The Children of The Doctor: Part I

trying to make friends? working.

"the pain of loss"

Ado and Orlan enjoying being themselves.

Orlan with the scratching post he outgrew.

Fall 2000, Orlan and I DIYing

Orlan Luxuriating on the Carpet

Orlan and I moved to Mississippi in 2000.  We did some therapeutic home improvement that year.  I did my best to bring new life to my childhood bedroom.  That red carpet is still one of the interior design details that reoccurs in my dreams.  Bright red, stained carpet is such a strong, strong memory.

Orlan's 1st Birthday

Orlan played "King of the Mountain" atop a ladder on his 1st birthday.  His ruff had not begun to grown in yet.
Does anyone miss those old Debbie Travis programmes?  She would trompe l'oeil the world.  I have a couple classic British DIY books. 

Loving Orlan from BabyCat to Grand Cat

Orlan lived 15 years.  He found me when he was about 2 weeks old; he was nothing but a fluff ball with ears.

Approximately 6 weeks old.

Orlan survived a fatty tissue sarcoma, but died with metastatic tumors.  I wish we had more years together.

Orlan 1999 - 2014

Orlan's 15th Birthday

Orlan Squinting with the Afternoon Sun

Herb Garden

Dwarf French Marigolds

Little Kittens

Michael's Foot & Baby Commodore, October 1996

Dothan & Commodore, October 1996

Commodore & Dothan, December 1996

Flash, 1999

Jesus loves the little kittens

All the kittens of the world

Red and yellow

Black and white

They are precious in his sight

Jesus loves the little kittens of the world

Meeroww!, December 1999

Sophie, 2001

Sophie, 2001

Commodore-Cat Sleeping Beneath Lawn-Mower, 2002

One of Stray/Woodland Cat Maggie's Kittens, 2002

Maggie's Minnie, 2002

Portrait of Moi, October 2014

I'm patiently waiting for the fluff on the right to grow to match the fluff on the left.

I lost about 3 1/2 stitches recently.  Hopefully, in another month, I will no longer have a bad hair-day.

Helping with Making the Bed?

Snuggled in Duvet

Orlan's Sarcoma and Recovery - Cat Cancer Awareness

Orlan down near where the lilies grow

About a week and a half before Orlan ended up being anesthetized for a thorough exam and mass removal I felt an odd spherical form on his right side.  I wasn't sure if I had felt correctly.  A week later I felt the same area, and there was no doubt that Orlan had some kind of mass on his right side.  I ran my hands over both sides of his body and was alarmed by the asymmetry.  It felt like a thick water balloon or a large cyst in a human breast, and it nearly filled my hand.  By the time we went to the veterinarian's on Monday, July 14, it felt larger and more separate from his belly fat and filled my hand.  

 

On July 14, 2014, a mass about 2.5" in diameter was removed from Orlan's lower-side abdomen.  All of it was removed and sent out for pathology.  Only a tiny bit of muscle was cut; the mass was mostly surrounded my fatty tissue.

Orlan came home with a huge bandage surrounding his body.  It was very hard to see him this way; he wobbled and swayed to stand and try to walk.  Somehow he managed to get up on the bed that night using his stool to sleep on his corner of the bed.  I could hardly sleep.  His breathing was so shallow.

Orlan at home with his huge bandage from having a mass removed

July 15, 2014

I cut the bandaged off of him; it had slid down his body past the incision during the night immobilizing his legs. Feeling fully recovered from the anesthesia, he tried to do everything as if nothing had happened.  He ate and attempted to kick his food ball.  

Orlan trying to feel better.

July 16, 2014

Worn out and realizing he'd had major surgery, he lost is appetite completely.  It was hard to see him this weak and shrinking.  I had to wet cat candy and feed it to him with my hands.  He was too weak to get up to eat.

Thankfully, Orlan continued to find water to drink and use his litter pan.  

Fluid Pooled with Bruising on Belly

July 21, 2014

The pathology report came in this morning.  A sarcoma, cancerous tumor, had been removed with clean-margins, meaning that no tumor was left behind.  The type of sarcoma removed has a low potential to metastasize, and if it returns, it will be in the same area.  

Be sure to check your cats for lumps beneath their fluff.

Orlan went outside to walk down to the lily garden and back up to the house again.

Orlan says: 

My strength has returned.  I can hop like a bunny and sing with great resonance.

I catch the fishing pole toy's fishing pole stick.

I carry my favorite doll Leo around the bedroom.

©2014 D. Moss

garden progression

Orlan inspects the basil in the potager.

Orlan in a bed he made from leaf mulch.

Flash with screen, giant enchantress zinnia, and purple kale.

French dwarf marigolds line the garden path.

Flash settles into the garden between zinnias and cayenne pepper plants.

strawberries, chives, yarrow, dwarf french marigolds, zinnias, and mints

working on The A & C Room

dancing in turquoise dust

made my mark

freshly refinished dresser from the early 1970s

slowly creating the peaceful, organized Arts & Crafts Room

beautiful orlan

Happy 14th Birthday!

Beautiful Orlan sits in the sun.

Orlan This Fall

Orlan in the Fading Light

Orlan in Dappled Sunlight

sunny day

Ado enjoying the sun.

Exploring the Woods Down the Path

Freshly Fallen Leaves

Animal Track Near the Stream

Can't Identify This Track; Can You?

Down at the back of the Property