Just quarantine us now and be done with it...

First, I was sick. Then, Ethan got a cold, an ear infection and popped about eleventy billion teeth in a matter of days. Very pleasant. Husband came next, with a severe case of whininess and apparent rapid-onset ebola. That seemed to last for.e.ver. But it all passed and I thought we were in the clear...

Until the cat started puking. Over and over and over again. And in my "cats are family, too!!" frenzy, I proceeded to spend $600 in veterinarian bills to find out that she had a stomach bug and needs to eat bland food (which cost me another $10) and take an oral medication by syringe (which cost me another $20) for the next 5 days.

Now, before you write me off as a total loon (if you haven't already at some point during the past 2 years), you should know that this kitty, Abby, was *supposed* to die four years ago. She was diagnosed with kidney failure and I was told that daily IV drugs and/or a kidney transplant was our only hope of saving her life. Without these measures, she might have a few weeks. Considering I was living on a teacher's salary and had already spent upwards of $700 just getting the diagnosis (twice, from different doctors), I felt my hands were tied and I took my little girl home, prepared to make her as comfortable as possible for as long as possible and then let her go.

Days stretched into weeks and so forth until here we are at today. Not only did she not die, she continued to be her happy little kitty self--chasing toys and insisting on following me from room to room, being under foot, all the freaking time. There was no sign of any illness or weakening of her will to live or anything like that. She spent every day of my bedrest (barring the 14 days I was hospitalized in March), curled up in bed next to me, purring the ecstatic purr of a kitty who has exactly what she wants in life. So I got complacent and let myself forget that any tests had ever come back as less than perfect. After more than a decade with her, I've gotten a smidgen attached, you know?

So when she started throwing up this week, I assumed it was time. And it was worth every penny of the $600 to find out that it's not time....yet.

But jeeez! Enough with the bubble o' germs that is following my family around! I think we all just need to pack up, kitties and all, and go sit on the beach on some tropical island.