Hi, Tracy, sending you, your precious Theresa and little Tang cloudy gloomy Monday afternoon greetings from Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious furkids doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

I hope your visit to the local UE office is going well, and that perhaps you were able to get a few leads for jobs while you were there. You are frequently in my thoughts and prayers that the job just for you will present itself quickly.

I am sorry about Tang's ear. If there was a way I could put this right for him I would. You are doing the very best you can, Tracy. Just keep his ear as clean as you can. And you may want to check out the humane society to see if they have a fund to help with meds.

I know what you mean about how the Sunday paper used to be a good resource for job listings, but now everything is computer. There was a time when there would be page after page after page of secretarial jobs but now these jobs are few and far between - - even on the internet - - because secretaries are being replaced with computer specialists - - which I am not. So I am in a class that is quickly becoming as extinct as the dinosaurs. You, on the other hand, have GREAT qualificiations, and if it weren't for the overwhelming competition for jobs because of the economy you would be employed by now. Hang in there, Tracy. One day when you least expect it you will get an e-mail or a telephone call that will knock your socks off with a job offer.

Hi, Tracy, sending you, your precious Theresa and little Tang cloudy gloomy Monday afternoon greetings from Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious furkids doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

I hope your visit to the local UE office is going well, and that perhaps you were able to get a few leads for jobs while you were there. You are frequently in my thoughts and prayers that the job just for you will present itself quickly.

I am sorry about Tang's ear. If there was a way I could put this right for him I would. You are doing the very best you can, Tracy. Just keep his ear as clean as you can. And you may want to check out the humane society to see if they have a fund to help with meds and treatments. Also if there are any holistic vets in your area you may want to give them a call to see if there are any "home remedies" that may be of help. It's worth a try, Tracy, don't you think?

I know what you mean about how the Sunday paper used to be a good resource for job listings, but now everything is computer. There was a time when there would be page after page after page of secretarial jobs but now these jobs are few and far between - - even on the internet - - because secretaries are being replaced with computer specialists - - which I am not. So I am in a class that is quickly becoming as extinct as the dinosaurs. You, on the other hand, have GREAT qualificiations, and if it weren't for the overwhelming competition for jobs because of the economy you would be employed by now. Hang in there, Tracy. One day when you least expect it you will get an e-mail or a telephone call that will knock your socks off with a job offer.

Today has been a quiet one here. Worked on paying some bills online and enjoying being home with my precious Noah. I do not know how long we have together, for I have learned that life can change so quickly and not for the better, so each moment we have is precious to me.

I hope today is treating you, your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious furkids will have a very peaceful and 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 furkids are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing your news and your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Thank you moon_beam

I was only at the UE branch office for about an hour and 45 minutes, which was not too bad. Especially since I overheard a guard say that they were short staffed and only one person was doing the elligibility forms. But the lady looked it over to make sure it looked OK, and told me call for my check after 3:00. I did and it was processed as normal.

I sent a "heads up" email to the office about the rent being late as a courtesy. Just because I don't get any courtesy does not mean I should not attempt to give any.

I appreciate the suggestion about the HS, but I have checked with them as well as local animal advcocacy entities when I was in a similar place with Tom (Well, let's hope in Tang's case it's not life threatening) with no help offered But I suppose I can put a message on the ones I subscribe to on FB again. Thanks for thoughts and prayers about finding a job. I read an article online that said if you don't hear back for a while from a job you think you'd be good fit for, don't worry, it's a good thing. Lets' hope that's true. Hope you and Noah are well. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, cloudy, sometimes rainy Tuesday afternoon greetings to you, your precious Theresa and little Tang from Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious furkids doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

I'm glad your UE check has processed and that your visit to the UE office went smoothly yesterday. I am continually hoping and praying that soon the UE check will be replaced by a bona fide stable paycheck that offers you and your precious fur family financial security.

Tracy, I am so very sorry that you have not received any positive responses for assistance from the HS and similar organizations. I do, truly do, understand how upsetting this is when you reach out for help from organizations that are supposed to be there to help only to be refused. This is so disheartening, and I am so very sorry this is what you are finding yourself up against. Just keep doing what you can for your precious Tang, knowing that your precious little boy are in my thoughts and prayers.

It's very cloudy and overall gloomy here, sometimes a little drippy - - not steady rain - - humid with cooler temps only in the 60's. We might see some sunshine by Thursday or Friday. Tomorrow morning I have an early morning trek to take the car in for service and State inspection. I'll be glad to get back home. Nothing significant on the agenda for today, though, which is so very nice.

I hope today is treating you and your precious furkids kindly, Tracy, and that you, your precious Theresa and little Tang will have a very peaceful and 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 furkids are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing your news and your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Thank you moon_beam

I applied for some assistance on a web site I found only to be told they have no funds due to drop in contributions (sigh) I did call Banfield and they told me to call the other one where Dr. Mills went. I spoke to a lady over there and she called me back after confering with Dr. Mills. I would need to level his plan up the preventive care option, and the procedure (based on what he did before ) would run about 160.00, which is not as bad as I thought. But right now it's still beyond my means. Not to mention the extra cab fare to go all the way over there and back. But I keep hoing things will turn around. Tang continues to be quite afferctionate, except when I'm trying to do the cleaning; dancing on egg shells doing that. I hope all is well with you and Noah. Peace and TTFN

TTT

just a quick administrative note, this post has been moved to the 'New Beginnings' category of the forum. thanks to Tom's Dad for his understanding.

I have been relegated to a part of the forum that's rarely read or posted on. Apprently some people want me to "go away" I suppose the only way I'll have something to post in the "top spot" is if I am unsuccessful in getting Tang the help he needs in time. I pray that time does not come for some time. But if it sadly does, I will not be posting about on this site. It was never my intention to offend anyone or belittle their losses; quite the contrary. But in the complaints, the message I am getting is that my past losses mean less than thiers. I have really enjoyed sharing Tang's (and Theresa's) journey. But I get the message: "go away" I will post here if I have anything new to share or if someone on the off hand scrolls down far enough to see and makes their own post here. I felt a sense of accomplishment getting this post to manifest over 1000 replies; I have so few feelings like that these days. My apologies if this has angered some people. Peace.

Hi, Tracy, good morning greetings to you, your precious Theresa and little Tang from Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious furkids doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

Please don't withdraw from sharing how you and your precious furkids are doing. Please don't fret about Tang's topic being moved to New Beginnings. I always check the different forums, but of course I will respect your decision.

It is another cloudy dreary day here in Virginia but sunshine may be returning for tomorrow and Friday - - thank goodness. Me bones are beginning to feel a bit soggy and Noah is so bored with the gloomy weather all he really wants to do is sleep. My chariot is getting its check up and State inspection today, and I should hear from the service folks later on how much the bill will be to get my car back. Since I haven't heard from them yet I'm taking this to mean they haven't discovered any major problems.

I hope today is treating you, your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, and of your precious furkids. Please know you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing your news and your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Thank you moon_beam

I hope that you get your car back in good running order. I am not sure what I will do going forward. I feel like some people (who choose to hide in anonymity) are chasing me away in an only slightly more polite way than on petloss.com. Maybe it's for the best, at least I'm not being kicked out all together. But it's hard not to feel more than a little hurt that here in a place of healing and comfort, the seeds of such pettiness exist. To those people: I am not posting anything offensive. If you don't like my posts, please don't read them or reply. I meant it when I said I enjoyed posting each day. If I have to do that from the basement, so be it. For now I need time to process this. Peace and TTFN(?)

TTT (Praying not to become just TT)

I want to take a moment to thank those that sent me PMs with support. My experience with petloss.com was very traumatic as it seems much more "social media" oriented than LS. I will continue this thread in it's new home as much as I can. I look forward to the day that I only have a few minutes a day to read and post as I'm too busy working. A big thanks to all the people that made this thread over 1000 posts strong! Hugs form Theresa, Tang and myself

Hi, Tracy, evening greetings to you, your precious Theresa and little Tang from Noah and me. It has been a busy day here with my car in the center of activity - - taking it in early this morning for service, coming home with a loner car, waiting for a call from the service folks, and then going to pick up my car and coming back home. WHEW!!! So glad this is done now until November or December when I will need to take it in for "winter prep" and routine service. I am VERY PLEASED that the cost this time around was less than $55 - - this is a RARE occurrence.

I'm so glad you will continue your postings in Tang's new location here in "New Beginnings", Tracy. I hope you, your precious Theresa and little Tang will have a very peaceful and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious furkids. Please know you and your precious fur tribe are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing your news and your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hi Tracy,

Just stopping by to say "hello". I hope you keep posting, I had no trouble finding your thread. I would miss you, Precious Theresa, and Tang if you left......About Tang's ear, have you ever tried cleaning his OUTER ear with peroxide? Or maybe dilute the peroxide with a little water. Don't put it in his ear, just wipe the outer ear with it. Just a thought............About Tang's surgery, won't they let you make payments? Anyway, I hope and pray everything turns out well for you all.

Tracy, I hope you and furbabies have a peaceful and cozy evening and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day....God Bless..

LoveMyMickey

Dear Tracy, I have been absent for a while - not sure what has gone on here, will have to read your thread back over, but just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy reading your Cat Tails and am glad you have continued them in New Beginnings. I look forward to reading more of you and Tang and Theresa, take care my friend, Leejaye

Tracy, I hope Tang is doing okay. I found this on the Internet about natural cures for cat ear infections. Please read below, I hope it helps.

When a brownish-pink wax fills the ear c&%^ of your cat, chances are they are suffering a yeast infection that requires a thorough cleaning. Diluted white vinegar helps revitalize the chemical balance in the ears by removing unwanted dirt and debris. It is suggested to pour a small amount into the ear c&%^, massaging the area before gently wiping the inside of the ear using a cotton ball. Using vinegar is a once-a-day treatment that continues until the ear becomes better.

An herb called pau d' arco is an inner bark natural cure for cat's ear infection that originates in South America. This organic antibiotic works fast to eliminate fungi and bacteria. At the first sign of cat ear infection, mix equal parts of pau d' arco tincture with mineral oil and place several drops into the ears of your cat. For a couple of days, the treatment is given two to three times per day.

When ear mites are the source of a cat ear infection, consider putting a few drops of almond oil or olive oil in each ear, which kills mites and allows the infection to gradually heal. This particular regimen is necessary for three to four weeks – using three to seven drops of oil each day. Sulphur tablets are also considered a well known anti-parasitic used to treat ear mites in cats.

To treat severe cases with a natural cure for cat's ear infection when a loss of balance or head tilt surfaces, administer one tablet of gelsemium for three to four days (three times daily). Additional natural remedies for cat's ear infection includes vitamin C (reduces inflammation), an all-natural diet (reduces wax and boosts immune system), and hepar sulph or graphites to treat discharges of pus and foul smells.

Safe Administering of a Natural Cure for Cat's Ear Infection

When using a natural cure for an infection in the ear, it is important to administer the remedy into the horizontal part of the ear c&%^. First, gently pull the ear flap straight up, holding it with one hand. Apply a small amount of the remedy into the vertical portion of the ear c&%^ – making sure the ear flap is kept elevated. This position should be held long enough to allow the medication to run down the rest of the c&%^.

Place one finger in front of the ear flap at the base, as your thumb rests behind and at the base of the ear flap. Massage the ear c&%^ between your finger and thumb until you hear a "squishing" sound, which indicates that the medication has reached the horizontal c&%^. After releasing the ear, your cat will probably shake his or her head. It is normal to see dissolved wax fall out of the ear when applicable.

Last, clean the outer part of the ear c&%^ and the inside of the ear flap using a cotton ball (not a Q-Tip) that has been soaked in a bit of rubbing alcohol.

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Sorry to hear that the Banfield people weren't so nice. I had a really bad experience at a Banfield here with my sweet Danny boy when he was only a few months old. The ditzy blonde vet who examined him picked him up with just one hand while trying to stick him with a needle, all the while singing some old hippie song from the 70s. She missed with the needle, and Danny screamed out in pain. I gasped and I wanted so slug her so bad. She just looked at me and said:"Who were you concerned about, me or the cat?" That's when I really wanted to slug her, but it's not worth going to jail for. I only took Danny back there a couple times to finish his shots, because he was on their Wellness plan. Every time he went there he shook like a leaf. He was absolutely terrified. When I started taking him to my regular vet, I still got all these reminders and postcards from Banfield. Telling them that I would never take my cat back there again and to stop these reminders didn't help. They said they couldn't remove me from the system. Yeah, right! I finally figured out that the only way to get rid of their pesky notes was to tell them I no longer had Danny, and that's what I did and the notes stopped. To me, they are just in the money making business. I only took Danny there because my regular vet was already closed, and then they sold me on their Wellness plan, so I was kind of stuck with them for a while. I still get angry when I think of that bad episode there.

Anyway, I hope one of these home remedies help your little Tang. White Vinegar is good for so many things, and it is a great disinfectant.

Thank you DannysMom

But Tang does not have a simple ear infection. He has a tumor, or with any luck a pollyp. Either way it's bad. He had the first one removed just before I got him. Perhaps your misconception has filtered to those people that also thought that he only had an ear infection leading to them wanting me and my "silly, useless" concerns to go away. Make no mistake. Unless I can get Tang the help he needs, and I can not afford, he is GOING to die. I was still kicked to the basement. Translation? The "people" and who knows else do not care if Tang lives or dies. His and my story is just not as interesting as the I love my dogs more than any of you other no name pet parents sisters that seem to rule here. They know who they are.

Tracy, I am so sorry. I didn't know that he had a tumor (or polyp). Do you know how much it would cost? I would be willing to chip in for his medical care, and I'd challenge anyone else on here who cares about animals to do the same. We're supposed to be here for each other, right? I definitely would not want your Tang to die. I've never met him, but for me the thought of Tang dying because of lack of funds leaves me feeling very very sad.

Thank you DannysMom

I have gotten an estimate, but I was not attempting to solicit donations. I'm sure that's a good way to get banned, and I don't need that. And I suppose there is a chance Tang could live with it for a long while (according to the vets; it was implied but never confirmed) I don't even mind being moved really. It's that people felt like I didn't belong there just because it started out as a new fur baby post. But, obviously it didn't stay that way There are many posts in that forum that probably should be in other categories, but I never complained; what business is it of mine I always figured. It was not my intention of making you or anyone else sad. I just wanted the same right as everyone else to pour out my heart in journaling my feelings about the situation. The grief process, anticipatory or otherwise, is hard enough. But being told where and how to do so either by majority or minority rule just makes it harder. Thank you for for you caring and support. Bless you.

TTT

I wanted to take the time to thank people for all the additional PMs offering support and assistance - I'm not very comfortable doing this but here is the run down of the estimate I got from the Banfield where Dr. Mills (who did the original surgery before I rescued Tang) now practices:

If I upgrade his current basic plan (18.95/mo) to the Preventive Care (31.95/mo) to cover the anasthetic, the ball park was 160.00 or so. (assuming it's no worse than previously removed mass) I'm not sure of the transportation costs, I would have to check with the regular cab driver I have used in the past or get a general quote from the cab company. I'm only posting here since I've gotten more than one offer of assistance, which is much appreciated. Also, thank you Dannysmon for the list of sites to check out for help; I am follwing up on them too.

If I were working at the rate at which I was 2 years ago (a mere 5.5 months before I lost Tom) it would be easy. To that end I belong to over a dozen job search web sites with full profile, resume' and email updates. I have posted on or followed up on no less that 300 plus jobs in the last 2 months alone according to email and saved jobs bank. I have always prided myself on my ability to be independent and ability to fully care for my fur kids. But I am also touched at the outpouring of good will I have received since the move. A heart felt thanks to each and every one of you. Blessings.

TTT

Thanks for the tip LoveMyMickey on the build up on Tang's outer ear. No, they will not let me make payments. That's the corporate machine for you. And I'd hate to look around for another vet that does not even have his history.

Tracy, I just had an idea. Have you tried Care Credit? Friends of mine use it for their veterinary bills. It's like a credit card, and most vets accept it. You can always get a printout of Tang's history from Banfield. It shouldn't be difficult for another vet to look at his history and give him the appropriate treatment. You can always take his x-rays with you too. Here is a list of sites where you can do your own fundraising: http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/petadoptio...Fundraising.htm

I had posted this a while back in the forum for anyone needing help with vet bills, but never got any replies to it.