Quality Weenie

Checking My List Twice

Lunchbox out and cleaned? Check

PDA reloaded? Check

Work bag cleaned out and restocked? Check

Safety glasses cleaned? Check

Work clothes being washed? Check

Figure out where pantyhose are at? Check

Figure out what to wear tomorrow? Pondering

Nerves flaying my stomach to shreads? Check

I am a little freaked out, scared I have forgotten everything and will look like an idiot.

But I think after I fall off the bicycle one or twice everything will come back to me.

I figure by Thursday I should feel and look like a walking zombie, what with having to get up at 5:45am everyday now. blech

But at least I have a 3 day weekend to look forward and recoperate!

Ears!

It seems Maggie has left something for Lance and us, her ears.

Maggie has always had funky ears, they rarely sat in perfect rose form. They were every which way and even stood straight up, especially her right ear. I loved her ears, they always brought a smile to my face. Her ears always seemed like they were to big for her head, which made her funky ears even more funny on her.

Lance on the other hand rarely has anything but perfect rose form ears. In the 5 years we have had him he may have had ears that stood straight up maybe 2 or 3 times.

Ever since Maggie crossed the bridge Lances ears have been nothing but funky and even once or twice a day his right ear will stand straight up.

Maggie left us her ears though Lance, guess she didn't want us to forget her.

Need To Stop Asking How Much Worse It Can Get

Well peeps, it's finally happened.

The event I have been looking forward to for 1 year and 10 months.

I got a job.

Quality Engineer for a automotive supplier.

Thought I would be more excited about it.

But when your new employer screws you even before you start there is nothing to be excited about.

18 years of experience

3 degrees, 2 in Engineering and one of those a Masters degree

All they will offer is entry level wages. That's around a 40% paycut from my previous job.

Because employers know they can screw the unemployed, the desperation factor at play.

It's contract to start and if they like me it could turn into a permanent position, I just hope the permament position pays more.

I just don't get screwing your employees like that, do they really think someone is going to stay longer then it takes to get a job that will pay what they are worth?

Start next Monday, Lance isn't going to be happy.

Maggie May 12-29-2004 to 5-11-2010

We decided last night after we got the call about Maggie's biopsies to let her go, she had suffered enough already.

She was down to 11 pounds from the 18 pounds she was just 1 1/2 months before. She had no quality of life, she just layed on the couch unmoving and stared at us.

I took her to the vet and held her in my arms as they injected her. She put her little head on my chest and went to sleep peacefully.

She's no longer in pain.

As she was a couple hours before crossing the bridge

As I will always remember her.

Biopsy Results - Gastric Carcinoma

Vet just called, biopsy results are in.

Gastric Carcinoma which has spread out from the stomach. The lymphnode they thought they biopsied was actually a cancerous tumor.

3 months but probably much less with the way her health is right now.

Maggie Update 8

Just got back from picking Maggie up and talked with the vet in detail.

They think it's stomach cancer.

During surgery they found that her pylori part of her stomach was stiff (like rubber, where it's normally very soft like). They said that usually indicates cancer, plus her lymphnodes were "abnormal" which would indicate it's spread.

Biopsy results Mon/Tues.

I am still going to pray for that miracle.

Maggie Update 7

Maggie's stomach troubles continue, she has been on the new meds and feeding tube for 3 weeks now and there has been basically no improvement. She has a good couple hours some days but no lasting improvements. The vets said we should have seen improvements by now.

While they say she still probably has some very mild IBD, there is probably something else that is causing most of her problems.

They have suggested a more indepth testing for Addisons, ECT test they called it but really don't think it's addisons because the treatment is very similar to what she is currently on and since the initial test for Addisons came back negative they don't think the extended testing will show anything. Does anybody have experience with the ECT test for Addisons and showing negative on the initial test but positive on the ECT test?

Maggie is scheduled for exploratory surgery on friday, the vets suggest since all the other blood test, biopsy's and ultrasound came back negative except for inflamation in the stomach/intestines they feel the surgery will show light on things that couldn't be seen from the biopsy/ultrasound.

They have thrown out cancer, but said they didn't think so. But couldn't cancer be detected in blood tests? Or shouldn't a tumor shown up on the ultrasound or during scoping?

Just not sure if I am doing the right thing, but I don't see it in her eyes to let her go but I do see her asking to fix the hurts. Maybe it's the same thing.

Dammit

Shit, guess I need to post something so the blog doesn't look so empty.

Will post stuff in the next couple of days, promise.