I could really use some 'best possible outcome' ~ma.

Niki, the woman who has been more of a mom to me and a better 'relative' than all my blood kin combined...and then some...is in hospital suffering complications after knee surgery last week. She's had fluid on the lungs, a blood clot and a pulmonary embolism. She seems to be on the upswing, but she's very frightened and more frail than I've ever seen her.

Her 95 year old functionally blind and deaf husband, who dotes on her, is even more frightened.

After a revolving door of relatives actually causing more grief than helping, it looks like I will be moving in with them to help out for a while.

I'm glad to do it. They've been so good to me...but. The unexpectedness of this goes without saying...and I'm having fears about losing my apartment and not being able to maintain my practice from 3 towns away.

No one knows how long I'll be needed...and while I'd rather it be me than anyone else, I'm frightened for Niki's health, for her beloved's stability and for my ability to care for them both.

Any and all prayers, chants, and just plain good thoughts would be so very much appreciated.

If SailAweigh is around, I need her to email me asap! Or if anyone has her phone number--profile addy is good. Thanks!

Edited--if anyone can get a hold of her or knows her email or phone number, please let her know I'm headed up her way and will try to call this evening.

Some dog~ma would be appreciated very much. My sister's Darcy took off last Monday and wasn't found until tonight. She has never taken off before. They live in the mountains and she has a doggy door so she is free to come and go as she pleases.

It is fairly apparent that she was hit by a car on her way back there within the last 24 hours. Her condition isn't what you would expect if she had been hit almost a week ago.

They will not be doing xrays until tomorrow. First they want to stabilize her with fluids, etc. before giving her the anesthesia and drugs that will be necessary for her to go thru the manipulations to get appropriate xrays.

The thought is that she has sustained a pelvic fracture. There may or may not be some nerve damage involved. We will know better after tomorrow mornings xrays.

Thanks to all for their positive thoughts and prayers.

My sister gave birth to a healthy 3 pound, 15 ounce baby boy very early Sunday morning. Both mother and baby are doing well, though baby needs a little bit of oxygen and will need to stay in the hospital for 6 to 8 weeks. I release the health~ma and pass it on, as it seems much needed elsewhere.

Bunchastuff update:

I moved to Virginia in August because my father had cancer. He now apparently has no more cancer, and has taken a job in Egypt. I have been working as a long-term sub, but this week got an actual contract for this gig, so starting the first of December I'll have benefits. Which means I've made my last ridiculously large COBRA payment!

So yay me! And yay current state of hepatic oncology!

Three years ago.

Three years ago today, I fell and broke my face. Only by whatever grace I have did I avoid breaking my neck.

As such, I now consider 11/14 to be the start of my new year. This time around, I seem to be letting myself take a pause or three.

Your support and love has been invaluable to me. I'd like to take this opportunity to humbly apologize for any offense I may have given, unintentionally or not, and to beg for your forgiveness. If I have offended you, please let me know via email so that I may make such amends as I may.

Again, thank you. This place has been an oasis in some very rough times, and I appreciate it.

I had a vague hesitation about posting this, because I'm not in need of hairpats, but my Aunt Margaret died this morning, several months after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. She was a smoker for most of her life, and it spread quickly.

Like I said, I'm not in need of hairpats, but if any of y'all happen to be thinking about quitting smoking right now and go through with it, I'd be pleased as freakin' Punch after getting it on with Judy.

Teddy and Seamus are now home.

At least we think Seamus is home. He's in hiding most of the time, except when his Aunt (Hubs's sister, who's visiting to help us out) is near his hidey hole. He and Rigatoni have hissed at each other a few times.

Teddy is not allowed to run or jump for the next few weeks to a month, so the internal stitches can heal. So for now, he's in a very large cage in the living room. So large that we've had to shove furniture out of the way so it could fit.

Max and Marie have been banished to the master bedroom when supervised interaction is not possible. (No, I don't know why Max and Marie have to be closed off. But that's the way Hubs wants it, and Hubs is in Commanding Mode right now.)

We're also alternating nights sleeping on the living room couch so one of us can be near Teddy all night. (Hubs's Command again.) Hubs took the couch last night, which meant I got to share the bedroom with Max and Marie. So Max chose me to wake up at an obscenely early hour with demands for breakfast.

Meanwhile, Teddy is on cyclosporine (immune suppressant) every 12 hours for the rest of his life. That's every 12 hours, and not twice a day. On the other hand, he's getting fewer meds now than he was a month ago. And will only be seeing the vet once a week instead of every day.

If anyone has Jon B.'s cell number, could you email it to me? Profile addy good. Thanks!