sometimes if it is even still alive, one of those wonderful geriatric cats who are often the most touching cats to work with.

As I stand at my veterinarian, a bit richer but not with unlimited funds being told my cat needs a dental and it will cost between $600 and $1200 dollars. I ask, well I can afford about $700 or so right now. Can we make sure it only comes to that? The response I get is No. I can put it on a credit card. I say my limit right now is $700 and that’s why I can afford about that much. They suggest I get my limited raised.

I can’t afford that I say. You have to they remind me. This is my cat’s life.

Yes, it is my cat’s life. And it is mine. I can make choices between many things. However, can I choose between paying the rent or between taking care of my cat?  What is my option?

Ultimately yes I did go to a different vet. They were able to do everything for about $650. They had quoted me a price for an initial visit and it came out to less than I had expected. I did say I was concerned about having too many of her teeth pulled at one time. She is a young cat. The costs worked for me and my cat.

I’ll go to this vet. I think they would have worked with me to keep the price as low as possible.

I understand that there is overhead. I understand that there are people out there who won’t pay. I understand that people take advantage of the good nature of veterinarians.   However, I have to wonder why another veterinarian can do the entire amount of work for less than the amount I asked about at the prior vet.  Everyone has costs, but if another vet can make a profit on less than I can afford to pay, then how can another vet not make an exception or find a way to work with an honest client?

I wonder about the people working in that first office. How do they turn people away day after day?  How do they stand the frustrations they have to hear?  Our pet’s health is very emotional for all of us.  Not having money is an embarrassment and also an emotional issue.  What sort of emotional armor do those front office people have to wear to go to work day after day.  In fact, how do they get out of bed in the morning?

I have to wonder.  I am glad to not have to break that kind of news any longer.   I am thrilled to see that there are still compassionate veterinarians out there who will work with clients.   I am further thrilled that my cat still has some teeth post dental!