Hello moon_beam. Cloudy and cool Caturday greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. I hope all goes well with your car inspection

The news was not good The mass has increased by about 30% in the less than 2 weeks since he saw her. He has given me a 30 day supply of Prednisolone in liquid form since I think pills would be too hard for her. They also gave me a tube of Nutri-Cal which has not gone over so well, but am hoping will get better. In addition to the cat milk (that I give her alone and mixed with can food) I'm checking into meat flavored baby food. I forgot to ask about the fur trimming, but gave her a bath this morning before her appointment and brushed her right after. This seems to have had a somewhat better result.

She has energy and wants to eat. Last night she crawled right into the fridge as if I was hiding the "magic" food from her, then tried to stick her head in my fruit smoothie. She's also trying to dart into the hallway EVERY time the door opens. All things that indicate she WANTS to eat, but just can't other than the milk and can food "soup" It's very heart breaking

Depending on how well the meds and vitamin paste perform, it's really just a matter of when I'm going to have to make a very difficult decision. But I will be there for her. I wasn't for Tom, and that still haunts me 5 1/2 years later. She has a follow up with Dr. Mills in 2 week; this time with an actual appointment rather than the drop off I had to do today. But they did get to her fairly quickly despite being so busy.

I am very sad and yet I feel empty and numb. Shock and/or denial. I really don't know

Tang has been trying to be supportive and understanding of getting less attention than he used to. But he is well. I have offered balcony time , but I guess it's too cool for either of their liking. Not much else to report.

I hope today is treating you and Noah well and that you both have a peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

I have what I hope is encouraging news. After just one dose of the Prednisolone, Theresa has been eating dry food last night and this morning. Not a lot, but it's better than the none it's been for days. I will continue with the cat milk to be safe though.

Hi, Tracy, sunny blustery coolish 50-ish temp Sunday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

My friend, I can soooo understand how deeply saddened you are about the increased size of the tumor on your precious girl's tongue. I know how heartbroken and heart sick you are feeling knowing that inevitably you will need to make the most difficult decision for your precious girl to ease her transition journey from this earthly realm. How I wish there were some way I could take this pain from your heart, my friend, but I do not have that power. The only thing I can do is to offer you my sincerest, deepest comfort, support, and encouragement as you, your precious girl, and your little Tang travel this journey together.

Prednisone has many benefits including increasing the appetite, so it sounds like it is at least helping with her eating. I know how your heart must be joyful from seeing her eat some of her dry food again. I know so very well from first hand experience with my own beloved companions, when your precious girl has a good day / moment, your heart will fill with hope, and when she has a difficult day / moment, your heart will ache. This is a part of the Anticipatory Grief journey. But is sounds like she is still having more good days than not so good ones, and this is good news indeed.

I remember from your trying to give her the Laxatone that she didn't appreciate the feel or texture of the paste. So I am wondering if this is the same case with the Nutri Cal. Our forum friend MannaPaws made a good suggestion about the Hill's A/D canned food, but this is a prescription food and is on the expensive side. Still, you may want to talk to Dr. Mills about this when your precious girl has her next appointment in a couple of weeks. He may be able to give you a couple of suggestions about her food. And MannaPaws also has given you valuable information to look for when you go shopping for baby food. Be sure to read the labels for the ingredients to make sure there is no onion or garlic in the food. Once again you may want to talk to Dr. Mills about this to see if he has any suggestions. In the meantime - - as an alternative suggestion - - if you have a blender you may be able to pick up a package of beef stew meat at the store, cook it, and then puree it in the blender. This way you'll know for sure what the ingredients are so that you aren't risking getting a commercially-produced food that could have "hidden" ingredients that turn out to be harmful for your precious girl. Several recalls of baby food have been on the news over the past few months.

Your precious Tang definitely understands that his sister needs your attention - - just like he needed your attention when he was diagnosed with diabetes and all the concerns with the tumor in his ear and the health concerns with the heartworms, etc.. Your precious Theresa took this in stride as well - - and now your precious boy knows that his sister needs your attention. He knows you love him - - always and forever.

Not much happening around the homestead here today. The temps are very unseasonably coolish today only in the 50's and the wind is quite blusery offering a "wind chill" component to the air. So the big door will not be opened today. My precious Noah is doing well, which is always a blessing of news to share with you. He is settled comfortably next to me keeping me faithful company as I'm writing to you.

As always, I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and pleasant greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well.

Like MannaPaws in my other thread, did you not see my most recent similar post here about Theresa? If so, it sounds like you are saying "Yes, she will have some good days, but don't get used to it" Also, I don't recall ever posting that I'd tried giving her Laxatone; or Tang either. I've never been given that by the vet I also know about the garlic and onion to be on the look out for in baby food. I saw that when I was researching it and other solutions online. Thank you for the heads up though. I appreciate you looking out for us.


Seeing her eat dry food not once but twice in a row was like a miracle that brought my heart from out of the deepest depths to allowing me to hold out some hope. Yes, I know that even if it stops or shrinks the mass growth for a time it will probably still get her in the end. But even Dr. Mills held out some small hope that if it shrinks enough, he may be able to operate.

I appreciate the empathy and even the suggestions about her ongoing nutrition. But I was really hoping for more encouragement about her eating solid food again

I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a blissful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny coolish Monday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

Sorry for the mix up about the Laxatone with your precious Theresa. I thought at one time you had tried it to help her with furballs, but apparently am mistaken. Am very glad she is being able to eat the dry food again - - I know how much this means to you to see her be able to eat again. I'm also sorry if you have felt that I have not been supportive of you. None of us know what the future holds, but from what you share with us your precious Theresa is having a major medical challenge, and from what you share with us Dr. Mills has mentioned that at some point in time decisions will need to be on her behalf in terms of quality of life. From first hand experience with my own beloved companions I can only encourage you to take one day at a time, one moment at a time, and treasure each moment you and your precious Theresa have together - - which I know you are already doing. I know I personally hope and pray that the tumor on your precious Theresa's tongue will shrink to the size that Dr. Mills will be able to successfully remove it. I want you to know that whatever suggestions I make to you are just that - - I always encourage you to check with your furkids' treating physician BEFORE making any changes, additions, etc., to the wonderful care you are providing for them.

For awhile access to the Forums was unavailable but it looks like things are back up and running now. The timer on the stove is letting me know my lunch is now ready so will get this off to you.

I hope today is treating you kindly at work, my friend, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Overcast greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well.

I do not normally post from work, but felt I needed to reply ASAP. I must apologize for sounding angry/hurt (I am, but NOT at you) or implying that you are not or have been supportive. Because you are and always have been. I think part of my hopefulness (and desperation) is from denial. Actually, sometimes I feel like I am experiencing all of the stages of grief at one time

Theresa has always been my "rock" in terms of health, so it's especially hard to deal with this realistically as I should be. Everything you have posted is right on the money and appreciated. Also, I can't help but feel I was freaking out way more when Tom started his decline and that I would be more so if it were Tang. This makes me wonder if I have as close a bond to my little girl as I should. She is only the 2nd girl I have ever had and the first (Miss Kitty) was before I was "transformed" by my experiences with Tom. I know that I love her and feel it in my heart and soul. So why do I feel so detached about this at times?

You are right that I should treasure each day, hour, minute and second I DO have with her and I will. Also, now that I think of it, she did have hairball issues but I don't remember what was prescribed. Your memory is probably better than mine on that. I'm thinking about using an extra syringe to give her the Nutri-Cal to her when I give her the Prednisone. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for your ongoing support, prayers and thoughts. They do help and are appreciated. I may post more when I get home if there is anything that has changed. If not, I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a most pleasant evening. Blessings and TTFN

TTT

PS: 6:57 PM - Home safe and sound as are Theresa and Tang. Even got "hugs" from Theresa.

Hi, Tracy, cloudy, rainy, dampish 50-ish Tuesday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits. So glad to share your news that you got home safe and sound to your precious companions yesterday evening.

My friend, I do perfectly well understand from my own experiences with my beloved companions how you are feeling in your journey with your precious girl's health challenge. The name for it is Anticipatory Grief which has its own myriad of emotions that can cause royal havoc. I do try to be a source of comfort, encouragement, and support - - but I fully recognize there are times when I may miserably miss the mark. So I value your feedback in how I can try to be more supportive. If I haven't been clear enough please let me try to be today - - I join you in your hope that your precious Theresa can be restored to a more stable quality of health so that she can continue to enjoy her earthly journey with you and her brother Tang. I hope along with you that the medications will help reduce the size of the tumor on her tongue so that Dr. Mills will be able to successfully remove it. I share with your joy in seeing her eating her food more comfortably - - this is truly encouraging. Just know that I am here for you, with you, and beside you through every step of this journey - - whatever the journey may evolve to be.

One of the emotions we experience in Anticipatory Grief is a feeling of "detachment". But it really isn't distancing ourselves emotionally from our precious companions but rather is an automatic "survival mechanism" that our brain goes into when we are dealing with a traumatic event - - and the prospects of eventually losing the physical presence of your precious Theresa IS a traumatic event. What the brain cannot cope with it "distances" itself from leading us to feel "detached" from the situation. The shock of your precious Theresa's initial diagnosis along with the shock of learning that the tumor has grown when she was evaluated this past Saturday are classic events for your now feeling "detachment." I too have felt this - - particularly when my beloved number one kitty son Eli was diagnosed with end stage Lymphoma and my beautiful baby girl Abbygayle was diagnosed with end stage Fibrosarcoma. Each of these events were more than what my heart and mind could bear. So please let me try to reassure you that what you are feeling is very normal.

Worked on reconciling the checkbook with the bank statement this morning - - wasn't able to get an "agreeable" figure but am not going to fuss with it. I checked the math on the bank statement which is correct, and checked the math in my checkbook which also seems to be accurate. So somewhere somehow the figures do "match" - - just don't have the bookkeeping / accounting skills to figure out how. It's not the first time and won't be the last either. Tomorrow I take my car in for servicing which will be a major event in my "new normal" of activity levels.

My precious Noah is doing well. He is eagerly anticipating his lunch so will get this off to you. As always, I hope today is treating you kindly at work, my friend, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Rainy day greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. Sorry to hear your financials were so difficult and hope they get squared away. Keeping you in our thoughts that your car servicing goes well tomorrow.

<I'm finding posting from here is quite a time saver as it's not busy (knock wood) this time of day.>

It seems like we both felt as if we were in the wrong on all of this. I'm just glad it's cleared up. Yes, either way it goes, I know I'm going to have to let my precious Theresa go at some point It's been 9 plus years. I just hope it's not at her next appointment because that's not only a holiday weekend, but a week after Tang's 5 year anniversary with us. I just hope I have given her a truly good life so far Tang continues to be supportive but I can feel his disappointment at the loss of attention. I try to balance as much as I can. Not easy when I'm petting/talking to him and Theresa comes in all "You can't pet/talk to him daddy"

My biggest concern right now is that she seems, well, sad for want of a better word. I can't get her to play at all with toys, string or anything. She's off and on on cuddling and won't get on my chest at all. Almost as if she's afraid of getting her "messy" tummy on me (which I do not care about and will continue to help her with) I can't really blame it on loss of energy due to her condition because she does have spurts of energy at times. She doesn't even try to get on my lap while I'm watching TV anymore But she did ask for hugs last night while I was straightening up around the apartment, which is good I guess.

I tried the syringe for the Nutri-Cal and it was pretty much a bust - too thick I guess. I suppose I'll just have to keep doing it the old school way much as she hates it. She does feel like she may have gained a tiny bit of weight as I noticed more "heft" picking her up for her meds last night. I'm hoping she at least gained back that pound she lost between the DX and the follow up.

Not much else going on. I will post anything new when I get home under "PS" I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a very peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi Tracy,

Even if I don't write much, I am still here for you and I read your updates. Little Theresa, you, and Tang are always in my thoughts and daily prayers. I hope the Prednisolone keeps helping her to be more comfortable. That seems to be a great medicine for a lot of conditions. It got Mickey well from a blood problem he had, after he got the vet that knew what she was doing. Sometimes it will help them put on a little weight.

I like the way moon_beam described the detachment. I have felt that way with my babies when I knew they were going to leave us. You can give them all the love and best care you can, and still feel that detachment. But I don't think the babies feel it because they know they are loved.

Our little waifs are coming around less often now. Fluffy and Stryker have been gone for about a week, but Socks and Blackie still come by. I keep food out for them.

Just remember Tracy, you are a good dad and your babies know it. God Bless...

Love and Prayers to Precious Theresa.

LMM

Hi LMM.

Thank you so much for your support. I know you keep up with our little family, you don't have to post a lot for me to know and appreciate it.

I also liked what moon_beam had to say about the detachment. With Tom my defense mechanism was anger So I guess detachment is an improvement.

Tang greeted me at the door tonight, but I had to go looking for Theresa (hiding in the closet) which always makes my heart sink and takes me back to the night I found Tom She's looking kind of rough, but I'm hoping it's the difficulties with grooming she's having. She asks for hugs every night now. I don't know if it's because she's afraid, trying to say goodbye or both

I'm going to keep trying though. She's fighting (I think) so I will too. Sorry to hear the youngsters have been gone so long; hope they're OK. Thanks again for stopping by with comforting words. Blessings.

TTT

Hi, Tracy, cloudy rainy soggy dampish coolish 50-ish Wednesday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I'm so smiling at your precious Theresa soliciting "daddy time hugs" - - dedicated time just for her and her Forever Dad. If it's any encouragement to you my precious Noah will ignore his toys for weeks on end and then begin playing with them again. As I'm sure you are already aware our companions have "moods" too, and hopefully your precious Theresa is just conserving her energy for that moment in time when she will engage with the toys again. And I know beyond all shadow of a doubt that your precious Tang knows that you love him. You and your precious boy will find time to hang out together.

Took the car in for service this morning and received a call from the service manager a little after 11 a.m.. A couple of things need attending to that weren't on the list but need to be taken care of. They may need to hold the car overnight to get everything done by sometime tomorrow so that I can pick it up when it's ready. Have already been "warned" that the service will be expensive - - at this point all I can say is so what else is new.

My precious Noah believed me when I told him last night and this morning what I had to do - - and that I would be home to him as soon as I could be after dropping the car off for service. He didn't hide from me while I was getting ready to leave like he usually does after he's had an "adventure" to see his doctor. I told him that we would have a snuggle when I got home, and a snuggle we did thoroughly enjoy. He is now stretched out in front of his personal space heater enjoying the artificial sunbeams, and I have the new space heater going as well as the air is damp from all the rain we are having. May get a respite from it tomorrow and some of Friday before we get another round of more rain for the weekend. It would not surprise me at all to hear a news report that this May will be the wettest and coolest on record for the month.

Not much else happening around the homestead. I hope today is treating you kindly at work, my friend, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Cloudy and cooler greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. I'm glad to hear your little man understood he wasn't going to the vet so you could give him some bye for now loving. I'm sorry to hear your car repairs will be expensive. You mention leaving it overnight; how did you get home?

I had both my greeters at the door tonight which made me fee better. Theresa seems to have a lot of energy, but as I mentioned, she looks a rough mess on her tummy and backside Brushing helps some, but I may have to look into finding an extra day or 2 besides Saturdays for baths. I wish I had more experience - or at least a spray nozzle for the tub.

She ate about as much (which isn't much) of her can food/milk soup as she usually does. I have to keep Tang away from it as being diabetic, he sure does not need (or probably should have) the milk. Cutting it short tonight as I'm beat. Thank you for your continued compassionate support. I hope you and Noah have a blissful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, cloudy gloomy dampish coolish 50-ish Thursday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I'm always glad to share your news that your precious girl is still eating as best she can. It is likely the tumor on her tongue is causing interference with her ability to eat much at one time and makes eating feel "weird." Still she's accepting the offering of food, and you are doing a GREAT job in taking care of her.

If you can you may want to do some internet research on pet bath spray nozzles. I know Drs. Foster and Smith sells them, and I would imagine PetsMart does as well. You may want to check out Amazon and WalMart, too, in their pet supply departments. They shouldn't be too expensive - - but then I'm finding things are way more expensive nowadays than they "used to be" - - even for the most simple of purchases. Will be interested in knowing what you find - - if you would like to share that with us.

When I dropped off the car at the service department yesterday I got a loaner car so that I could come back home while the car was being serviced. I got a call from the service manager around 4:45 p.m. yesterday letting me know the car was ready and was offered the option of waiting until today to pick it up. I accepted that option as by the time I got ready to leave the house, got to the service department, paid the bill and got back home it would be well after my precious Noah's regular diinner time, and I didn't want his dinner to be delayed. So I picked up the car this morning. It's nice to have it back as the loaner car was not comfortable driving.

My precious Noah was still under blankets when I left to pick up the car but was calling for me from the basement living quarters when I got back home. We have had plenty of rubs and hugs, and he is now settled comfortably in front of his personal space heater as I'm writing to you. I also have the other space heater going to take the damp chill out of the air.
Will need to work on the "bill-a-thon" tomorrow and Saturday as I will need to begin scheduling online payments for June's bills on Monday, 5/23.

I hope today is treating you kindly at work, my friend, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and pleasant greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. Glad to hear you were able to get your car back today and back to your precious boy.

You used the exact words that Dr. Mills did about Theresa eating in that it feels "weird". I just hope that does not equal painful She is still making attempts at the dry food, but it's hard to say just how much she's actually eating. She did feel a bit heavier when I picked her up for her meds last night though.

Now If I could just get her messy fur situation squared away. I know it's making her miserable as she has always been so fussy about her grooming. I'm thinking about looking into electric shears like the vet uses for when they draw blood, etc. I also priced some spray nozzle tub adapters online and they range about 15.00-20.00. Not too bad.

She and Tang were both well when I left this morning (as good as she gets anyway) and I hope they will be when I get home. I will let you know when I get there.

I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a most pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

PS: Home safe and sound (albeit late) Tang met me at the door but Theresa stayed hunched up by the furnace closet. I was able to coax her out to eat (such as she does)

Hi, Tracy, briefly sunny now cloudy coolish 60-ish T G I F greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I'm so glad to share your news that your precious girl is continuing to eat even though it's not as easy now with the annoying growth on her tongue. I'm so hoping that when she has her checkup next weekend Dr. Mills will have more promising news to share with you. Please let us know how your precious Theresa is doing.

So glad your precious Tang met you at the door to greet you when you got home last night, and that you and your precious girl shared greetings as well.

I'm so glad the car maintenance is done for another year - - hopefully nothing major will happen to require additional maintenance / repairs. Worked on the bill-a-thon for June's payments this morning and have things ready to begin scheduling payments on Monday, 5/23. Will do some preliminary work tomorrow when I'm working on the big desk top.

My precious Noah is doing well, which is always a blessing of news to share with you. He has had his lunch and mine is in the final stages warming on the stove. We actually had clear skies last night and enjoyed moon beams in through the big windows. Now clouds are coming back into the region for more rain beginning sometime this evening and lasting through most of tomorrow.

As always, I hope today is treating you kindly at work, my friend, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Rainy day greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well.

As you can see from my other thread, no need to wish me a good day at work but thanks. May have a been a good call too considering the way my tummy is acting.

I got out to Dollar Tree and Feeder's today even though I had to contend with the rain. Theresa seems to have picked up a bit of weight too as I indicated in the other thread too. Tang has also been especially comforting today.

When I laid back down early this morning after taking care of my kids and the waifs, I had a strange dream. Somehow Bobtail had appeared on the balcony and I let him in. He got along great with Theresa and Tang, but then the next morning I was taking him back outside again. I can't really fathom what it was supposed to mean. Time to brush out Theresa and give her her meds and Tang his insulin.

I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, now sunny 60-ish Caturday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I'm glad you are being able to take some time off just to spend with your precious fur tribe, as well as take care of yourself physically. You are under a considerable amount of stress with your precious girl's medical challenge, and this will take a toll on your health. So you will need to take some extra good care of yourself so that you can continue to take care of your precious companions.

Have worked on financials again this morning. Scheduled some of the payments already and have a couple more to do on Monday. My precious Noah and I were cuddling very nicely earlier this morning when we heard a noise outside the windows. It woke my precious boy to the point where he had to get up and investigate the source of the noise. Don't know what "critter" it was but my precious boy eventually seemed satisfied that everything was okay. He has kept me faithful company while working on financials and is now eargerly anticipating some lunch in his bowl.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Cloudy and misty Caturday greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. Sorry to hear your boy was spooked by some critter but glad you were both able to settle back down again.

Before I get into anything else, I want to make a happy announcement among all the gloominess that has been our lives since getting the awful news about Theresa. By looking at the date of the first post, I see it's 5 years to the day we were blessed to "Welcome Tang" Where does the time go? 5 years my little buddy, and hopefully many more.

The laundry was done and I was back from the store at about 9:00. I washed an extra towel (the one from the bottom of Theresa's carrier) and put it down on the floor in what seems to be one of her favorite spots fresh from the drier. She's been curled up there, hopefully at least semi comfortable, since this morning. I already posted about how she's doing in the other thread.

Not much else going on today. Just chilling I guess. We have not what I'd call rain but maybe 100% humidity. Even though it's only 62 outside, I was still sweating by the time I got home from the store. It's just cloudy now though and Tang is exploring the balcony.

I hope today has been kind to you and and Noah and that you both have a blissful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi Tracy,

Rainy and cool Caturday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and Tang. Congratulations on your 5th year with Tang! I do hope and pray you have many more.

I'm so sorry about little Theresa bleeding. I was thinking maybe she was trying to get rid of whatever she could feel on her tongue. Maybe she wasn't trying to groom aggressively. Just a thought. I hope Dr. Mills has some better news for you. I know it's hard trying to decide what to do.

Fluffy and Stryker are still missing. Socks was the only one for breakfast this morning and he ate the whole can of wet food plus some dry. Blackie was here yesterday.

Tracy, remember you all are in my thoughts and prayers every day. Like moon_beam said, try to take care of yourself too. God Bless...

LMM

Hi LMM

Thank you for checking in on us. I'm sorry to hear the "kids" have not returned. I hope they are OK. What ever it is my sweet girl is trying to do, it's not good. I am pretty sure I know what's coming next Saturday. The hardest choice I may ever have to make

Hi, Tracy, sunny breezy 60-ish Sunday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits. Please permit me to add my sincerest congratulations to your and your precious Tang's, and precious Theresa's, 5 year anniversary when Tang joined the family. I can sooooo relate to your observation "Where does the time go?" Indeed, may your precious Tang have many more years with his Forever Family.

How nice that your precious girl enjoyed laying on the towel fresh from the dryer. The warmth of the towel probably felt good to her, and she appreciated your loving efforts on her behalf. She knows you love her, Tracy, and will do everything in your power to keep her happy, safe, and comfortable. She is so very blessed to have you for her Forever Dad.

Not much happening around the homestead here today. Had a couple of thunderstorms over the homestead yesterday evening but nothing ferocious. The sunbeams are plentiful this morning which is nice for a change. My precious Noah is settled comfortably next to me keeping me faithful company as I'm writing to you.

As always, I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny, warm and humid greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well.

Not much to report today (I posted about Theresa in the other thread) It was cool enough this morning to allow balcony time and my sweet little girl certainly enjoyed it I guess. I say that because she did not roll over and let the sunbeams warm her tummy like she used to do.

I'm sorry I don't have much to say. I'm just feeling a bit like a zombie right now. I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a most pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, cloudy, coolish 60-ish temp forecasted to be rainy Monday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I so fully relate to the "zombie" feeling from first hand experience with my beloved companions' health crises. All you want is for your precious Theresa to be healthy and happy again, yet all the while your heart is breaking watching her physical body decline knowing that at some point in time it will no longer be able to function in this earthly realm. Please know we are here for you, Tracy, to offer our support and encouragement to the best of our ability.

Worked on financials this morning while my precious Noah slumbered under blankets. Got payments logged into the financial ledger so that is up to date. My precious boy has now joined me at the computer desk and is keeping me faithful company as I'm writing to you. Tomorrow I will make my errand run to the bank and the post office, and that will be the only errand run I make this week.

I hope today is treating you kindly at work, my friend, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and very summer like warm greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. I hope all goes well with your errands tomorrow.

There does seem to be a bit of a dark cloud hanging over us the past 3 weeks now to the day I got the bad news about Theresa. It made any celebratory notions for Tang's 5th anniversary difficult if not down right impossible. Poor little guy. He does come around when I'm paying attention to her, but I don't think it's all jealousy; he also seems genuinely concerned at times. The real trick is keeping him out of her milk.

I remember when I used to have so much to talk about here each day. Now it all just seems moot I'll let you know when I'm home safe and sound to my babies. Thank you, as always, for checking in and offering your support, thoughts and prayers. It is most appreciated. I hope today is treating you and Noah kindly and that you both have a very peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

6:40 PM Home safe and sound. Only Tang greeted me, but I saw Theresa curled up by the spare bedroom door; thought I was going to have to bring her her milk/soft food, but when I looked back she wasn't there but in the kitchen.

Hi, Tracy, sunny 70-ish very pleasant Tuesday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I'm so chuckling at your precious Theresa waiting for you and Tang to get to the kitchen where she was already waiting for you to serve dinner. At least her spirit is in the right place even though eating is a challenge for her. It truly sounds from what you share with us that she still wants to continue to participate in this earthly realm even if it's on a limited energy basis - - and as long as she has this Will to endure then I know you will give her every encouragement. And your precious boy understands what is happening - - he's there to give support and encouragement as well - - both to you and his sister.

Was able to get my errands done without any problems. Today I decided to walk into the post office with my cane from the parking lot. I parked in the handicap space (which I have plates that allow me to do this) and walking very carefully with my cane I was able to make it into the post office and back out to the car with no problems. So this is encouraging. I had my knee brace on which helped me to feel steady to walk with my cane this time. Progress. My precious boy was up while I was getting dressed and cheered me on my way as I was going up the stairs in the stair chair. He was eagerly calling for me from the basement living quarters when I got back home.

Not much else on the agenda for today. With the warm sunbeams in through the big windows and the pleasant temps today we are enjoying having the big door open and gated.

I hope today is treating you kindly at work, my friend, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and very warm greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. Glad to hear you were able to complete your errands with no issues and that your little man was waiting to greet upon your return.

As I said in the other thread, I know Theresa is willing to participate in the normal daily routines but it's hard to see her struggle all for naught. I do try to encourage her which I feel is good for her spirits. Last night she got up on the side table (again) presumably to get at my smoothie (heartbreaking that she thinks I'm hoarding the "good stuff" from her) And then ultimately she laid down by the chair next to me rather than getting on my lap like she used to. I woke up in the wee hours and noticed too late she was in the bed - by that I mean I almost rolled over on her She did not get back up there the rest of the night unfortunately.

Tang, for his part, also offers us encouragement. So I try to make sure he's not been forgotten with extra attention when possible including some "play" time. Today I was trolling the site and came upon the videos I loaded for both of them after I got the camera. It made me smile to see her rolling on the balcony without a care in the world - sunbeams shining on all that full thick fur on her tummy. But sad when I think of how what little fur she has on her belly now is all dirty and tangled even with the baths and brushing.

Thank you for stopping by with your usual words of support and encouragement. I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a blissful evening. I will let you know when I'm home safe and sound to my babies. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny pleasant 80-ish Wedesday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I can so imagine the mixed blessings you were feeling as you watched the videos of your precious girl in better times - - remembering the good times yet feeling very distraught over the reality of the decline of her health - - and all that this implies. Please know we are here for you, Tracy, and keeping your precious girl, and you and little Tang, in our thoughts and prayers.

When I got home yesterday from errands I stopped off at the mailbox to get the mail delivered since last Thursday. The bills keep trickling in from my medical visits and procedures. This morning I paid another bill from the 4/14 injection. I know a couple more bills are coming from my follow up appointment with the orthopedist on 5/4. The good news is that I think I'm coming down to the last of the medical bills from this event, and I'm glad for that. I hope this process will not be repeated any time soon -- if ever would be too soon.

My precious Noah is doing well. We are enjoying having the big door open and gated again today. The sunbeams are warm coming in through the big windows so my precious boy is spending less time in front of his personal heater. I have the heat turned down to low now in an attempt to wean him from it as the temps get warmer.

My friend, I hope today is treating you kindly at work, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Warm with sun and clouds greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. Glad to hear you both can enjoy having the big door open again to enjoy the better weather. Sorry to hear about all the medical bills though. How are you feeling by the way? Better still I hope.

Yes, it was a mixed bag watching that video. But I'm glad I took it and the other videos and pictures. It's something I never got to do with Tom. As I said in the other thread, I've been feeling his presence more lately. Perhaps as a comfort to me and Theresa.

Something that's been bugging that may not seem related but I think it is. My baby girl has no choice about this ailment. But a woman at work does. Sits right across from me and down one. Has an obvious respiratory issue; inhaler and breathing treatment machine. And yet - she smokes Choosing to throw away the precious gift that is life. Burns me up when I think about it too much. I'd trade 100 people like that for Theresa to be OK.

For his part, Tang is holding up well. Keeping his weight up perhaps too well from the last time I picked him up. Losing those bottom canines hasn't slowed him down in the least I'm glad to say. I really do think switching to the Walmart insulin has made a big difference in that regard.

Not much else going on today. I'll let you know here or the other post when I arrive home safely to my babies. I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a most pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

6:35 PM Home safe and sound to my babies. Tang greeted me at the door and Theresa, while still in her "go to" spot came to the kitchen on her own w/o any coaxing.

Hi, Tracy, cloudy, somtimes sunny 70-ish Thursday greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

So glad you were able to arrive home safe and sound to your precious companions last night, and am glad to share your news that your precious girl joined her brother, and you, in the kitchen for dinner. I know seeing her make this effort brings some comfort to your heart. I'm also very glad to share your news that your precious Tang is thriving on the WalMart insulin. I'm so smiling at his being able to eat without his lower canines. I know this is because of your loving attention to his needs.

Thank you so much for your continued support and encouragement with my health challenges. The steroid injections have been very helpful in providing pain management for my lower back and right hip, but I still need to be careful how I move as sometimes when I move a certain way I will feel a brief spasm - - a reminder to be more conscious and cautious as to how I move.

Yesterday I called the company that installed the water conditioning system in May 2013 to ask if they deliver and install bags of salt for their equipment. The bags of salt are 40 pounds of heavy weight which I can no longer lift. To my relief they do make "house calls" to install bags of salt as they are needed for $75 a service call which includes the cost of the salt (which is only about $8 per bag - - the rest of the cost is to cover the service call). So I can manage that, and am very grateful that this service is available from the company.

My precious Noah is doing well. He is settled comfortably next to me giving himself a little spruce up. We have the big door open and gated again today. Not much on the agenda for today - - just enjoying my precious boy's company.

As always, my friend, I hope today is treating you kindly at work, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny (for now) and warm greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. Glad to hear you both could enjoy nature today by having the big door open. I'm also glad to hear the company for your water conditioning makes house calls albeit somewhat expensive. It's also good to hear your health is improving even if you do have to be more cautious these days.

Thanks for your continuing support for Tang and Theresa. He's been sleeping either in the bed or at least in the bedroom since Theresa has been. Whether that's jealousy or he's trying to offer comfort during this trying time I can't really say. It's win win either way to have them both there though.

Not much else to add right now. I'll update when I get home safe and sound with any new developments. I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a very peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

6:45 - Home safe and sound. Tang greeted me. Theresa in the hallway but came to the kitchen. She's not looking good and is being withdrawn though

Hi, Tracy, sunny pleasant 80-ish T G I F greetings to you and your precious princess Theresa and little prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

Our feline companions have inherited the "pride" gene from their wild cousins - - particularly lions - - which gives them the natural desire to be with their "pride" - - which in Tang's case means being with his Forever Dad and sister. So it doesn't surprise me that he wants to be in the bedroom with you and Theresa - - for his own need to be with you and Theresa, but also to offer comfort to both of you. As you so well stated "It's win win either way to have them both there though."

Not much happening here today. Changed the linens on the bed this morning from the flannel blankets to the lighter weight cotton sheets. The temps have pretty much stabilized over the past week, and I think we are now safely beyond temps dipping down into the 30's and 40's overnight for the coming summer months.

My precious Noah is doing well. We are enjoying having the big door open and gated, and it is so nice seeing him stretched out on his big window bench enjoying the fresh air.

I hope today is treating you kindly at work, my friend, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious Theresa and little Tang can have a peaceful, blissful, cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious companions. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious companions are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and very warm greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well.

Thank you for your insightful and supportive words about my babies sleeping in the bed/bedroom. It is of great comfort to me. It may well come to pass sooner rather than later Tang will be all I have left to lean on as Theresa was when Tom passed. He's a a good boy and my BHMK (Big Handsome Man Kitty) and I tell him every day to which he always beams with pride. "Daddy says I'm a good boy"

Not much going on today other than what is already weighing heavily on my mind I will post update when I'm home safe and sound. I hope today is treating you and Noah kindly and that you both have a blissful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi Tracy, Just stopping by to say my thoughts and prayers will be with you and little Theresa tomorrow. I know you will do what is best for her. You are a great daddy to your little fur tribe and don't you ever doubt it.

You are an angel too, for feeding all those little waifs. They love you too. We have one little faithful waif left, Socks. He is the timid one, but now he is out there sleeping on one of the boxes every morning. He gets the whole can of food unless Blackie shows up. Fluffy and Stryker never did come back.

Again my thoughts and prayers are with you....God Bless.....TTFN


LMM

Hi LMM

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. They are appreciated. Theresa got a bath tonight since I don't think I'll have time in the morning to do it. Plus she'll have all night to dry out - I dried her off as best I could, but it's definitely not a 1 man job And no matter where I put her fluffy lay down towel, she won't lay on it.

One common thing I kept coming across online about making these decisions is the "3-5 things" 3-5 things they used to do that made them happy. She liked playing with her toys (especially the laser pen) going out side belly side up to the sun, cuddles and hugs. She won't do any of these anymore, and if I try to engage her so she won't let me

I could go either way tomorrow at this point. I appreciate the thoughts and prayers of you and all the others. I'm sorry to heat it's only Socks now, but he's sure lucky to have you and hubby looking out for him.

Peace and Blessings.

TTT

Hi, Tracy, just stopping in to let you know I am here for you and your precious little Tang in this time of great sorrow in your family. My heart is aching with you and your precious boy. Please know you and your precious Tang are in my thoughts and prayers that you will have a peaceful day and evening together blessed with your beloved princess Theresa's and Sir Thomas' sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Tang. Please know that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Tang are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas and princess Theresa.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam.

Thank you for your kind words and support. It's appreciated. This loss is like an open wound. Tang has been a great comfort, but he knows that something is wrong. I asked them to hang on to his carrier (I let Theresa have it since it was just her and it's roomier) until I go to pick up her ashes. They will go on the desk right next to Tom's clay paw print and picture.

With this loss a "new normal" will not only permeate our life but this thread as well. I'm not sure how Tang is going to be on his own as he always had Theresa here from the start. Banfield doesn't adopt out anymore due to some corporate rule change. I bring it up as the front desk ladies said I was such a good father that I should think about it. I told them thank you, but we'll need time. In any case if it's meant to be, Angel Theresa will bring some waif our way the same as Angel Tom brought Tang.

I hope today is being kind to you and Noah. That you are both well and have a most pleasant evening. TTFN

TT...and TT (Tom and Theresa)

Hi, Tracy, cloudy 60-ish Sunday greetings to you and your precious little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds both you doing well - - as well as can be expected under the circumstances.

I know so well what you mean when you share with us "With this loss a "new normal" will not only permeate our life but this thread as well." The adjustment to the physical absence of a beloved companion is painful - - both emotionally and physically. I share your concerns about how your precious boy will adjust to being an "only child" - - at least for now - - as I had the same concerns for my precious Noah after his beautiful baby sister Abbygayle joined the angels. You are wise to wait at least awhile until your and your precious Tang's deep grief has eased in deciding about embracing another companion. There is no doubt in my mind that - - as you so aptly stated "if it's meant to be, Angel Theresa will bring some waif our way the same as Angel Tom brought Tang." And who knows - - maybe the waif will be right outside your door.

My precious Noah is doing well. He is settled quietly next to me keeping me faithful company as I'm writing to you.

I hope today is treating you and your precious little Tang kindly, my friend, and you both will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved princess Theresa's and Sir Thomas' sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Tang. Please know that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Tang are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas and princess Theresa.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and much higher (84) than normal temps greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well.

Yes, me and Tang need to take time to find our equilibrium before taking in another waif. And at the risk of sounding miserly, saving some money - 25.00/month pet rent and 20.00/month wellness plan. The latter of which seems to have been cancelled before I went online to do so. Perhaps it's automatic.

I know you say "right outside my door" to allude taking in one of the community waifs. And I have thought about that. As much as I'd love to give Tux or Bobtail a fur-ever home, I'd feel guilty about removing that presence of protection for the other waifs. We will see how things play out with just the 2 of us (me and Tang) for a while. Right now he's lying on his back asleep paws up, back ones twitching. Perhaps dreaming of his big sister Angel Theresa

I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a very peaceful evening. TTFN

TT and TT

Hi, Tracy, thank you so much for sharing with us how you and your precious little Tang are doing. I also am very glad you have tomorrow off to spend much needed time with your precious boy before you have to put on the "public face" of going back to work. I know so well from first hand experience how difficult that's going to be, my friend - - particularly coming home for the first time - - a "first without" to adjust to - - for both you and your precious boy.

I also fully understand your feelings about embracing one of the community waifs into your home as you share with us "As much as I'd love to give Tux or Bobtail a fur-ever home, I'd feel guilty about removing that presence of protection for the other waifs." You are wise to give you and your precious little Tang time together before contemplating embracing a new family member.

It isn't miserly to think about financials in this time of deep sorrow. Your beloved Theresa and Sir Thomas know how much you have done for them during their earthly journey - - at great sacrifice to your needs - - and they definitely want you to have some "breathing room" financially - - it's all a part of the adjustment journey, my friend.

Once again, my friend, I hope today is treating you and your precious little Tang kindly, and that you both will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved princess Theresa's and Sir Thomas' sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Tang. Please know that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Tang are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas and princess Theresa.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam.

Like I said in the other thread, I don't think a "work face" is going be necessary at this rate. I really don't know what's wrong with me. I feel numb and can't sleep, but no tears. I guess I have some deep soul searching to do. Perhaps tomorrow things will be more clear. Thank you for checking on us gain today. Blessings.

TT and TT

Hi, Tracy, please let me try to reassure you there is nothing wrong with you. As I mentioned in your beloved Theresa's topic grieving affects each of us differently, and what you are experiencing is a very normal reaction to deep grief - - insomina, feeling numb, a shutting down of emotions, etc.. A "delayed reaction" to grief can last from hours to days to weeks to months to years - - so please don't measure your grief by the tears you cry - - or don't cry. Just be sure to take special care of yourself because the stress of grieving lowers a person's immune system, and your precious Tang needs his dad.

I hope you and your precious Tang will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved princess Theresa's and Sir Thomas' sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. Please know you and your precious boy are in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how you and Tang are doing, along with the community waifs, as well as sharing with us your treasured memories of your beloved princess Theresa and Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Thank you moon_beam. I probably should not compare my response now to when I lost Tom. Apples and oranges and all that. I can only take things one step ans one day at a time.

Tang is sad too, but we will just have to try to be there for one another.

Hi, Tracy, cloudy sometimes sunny 70-ish Memorial Day Monday greetings to you and your precious little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds both you doing well.

When we are grieving this is a challenge all of its own, but it is doubled when we see our surviving precious companion(s) also grieving the physical absence of their housemate. I know you are doing everything in your power to comfort your precious boy.

Not much happening around the homestead here today. For some reason I couldn't get settled with my precious Noah after his 6 a.m. breakfast, so I got up around 8 a.m. - - and fortunately did not disturb him. Was able to get what I hope is the final bill for my medical expenses ready to pay online this week, and started working on the grocery list for next week. Need to call the volunteer coordinator tomorrow or Wednesday to arrange transportation assistance. Also got the big comforter in the laundry which is now ready for the dryer.

My precious Noah is doing well. He is settled comfortably next to me keeping me company as I'm writing to you. Have opened and gated the big door since temps are in the 70's. Thought I had checked to make sure there weren't any deer or rabbits in the yard that would be disturbed, but too late I noticed a young deer settled under one of the big oak trees closer to the house. The deer got up and trotted off halfway down the back slope followed by his / her mom. They stopped for a moment or two to try to assess the nature of the disturbance and decided it was best to be on their way so out the back gate they went into the thick woods. Hopefully they will be back.

I hope today is treating you and your precious little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you both will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved princess Theresa's and Sir Thomas' sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Tang. Please know that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious boy are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas and princess Theresa.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and unseasonably warm Memorial Day greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. Glad to hear you could have the big door open, but sorry it spooked the deer. Hopefully they will be back. Hope all goes well with your transportation coordination too.

I arose early this morning and put food out for the waifs. I decided to spend a little extra time with them this morning - all things considered. I saw everyone but Bobtail, but I'm sure he's around somewhere. I've been seeing a newer tuxedo cat too - might be Tux's long lost sister. They used to be identical, but he's much bigger now.

Tang and I have just been hanging out relaxing today. He's been more cuddly too. Not just near me but on me (like Theresa) I also looked up where he was sitting on the couch arm and saw he was "watching" TV the way she used to as well.

Tomorrow I return to work and it will be Tang's first day all alone. I'm kind of worried about him Hopefully he will adjust to the new normal they way I am trying to.

Thank you for checking up on us as well as your thoughts and prayers. I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a blissful evening. TTFN


TT and TT

Hi, Tracy, sunny 80-ish Tuesday greetings to you and your precious prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious boy doing well.

I can so understand how you're feeling about your precious Tang's "first without" today with you going back to work. I felt the same way with my precious Noah after his beloved beautiful baby sister Abbygayle joined the angels. I have no doubt that your precious Tang will be glad to see you when you get home, and I know you are doing everything in your power to comfort him. Please let us know how your precious boy is doing.

One of the items I ordered from Amazon recently was a long handled pruner. I need it to trim back the overgrowth in the path to the propane tank for the emergency generator. This morning I decided to give it a try. I needed to get into my yard work clothes - - which 5 months ago I thought I would never wear again, and was able to get my calf-high rubber boots on as well. With pruner and walker in hand I went out to the area and I'm so happy to share with you that the long handled pruner worked very nicely. The vines were easy to cut. The more fibrous / thicker overgrowth of newly sprouting trees took a bit more effort by cutting through each layer a little bit at a time. It was a good thing I went out not only to prune back the overgrowth but to check on the fuel level in the tank. When I lifted the cover to the gauge I discovered that a little creature of some nature had built a nest under the cover - - which wasn't there last month when I checked the fuel levels. So I had no choice but to discard the nest - - fortunately there weren't any babies.

My precious Noah is doing well. We have the big door open and gated again today. I have called the volunteer coordinator to request assistance next week with groceries, and hope to hear back some time this week as to who the volunteer is so that I can contact them and arrange a specific day and time.

I hope today is treating you kindly at work, my friend, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious prince Tang can have a peaceful, cozy evening blessed with your beloved Sir Thomas' and princess Theresa's sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious boy. Please know you and your precious prince Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious boy are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas and princess Theresa.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and very warm greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. Glad to hear your pruners worked out well, but sorry to hear about the nest in your fuel tank. Good thing there were no babies to displace like you said. I hope all goes well with your transport coordination.

Tang seemed to be taking everything in stride this morning. His manner and body language unchanged from the norm (before his sister passed) I guess I should be comforted by this in that it indicates he will be OK going forward. But I can't help but feel disappointed that nothing seems to have changed for him on that front. But then, our companions live in the moment way better than we do. I guess I will find out tonight when I get home from work and ask how his day was.

I can't escape a certain feeling of emptiness and/or imbalance in our home. But I guess that's to be expected and we will adjust in time. Not much else going on. I'll PS post when I get home safe and sound. I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a most pleasant evening. TTFN

TT and TT

PS: Home safe and sound at 6:40 PM. Tang seems to have come through OK. Right now I'm livid. Banfield will not cancel Theresa's plan. The rude rep on the phone said the "retail" value of what I have used in discounts adds up to 200.00 I left a very heated message for the office manager of the actual hospital.

Hi, Tracy, sunny pleasant 80-ish Wednesday greetings to you and your precious prince Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious boy doing well.

I'm so sorry that you're having difficulty canceling your beloved Theresa's health / wellness plan. Certainly they don't expect you to continue to pay for a service your beloved Theresa no longer needs. Please let us know how things go.

Please do not be upset by your precious Tang's "appearances" of not grieving for his beloved sister. Our companions find comfort in routines, - - this does not mean that he does not feel the loss of his beloved sister. From first hand experience with my precious Noah, it will not surprise me if your precious Tang shows you his sorrow in other ways - - such as tender moments with you, etc..

I can so understand how you're feelilng when you share with us "I can't escape a certain feeling of emptiness and/or imbalance in our home." Indeed, scientific studies prove that every living being has their own "energy" that they bring to the family unit. When this "energy" is no longer present, it affects the "balance" of the family unit - - it can even feel like the structure of the house itself is grieving the physical absence. It takes time to "adjust" to the physical absence of a beloved companion in every aspect of our lives, so please let me try to reassure you that what you are feeling and experiencing is a very normal part of this grief adjustment journey.

Got a call this morning from the volunteer who will help me with groceries next week which is scheduled for Tuesday, 6/7, at 10 a.m.. So that's settled. Also got the trash taken care of for the volunteer tomorrow who will come to take the trash bin out to the street for me. My precious Noah is doing well. He is settled comfortably next to me keeping me company as I'm writing to you.

As always, my friend, I hope today is treating you kindly at work, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious prince Tang can have a peaceful, cozy evening blessed with your beloved Sir Thomas' and princess Theresa's sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious boy. Please know you and your precious prince Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious boy are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas and princess Theresa.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Another sunny and hot day's greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope this finds you both doing well. Glad to hear your transport for groceries next week is worked out.

I didn't get to talk to the office manager, but I did talk to Christine who used to be a long time ago. When Tom passed, they were technically a franchise and could have wiggle room on the plans. Now all the hospitals are under the corporate umbrella. It was explained to me that when the usage (services and discounts etc) exceeds what was paid in monthly (all plans are technically annual) the plan keeps going with the payments (in this case 19.95 until November) until it's 0.00. So, I am stuck with that unless the complaint I filed on the web site turns up something else. It's really crass and insulting if you ask me - and they obviously didn't nor do they care apparently.

Thanks for the insight on Tang's grieving process. It makes sense, and like I said, animals live in the moment. Plus Christine agrees with your assessment that they love routine and compensate how ever they need to. He's still my happy healthy baby boy and that's a good thing.

Not much happening today (which is always good) except I got to move away from Wendy Whiner and her neighbor bat crap crazy/angry man. I'm on the end again and the guy next to me doesn't come in until like 3:30 - and doesn't work M-F (I think) so it's good. Will PS post when I get home.

I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a very peaceful evening. TTFN

TT and TT

Hi, Tracy, thank you for sharing with us how you and your precious prince Tang are doing. I'm so sorry that - - at least for now - - you are burdened with having to continue your beloved Theresa's health / wellness plan. I totally agree with you that this doesn't make sense - - it appears they are trying to recoup their expenses through the remainder of the policy. It's ludicrous to force a client to continue to pay for a policy that is no longer needed, in addition it re-inforces the grief knowing that you're paying for something that your beloved Theresa no longer needs. I hope you are able to get better satisfaction from your complaint. Please let us know how things go.

I'm very glad to share your news that your seating arrangement at work is improved. I know this will help you in many ways, and particularly now when your nerves are less able to deal with the "whiner" and the "angry man". Hopefully not having that to contend with right next to you will be a blessing.

Once again, my friend, I hope today is treating you kindly at work, and that your travels are safe, comfortable, and expedient so that you and your precious prince Tang can have a peaceful, cozy evening blessed with your beloved Sir Thomas' and princess Theresa's sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious boy. Please know you and your precious prince Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious boy are doing, along with the community waifs, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas and princess Theresa.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hi moon_beam.

Yes, I agree it's ludicrous to have to pay for something Theresa no longer needs. And, like you said, it's just a reminder (more a slap in the face really) that her physical presence here on earth is gone I'll let you know if the complaint does any good, but I'm not counting on it.

The people that annoyed me were across from me not next to me - that would have been worse. But it was still bad. In fact, that whole row is full of loud "Chatty Cathys" - I'm two rows away from it now thank goodness. One less bit of stress in this difficult time for me and Tang. Thanks for checking in again. Blessings.

TT and TT

PS: Wasn't able to additional post last night as the site was down. I got home about 6:40 safe and sound. Tang greeted me at the door. We are falling into our old routines as best as possible. But no Theresa trying to get in my lap as I watch TV though