He just left yet I miss my brother already!

I have been so neglectful of my blog.. what is wrong with me?  Ugh, I should be severely reprimanded for this.  As always, I will do my best to catch everyone up on the happenings in my life.

My younger brother, Gonzalo, left California for good a little over a week ago.  My parents and I thought he would stay in the area for a decent amount of time but one week later, he left on his next adventure.  He left Thursday, by train, and arrived this evening on the east coast.  I miss him so much!  We didn't see each other as much as I would have liked, mostly due to my body hurting so damn much, but the time we spent together was extremely enjoyable.  Gonzalo is one of my favorite people in the world and I didn't let him leave without telling him this, and also letting him know how much I admire and respect him.  He's not only my brother but also my friend, and I treasure him more than words can say.

With my brother at our favorite Thai restaurant.. August 29, 2012

My biggest concern lately has been my little Emmi Sue.  At her vet appointment last week, her doctor informed me that her blood sugar was at 122 (a good number) but her weight had dropped quite a bit.  She had lost 3/4 of a pound in less than a month!  That's quite a bit for a kitty who weighed less than 9 lbs. to begin with.  I've noticed her behavior changing lately and I've become increasing worried about my sweet little girl.  I've had Emmi Sue for almost her entire life and cannot even imagine life without her!  She will be 16 in March (80, in people years) so her health is not going to be as stable as it was in her younger days.  With her weight dropping so quickly and significantly, the doctor is wondering if, perhaps, she also has hyperthyriodism, as Jinger was diagnosed with a few years back.  We have an appointment Tuesday so until then, I'm making sure Emmi Sue is getting all her favorite canned (classic) paté Fancy Feast cat food.  I just bought 40 cans, so I'm sure that will be more than enough. ♥

My sweet little Emmi Sue.  I can't put into words how much I adore my baby girl!

I'm scheduled for my 3rd cortisone injection this coming Thursday but I'm not sure if I'll keep the appointment yet or not.  I suppose it's too soon to tell how I'll be feeling by then but the lower back pain I've been having since my last injection has been very bothersome.  It hits me the hardest at bedtime, yet it's always there.  I've also noticed my MS problems coming and going, but mostly sticking around for days and weeks on end.  Both my feet are horribly numb, much more than my usual, accompanied by the most annoying ITCHING on the tops of my feet and up to the sides of my ankles.  Luckily, I discovered Walmart's Equate brand "Maximum Strength Anti-Itch 1% Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream" (same type of cream as Cortaid, but less expensive) takes care of this itch within a few minutes, but then the itch moves to a different area and I have to apply the cream there.  It gets terribly annoying but at least this cream takes away most of the discomfort.  I do know that itching is one of the strangest MS symptoms in existence, so it's good that I found a way to combat it, at least when it happens on my feet.

OK, enough for tonight.. I'll try to continue more soon.  I wish everyone the loveliest weekend!