More Thumb Drama... Boo!!

WARNING -This post is full of pretty boring, angst-inducing medical crap.

So this week has been pretty stressful. As I mentioned earlier, I was bit by a cat and got a nasty infection in my hand. Now it's been about six weeks and I've already taken three full courses of antibiotics (a different one each time). Still can't bend my thumb so on Tuesday I go to my GP Dr.F at Lakeside Family Physicians for the umpteenth time.

Dr.F is really young and I don't think he's firing on all cylinders. First Clue: He told me initially dogs' mouths are dirtier than cats' .. I've never heard this and it may or may not be true but it's pretty irrelevant since stats show you are 10x more likely to develop an infection from a cat bite than a dog bite. (Sad that I know this...)

Another Clue: The second antibiotic he prescribed was Doxycyline, which is a broad spectrum antibiotic not generally used for the treatment of the cat bites... not to mention the fact that I've taken Doxy several times before (which I told him) so it's unlikely to be very effective. My body probably says, "Oh, that again." Stupid, if you ask me. And as I expected, it didn't work.

Anywayyy... so I go to the doc Tuesday and he pretty much says everything is fine, despite the fact that I still can't bend my thumb much and it still hurts like a MOTHER when I bump it on anything. Later in the day I call and request they fax my records to an infection specialist who I'll be seeing from hereon. Lo and behold, Dr. F calls - presumably to cover his ass - and says, "On second thought, we better get an MRI since you're still having pain." Good idea.

So Wednesday I go get an MRI. Let me tell you, NOT. FUN. I've had these before but this was by far the worst, as I had to lay on my stomach for 90 minutes with my arm above my head. Oh, and about half way through they had to inject me with contrast... it only took three stabs for the nurse to find a vein. Fun stuff.

Wednesday afternoon I get a call from Dr.F and he sounds very concerned. He tells me my MRI doesn't look so good (he actually used the word "SCARY") - the infection is in my bone, joints and tendons. Figures. He refers me to a hand surgery specialist and tells me they will want to operate. WHAAATT???

Yesterday, I go see the surgeon. He is surprised at how good my thumb looks clinically, considering how bad my MRI looks. He schedules me for surgery that same day. He explains this is necessary because if the joint is infected, each day that goes by you are losing cartillage. Apparently, in this surgery they open up the thumb, irrigate the joints, try to get as much bacteria out as possible, and do a bone biopsy to culture the bacteria that is causing the problem. This allows them to determine which antibiotic will be most effective.

The surgeon also refers me to an infection specialist (the one I originally made an appointment with) to review my post surgery antibiotic treatment options. I meet the specialist just before I'm supposed to check in for surgery. I ask him if there is anything I haven't tried that might let me avoid surgery. He reviews my history and tells me I can try CIPRO. It has a "pretty good" chance of solving the problem. I obviously prefer this to surgery. He consults with the surgeon and we come up with a plan:

I am going to take CIPRO and Bactrum (two heavy-duty anitbiotics that can get into the joints and bones) for 7 days and reevaluate. If my thumb improves I will continue for the full course. If not, I have to go off of the antibiotics and let them get out of my system (this takes a few days) so the surgical biopsy culture can be accurate.

Long Story Short - My thumb has ~7 days to disinfect itself (please work, new antibiotics!) or its off to the operating table for me.

Wishful Wednesday.. thoughts on Halloween

So I'm a little late on this Wishful Wednesday from Kelsey at The Seattle Smith's ... but as I always say, better late than never!

"I Wish" ...

I was 6 years old and going Trick-or-Treating,

and my costume would be...

 this "Sexy" Pirate Wench.

photo found here.

Okay, just kidding. I picked this costume because I just want to say, WTF???? What is wrong with our society that we are marketing a "Pirate Wench Child Costume" to our youngsters??

Actually, the Consumerist (if you don't read it, I highly recommend...) did a story on this, urging online retailers to remove costumes described as "sexy" and displayed in children's categories. The Examiner also did a piece on the trend of sexing up children and tweens with borderline whorish halloween costumes that leave little to the imagination. Definitely worth a looksy:

"Halloween is a great time for kids to dress up and live out their fantasies and lately girls have been able to live out their dream of really hot and sexy and naughty... Wha? Wha??!! Halloween costumes have gotten out of hand. Gather any group of parents and you'll quickly hear about how the choices of costumes have gone from witch and princess to sexy witch and pouty porn princess."

Now, don't get me wrong... I'm all for sexy Halloween costumes!!! But I am 25. Not 6, or even 12. Come on, Culture/Society/Parents, etc. - Let's not encourage our little girls to wear "sexy" costumes. They have many, many years ahead to do that.

On that note, I know lots of people bitch about how women use Halloween as an excuse to dress as 'sluts' ... but I'm going to refrain from judgement on this one. I say, once you're an adult, you can make your own decision on what to wear... and if you want to dress as a Playboy Bunny, go riiight ahead. (I'm sure you won't hear MEN complaining.)

I myself dressed as a "Dead Baby" last year... not too "PC" but I didn't have to worry about seeing a hundred other girls wearing my costume.

This year, I think I'm going to dress as a Jellyfish. Wear white.. hang some streamers from an umbrella or something.. I don't know. We'll see how that turns out.

And in closing haha.. I would just like to say, what has this world come to?? Sexy DOG Costumes?  Seriously?

 

photos found here.

I'm not gonna lie. I might have wanted to get one for Bondi :-)

Show Us Your City - Seattle!

Sorry for the brief hiatus. I've been in Atlanta for a tradeshow. Now I'm back, and Jax at The Roaring Twenties is was hosting a "Show Us Your City" bloghop, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to rant about Seattle a bit. Better late than never!

Seattle is most definitely home to me. I grew up on the "Eastside" (read: Microsoft suburbia) and promptly returned to the Emerald City upon finishing school in North Carolina.

When people think Seattle, they think coffee and rain. My pitch: Yes, it rains. But the summers are GORGEOUS!! and in the winter when it's raining in the city, it's snowing in the mountains. That means great skiing/snowboarding about 45 minutes away. Can't beat that!!!

This past summer, we actually had multiple days of record heat (100+) but not the nasty humid kind you find on the east coast. This past winter, we also had LOTS of snow in the city ... which was great for skiiers, but terrible for NW drivers. It usually never sticks, so just an inch or two on the roads, and people are abandoning cars on the freeway. No joke.

Some pics:

Here's one I took from a boat we chartered for my friend Jeni's bachelorette party.

Here's one I took of the Space Needle during Folk Life Festival last spring.

This is the view of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Peninsula from the roof of my apartment building in Belltown.

There is so much I could say about where I live. But Belltown most certainly deserves its own post. Anywayyy... I could go on and on about how much I love Seattle... but instead, I'm gonna go off on a tangent and tell a little story about a class I took in college: Rap and Hip Hop Music Appreciation.

Believe it or not, this was a full credit course that pretty much involved listening to and discussing rap/hip-hop for a few hours each week on Friday. Oh, and our final grade was based on a group assignment to record in studio a rap or hip-hop piece of a given genre. (Yes, rap has 'genres' haha).

I forget the categorization of our assigned "genre" but it was defined by the musical stylings of 'artists' including Lil' Kim, Sir Mix Alot and company. Or whatever. For our final project, we came up with was a rap/song with a "story line" about an Airline that "serviced" its passengers. I sang the hook. The lyrics included "Destination: Cloud 9" etc. You get the idea. Not something I would play for my parents/children.

What was I saying? Oh yes... this class. One of our first "assignments" was to write a rap about our home town or city. I can't remember all of the lyrics I came up with, but here's a sampling for your amusement:

I'm from the 206-

Home of the 747,

Microsoft & Starbucks.

Seatown is just like heaven.

... something about "where the air is clean"

... something about "people love the green"

....{{insert some other terrible lines here}}...

My favorite part:

People always saying

"Yo, does it always rain?"

Well we're lying when we say

"Uh YEAH like every day"

Cuz we chill and keep it real

without traffic like LA

And if you came you'd never leave

So stay the f*ck away.

Anyway, no worries - not quitting my day job to try and make it big in the rap industry anytime soon :)

Wishful Wednesday: Vacation

I wish I was going on vacation tomorrow,

and I would want to go to Costa Rica.

Nevermind that I just arrived in Atlanta, where I'll be spending the next few days. I'm thinking VACATION... (thanks kels!)

I've been wanting to plan a trip to Costa Rica for awhile now.. I think it's the ideal vacation destination, because Costa Rica has the whole white sand beach thing, scuba diving.. and MONKEYS!!!!

See, how cute are they??? :)

I hear if you stay at a beach resort, sometimes they have tame monkeys that will come try and steal your drink from you if you're not paying attention.. and then they get drunkyyy!! What a RIOT:)

I think I'd totally opt for chillin' in hotsprings with the snow monkeys in Japan, except that I'm not a huge fan of the whole *freezing my ass off* thing. Islands are supposed to be warm and tropical. DUH. But seriously, these Japanese Macaques are pretty freakin' cool!!

Which brings me to my ALL TIME FAVORITE island: Australia. I totally would've picked Australia, except a vacation just ain't gonna cut it. I need lotsa time Down Under.

I lived in Australia for six+ months during my junior year of college, and it was absolutely Heaven. On. Earth. I lived in a "flat" with six other students from Duke.. and I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty Real World - esque. Check out the view from our place:

The view is of Coogee Beach, a suburb of Sydney. Everything about Australia was amazing, and I would love to go back. But like I said, I need more than just a week or two. Luckily, Joe had an amazing experience in Australia during college also, so I have no doubt the two of us will be headed back there someday, hopefully sooner than later!!!!

FUNNY FACT: Bondi, my dog, is named after Bondi Beach in Australia. Bondi Beach is right next to Coogee Beach. I wanted to name my dog as a tribute to my time in Oz. However, I couldn't see naming my dog "Coogee"... sounds to much like "coochie"... Can you image, "Coochie, COME!" :)

Anyway, that's all I got for now. To join in on Wishful Wednesday, check out Miss Kelsey's blog at The Seattle Smith's~~~

My Boy and His Toy

My boyfriend Joe is the easiest person in the world to shop for, not because I have excellent taste (though I like to think I do!) but because he's just like a "tween" at Christmas time, except all year long.

Right now, off the top of my head, I know just a few of the many things he needs wants include a new baseball mitt, a brown belt, and "speed sticks" (these badass Rossignol skis for 'shredding' in chunky Washington snow conditions.) I know this not because I'm incredibly perceptive, but because he's mentioned these these things to me several times.

I don't mind that he does this, because it makes it quite painless for me when it comes time for buying Chistmas/Birthday gifts. And it is kind of cute... invoking this whole, excitable little boy thing...

That is, it WAS kind of cute, until he starting obsessing over a remote control helicopter.

A commercial for an RC helicopter would come on, or he'd see one in a store, and exclaim "OOoooh, I WANT ONE!" At first I thought he was just playing. Hahahah... very funny.

I thought, surely he can't be serious. Surely, this grown man does not want a plastic, made in china, remote control operated helicopter. Flight lessons - sure. RC helicopter - no sir.

But he kept mentioning this 'remote control helicopter' thing. Over. and over. and over. Oh yes, people. He was serious. He truly, madly, deeply wanted a remote control helicopter.

Poor Joe. Several gift-giving occassions have come and gone, and Joe is still without his his dearly beloved toy. Somehow I just can not bring myself to buy this for my 28-year-old boyfriend. Well, apparently he grew tired of waiting, because a few weeks ago he announced that he had finally gotten that closet organizer on Amazon, and oh - forgot to mention - cough.cough. an RC helicopter [pictured below].

Are you kidding me? :)

Joe has become incredibly anxious waiting for his RC helicopter to arrive. We have had 3 packages delivered and each time he collects one and it is NOT his toy, he returns with a dejected - you kicked my puppy - look that cracks me up. He has informed me several times now that he has "already escalated a complaint with PayPal" hahahahahahah SERIOUSLY!!

Fast forward to this past weekend. [This may seem off topic, but stick with me]. Joe is seriously in a hurry to get out of the apartment, as we're supposed to be watching the Idaho-Hawaii game with friends and Joe doesn't want to miss kick-off (again? oops..) This is the super annoying kind of rush factor, where he stands behind me, arms crossed, while I brush my teeth, put on mascara, etc. (And by the way, I am super fast. He doesn't even appreciate just how fast I am. We're talking no hair straightening - just a ponytail, no multiple outfits, no eyeliner, etc. 15 minutes from coffee to the car. MAX.)

So, even though I'm annoyed at having been so rushed, I get ready in what has GOT TO BE record time. We're finally leaving the apartment. Down the elevator we go. Elevator door opens, and who do we see but the Post Man with a big canvas bag of packages.

Joe's eyes light up like a little boy's on Christmast morning. "Hey man. I hate to do this to you, but do you mind checking to see if you have a package for me?"

Nevermind that the world is coming to an end because "we're already behind schedule" blah. blah. blah. Joe patiently waits while Mr. Postman goes through his ENTIRE canvas bag of packages, slow as a snail on codeine.

Five minutes later, there is No RC Helicopter and one very sad Joe.

So there's no real end to this rant, but I will keep you posted on any funnies that occur when the RC helicopter finally arrives. (I'm thinking there will be a few.)

And before I go, I have a question - is it very terrible of me that I have such an "OMG. Seriously?" reaction to my boy's obsession with his toy? Is this just a boys and their toys thing??

Fell Off the CrossFit Wagon..

Soooo my friend Kelsey at The Seattle Smiths introduced me to CrossFit back in March, and I have been OBSESSED ever since.

For those of you who don't know, CrossFit is this super intensive workout regime that is constantly varied. Okay, so that was a terrible explanation. I don't know what to say about CF except that it will KICK YOUR ASS into shape with a commitment of just 3-4 days/week and 30 or so minutes/day.

Sound too good to be true? Well it's not all peaches and cream. At the end of a CF workout I inevitably collapse into a pile on the floor where I remain, feeling unable to move, for several minutes. Upon standing, I leave a lovely crime-scene-esque body imprint of sweat. And I'm not going to lie, I've definitely vomited in my mouth a few times during some particularly hardcore workouts.

Anyway, so I've been going to Northwest Crossfit for several months now and LOVING IT. I never go to bed without checking their Forum for the next day's workout (in CF lingo, the WOD) and have been steadily improving. About a month ago, I did an RX'd WOD with 60 pullups in it. So Bad Ass!!!

But after the attack of PsychoCat, I fell off the CrossFit Wagon...

At first, this was justified by the copious amounts of medication I was taking. Oh, and the fact that my hand looked like an Oompa Loompa's. One week passed, two weeks passed... but now, almost four weeks have passed and there's no excuse!

Okay, I still can't really move my right thumb... that's my excuse. But I know damn well I could get in there and do modified WODs and... but, well, I'm ScuRReD! See these CrossFitters aren't your average gym rats. They're freakin' crazy!!

So... this last Tuesday I sucked it up and went in, prepared to subsitute the WOD for some pansy version due to my obvious handicap. Lucky for me, it was LEG DAY!!! No substitution required. Goody, goody gumdrops!

The lovely RX'd WOD for women - 4 rounds for time x

• 30 - 10 ft Wall Ball throws @ 14lbs
• 50 Jump Rope Double Unders
• 100 ft walking weighted lunges with 2x20lb dumbbells

I modified the WOD (which I don't usually do) using a 12lb med ball and 15lb DBs because I KNEW it was going to kick my ass, after more than 3 weeks out of the gym. And it STILL took me just under 30 minutes to finish! My achilles were cramping up the entire time, I couldn't breathe, thought I was going to die, it was pretty much miserable.

Oh and the best part - I am SOOOooooo SORE. Still can't walk normally. Every freakin' muscle in my legs hates me. My lower body feels like it was run over by a truck.

Ughhhhh WTF- I remember CF being wayyyyy better than this!

MOI? Complain Much???
Anywayy, I swear I'm not giving up. I will go back. When I can walk again without appearing as though I have a broomstick up my ass.

Just not tonight. Tomorrow's not looking good either.

Seriously?? It's 2009!!!

I wasn't going to go there. You know, politics there.... But I just saw this story and I have to say... I AM IN SHOCK! I'm sorry, this isn't even politics - this is just absurd!!!

"Interracial couple denied marriage license in La." - The gist of the story is this judge in Louisiana refuses to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might one day have.

Seriously?? It's 2009!!!

Here's a gem from the story: "I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a situation they didn't bring on themselves," Bardwell [the judge] said. "In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer."

Apparently, the judge in question is not familiar with the Supreme Court's 1963 ruling that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry, or more likely, he just chose to disregard the whole law thing.

And as far as children are concerned... well, I think the couple are off to a good start, seeing as they don't already have kids. Seriously, there are soooo many children born into single parent homes. I just don't see how the judge thinks he can play morality police here. Don't know what else to say about that.

Am I the only one that thinks this is NUTSO?

Wishful Wednesday: Talent

'I wish' I had one particular talent...

to be effortlessly witty.

Well, there are a lot of talents, actually, that I could wish for, but I think this is a good one. Not only would I get to enjoy making lots of funnies, but other people would have the distinct pleasure of being entertained by me! It's a WIN-WIN ;)

Seriously... I always love being around people who are hilarious without even trying. A few of my friends come immediately to mind as the epitome of "effortlessly witty" - my college roommate Lucy, my post-college roommate Jamie, and my buddy JJay.

The thing about this talent, I think, is that it has to be subtle and smart. Not obnoxious. Not TRYING too hard. Otherwise these "entertainers" just come across as have-to-be-the-center-of-attention obnoxious wannabes.

Anyway, I guess I'll just have to settle for occasionally funny and often sacrcastic.

To participate in Wishful Wednesday, head over to The Seattle Smith's and join in the fun!

Pho with Jeni, Tommy & Silly Waitress

Last night I met my dear friend Jeni and her adorable son Tommy for dinner at Pho Viet Anh in Queen Anne. How cute are they???

Jeni and I were the best of friends since she switched to Overlake in tenth grade. Aaaah, we've had some damn good times.

Now, she is married (I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in her FABULOUS wedding!!!) and has an adorable 18 month old son named Tommy. BTW, she documents Tommy's many adventures here.

Anywayyy, Tommy is the cutest damn kid you could ever imagine, and he is such a HAM!!! Don't believe me? See below...

Dinner last night reminded me so much of when my little brother Gabriel (now 13!) was Tommy's age. Family dinners were always such an adventure!

Before I proceed, let me just say that Pho (if you've never had it, go directly to your nearest Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall, do not pass go, do not collect $200) is a delicious Vietnamese soup that is served fast & hot! Pho restaurants are never upscale joints (this place was no exception) but they don't break the bank!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST NIGHT:

• Silly waitress brings Tommy a bib and puts it on him. He promptly removes it and thrusts it on the table. Silly waitress - looking disconcerted - tries again. Tommy thrusts bib at silly waitress. Silly waitress gives up.
• Tommy entertains himself with noodle soop and spring rolls. Food ends up on table/floor. Adjacent table not bothered in the slightest, but silly waitress insists Jeni trade places with Tommy so he is next to the wall instead of the aisle. Jeni obliges. I hold back laughter at notion that this will somehow transform Tommy from 18 month old in highchair to, well, whatever the silly waitress has in mind.
• Young couple sit behind Tommy. Woman is our age, and her reaction to Tommy suggests that her ovaries are aching for an adorable youngin of her own. I'm amused that her date (bf? fiance? husband?) will undoubtedly be on the receiving end of many *hint*hint*s throughout the night. I overhear silly waitress ask them if the table will be alright since "he" is behind them. Are you freaking kidding me? They're delighted! hehe. Silly waitress.
• Tommy gets bored of highchair. Gets upgraded to mommy's lap. Escapes to table with 3 older folks a few feet away. Older lady is enchanted by Tommy (who wouldn't be?) and uses yellow napkin to create animal figures. Has Tommy absolutely cracking up. So adorable to watch! Everyone is amused, except, apparently, the silly waitress, who is at the cash register SCOWLING at little Tommy. Seriously, the look on her face is as though he is smearing cockroach infested dog poo all over her restaurant. Jeni and I laugh, wonder if silly waitress always looks so wretched. Tommy, of course, doesn't notice. Neither does table of three he is being entertained by, slash entertaining.

Oh, what a fun evening! We get our check and Jeni tips the silly waitress something crazy like 30% ... Seriously? Jeni explains they are 'regulars' and I nod. Jeni is a much better person than me.

*All images from http://www.littletommysmith.blogspot.com/ - thanks Jeni!!!

The Seattle Smith's Giveaway!

A dear friend of mine Kelsey who blogs at The Seattle Smith's is hosting a giveaway now that she's reached 300 followers! The item up for grabs is an exquisite glass blown key holder (shown below) made by Tanner Glass - FUNctional Objects for Everyday Life (view the Etsy shop here). TannerGlass has a bunch of other really great items. My favorite (go figure!) is this "Big Dog Big Heart" leash holder. SO CUTE and functional, as I am always misplacing Sir Bondi's many leashes.To find out how to win, read the details of the giveaway here. And while you're at it, follow her!!! I promise you won't be disappointed.

I Forgot to Mention...

Yesterday, I came home from work and proudly announced to my boyfriend that I had finally started a blog. The conversation goes like this:

JOE: That's great honey!
ME: You wanna see what I've written?
JOE: Of course.

At this point, I was a little surprised, as I didn't expect him to actually be interested. But hey, I thought it was a nice gesture, even if he was faking it! :)

Anyway, so I pulled up my first two stories on his Blackberry and he scrolled through them for a few minutes. Then he turned to me with a puppy dog look...

JOE: Why am I not even MENTIONED in this once??? You have a whole post dedicated to BONDI!
ME: Baby, Bondi has TWO YEARS on you. He's my first man.
JOE: Wow, Jenny.
ME: OK, okayy I'll fix it.

So I delay the start of our NetFlix (best. investment. ever.) while I fiddle around on my Blackberry and add "sweet boyfriend" to my post. This takes almost 15 minutes because my BB has liquid damage and the "B" and "." keys are sticking. I consider substituting "love-slave" (no B in that!) for "boyfriend" but decide against this - do not think Joe would approve. Joe is getting noticably agitated, so I remind him that he's the one that "wanted" to be in my blog.

Well now, Mr. Joe, you have your own post, all to yourself!! And here's a picture for good measure:

OKayyyy, so that's not such a great picture of you, but it's dang cute of Bondi!!!

But seriously, my boyfriend Joe is wonderful and I feel very lucky to have him in my life. He takes super good care of Bondi and me. Here's a couple better pics of the two of us in Cozumel last year, sans Bondi:

That's all for now. Yayy for *almost* Friday!

Cat Scratch Fever

UPDATE: Some of my friends have asked me if the infection I have on my thumb from PscyhoCat (catch up here) is the same as Cat Scratch Fever.

I just assumed this was a similar infection that someone might get from being scratched by a cat.

ERRONEOUS.

My uncle tells me this adage actually refers to an STD. Apparently it's referenced in a Ted Nugent song - he gets "Cat Scratch Fever from some [kitty] next door."

Note to Self: Do not go around telling people you have Cat Scratch Fever.

Dogs Rule Cats Drool... with Lots of Bacteria

I promise I won't only blog about dogs and cats. But I have a somewhat ridiculous story I want to share. Here goes...

Several Weeks Ago, 10:00 PM: I'm having a glass of wine with a neighbor of mine in the courtyard of my apartment. She has a feline friend (let's call him "PsychoCat") that roams the courtyard and I have my dog Bondi with me. Everything's peachy until her cat takes off running with Bondi in hot pursuit.

PsychoCat, in trying to get away, somehow lodges himself in between two wooden rails of deck fencing with his head through and his big behind stuck. Bondi, being the highly intelligent canine that he is, runs around to the other side of the fencing and heads straight for PsychoCat.

Now I trust Bondi with cats - my parents have two that he pretty much ignores - but I sure as hell am not going to be responsible for him eating my neighbor's cat. (In hindsight, I should have let Bondi have at it!)

I step in and try to save PsychoCat by grabbing his behind and pulling him out of his precarious position. He kindly thanks me by biting my right hand very hard a good six or so times. It hurts like hell, but I wash my hand, wrap it in a paper towel, and get back to good conversation and Cabernet.

4:00 AM: I wake up in a ridiculous amount of intense throbbing pain and decide that my thumb MUST be broken. I take four Advil and try to sleep.

7:00 AM: Still can't sleep. Call mom. Cry. (You know how if you're in pain or upset, talking to your mom always puts you in tears? Is that just me?) Mom tells me of course my thumb is not broken, it is infected. Cats have DIRTY mouths.

9:00 AM: See doctor. Get antibiotics, pain medication, and a shot in the behind. Hand looks like this:
3 Days Later: Still in ridiculous amount of pain. Can't move thumb at all. Can't believe PsychoCat's bacteria-infested mouth has caused me to have an Oompa Loompa Hand. At least I have Bondi and sweet boyfriend Joe to tend to my every need!

5 Days Later: So gross. See below.

Today: STILL on antibiotics! My hand looks somewhat normal but it still hurts and I still can't bend my thumb. Apparently this is because the infection is in the tendons/joints. Good times.

Take Home Message: Cats have very dirty mouths with lots of bacteria in them. Apparently (according to the doc) if you're bit by a cat you have about a 50-50 chance of developing a serious infection. Further evidence that, indeed, dogs rule and cats drool.

PsychoCat: 1 - Jenny: 0
So Say I.

Introductions

So I've finally caved and started this blog.

I actually meant to start one awhile back when my dog Bondi got diagnosed with Protein Losing Enteropathy (PLE) last year, as I was struggling to determine the cause and a solution, (more about that later, maybe) but, I never did find the time.

I suppose that part of the reason I didn't do this sooner is because I regularly update and maintain a blog as part of my full-time job at Epoch Design. But after months of following friends' blogs, it seems I've been converted! We'll see how this goes...

Anyway, a little about me: I was born and raised in the greater Seattle area. Went to college at Duke University. Wasn't too fond of the whole "East Coast" thing, so here I am. Living and loving life in Seattle, Washington.

Bondi's Story: I have an amazing dog Bondi - he's a pretty lucky pup. I adopted him from the animal shelter when he was just 8 weeks old. Apparently his mom was a papered Doberman who got knocked up by the neighborhood tramp, so Bondi and his littermates got dropped at the pound when they were just 5 weeks old so the mom would go back in heat. UGH.. Anywayyy so Bondi was my special bastard puppy, named after Bondi Beach in Australia where I lived for several months in college. He was such a cute puppy!! Don't you think?

He got very sick last year and lost about 40 lbs in just a few months. Vets quickly determined he had "PLE" but thought the cause was irritable bowel disease, triggered by severe food allergies. So I bought all the expensive foods, etc. etc. but Bondi just kept losing weight. Months on a RX diet, multiple blood panels, an endoscopy, plasma blood transfusion, and several thousand dollars in cumulative vet bills later, Bondi looked like this:

Now I've left out all of the gory details of Mr. Bondi's affliction, but lets just say it wasn't fun. He couldn't keep anything in him and it was coming out both ends pretty violently about ten times a day. Vets all told me it was time to put him down, but I wasn't ready. As luck would have it (or the Grace of God?) I chanced upon one specialist who said it was a "long shot" but he just might have Lymphangiectasia, an intestinal disease that is a rare cause of PLE.

Anyway, long story short she was right! What does this mean for me? Bondi can't have ANY FAT in his diet. He can eat only a combination of chicken breast, turkey breast, tuna, non-fat cottage cheese, tofu, rice and potatoes. Now I shop at Costco and Cash & Carry pretty exclusively. It's pretty expensive, but it's worth it to have a happy and healthy and alive dog!

Well, that's the background on Mr. Bondi. More about me and my life later!