REMINDER: Purr for Betty

On Fri, 18 Nov 2005 22:22:20 -0500, Takayuki
wrote:

Thank you for your good thoughts. Maybe that's why she's been in such
good spirits since she's been back from her treatment.

Glad to hear Betty came through the treatment in good spirits. She
has a plucky attitude. Is this latest chemo treatment a one-shot deal
or is it an ongoing series? Our hopes are for the best possible
results.

Jeanne

On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 18:45:25 -0500, Takayuki
wrote:

I'm really overwhelmed by all the attention that just one little
tuxedo girl's cancer treatment has been getting! I know that I'm very
much in love with Betty because she owns me, but I didn't realize that
she could infect so many people. I still don't know how that could
have happened.

Betty did get her new chemotherapy today. I got up this morning as
usual, and Betty was doing her usual routine of holding on to my
shoulder to try to convince me to stay in bed. She's more nocturnal
than I am these days, so tends to wander away from bed during the
night, and by sunrise is quite sleepy, and will be in a state of
luxurious sleep in my arms, under the covers.

I held her like a teddy bear and gave her plenty of kisses. I got up,
but Betty elected to stay as a bedlump. She took over the warm
human-shaped depression that I had left.

After my morning ablutions, I brought the carrier over to the bed,
making sure she clearly heard its distinctive clinking of metal. In
anything unpleasant I have to do, I make sure that Betty has some
warning, so that she can be assured that the rest of time, if things
seem fine, they really are. It's part of a strategy to make the her
world feel safe and predictable. Most of the time.

I turned over the covers. Betty looked sad, and gave a little cry. I
picked her up and lowered her into the carrier. She didn't struggle
at all. She almost never does.

I dropped her off at the oncology center, and went back in the early
evening to pick her up. Betty gave one "meow" of protest in the
lobby. Everyone laughed and repeated, "Meow!" Betty can turn people
into mimics! I put her in the car, and started the drive home. Betty
started up with her periodic "Ow" cries. I slipped my fingers through
the front grate of her carrier, and she purred and headbutted. When I
took my hand away, she started crying again.

I said, "I'm so sorry my love. I've never given you a choice about
anything. You eat what I give you without complaining, go where I
take you, live where I live. I don't own you. You have your own
life, and it may be very short now. Do what you want to do. Make
your own choice for once about where you want to be, and what you want
to see."

So I unlatched the top of Betty's carrier. Betty popped up to look
around. She went to every single car window. She meowed at the world
going by. She came to my lap. She meowed at other cars. Then she
decided that she liked her carrier best after all, and went back in,
hunkering down.

Right now, she's purring up a storm on my lap. She looks funny with a
little shaved wrist, and is covered with the scent of perfume. I
think the techs were fond of her today.

Awwww, {{{{{Tak}}}}}. We all care about Betty, and wish the best for
her.

Ginger-lyn

Home Pages:
http://www.spiritrealm.com/summer/
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....mmer/index.htm (genealogy)
http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against
Animals in Movies Website)

Takayuki wrote:

Right now, she's purring up a storm on my lap. She looks funny with a
little shaved wrist, and is covered with the scent of perfume. I
think the techs were fond of her today.

Glad to hear she seems happy and content. Many purrs for her continued
treatment. If people around the world have falen in love with Betty
without even meeting her, how could the techs not fall in love with her? ;o)


--
Marina, Frank, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Nikki.
marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi
Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/
and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki

(JBHajos) wrote:
Glad to hear Betty came through the treatment in good spirits. She
has a plucky attitude. Is this latest chemo treatment a one-shot deal
or is it an ongoing series? Our hopes are for the best possible
results.

We'll do one or two treatments to see what happens. The treatment
will continue at 3 or 4 week intervals depending on blood cell counts,
*if* there's a good response to the initial treatment.