I've just been through the longest three months of my entire life. Here are the highlights: April: --Sully, my male cat, falls ill one night. After rushing him to the vet, we find out he has crystals in his urine and they're threatening to block his urethra. This is a very serious condition in male cats and can lead to catheterization, surgery to remove the crystals and a lot of hospital time. He spends three days in the hospital, where we have to go down and force feed him medicated food--the only way to get the crystals to break up naturally. He's put on three different pills and ít took forever before he'd eat the medicated food. It took over two weeks, but luckily, he's doing well now. --my cousin, a volunteer firefighter, discovers the body of a man who died of smoke inhalation. After counselling, he chooses me (for some reason) to confide into and talk about his ordeal. It's pretty rough, because he's super sensitive and has a very difficult time dealing with death. I'm now his sounding board when dealing with the stress of being a firefighter. --I have to take a trip home to present my business at a bridal show. Day of show, we load the car up, only to discover my father has left his headlights on all night and the battery is dead. Finally find a ride with my cousin (my parents were too cheap to get a taxi--how sad is that). An hour before the show starts, we get hit with a monsoon. Torrential downpour, barely 50 people show up. No one shows up for a workshop I planned. After four terribly boring hours of doing nothing, we can't get ahold of my cousin to take us home. We do finally get home, however. Sadly, the bus trip to home and back is barely covered by the sales I made at the show. And I come back completely exhausted--no one within a five mile radius can sleep near my mother because of her snoring. May: --I get word that I'm having two moles excised from my neck and back on Friday the 13th. I'm stressed trying to finish the last huge assignment of my latest educational pursuit. I'm also worried, seeing my mom has cancer, that I might have it too. --Friday the 13th. After having a shower, I do a rare thing and use a blowdryer to dry my hair so I can go out and occupy myself before my surgery so I don't drive myself insane with worry. I finish with my hair, and smell something odd. I go out to the kitchen and ask Richie to come and smell the bathroom--I think I've burnt out the blowdryer. Uncertain what it is, Richie follows me up the hall to the bedroom (I was still naked, and what man isn't going to follow a naked body). We get to the second bedroom, the smell is really strong now, and looking in through the doorway, we see the room is full of blue smoke. Immediate panic sets in. Richie agrees I should call 911 and get the fire department here. I toss on some clothes and run outside. He's still inside, turning off the power to the room and looking for flames. He makes the executive decision not to toss the cats out the door to save them. The fire department arrives (in what seems like forever), and four firefighters start to go through the room. They discover an unused wall receptacle has shorted and was just seconds away from igniting. In comes an electrician, followed by the fire inspector. The inspector tells us we need to have all our wiring checked in six weeks or we lose our house insurance and the house is considered unfit to live in. By the time I get to the surgery, I beg my doctor to put me under just to give me some rest. The next two weeks are filled with electricians checking all the wiring, running new circuits for the kitchen, installing new grounding plate and electric panel, all to the tune of over $4000. --the electrical fire has caused me to go completely paranoid. I'm scared to be in the house, and I'm scared to be away from it. I am not sleeping. When I go to have my stitches removed after 10 days, my doctor takes one look at me and decides it's time to start with some medication to help me relax. She smartly gives the prescription to Richie, knowing I'm took scared to take it. It takes a good month, but I'm finally getting comfy being in my house again. --good news--my moles were benign. June: --What I thought was going to be a super easy course has turned into a nightmare. My final exam is 14 questions long (all essay), and I'm given 10 days to write it. It takes all 10 days. The exam is 16 pages, typed, when completed. I pass, but my God, it was rough. --my dad gets word that the company he's worked for is shutting down permanently. He's offered a job in a city an hour south of my house, but he can't take it because mom really can't move in the shape she's in. Dad has no idea what he's going to do when the company closes in August, as he cannot afford mom's medication (which is in the thousands of dollars). --I'm given a CAT scan to see if I have any brain anomalies other than the ones we already know I have (hehee). I've been suffering migraines. Cause still unknown, treatment forthcoming (soon, I hope). --My mother falls ill with the flu and misses her monthly cancer treatment. This is a concern because you cannot go any longer than five weeks without it. Her bones are deteriorating despite the treatment, and it's harder than ever for her to move around. She finally gets the treatment, just at the last possible moment. --My grandmother is put in the hospital with pneumonia. She is sent home, though is still incapacitated. My grandfather spends most of his time in a quasi-catatonic state due to shell shock. The doctors want home care, meal deliveries, etc. and my uncle argues with my dad for a whole week over the care--my uncle still thinks my grandmother can still look after herself and my grandfather. My dad finally gets my uncle to see that they're too old to properly care for themselves and starts setting up home assistance. My dad finally falls ill because of the stress. --Just when I start getting my business website set up, I fall ill with the flu. I still have it. I tried to go see the fireworks on Canada Day and I think I coughed up a lung while I was on the waterfront. I'm still coughing--and sleep would be so nice right now. And that's why I've not been around.... Any one else had a fun time the past few months? Katse

Well Katse I don't think I can compare with you. I am so sorry to hear you have had so much trouble. Let's see if my plights can make you feel any better. This year I decided to take on the challenge of the yearbook advisor. As much fun as it was working with the seniors, I had one problem. I had a yearbook rep who had hand problems. I reported his ass. As it got down to the completion of the book he starts harassing all my bosses and demanding to have a sit down meeting with me because he claims he has no clue what he did wrong. Right, sure. Of course all my bosses said was leave her alone. We have a small issue with my teaching license. Seems my 5 years to get a masters is up. I applied for an extension based on hardship. My mother had cancer and unfortunately didn't survive it. Am still waiting for that answer. Finally and worst of all, my dog dies of cancer. But that's in another thread. Is there any good news? Yes, I should be getting a new pup on Saturday.

Boy it seems like more and more people have had some emotional roller coasters the last few months. Everyone I talk to is ready for a vacation. In my neck of the woods? Cancer, Divorce, Dialysis, Arrest, Drug abuse prompted family fight, Broken Appliances, Broken Car, and Lost job. And that is just our family members under 40. If I include the whole shebang, I can add 2 cases of Alsheimers (how the heck do you spell that?) and an attempt at financial emotional blackmail. Hey, but other than that, we're doing pretty good! Any other takers? Vent right in! The water's fine!

Nothing that compares with you guys. Just Heart attack, broken appliances, death and overwork. Other than that all dandy here. Sorry to hear about everyone elses bad times though. Hopefully the second half of the year will be better for you all.

I don't know Firebird. The heart attack and death thing seem pretty big.

Only 3 month. Bah. On 2nd July 1993, I was crossing a quiet (very quet) road, where, 2 cars slowed down and stopped at a crossing. I natually assumed that I was okay to cross and started to cross. I hard a roar of an engine, turned to my right and saw a white car come at me at speed. To short a long tale, I was knocked over by a car, 7 weeks before my 21st birthday, spend 6 weeks in hospital, spent about 4 or 5 months (guess, my memory is fading with age) at home stuck in my bedroom, not able to walk except to the toilet with 2 crutches. After all that, I started to move around a bit more, with crutches down the drive, and then further, to the end of the close, where I lived with my parents. I couldn't even go out on Christmas or New Years Eve, and then by the end of January, beginning of Feburary, I could walk anyway without any aids. By April/May, I went to court to see the little stupid 18 year old girl try to lie her way out of the Driving Without Care charge and fail. Since then I have both physically and mentally scars for the past 12 years. I think I win.

Originally posted by Berg Katse I've just been through the longest three months of my entire life. Here are the highlights: April: --Sully, my male cat, falls ill one night. After rushing him to the vet, we find out he has crystals in his urine and they're threatening to block his urethra. This is a very serious condition in male cats and can lead to catheterization, surgery to remove the crystals and a lot of hospital time. He spends three days in the hospital, where we have to go down and force feed him medicated food--the only way to get the crystals to break up naturally. He's put on three different pills and ít took forever before he'd eat the medicated food. It took over two weeks, but luckily, he's doing well now. --my cousin, a volunteer firefighter, discovers the body of a man who died of smoke inhalation. After counselling, he chooses me (for some reason) to confide into and talk about his ordeal. It's pretty rough, because he's super sensitive and has a very difficult time dealing with death. I'm now his sounding board when dealing with the stress of being a firefighter. --I have to take a trip home to present my business at a bridal show. Day of show, we load the car up, only to discover my father has left his headlights on all night and the battery is dead. Finally find a ride with my cousin (my parents were too cheap to get a taxi--how sad is that). An hour before the show starts, we get hit with a monsoon. Torrential downpour, barely 50 people show up. No one shows up for a workshop I planned. After four terribly boring hours of doing nothing, we can't get ahold of my cousin to take us home. We do finally get home, however. Sadly, the bus trip to home and back is barely covered by the sales I made at the show. And I come back completely exhausted--no one within a five mile radius can sleep near my mother because of her snoring. May: --I get word that I'm having two moles excised from my neck and back on Friday the 13th. I'm stressed trying to finish the last huge assignment of my latest educational pursuit. I'm also worried, seeing my mom has cancer, that I might have it too. --Friday the 13th. After having a shower, I do a rare thing and use a blowdryer to dry my hair so I can go out and occupy myself before my surgery so I don't drive myself insane with worry. I finish with my hair, and smell something odd. I go out to the kitchen and ask Richie to come and smell the bathroom--I think I've burnt out the blowdryer. Uncertain what it is, Richie follows me up the hall to the bedroom (I was still naked, and what man isn't going to follow a naked body). We get to the second bedroom, the smell is really strong now, and looking in through the doorway, we see the room is full of blue smoke. Immediate panic sets in. Richie agrees I should call 911 and get the fire department here. I toss on some clothes and run outside. He's still inside, turning off the power to the room and looking for flames. He makes the executive decision not to toss the cats out the door to save them. The fire department arrives (in what seems like forever), and four firefighters start to go through the room. They discover an unused wall receptacle has shorted and was just seconds away from igniting. In comes an electrician, followed by the fire inspector. The inspector tells us we need to have all our wiring checked in six weeks or we lose our house insurance and the house is considered unfit to live in. By the time I get to the surgery, I beg my doctor to put me under just to give me some rest. The next two weeks are filled with electricians checking all the wiring, running new circuits for the kitchen, installing new grounding plate and electric panel, all to the tune of over $4000. --the electrical fire has caused me to go completely paranoid. I'm scared to be in the house, and I'm scared to be away from it. I am not sleeping. When I go to have my stitches removed after 10 days, my doctor takes one look at me and decides it's time to start with some medication to help me relax. She smartly gives the prescription to Richie, knowing I'm took scared to take it. It takes a good month, but I'm finally getting comfy being in my house again. --good news--my moles were benign. June: --What I thought was going to be a super easy course has turned into a nightmare. My final exam is 14 questions long (all essay), and I'm given 10 days to write it. It takes all 10 days. The exam is 16 pages, typed, when completed. I pass, but my God, it was rough. --my dad gets word that the company he's worked for is shutting down permanently. He's offered a job in a city an hour south of my house, but he can't take it because mom really can't move in the shape she's in. Dad has no idea what he's going to do when the company closes in August, as he cannot afford mom's medication (which is in the thousands of dollars). --I'm given a CAT scan to see if I have any brain anomalies other than the ones we already know I have (hehee). I've been suffering migraines. Cause still unknown, treatment forthcoming (soon, I hope). --My mother falls ill with the flu and misses her monthly cancer treatment. This is a concern because you cannot go any longer than five weeks without it. Her bones are deteriorating despite the treatment, and it's harder than ever for her to move around. She finally gets the treatment, just at the last possible moment. --My grandmother is put in the hospital with pneumonia. She is sent home, though is still incapacitated. My grandfather spends most of his time in a quasi-catatonic state due to shell shock. The doctors want home care, meal deliveries, etc. and my uncle argues with my dad for a whole week over the care--my uncle still thinks my grandmother can still look after herself and my grandfather. My dad finally gets my uncle to see that they're too old to properly care for themselves and starts setting up home assistance. My dad finally falls ill because of the stress. --Just when I start getting my business website set up, I fall ill with the flu. I still have it. I tried to go see the fireworks on Canada Day and I think I coughed up a lung while I was on the waterfront. I'm still coughing--and sleep would be so nice right now. And that's why I've not been around.... Any one else had a fun time the past few months? Katse

So I'm thinking we should officially name this the "Shit Happens" thread. LOL

Hey Im just hoping for a better second half for everyone. On a positive note we have had new members to the site. Some of our members have new additions to their families. Katse is getting married and has a new career. I am sure we all have something positive to focus on. Ok I am hoping we all have here

Postive: Crackers is so far loving Karate camp. Wednesday, so we'll see. If he still loves it on Friday, we'll sign him up for lessons. And, he's starting to think that maybe peeing his pants is something he should do something about, rather than just something Mommy is on his case about. Hubby's got at least another two years before work changes cities. They just told him they'd forgotten to increase his years of service and he's earned an extra week of holidays (might use it on a course or on an adults-only trip, if my parents can be convinced to look after the kids for us). Rocket is her usual happy self; she survived the first-ever non-planned stitches in the househould better than I did. She's now mostly toilet-trained. Both kids ended swimming lessons willing to go for more. Chrackers ended the school year at or above grade level, despite the rough start. I just have to buy the buttons to finish last fall's knitting project and have two pieces waiting for me to incorporate the beta comments. The leak in the air conditioner was found in under an hour. The water softener guy will probably give the thing a tap in the right place and it'll be fixed. Mom got her colour of tiles for the sunroom. Dad got to put the tiles in the sunroom all by himself and feel all manly. The repairs made to the water system at the cottage seem to be holding. The weather has been so good that we haven't been able to sit in the boat house in the rain to trace the leak in the roof.

Yeah, that list of mine is pretty trivial, but it's all important to me. "Look for God in small things."

Okay positive stuff: I'm on summer break. I have a new yearbook company and the rep is female. I am getting a puppy on saturday! Bosco, the male scottie, is getting better ever since we changed vets.

I have a job, a good one. Not that I am earning anything yet. The Skyline work is doing well. The house (interior) is almost sorted

I'm hoping that I'm not signed up for the negative game. ^_^ I'll let one of ya'll win. Positives: I have a job, less than minimum wage, but it's for buying entertainment stuff alone! Wooo! My apartment stuff is all set up. No matter what's going on in my life, someone else is always having a tougher time (like, say, you guys ^_^). Anyways, to those of you having a tough time, my prayers and thoughts are with you.

I still have my job - the situation has been looking very flaky for over 2 years though and I will be very surprised if my job is still there in 6 months. Just been through a rocky patch with my spouse, but I think things are working out there now. And I've just seen the perfect job. Might get a bit hot in the heat of the summer, but I love sushi and part time work suits me. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4658703.stm

Mmmmmmm.....sushi....I love it too. There's a place we go to here that's all you can eat. Never thought I'd like the stuff and now can't get enough of it.

Positives: 1. Recently returned from a relaxing vacation at our cabin in Northern Wisconsin. Feel energized! 2. My sister is moving in with me at the end of the month. It is forcing me to clean out my second bedroom and get rid of junk. 3. I finally settled on an adoption agency for International adoption, although I decided to wait one more year before starting the process. 4. Lost 5 pounds (only 20 more to go!).

I think the negative cloud is over my head. The cold I had turned into laryngitis, then, bronchitis. The medication I'm put on is an inhaled powder, and despite gargling and rinsing my mouth, I now have a--get this--yeast infection in my throat!!! Which has caused me to get, once again, laryngitis. The wheel has come full circle! I can't help it, despite feeling crappy, it's still funny as hell. Katse

O_o ... You know...it's terrible...it's absolutely terrible...and yet...your laryngitis circle of life is hilarious. *shame* I am a terrible person.

Hoookay Elvin....I blame you for this one! Am I the only one with a picture of Simba standing on top of Pride Rock with a mike in hand, sun beam shooting a 'spotlight' and as he belts out a' la Elton John, he coughs up a big hairball?

No. no, no....thats Katse`s cats!

That so sucks for you Katse. On the lighter side of life, I did get the puppy yesterday. She's a cutie.

Okay out of that mess from an earlier post, the teaching license issue is cleared up. I GOT IT!!!!! Not only did they give me the extension, they gave me the full two years. So glad that is off my head.

Congratulations Stardust!

WTG on the teaching license Stardust I hope things have started to improve for you Katse. Though I saw your post earlier, just didn't know what to say that would not sound lame.

Congrats Stardust

Congratulations! Continuing on the positive side: My dad finally got a job! Woooooooooot! Ironically, it is also in the school system, though he's a techie, not a teacher. ^_^

Guess it's good news, in the long run. Can't say much without embarassing the kid. If in doubt, leave the detail out. I can always put it in later. Six months ago the doctor said my son's problem was behavioural, not medical. Now he says it's definitely medical (and all the likely conditions are easily fixable). Can't say that needing minor surgery is good, but it's better than thinking he was doing it to defy us! It'll change the way we deal with it, too. Much easier to be relaxed about something when we know it's not his fault, as opposed to being relaxed so we don't give attention to negative behaviour.