[Rant] Minor Rant III: For a Few Hollers More

IronBrig4

IronBrig4

That cat just got worse. With one eye not functioning properly, she must have misjudged a jump and hurt one or both of her rear legs. The vet gave her a new round of painkillers so she's stoned. Right now it's hard for her to walk or even use the litterbox because she can't hold a proper squat. We're seeing the ophthalmologist soon for the follow-up and we'll see what else can be done about her eye.

The good news is she can keep more food down now. I've increased her food from 30 to 40 ml per feeding. That's something. Still, I am starting to seriously consider her quality of life.
 
Tress

Tress

IronBrig4 said:
Still, I am starting to seriously consider her quality of life.
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We just recently had to put our cat down. She had some serious kidney issues and stomach issues, and at some point we realized she was just continuing to survive instead of living a happy life. It's an ugly, unfair choice that we ultimately made because we thought it was what was best for her.

I get what you're going through, is what I'm saying. Sorry.
 
Simfers

Simfers

Been there, yeah. We had to put our beloved Lucky to sleep at the end of 2020. It's the hardest, most heart-wrenching thing I've ever had to do,but there's no doubt in my mind we made the right choice. It was time, and if our roles had been reversed, I would've wanted him to do the same.

Sorry you've had to go/are going through that, guys. Brig, I know you'll do what's best for her when the time comes. Tress, I have no doubt that she loved you to the end and that she thanked you for that final mercy.
 
IronBrig4

IronBrig4

I guess the painkillers are working. She doesn't have as much of a limp now. The ophthalmologist also said her eye pressure is back to normal and her blood pressure is down. At least that's not bothering her anymore. I'm hoping she gets back to improving but I'm also mentally preparing for that tough call.

It has been one roller coaster of a month.
 
IronBrig4

IronBrig4

I just got off the phone with the vet.

Good News: Her liver is definitely not killing her anymore. Her increased food intake is working to make her healthier overall. While she may never regain full vision in her right eye, at least it's not causing her pain. In fact, the painkillers have her feeling pretty good now. When the painkillers start to wear off we can see her old personality come back. She can also live a full and happy life with one good eye.

Not so Good News: Her legs aren't the problem. She most likely hurt her lower back. It might be a herniated disc or a sprained muscle. Either way, the key is to limit her movement through the weekend and keep her doped up. While she can eat some food on her own, it's hard for her to eat from her elevated food bowl and she definitely can't eat up in the cat tower, where her wet food would be safe from the dog.

We also had the "quality of life" talk. It's way too early to make that call right now since the back injury happened just the other day. In fact, the initial painkiller prescription still has several days left on it. She hurt her back several years ago and she was back to normal inside a week. But if the pain persists for an extended period, if she just cannot regain adequate mobility, and if she cannot get back to eating and drinking on her own, then it will be time to say goodbye.

PS - I fed her soon after I posted this. She flipped over onto her side and asked for a belly rub. We can still see our kitty through her drug-induced haze.
 
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IronBrig4

IronBrig4

While the cat is eating more (without anti-nausea meds now) and sleeping more comfortably, her mobility has worsened. The animal hospital we use is closed until Monday so I’m calling them first thing in the morning. We’ll go over her condition and, if I need to, I’ll make the most cruelly hard decision of my life thus far.
 
IronBrig4

IronBrig4

The cat survived the night but I could tell she was on her last legs. The wife and I rushed her to the animal hospital and they said there were some underlying issues in her stomach and liver that had been aggravating everything else. That would have required biopsies, blood work, and invasive tests. They also said her body was just worn out from fighting one thing after another over the last six weeks. We opted to let her go.

She was at peace throughout the whole thing. We stayed with her as she relaxed in her bed (we brought it with us) and only picked her up to cradle her. We told her she was the best kitty and gave her one of her favorite treats. Her painkillers from the night before had also begun to wear off so her old self was back.

After a while, the vet came in to put her to sleep. We stayed by her side until the very end and then some. She was surrounded by her two favorite people and knew she was very much loved.

Deciding to put her down was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It ripped my heart in two. The more I think on it, however, the more convinced I am that it was the right choice.
 
Simfers

Simfers

My heart bleeds for you. I'm so sorry. But don't worry, she's got lots of friends she can run around with forever now. I know Lucky will show her around and introduce her to everybody.
 
IronBrig4

IronBrig4

I’m sure Catness is having a ball with Lucky, Diomedes, and the other Halforumite pets who have passed on.

It still hurts, especially with all her stuff lying around and reminding us she’s not coming back. I woke up on my own at 5 am this morning because that was when I’d prep her medicine and her first breakfast; when she was on the tube she got six meals a day like a hobbit. The difference now is the pain is more of a release and it’s no longer accompanied with nagging doubts or anxiety. The vets confirmed we had gone above and beyond over this past month. We know we did our best and so did the kitty. We were swapping stories about her with our friends and laughed for the first time in a long while. I think we’re finally moving forward and healing.

I am also realizing now that I spoiled her rotten. She has her tower in my study, a scratch pad, donut bed, and hammock in the living room, a fancy pet water fountain in the kitchen, and five bags of treats on top of the fridge. She really did rule the roost.
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
Sorry you're going through this, man. It's the one thing I hate about having pets. Their lifespans compared to ours is a recipe for heartache. But we do it anyway because it's so nice having them in our lives.
 
IronBrig4

IronBrig4

Thanks everybody. We'll be okay. If this were Inside Out, yesterday was a blue core memory. Now that blue has a few yellow swirls in it. In time, that sadness will be subsumed by the sheer weight of happiness and love that Catness brought to our home.
 
Tress

Tress

I teach at a high school in a well-to-do suburb. I just heard one student complain about how her life hasn't been hard enough and she hasn't experienced poverty or adversity. Why, you may ask? Because she thinks it would give her valuable life experience and she doesn't like how other people can "rely on that" for things like college admissions essays.

:Leyla:

(Thankfully a friend called her out immediately for being an out-of-touch princess. But holy shit, the fact that she even said it in the first place...)
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Maybe recommend to her to join the military right out of high school, they will DEFINITELY give her more adversity than she can handle.
 
Bones

Bones

GasBandit said:
Maybe recommend to her to join the military right out of high school, they will DEFINITELY give her more adversity than she can handle.
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except she is rich, so it would be a "palace chase" and she would end up as an out of touch officer, most likely.
 
IronBrig4

IronBrig4

She needs to tell her parents to start abusing her. That way she can have plenty of material to start her career as a filthy Bohemian artist.
 
blotsfan

blotsfan

Shows how times have changed. When I was in high school (a rich private one) nobody woudlve pushed back against someone for saying that.
 
bhamv3

bhamv3

Project manager last week: "Hey, we have this case from a client, but they haven't confirmed it with us yet. Please take a look at this and estimate how long it'll take you."

Me last week: "This will be a two-day job at least."

Project manager: "Copy that, hold off on it for now, we need to confirm with the client first and then I'll let you know you can start it."

FAST FORWARD TO THIS AFTERNOON

Project manager: "Hey, did you finish that case?"

Me: "Say what? You told me not to start until you gave the go-ahead!"

Project manager: "Oh whoops, my bad. Well the client wants it by today, can you finish it in three hours?"

Me: "Yes, but we're going to need to deal with the client getting angry afterwards."
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

It figures that I go biking without my GoPro only for an ashole in a pick-up truck yell "F%gg#t!" at me as he drove by.

I hope you have many flat tires and breakdowns in your future, sir.

Oddly enough, it was around that exact same spot, biking uphill on Mic Mac Blvd, that someone yelled, "Fattie!" at me. That was months ago, though.

Highly doubt it was the same guy, but Jesus Christ, what is it about my luck going up that hill?
 
Sparhawk

Sparhawk

ThatNickGuy said:
It figures that I go biking without my GoPro only for an ashole in a pick-up truck yell "F%gg#t!" at me as he drove by.

I hope you have many flat tires and breakdowns in your future, sir.

Oddly enough, it was around that exact same spot, biking uphill on Mic Mac Blvd, that someone yelled, "Fattie!" at me. That was months ago, though.

Highly doubt it was the same guy, but Jesus Christ, what is it about my luck going up that hill?
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People in that part of town must have emigrated from Massachusetts.
 
Bubble181

Bubble181

Is it a piece of road just after an annoying crossroad or a badly adjusted light? If it's a piece of road where drivers are liable to be frustrated or annoyed already, it would make sense they'd be more likely to externalize their frustrations onto a biker they meet.
 
Chad Sexington

Chad Sexington

Bubble181 said:
Is it a piece of road just after an annoying crossroad or a badly adjusted light? If it's a piece of road where drivers are liable to be frustrated or annoyed already, it would make sense they'd be more likely to externalize their frustrations onto a biker they meet.
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There's just a certain type of driver whose persistent state of rage is animated by the fact that people use bicycles. I could speculate why, it certainly wouldn't have anything to do with their shamefully tiny penises or fragile sense of self... but for some reason whenever I bike around Calgary there is a 90% chance someone will guess my sexual orientation with lovely vulgarity.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Bubble181 said:
Is it a piece of road just after an annoying crossroad or a badly adjusted light? If it's a piece of road where drivers are liable to be frustrated or annoyed already, it would make sense they'd be more likely to externalize their frustrations onto a biker they meet.
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It's a relatively wide two-lane road. There's a 3-way intersection right at the bottom of the hill. I use this route going home from work all the time. And have recently been strong enough to bike up it rather than get off in walk (in a VERY low gear, mind you)

Also, in this case, he was driving downhill in the other lane. So I wasn't even in his way at all. He also yelled it after passing me so I didn't think to look at his face or plates.
 
@Li3n

@Li3n

Tress said:
I teach at a high school in a well-to-do suburb. I just heard one student complain about how her life hasn't been hard enough and she hasn't experienced poverty or adversity. Why, you may ask? Because she thinks it would give her valuable life experience and she doesn't like how other people can "rely on that" for things like college admissions essays.

:Leyla:

(Thankfully a friend called her out immediately for being an out-of-touch princess. But holy shit, the fact that she even said it in the first place...)
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You need to show her this right away:



Or mabe even teh Shatner version (you can kind of feel that he was living in a trailer park before they started filming ST:tM):



And dont forget to tell her she owes you a rum and coke after...
 
Frank

Frank

Chad Sexington said:
There's just a certain type of driver whose persistent state of rage is animated by the fact that people use bicycles. I could speculate why, it certainly wouldn't have anything to do with their shamefully tiny penises or fragile sense of self... but for some reason whenever I bike around Calgary there is a 90% chance someone will guess my sexual orientation with lovely vulgarity.
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I call him father.

Every time I'm in a vehicle with my dad, WHICH I HAVE BEEN FORCIBLY RECENTLY, I have to remind his miserable ass that no, no on on the road is specifically trying to piss you off. That bicyclist isn't going that slow on purpose to piss you off. That pedestrian is walking a normal human speed (faster than your decrepit ass) and not trying to block you in.

Narcissists are the fucking worst.
 
IronBrig4

IronBrig4

Just a few months ago we were driving around downtown Houston. This was on a Sunday morning and there wasn't much traffic. Suddenly this convertible came from out of nowhere, weaving in between the lanes. It cut me and several other drivers off. The douchenozzle in there was wearing a shiny silk shirt, reflective shades, and tacky gold jewelry. He was likely Persian, but even most other Persian dudes would have thought he was a bit much. I wasn't close enough to smell him but I'm sure he would have reeked of excessive cologne. The best part? He had a custom license plate that read "YOWUSUP." After a few seconds sitting at a red light, he decided he was too good for that and sped off. In the process he probably burned 500 miles off his tires from all the screeching I heard.

I'm really hoping he runs into a manure truck one day.
 
Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

IronBrig4 said:
Just a few months ago we were driving around downtown Houston. This was on a Sunday morning and there wasn't much traffic. Suddenly this convertible came from out of nowhere, weaving in between the lanes. It cut me and several other drivers off. The douchenozzle in there was wearing a shiny silk shirt, reflective shades, and tacky gold jewelry. He was likely Persian, but even most other Persian dudes would have thought he was a bit much. I wasn't close enough to smell him but I'm sure he would have reeked of excessive cologne. The best part? He had a custom license plate that read "YOWUSUP." After a few seconds sitting at a red light, he decided he was too good for that and sped off. In the process he probably burned 500 miles off his tires from all the screeching I heard.

I'm really hoping he runs into a manure truck one day.
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Does this seem needlessly racist or is it just me?
 
Tress

Tress

Ravenpoe said:
Does this seem needlessly racist or is it just me?
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Racist is a strong term, but I think racially biased is appropriate. I would say that @IronBrig4 just showed off a pre-existing prejudice that he may not have even realized was there.

Let’s be honest, EVERYONE has a pre-conceived notion about some group(s). But it’s important to recognize that and call it out.
 
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