My 15 year old cat Grace lost her kidney function this summer and lost a ton of weight. The Vet Tech had me almost convinced that it was her time, until she mentioned that when cats don't eat, they die. But Grace was still eating, in fact she approaches meal time with an unbounded excitement. So we talked about alternatives. In order to get her back on her feet, she first needed fluids. I didn't like the idea of her being kept in the Vet's office for 3 days on an IV, so we sent her home with my wonderful pet sitter, who gave her fluids several times a day by inserting a needle under her skin (I was still in residence at my Summer Palace when this happened). In addition, Grace now needs to take a pill once a day that is described as dialysis in a pill form.
I've been home for 3 weeks now, and Grace has bloomed and blossomed, and looks like she was never sick to begin with. Her eyes are bright, her fur is shiny, and she's gained all of her weight back.
Her kidneys won't ever recover, and my research tells me that Chronic Kidney Failure is fatal, but hopefully I'll get to enjoy a couple more years of quality time with her in the meantime.
I'm off to Phoenix Sunday for 2 days on a business trip. Since I'm flying in Sunday morning I'll get a chance to visit my friend Jack, who has his winter castle in Mesa. He turns 88 on Halloween, and insists that he plans to live well into the hundreds. I hope so, because he's an awfully nice man.
Turkey Day will be spent in North Dakota with family...and friends! My friend Robert is going to Fargo to see friends over the holiday, so hopefully I'll get a chance to break bread with him while he's there. He's a Brit transplanted to Texas, so Fargo in late November might be a bit of a shock for him.
Several people in my family sent me the very welcome news that American Airlines is planning to start non-stop Fargo-Dallas Fort Worth flights in February. I personally never thought I'd see that happen, but I'm not complaining!
