Quality of Life

I am so happy to report that my dear friend Kim’s cat Stewie is improving. In response to what I first wrote, commenter Mel’s recommendation of Vitamin B-12 shots seems to have made a significant difference. Kim says Stewie’s personality is coming back, she’s eating solid food on her own, and she’s looking a little stronger.

Thank you Mel.

Recall that Stewie started showing symptoms in April and ever since then, Kim’s been feeding her by syringe. So it’s just wonderful that Stewie is eating by herself again.

But. The other night Kim and I were on the phone when Stewie had a seizure. It was not Stewie’s first.

We just don’t know, but it seems clear that seizures would indicate a serious condition. Does it really matter which one, after so many treatment options have been tried.

It seems to come down to quality of life. When we don’t know what the condition is, or definitively what to do about it, our decisions must turn on how much weakness is too debilitating, how much the decline in health bites into the intensity in which life is lived, how much is too much, or not enough –

Kim and I thought the question could be boiled down to this: As long as the trajectory is improving, there is incentive to continue.

Bugsy, on the other hand, has no qualms about expressing his attitude toward Arkansas wildlife.

Here’s a close-up:

This reminds me of the time my New Yorker nieces and nephews came to visit. They stayed up half the night outside with a lantern, marveling at the fauna that the light attracted. Ever since, they call Arkansas “Jurassic Park.”

Ultimately, Bugsy doesn’t feel it’s worth losing any sleep over.

Barney is his usual jolly self.

Nothing’s worth getting too worked-up about.

Let us take a tip from Bugs and Barnes. Let’s make the most of life.

Live it to the fullest, while we still got it good.