Another update - see #21 - I'm back in DE

[pomtzu]

Hi All ----- Just thought I'd give you a quick heads-up on my status. My life has been rather chaotic and not the way I imagined my golden years to be. As you know, I had moved to NC with all intentions of making it a permanent move, but it was not to be. I went down to live with my niece after her father (my brother) passed away. I was reluctant in the beginning, but she claimed she needed me to help her get her life back on track and in order. Well it seems the only thing she wanted from me was a live-in housekeeper and cook. I won't bad mouth her here - it would serve no purpose - but we just weren't/aren't on the same page or even in the same book. My son nailed it when he said that we weren't even in the same library!!! So after having had more than my fill of her and NC, I packed up - stuffed all I could in my car and put the rest in a storage unit to be picked up later - gathered up Wolfy and the 2 kittens - and on Jan 24th came back to DE. I'm back at my old address - at least for now. But be assured if my son ends up selling this house, we will be living somewhere local and around in the area - NOT NC!!!!

So when I was NOT having any fun in NC, I took a very nasty fall in mid-Nov in my niece's driveway, and sustained severe damage to the hardware in my lumbar spine from the spinal fusion back in 2010. I couldn't get a doctor down there to see me, and it was finally the end of January when I got back here that I got in to see my spine surgeon in Baltimore. I knew it was bad, but didn't imagine it to be as bad as it is. Instead of a nice straight spine (like the hands on a clock at 6 o'clock), mine now looks like 7 or 8 o'clock. The hardware on one side of the spine collapsed and pulled the vertebrae above it down, and severely out of alignment, so now that all has to be repaired. I also had an MRI last week and had an appointment to go hack to my doctor tomorrow for follow-up and the next step in what has to be done, but the forecast is for more snow and ice over night and in to tomorrow a.m., so I rescheduled for Thursday. It's almost a 2 hour drive over there, and I sure don't need to get into a wreck on the interstate.

So that's all that I've been up to, to keep life from getting too boring. Wolfy - aka: The Wolfman - aka: My Wild Child - is doing great. He's a little bit of Myndi and a little of Sparky, rolled into one adorable little Fuzzbutt. And he finally has that playmate that he wanted - his brother and sister kittens. He loves Luke, who is the rough and tumble little boy, and they chase each other all over the house, sleep together (when I don't toss Luke out of the bedroom), share toys (Wolfy loves catnip mousies), and steal each other's food when they think no one is looking. Luke definitely is part Maine Coon - his fur is so soft and long, and if those ear tufts get any longer, I'll need to braid them. He's gonna be a big boy too - he is already twice the size of his sister, and way bigger then his brother (who my son has). My son's 2 older twin grays have even gotten more lively and frisky with the kittens living here - they were 11 year old crabby ladies, and the change in them is amazing.

I'm having computer issues with my old stand-by desktop, and as soon as I get my pics saved (a ton of them), my son is going to completely clean it out and reload only what's needed. It's 8 years old, so you can imagine what's in there that I don't even know about. For now I'm borrowing my son's and grandson's when I need one, and they are buying me a small laptop for my birthday in April. I probably still won't be on here much right now, with facing the back surgery and not knowing yet, just how extensive it will be, but I'll be around more than I have been - that's a given. When I can, I'll get new pics of Wolfy and his kitties too.

That's about all for now. I need to peel myself out of this chair and move around some. I have a great deal of pain in my back, hip and thigh from this injury, that even the potent pain killers don't help much, and the longer I stay in one spot, the worse the pain gets. I have to make myself move around to keep it from getting any worse than it already is. They shoot horses - don't they?????:rolleyes:

I'll try to check back in a few days, and I'll let you know what I find out at my doctor appointment on Thursday. It won't be good, but hopefully it won't be too horrible!:(

[Grace]

It is so good to hear from you again. I'm really sorry about all the problems you've been having.

Love the descriptions of your new brood and their activities - looking forward to pictures when you get the chance :love:

[Karen]

Oh, goodness, what a time you have had! Glad you are back "home" where you are appreciated, instead of being treated like the hired help! And so sorry to hear about your fall. Glad to hear from you, though, and hopefully both you and your old computer will be feeling much, much better!

[kaycountrygal]

It's good to hear from you. I am so sorry your move to NC did not work out with your niece. Also I'm sorry you're in pain from your fall and hope you get some good medical attention now that you're back home. On the pet front, I'm looking forward to seeing photos of Wolfy and your kittens. Your kitten named Luke sounds beautiful... cant wait to see him. Take care of yourself.. Kay in NC

[Catty1]

Pom!

Your niece has lots of community resources to help her 'get back on her feet'. I am glad you bailed out.

I really hope your back hardware can be successfully repaired. The only good thing about it is that you had a "reason" to not work for your niece any more. ;):)

Take good care, prayers for great driving weather. :love:

[chocolatepuppy]

It's great to hear from you Ellie! I'm glad you went back to DE. You didn't seem very happy in NC from your posts. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers that all goes well with your surgery. Keep us posted when you can.:)

[Freedom]

Welcome HOME, Ellie! And Wolfy! And hey ya, Luke and un-named sister kitten! Glad you are hard at work, getting those 2 old crabby ladies in touch with their inner kitten! :D

Prayers for the back issues, Ellie.

[Felicia's Mom]

I'm so glad to hear from you. Sorry things didn't work out. Sending you lots of prayers and positive thoughts.

[Asiel]

So glad to finally hear from you Pom-although I'm sorry to hear things didn't work out with your niece and your back injury does not sound too good. Hopefully now that you have gotten in touch with your own "hunk" (doctor) he can get you back in shape .

Glad you bailed out and came back HOME---nobody deserves to be treated like a built in housekeeper.
Just can't wait to hear all about the "Wolfman" and your two kitties.

Get some much needed rest, we'll be waiting for the next news. Did you ever think of writing a book about all your experiences and your fur friends-just might be worth looking into that. :D

[cassiesmom]

Hi, Pom! I am glad to hear from you! I'm so sorry about your back and I hope the weather will cooperate for your appointment on Thursday. Hi, Wolfy and brother-kitten Luke! I thought I read somewhere that Luke's sister kitty's name is Leia, but I could be wrong. I am sending you bunches of kisses, hugs, snuggles and lovies :love: :love: :love:! Please take good care of your mommy for me!

[pomtzu]

Thanks for the warm welcome back. Yes Elise, Luke's sister's name is Princess Leia. She's a tiny little girl with the beautiful coloring and soft fur of a chinchilla, but still keeps up with the others in spite of her diminutive size. Luke is more stripey - silver and black, and the white outlining his eyes makes him look like he has eyeliner on - so pretty. The other sib that my son has is a boy - black head and legs and muted stripes - also silver and black. He really is the cutest of the 3 - a round pie face and short little legs - a very sturdy little guy. His name is Harley (like the motorcycle), because he purrs so loud. They all have, or are getting, long hair. The other 2 littermates that went to other homes, were brown and orange stripe tabbys. These 3 silver and black babies had to have gotten their coloring from somewhere back in the line of one of the parents since mom was a brown stripe tabby and daddy was an orangeman. Leia does have a very small orange spot on her chest, and also some orange on the underside of one of her hind legs.

And me write a book on the NC experience.????? - it would be an epic horror story. I'm certain that a great deal of you would think I'm making most of it up and exaggerating to the max, but what little I said here was only the very tip of a large and dirty iceberg. Some things are better left unsaid. The only thing that I can post here on a forum of all ages, is that my niece seriously needs help - both physically and mentally. Like is said - you can't un-ring the bell - but I sure can bury it.

And it's a good thing I switched my doctor appointment from today, until Thursday. We had more snow overnight and it probably would have been treacherous going so early in the morning. Getting out of the driveway would have been an effort all by itself, since it's still solid ice under the snow, and of course the snow plows throwing up new snow at the end of the drive, just added more of a challenge. Oh well - I've suffered this long, so what's 2 more days???? :eek:

[Alysser]

Welcome back, Pom!! I am so sorry to hear about how busy your life has been and in not so good ways and glad you are back in DE where you're much happier. I can't imagine living with someone you just do not get along with, must have been terrible. Also really sorry to hear about your back :( It must be in such pain! I hope you get whatever you get done quickly and painlessly. I was unaware of you getting two kittens. They must be precious. :D Also we'd love to see some more Wolfy Pics:love:

[caseysmom]

I haven't been on much either, sorry things didn't work out. I had my gastric bypass on 9/12, down 97 pounds! I exercise 1 to 2 hours a day and I am feeling great, sorry about your back problems that is rough.

[phesina]

Welcome HOME, Ellie! So good to see you back where you belong! And really good you got out of that situation before it got any worse.

I'm sorry to learn of your back troubles, and I hope they can be dealt with effectively. Great news about the new kittens! Looking forward to hearing more about them and Wolfy, and seeing pictures.

God bless, all!

{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}} and ~~~~~~~PURRS~~~~~~~ and :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:,
Pat and cats

[pomtzu]

I haven't been on much either, sorry things didn't work out. I had my gastric bypass on 9/12, down 97 pounds! I exercise 1 to 2 hours a day and I am feeling great, sorry about your back problems that is rough.


Congrats - that's great news on your weight loss. Keep up the good work - you are another success story just like my son. :)

[caseysmom]

Congrats - that's great news on your weight loss. Keep up the good work - you are another success story just like my son. :)

Yep I remember what you told me about your son, I still have 25 to 35 to go. I booked 10 days in mexico for just me and my daughter for her graduation from college, your granddaughter is a senior also right?

Kittycat's delight was my inspiration so glad I did the surgery its the best thing I ever did.

[Karen]

Pom. you could write it and label it a novel - and only those of us on the inside would know its really nonfiction! But now you are home, may you have some nice,boring times for a little while!

[pomtzu]

Yep I remember what you told me about your son, I still have 25 to 35 to go. I booked 10 days in mexico for just me and my daughter for her graduation from college, your granddaughter is a senior also right?

Kittycat's delight was my inspiration so glad I did the surgery its the best thing I ever did.

Yes - she graduates 5/21 with a degree in psychology. She'll be going back in Sept to start on her Masters degree, but isn't thinking beyond that for a PhD at this point Maybe - maybe not -....... since it involves a whole lot more time and $$$$$. She already has a fabulous job waiting for her once she gets her Masters. She and her boyfriend went to Paris last summer, so I don't know what the plans are (if any), to top that.

My son has still kept the weight off, and it's going on 3 years now since he had the lapband. It works for some, but not for others. I firmly believe that the failures are self imposed tho, and that those people think that they can continue to abuse food the way they always did, and look upon the procecure as some kind of magic bullet. They are only fooling themselves..............:(

[Scooter's Mom]

Glad to see you, but so sorry about the fall and experience in NC.
Happy to see that the furbabies are doing well. ((gentle hugs)) to you!

[caseysmom]

Yes - she graduates 5/21 with a degree in psychology. She'll be going back in Sept to start on her Masters degree, but isn't thinking beyond that for a PhD at this point Maybe - maybe not -....... since it involves a whole lot more time and $$$$$. She already has a fabulous job waiting for her once she gets her Masters. She and her boyfriend went to Paris last summer, so I don't know what the plans are (if any), to top that.

My son has still kept the weight off, and it's going on 3 years now since he had the lapband. It works for some, but not for others. I firmly believe that the failures are self imposed tho, and that those people think that they can continue to abuse food the way they always did, and look upon the procecure as some kind of magic bullet. They are only fooling themselves..............:(

Yep its no silver bullet I still work really hard and exercising and logging what I eat, the gastric bypass has helped because it took my appetite away and I can't eat much. It is something I will always have to stay on top of. I am trying to talk my daughter into going for her masters but she wants to see what area she wants to master in, her 4 year degree will be in electrical engineering. She is applying for internships for the summer, she walks in june but needs two classes after that since she changed her major a few times. She had her last dive meet for college this past weekend, after 9 years doing the sport it is sort of bittersweet but I am sure a relief she also works for the college as a research assistant so one less thing to worry about will be welcome I am sure...no boyfriends on the horizon. The one boy I love from our hometown great family and they are really close turns out doesn't like girls...I was really disappointed I love him he would make a great boyfriend..oh well.

[pomtzu]

Just another update: I will be having more surgery in Baltimore on 3/24 to repair the damage to the collapsed hardware and add another level of hardware above what is there - doc will clean up all the "junk" and straighten the spine the way it should be, and decompress what is now compressed and causing all the pain. I'll be in the hospital for 3 - 5 days and perhaps some rehab after that, but that will be decided after the procedure. I'm saying no to that if at all possible - they can arrange some in home therapy until I can get out on my own!!!!! All in all, not too bad - could have been a lot worse. I go back to Baltimore on 3/10 for all my pre-op work at the hospital, and then back to doc on 3/13 for my final pre-op office visit - oh joy - 2 more days spent driving 2 hours each way - like I haven't had my fill of driving with my jaunts to NC and back!!! :rolleyes: And sometime before the surgery I have to make one more trip to NC to pick up what I have in storage - like warmer weather clothes, shoes, sandals, handbags, etc - because once I have the surgery I will be 6-8 weeks recuperating and won't be able to drive that distance. I don't think I want to be wearing my Ugg-like boots and sweat shirts/pants in April and May!!! :eek: I'm dreading that trip, but I'm going to make it a 2 day event - leave before the crack of dawn one day - get there and get the things out of storage and into my car, (nothing too heavy-mostly space bags), get a motel and something to eat, hit the bed super early, and be up again before the crack to dawn and drive back up here. It will be tiring, but I just want to get it done as quickly as possible. I'd like to do it on the weekend of 3/15 & 16 since there should be less traffic than weekdays and it's a no-brainer drive of all Interstate roads. The best time I drove was 9 hours each way (510 miles each way), but that's because all the road construction between DC and Richmond had shut down in January because of the brutally cold weather. I probably won't be so lucky on driving times when I go down again. But of course when and if I do go down before the surgery, will depend both on the weather and how bad I feel. Wish I could pay someone to drive my car down and do it for me, but the only ones I would trust with my car can't drive it because it's a stick shift - other than my son - and his work schedule gets in the way. Oh well - it will all work out somehow...........

Wolfman will stay here when I drive back down - no sense in dragging him with me for that hectic trip. He needs to get used to not having me around for a few days, since he won't have any choice in the matter when I have the surgery. He's definitely like Sparky - a Mommy's Boy - and mopes and is all down in the dumps when I have to be away for more than a few hours. When I was gone most of the day last week when I went to Baltimore, my son said Wolfy laid on the back of the sofa and watched out the window just about the whole time that I was gone. Yup - shades of Sparky!!!

So that's the story - just want to get it over and done with so I can start to get my life back to "normal". I'll try to check back in next week, and maybe actually get some threads read so I can see what's been going on. Yup - I AM BACK!!!!! Later, kids! :)

[Freedom]

I'll be in the hospital for 3 - 5 days and perhaps some rehab after that, but that will be decided after the procedure. I'm saying no to that if at all possible - they can arrange some in home therapy until I can get out on my own!!!!!

Please re-think this bit, Ellie. Residential rehab is much more intensive and gives a better outcome for most surgeries. While some of it does depend on the facility, in general you get MORE PT, regular meals (which won't happen when you initially get home and aren't feeling 100%), have folks around you and all in all it is lots better. Most post-surgical rehab is at least 2 hours per day, 5 days per week, possible 6 days per week. One hour of PT and one hour of OT. After 12 plus years of caring for my Dad I've learned: if they offer residential Rehab TAKE IT. Just my 2 cents.

I agree, a novel is what you need to work on! ;)

[pomtzu]

Please re-think this bit, Ellie. Residential rehab is much more intensive and gives a better outcome for most surgeries. While some of it does depend on the facility, in general you get MORE PT, regular meals (which won't happen when you initially get home and aren't feeling 100%), have folks around you and all in all it is lots better. Most post-surgical rehab is at least 2 hours per day, 5 days per week, possible 6 days per week. One hour of PT and one hour of OT. After 12 plus years of caring for my Dad I've learned: if they offer residential Rehab TAKE IT. Just my 2 cents.

I agree, a novel is what you need to work on! ;)

Well, it's not a definite at this point anyway - doc was just tossing possibilities at me. I have been in rehab twice before - the first time was in 2006 after the cervical spine surgery and I was an in-patient for 2 weeks, and then again in 2008 after I fractured my hip and was in-patient for about 10 days. Of course it's more beneficial than just plain p.t., but it's not home. :( When I had the lumbar surgery in 2010 I didn't need it, so since this is not much more than a repair of that, that got "messed up", I'm hoping I won't need it again.

And no - no book on the horizon. It probably would be therapeutic and maybe I could finally bury all the memories of a nasty situation, but I'm trying to just let it die on the vine. And like I said - I doubt that most people would believe it anyway.

[Asiel]

Was just reading all your updates Pom and I could hardly believe the stuff you still have to go through with that back injury. But, all in all, I guess it's best to take care of everything before it gets worse. You sound just like me... hospitals are not in my "favourite places" to be. I've signed myself out quite a few times so they expect it of me if I do land back in. Nothing that they do, matter of fact they go overboard being nice but I just can't get used to hospitals, never will.
Of course with the big changes out here our hospital is not what anyone would call a hospital so I have to go to another city, my doctor doesn't want me near this one :(
Make everyone happy and start on that novel... or should I say "series"-----:D sounds like there's plenty of material there to do it.
I hope everything will get back to normal in a hurry now that you're back home . I was so glad to hear you were coming back where you really longed to be...

[emily_the_spoiled]

You might want to consider getting the stuff shipped up to you. That would save you a lot of driving and discomfort. For small or unusual stuff I have used:http://www.uship.com/

In the past I have had cats transported from NC to the DC region. It generally isn't that expense and they will deliver right to your door (or meet you someplace easy to get to).