Tag: immune system

Health Update

On By Michel McDonaldIn Doctor, Health, Pain2 Comments

Health_Update_rainbow

In my previous health update on my back I mentioned that my recent x-rays showed that my spine was curving like a parenthesis (.  Today I had my appointment with the physical therapist who told me that it was like that on the top, but the other way on the bottom, so basically it’s in an S shape.  ( on the top and ) on the bottom.  I like to think that I am such a huge Superman fan that my back is turning into the Superman S, which means hope on his planet, of course.

The physical therapist office wants me to come in 3 days a week for my therapy.  They gave me some homework exercises to do in the morning or at night, but at least do them daily.  She also suggested that if I could go swimming, I should.  I told her I didn’t have a pool and because I have a weak immune system already, that it’s probably not a good idea to use a public pool.  I get bronchitis if someone coughs 30 feet away, I can’t imagine how sick I will be if I’m in a pool with children lol.  She suggested that my bicycle is a better alternative since it doesn’t cause pain.

Today I also went to have a cat scan with contrast, which by the way… ick!  All I taste and smell is Iodine lol.  They will hopefully find out what the problem is with my swollen parotid gland so they can fix the problem.  My regular doctor suggested surgery, but the ear, nose and throat doctor doesn’t know my doctor’s diagnosis and isn’t exactly sure why he should care.  At least that’s how it seemed to me by the way he spoke to me.  He didn’t seem to have any of my doctor’s notes or even know why I was there.  I basically have to start from scratch with him as if I have never come to any doctor with my problem.  It would be nice if when a doctor refers you somewhere that they tell that doctor why they are being referred.

I will see my regular doctor this Friday and the ENT doctor on Monday.  The place I went to today for the cat scan said it would be released to both doctor’s offices in 2 business days.

I woke up in the middle of the night with THE worst headache and pain from my saliva gland.  I was also sick to my stomach so I had a PB&J.  Right now I have nausea and all I smell is Iodine still.  I hope that goes away soon lol.

More updates as they happen. 🙂

Stray Cats

On By Michel McDonaldIn AnimalsLeave a comment

Kitty Cat

There are a lot of stray cats in our neighborhood and most of them are feral so they don’t really come up to me.  People are always wanting to feed them and when you feed them they become tame but those people don’t take responsibility for them.

There was a black cat who Darrin wanted to feed and he told me to feed him so like a dummy I went to the grocery store and bought some cat food.  Then this orange one came along and he decided that we’re his new family.  I didn’t want to feed him because I figured if I didn’t feed him then he would go away and find someone else but he didn’t.

One morning I woke up and was going to go to the back yard to change his water and put more food in there and he was inside of our patio.  It’s an enclosed patio and at first I thought Darrin put him in there but when I asked him he didn’t know what I was talking about.

The next day I went out there and he was in the patio again.  I couldn’t understand how this Houdini was getting in.  Then it hit me, he is getting up on the roof of the garage and he finds his way to the screen that is supposed to be tacked onto the wood below the gutters and he jumps down onto the floor of the patio.

Now when I go out there to put him outside he doesn’t want to go.  I have to trick him with food to get him to leave but he knows my tricks lol.

I don’t want another cat!  I had a cat for 12 years, I feel like I did my time, why should I have to spend another, goodness knows how many years, having to clean another litter box?  The problem is, I have a very weak immune system, I can’t be scooping poop and breathing it every day.  I was always sick when we had our cat Shanaynay (rest in peace) and I vowed I would never go through that again and now I feel like it’s being forced on me.

I tacked the screen back on which wasn’t very difficult to do.  I watched the cat jump onto the patio roof in our back yard and jump onto the garage roof then saw where he was getting in.  There is a ladder leaning up against the wall where he gets in so he sort of climbs down to the top of the ladder then jumps to the ground.  It’s quite hilarious how he figure that out.  But, I don’t want the other cats to get the same idea so I had to tack it down again to close that off.

This cat has learned to live with staying in our back yard all the time.  I feed him in the morning and at night and he’s very happy.  When I take the dog out at night he is out there and wants to be petted.  He and the dog are friends now which is sweet because our dog used to try to chase cats when she saw them.

I told Chips case worker about the cat and the first thing she said was “stay away from the poppy” which I already knew.

I hope he finds a new home.  It’s not that I don’t want him because he is a very sweet cat, it’s just I can’t afford him and I am allergic to cats so I really shouldn’t have him around me.  I don’t regret the 12 years that we had our cat Shanaynay because I loved her to death but I won’t do it again.  I’m happy with just having a dog lol.