Ilsa

[Ed Vatza]

Friends, these last several months have been anything but easy for me.

I am having my own physical problems but they're the least of it right now.

As an only child, I am dealing with an elderly mother who fell, broke a hip, spent two months in hospitals and nursing homes and is now home but in need of daily attention.

Two months ago, on Memorial Day to be exact, we lost our beloved "million dollar kitty" - Carmella. After nearly 13 years of tender, loving care she looked at us with those eyes that said "Enough. I'm tired and I just can't go on."

Then this past Thursday we took my beloved Midnight in to the vet because she wasn't eating and had lost some weight. I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't what we heard - late stage renal failure, numbers off the chart. We had to have her put down that evening. I'm a big strapping fella but I am having difficulty typing through the tears. Midnight was my baby!

I couldn't, we couldn't, face the prospects of coming home with an empty carrier for the second time in two months. They had some kittens there at the vet's office and we asked to see them. Through our tears we met and feel in love with this little lady. We brought her home and named her Ilsa. She is her own cat and we miss Carmella and Midnight enormously but Ilsa is helping us through this time.

And in short order, she has whipped the three ol' boys into order!

Say hello to Ilsa.

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Ed,
Sorry to hear about your loss, time will make things better...your new kitty is beautiful...lovely eyes...:cool:

[Alfred Forns]

Sorry to hear Ed It has been a rough time !

I think you did the right thing and the kitty will bring lots of love to your home !! She looks so sweet !!

[Kerry Perkins]

Ed, very sorry to hear of your rough times. While Ilsa can never replace your Carmella and Midnight, I'm sure that in time she will fill some of the empty places that are in your heart now. Best of luck to you and thanks for sharing with us.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I'm sorry to hear about all your hardships. I'm sure Ilsa is going to do her best to be a good new family member. Hang in there!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

HI Ed
My heart's with you brother! I feel your pain from the end of the world. Ilsa is gorgeous and she will help with healing. Take care mate. :)

[denise ippolito]

Ed, So sorry for your loss and to hear of all your difficult times. Your little girl is precious and it sounds like she will be able to comfort you. Best Wishes to you and the family.

[Amy DeStefanis]

Hi Ed,

Once again, we must be living parallel lives.... In late March, I went to visit my mother 2 hours away because she sounded disoriented when I called her that morning (my step-father was away on a business trip). By the evening, we were at the hospital, and she was having a orange-size portion of her left frontal lobe removed due to the intracranial bleed that had been causing her disorientation! She's 70, and was still seeing clients in her private counseling practice just the day before!

More recently, it was the break-in, and adopting our new puppy, Lori..... and then Lori running away for a couple of days. We were so lucky - we got her back. If not for the break-in, we wouldn't have her, so I have that to feel good about!

Meanwhile, my mom has made an incredible recovery that even has stunned the surgeons and physical therapists. She's even cleared to drive again!

So, yes, 2009 so far has just really been "different". Hence not many photos out of me.

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitties, but happy that Ilsa has found a home, and is working her way into your heart. When I lost my first cat (she was 16) to lymphoma, I immediately adopted Bella, because I also couldn't stand the vacuum left behind. Even though Bella and Deec were nothing alike, it still gave me a new creature to fall in love with for totally new reasons.

Here's hoping that our families and animals remain healthy / recover over the REST of 2009.

Once life gets back to "normal", hopefully the camera will be out more often.

:)

Amy D.

[Ed Vatza]

I understand what you are saying, Amy! Sometimes it just feels like it will never end. I posted the original post on 8/3. On 8/11, my mother fell again and re-broke her leg. She was in the hospital all week, had surgery again and was transferred to a nursing home for rehab yesterday. And Ilsa brought home that upper respiratory infection that cats get. She's doing ok now but three boys have been sick. Two have recovered and the third is now all congested and not eating. He was to the vet yesterday. Round and round we go! When will it stop?

[Amy DeStefanis]

Ed, I hope that your mother recovers well. When my mom was in ICU, the one thing I prayed for was that she would escape infection - and when they started talking about feeding tubes and tracheotomies, I resisted, rather waiting to see if it was really necessary before introducing yet another infection threat. Yes - it's difficult to see our parents declining. It was such a shock with my mother since though she is 70, she has always lived and seemed so "young". Yes, Lori has been to the vet again for every little thing I get paranoid about. Cats really are SO much easier.... yet our kitties have all brought home the requisite upper respiratory infection from the Humane Society. I finally stopped getting too worried about it.

I have thought of changing Lori's (the dog) name to "Cha-Ching".

:-)

Hope your life gets really un-interesting as soon as possible!

Amy D.

[Ed Vatza]

Mom seems to be coming along. She is now in a nursing home for rehab and continues to demand lots of attention even though she says she doesn't. I got a call from the caseworker this afternoon. Staff is concerned that she seems depressed and "different" compared to where she was the first time she was in.

Yesterday, my wife got a call from her brother telling her that her other brother is in the hospital. It never ends.

On the plus side, all four cats are now eating and seem to be doing better.

And so it goes.