You know how they say your entire life flashes before your eyes before you die? Well, if I was dying and my entire life flashed before my eyes, a replay of December 1st, 2010 would seriously make me reconsider rescinding that do not resuscitate order.
I woke up late this morning – and it was downhill from there. Because I was dropping my pug, Jelly, off at the vet’s for her MRI, she was the only one who didn’t get breakfast this morning. And, boy, did she remind me – barking, whining, looking up at my with those big pleading bug-eyes as if to ask: “Why? What did I do? Why have you – and Nature’s Variety Beef Formula – forsaken me?”. I did my best to ignore her like a persistent panhandler or fellow producer Carl Binder suggesting we sit down to watch a producer’s edit. I loaded Jelly into the car, said goodbye to the rest of the gang who would be cooling their paws until lunch, and headed off –
And directly into a traffic jam. An early morning fire had shut down one of the city’s main streets, West Broadway, for two blocks in either direction. Interestingly – one might even go so far as to say “annoyingly” – motorists were denied access to the street but there were no signs directing them around the blockage. And so, I took a left, hoping to take my next right and run a parallel course to the one I’d planned, only to discover the next block was inaccessible as well, forcing me to take another left and travel down another two blocks before taking another right to travel twelve more blocks before taking a right and eventually finding my way back to civilization. Seriously. Would it have killed them to put up a simple Detour sign directing us to the quickest and most convenient way around the problem area? Time and again, it seem as thought Vancouver’s city planners plan for everything, except for the possibility that cars may be on their roads. They’re far too busy building cycling lanes in order to curry favor with the city’s powerful bike lobby.
I arrived at the vet clinic and dropped Jelly off. After showing remarkable improvement following a stem cell procedure to treat her hip dysplasia and arthritic shoulders and elbows, she has deteriorated significantly over the past week and a half, leading her vet to suggest we investigate other potential causes for her condition.
I then headed to work where I spent the greater part of the morning, sitting in my office impatiently waiting for a certain individual to join us so we could watch the Day 1 Mix of Deliverance (The second part of the mid-season two-parter. Last night’s episode, Resurgence, being the first. Ohhhh. So THAT’S how it turns out!). Eventually, about a half an hour before lunch, said individual informed us that he would not be joining us and to go ahead without him. So, we settled down and watched the music. The verdict? Music = awesome. Sound effects = are going to need some work. Not that they were bad; simply…wrong in so many ways, owing to the fact that they were all synced to temp visual effects. Time and again, a frustrated Paul would pause the episode to remark “Okay, that’ll be totally different.” or “That’s gonna change,” or “Pay no attention to that!”. Since we started so late, we took a break, then resumed after lunch, which allowed us to finish up well after the time I needed to head out and back into town for my dentist appointment.
I chipped a back tooth earlier this year (all that caramelized foie gras no doubt) and had gone in last week to get fitted for a crown. Four needles, an aching jaw, and a numbened tongue that I ended up biting three times and so ended swelling up painfully making it difficult to either chew or talk for days on end later, they had an impression of my back tooth and I had an appointment to go back and finish up the procedure. Unfortunately, it turns out the lab failed in their task of transforming my dental impression into a crown AND delivering it to my dentist. I’m not sure what the hell happened. Either they forgot, misplaced my file, lost my crown, or inadvertently shipped it to a loved one in Amsterdam along with a pair of hand-knit socks, an ugly Christmas sweater, and a ceramic scottie mug. It doesn’t matter really because, in the end, it amounted to the same thing for me. And so, four more needles, another aching jaw, and a second numbenened tongue that I will end up biting three more times so that it will swell up painfully making it difficult to either chew or talk for day on end later, they had a second impression of my back tooth and I had a second appointment to go back and finish up the procedure (tomorrow, unfortunately right before kick-off of the Texans-Eagles game I had planned to enjoy with friends).
Immediately following that appointment, I was in the car and driving all the way back to Burnaby to pick up Jelly and get the news on her MRI. But not before waiting another thirty minutes in the waiting room for the doctor to free up. So, here’s the deal with my gal: she’s got a disc extrusion, a disc rupture of the vertebrae, high up on her spinal cord (T11/T12/T13) which has seriously hampered her movement and made it impossible for her to walk, squat, pee, or poop in a dignified manner (well, as dignified as possible given that she is a pug). Left untreated, there are number of ways things can go: 1) With rest, her condition may improve with time, 2) Her condition will stabilize and she’ll have to accustom herself to these latest hardships, 3) Her condition continues to deteriorate and full paralysis sets in. Given the gradual turn in her physical condition, I don’t think #1 is even remotely likely. Faced with the latter two scenarios, I asked the doctor about possible treatment. Surgery is the other option, a two hour procedure that could go a number of ways: 1) It will improve her condition (and quality of life) to varying degree. 2) There will be no change in her condition, 3) The surgery will have the opposite effect and she may end up paralyzed. Oh, and there’s always 4) She doesn’t survive the surgery either owing to her advanced age, pug-related breathing issues, or other complications. And so, I’m faced with a big decision. Do I risk her life to attempt to improve her quality of life, or do I avoid the risk of surgery to run the risk of her succumbing to paralysis? Food for thought during my once highly anticipated Tokyo trip.
Oh, forgot to add – as I was receiving care instructions from the tech, Jelly, proceeded to relieve herself…while seated on my lap. It was pretty damn impressive volume. She must’ve been holding onto that all day.
Arrived home late tonight to discover that I’d misinterpreted the post-season scenario for the Stargate NFL Fantasy Football League and that, with Monday Night’s heartbreaking (and, apparently, hip-breaking) loss of Frank Gore, my Snow Monkeys were eliminated from playoff contention.
Would love to take refuge in a good book – if I could find one. More misses than hits of late (although I owe you guys a write-up on Joe Abercrombie’s greatest latest and am, thus far, very impressed with Art Spiegelman’s Maus) so I’ve taken steps to rectify the situation by stopping by my local bookshop on the way home from dinner and ice cream tonight…
Read any of the above? Recommendations? Warnings?
Apologies. I’ll be announcing the finalists of the “I Make the Best Whatever…” contest in tomorrow’s blog entry.
Promise.
[Addendum to tonight’s entry: I just went downstairs to check on my laundry and stepped in a huge puddle. Apparently, my washer is leaking.]
Dear Joe,
My prayers are for Jelly. I hope all will turn out well for that gal, she doesn’t deserve this hardship. I also would like to congratulate you on a verry fine episode, Resurgence. Liked it a lot .. cant wait for Paul’s eppy Deliverance.
Finally, Bon Voyage et Bon retour from Tokyo for I myself am traveling soon.. to Morocco…. Ever been there?
Hey Joe, all the best with Jelly.
It is a very hard decision and there is really no right or wrong way to go. It’s all about what you feel is best for Jel.
Unfortunately my wife (as a vet nurse) has to see people making that sort of decision every day. It’s never easy and every situation is different.
Good luck with it all.
Alan
Addendum to previous comment.
Is that a washing machine or a washer woman? If the latter I think you might have to have stern words with her!
Poor Joe! *huggles* What a NOT awesome day! 🙁 Not much I can say to help, I’m afraid, except that we’ve all been on the wrong end of life’s a** kickings.
LJ
P.S. Lovedlovedlovedloved Resurgence! LOVED!
Feel for you.
On books: Benioff turned me off big time. It’s a sequel (25th Hour) and for me really didn’t stand alone – I started it not realizing there was a previous book, then got the first book and read it between chapter 4 and 5-ish.
It read a bit too much like Tarentino and not enough like real Russian if that makes sense.
-2cents
Oh, wow. Damn. Why can’t we call a Mulligan on a day like that… *gentle cuddles* to Jelly, heartfelt sympathy to the guy who has to make the hard decisions.
Beth
Ah, Joe, what a bad day.
Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you
Sorry to hear about Jelly, its always difficult when a pet has problems, easpecially as they get older. I remember when my 12 year old cat Pete got sick, he disappeared for two days, then when he came back had trouble breathing and wouldnt move or eat.
I took him to the vet where they kept him in overnight for tests and such. Got a phone call in the morning, they had removed half a pint of fluid from his lungs and I should come in and see him as the prognosis wasn’t good. When I got there he didn’t even recognise me, was very sad and I had to make that big decision…
So I hope you can make Jelly happy and comfy because you sure do get attached to them…
Rich
Oooooooow…Joe… What did you do? Cut in front of some Gypsy in Traffic without signalling? Or, has Ashleigh been making Voodoo Dolls as Holiday Gifts…?
Tough choice with Jelly… If it’s a disc prob, she’s gotta be in a LOT of pain! I know from personal experience – and not even to the point of a rupture – that disc pain feels like a knife in there! And, considering her history, shy of outright having her put down [my sister went thru a similar situation last year], try the surgery… Who knows, it might work…
And, get a discount from your dentist!
Yikes,.,.,The quicker you can get to bed, the sooner today will be over! Hide under the covers with Jelly and maybe it will go away. (You have waterproof covers on the mattress, right?) 😀
Smiling w/ you, because I’ve been there with my dog. The whole spinal stenosis, incontinence, quality-of-life decisions ball of wax. Or is it a ball of tar? Ultimately, you know your Jelly grrrl – and yourself – better than anyone else. *gives Miss Jelly a smooch on the cheek* Don’t worry, honey. Daddy will take good care of you.
Joe, know that in our hearts we’re walking alongside you through all of this. You’re both in our prayers.
If it weren’t for the very real worries about Jelly, today would make a pretty good comedy, complete with pathos. Whenever I had a bad day like that, one thing going wrong after another…all day, it would begin to dawn on me what the deal was. “OK. I get it. I’m stuck in a sit-com and I can’t get out. Anything that happens from here on out is pure comedy.” And then I’d be waiting to laugh at whatever happened next, and it wouldn’t be so bad. And yes! A great book and ice cream are the perfect antidote. 🙂
Wow that was a bad day….Hugs
As to Jelly I have no idea what to suggest I have had pets and had to make the decision on 4 occasions always hard as what to do…
Kriss 🙂
Hey Joe,
Poor thing…you and Jelly. I am so sorry to hear of your “not so wonderful” day. *sad face*
These are the days that try us most. The Jelly thoughts are probably what made everything else seem so bad. I hope you like the attached. I read it every time I feel sad about an animal that I love or have loved.
http://www.mytammy.co.uk/printbridge.html
Japan is so close..but I am sure your thoughts will wander back to Jelly in those quiet moments. *Teddy Bear Hugs* for you both.
Best to you and Jelly,
Always,
Cheryl
Oh poor lil girl Jelly – give her a hug from me
I’m a big believer in signs and I think that the disaster in your travels and your dental situation relates to the decisions to what to do with Jelly.
I reckon leave her be without the surgery. It may just aggravate the situation. She looks a bit weak to handle it also.
Just try to make her as comfortable as possible.
Just my opinion .. xx
I’m so sorry to hear about your bad day. I could say that I had a bad day as well, but that doesn’t help you any, does it? Let me say instead that I feel for you, and hope that tommorrow is better. Maybe if you go take a good whack at the washer, it might help!
Hi Joe,
What does the name ‘Resurgence’?
Re: possible surgery for Jelly – what kind of track record do those vets have with that type of surgery, similar surgeries, and surgeries in general? Generally a positive turn-out? Perhaps the surgery is a good idea for Jelly. Of course they won’t tell you that there’s a general negative turn-out from the surgeries that they do, so it’d make sense to do some digging/research, asking around… then there’s figuring out how to find out who to ask. Ugh. Tricky situation. Whatever you decide, I wish the best for Jelly!
Sean D.
Sounds like you’ve been having a bad day or is that an understatement/overstatement?
Glad I’m not the only one. The pool got set on fire and we got locked in at the hospital for 15minutes after home time because of it – don’t ask me how, I don’t get it either. We only got to go after the fire trucks arrived and then, they moved very slowly. And then I’ve been told that I’m a failure but not quite so nicely – by a supervisor who doesn’t think I will manage at my next job. Talk about nice… perhaps not so bad as your day though.
I’d be worried about Jelly if I was going overseas… all the best, sir!
I’ve had days like that, Joe, and I agree with a previous poster–a great book and ice cream are the perfect antidote.
Hope things get better and I’m praying for Jelly.
Whatever you decide, I’m sure you will have her best interest at heart. Sending prayer vibes your way…..
Sorry about your day, Joe. I hope today is much better on all fronts.
Having owned my share of older dogs (and even a younger dog who developed cancer), I can empathize with your situation with Jelly. From my own experience, I can say that often it is the dog who will let you know — in some way — what is best. 🙂
Tough decision for you in regards to your dog.
Personally I would risk the surgery, I think its a very human-centric position to place so much value on simply living whereas a dog is living in the moment and is surely more concerned about their immediate happiness.
If the unthinkable happens and she doesn’t make it through the surgery I still think you can be sure you did the right thing and despite losing a friend the inevitable hardship she would have to live with is the greater evil.
Whatever you decide I hope it all works out.
Here’s hoping today doesn’t turn out like this.
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/05/sneaky-hate-spiral.html
It’s seems that destiny had originally 3 Shuttles based on the picture bellow! Although the crew only found two of them, So will we ever know what happen to the missing one if no, have you some theory about that ?
http://data.imagup.com/5/1105613643.png
“…as I was receiving care instructions from the tech, Jelly, proceeded to relieve herself…while seated on my lap.”
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/nelson.jpg
😀
Okay, now that I got that out of my system, it’s really all I can laugh about. You had a seriously lousy day. Lousy, and, I’m sure, a bit emotional. Dealing with pet health issues can be so stressful, heartbreaking, even. It’s a gamble, either way. Jelly can’t tell you what she wants, and – if you’re anything like me – you fear living with the guilt if you make the wrong decision. Whatever you decide to do, we all know that you’ve been one hell of a doggy daddy, always wanting the best for your babies. I think in their own furry way, they know that, too.
The washing machine thing: We had a similar problem a few years ago. Had the pump replaced, and all has been well since. For us, it was worth the $150 bucks for parts and labor – better than going out and buying a new machine, or worse, a new washer and dryer pair. Not sure if that’s your problem (you might have a leaky barrel, or loose hose, or something else), but – depending on age – a service call may be better than shopping for new appliances right now. Your call, of course.
I can’t really suggest any reading material. If you’re not into this Preston/Child Pendergast series I’m reading, the only other things I’ve heard about lately are The Passage, by Justin Cronin (a vampire story I keep asking if you’ve heard about, but you haven’t said), and a graphic novel series that I’m getting this week – Planetary, by Warren Ellis.
Have you read Planetary? Here’s a quickiwiki:
Planetary is an organization billing themselves as “Archaeologists of the Impossible”, tracking down the world’s secret history. Funded by the mysterious Fourth Man, who it is said could be anyone from Bill Gates to Adolf Hitler, the field team consists of three superhumans: Jakita Wagner, who is strong, fast and nearly invulnerable; The Drummer, who can detect and manipulate nearby information streams, most commonly used to manipulate computers and other electronics; the new recruit Elijah Snow, who can extract heat from nearby substances at will, freezing them; and the former third man Ambrose Chase, who has a “selective physics-distortion field”.
The series is set in the Wildstorm Universe…Planetary rarely crosses over with other Wildstorm series, although references are made to characters in other series, such as Henry Bendix from Stormwatch.
Planetary’s field team travels the world investigating strange phenomena: monsters and other beings, unusual relics, other superhumans, and powerful secrets which certain individuals are trying to keep hidden from the rest of the world. Their purpose in doing this is partly curiosity, and partly to use what they learn for the betterment of mankind. There are, however, groups who oppose their goals, and the organization has a substantial history which is gradually revealed during the series.
Since I’m reading books right now that are very heavy on archaeology, I figured Planetary would be a good fit. I’ve heard nothing but praise for the series, some even comparing it to The Watchmen in quality.
So, that’s my recommendation. All the issues are collected in trade paperback now, and my comic book guy is sending all 4 volumes my way this week. I’ll let you know what I think of the story once I’m done.
In the meantime, I’m still indulging in Pendergast. 🙂 He hasn’t done anything too weird lately. The book I’m reading now is especially fun for me because it’s dealing with Indian burial mounds and Native American history. Some facts, of course, are changed for the story, but they’re a fairly accurate reflection of the sorts of things that were done to the native peoples of this country. Native American history was my first real obsession (you canNOT count my crush on Speed Racer and David Cassidy!). Here’s a VERY old piccie of me at a costume party, many moons ago: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/dasindian.jpg
I look NOTHING like that now. 😛 Hell, I even had a neck back then!
ANYhoo…
Here’s a picture I drew back in high school. Fun fact: Many tribes found facial hair unattractive, so they plucked it all out – including eyebrows. Might explain my thing for the eyebrow-challenged Wraith… 😛
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/Cheyenne.jpg
Joe – please take care, and I hope life treats you a bit better today. {{{hugs}}}
das
Man, that IS a bad day. Hope today is better and makes up for it.
I’m late to the party. I’ve been battling a stomach virus for the last week or so. I missed Thanksgiving, and missed the food entry because let’s face it: food was the furthest thing from my mind. Hopefully you’ll hold another. =)
I wanted to say how great and powerful the scene was between Chloe and Greer in Visitation. Great. Just great!
Oh, Joe. All my best to Jelly. I am sure you will do the best you can for her.
I’m on week three? of my temp crown. My BIL makes gold crowns and we think he went on vacation.
Joe, it’s horrible when pets get old. Although our Lucy is doing well, shes a nearly 14 year old Springer Spaniel and our most recent trip to the vet saw the vet saying “well, normally we might recommend you book your dog in for her teeth to be looked at since there’s some decay in the back – but she’s an old dog and probably wouldn’t survive the anesthetic”.
I’ve always thought that if your aged pet enjoys their food, walks and isn’t in any obvious pain that’s good – money’s no object where a member of the family (like I’m sure Jelly is) is concerned and if the chances are good, I’d pay anything for my pets.
All the best: I can’t imagine how this is cutting you up when you think of Jelly 🙁
*cyber hugs, Joe!*
That sounds like the absolute suckiest day ever and I hope you never see another like it. But even with the dentist, the major amount of my sympathy goes to Jelly. In dealing with my own Spine of Doom, the mad scientists are now up to spinal injections. They won’t fix the problem but will help in coping with the problem. Is there something like that available for dogs?
All the best, to you both!
I thought I had a bad Wednesday; I felt better after talking with my sis and we both agree that some people just suck, but that we don’t have to let them drag us down.
But after having a fantastically bad day and a good chat with my sis I was then able to watch Visitation and Resurgence; explosions! Crazy Caine! Living dead! B.A.G.! Varro and “Tamara”! And freakin’ fabulous LDP! I’m still smiling about it, so even if you’ve had a bad time lately please know that you help to make our days better with great a great show like SGU.
During this season I’ve grown to like and respect Greer and Rush. And David Blue continues to kick it out of the park like a sober Jeff Reed week after week. The eps have been fanastic and when the screen goes black at the end I’m always left at the edge of my seat wanting more, so thanks to the cast and crew, to Joe and to Jelly and the pug gang for sharing Joe with the world.
Hey Joe, Sorry to hear about Jelly and the day you had. My brother actually had to put down his golden retriever a few months ago due to bone cancer in his back leg. Toughest decision he had to make. But I hope Jelly is able to get better and not worse.
I hope things work out all right for Jelly.
I’m so sorry that you had such a sucky day, Joe.
On the book front: a friend of mine read The Passage and loved it. I picked up a copy but haven’t read it yet.
On the dog front: Many moons ago I had a dachshund that had back issues. She blew out several discs during her long life and completely recovered from all of them without surgery.
I’ll give my two cents worth and then shut my mouth except for expressions of sympathy and support:
1. Look objectively about how Jelly is doing – is the weakness getting worse or is she stable?
2. If she’s stable, she needs time for the disc to resorb and healing to take place. So it’s good that you are going to Japan and will be away for a couple of weeks, because there is nothing you can do for now except wait.
3. Reassess the situation when you get back.
@das: I started on Still Life with Crows. I got a real kick out of the scene you posted the other day. And I’m loving his interactions with Goth Girl!
Um, hey, guess I take the opportunity to post here the first time 🙂
I’ve been reading your blog for a little time now, so well, here I go and first of all I would like to say:
Oh man! That sounds like some crappy day. Well, if it comes down, then usually everything possible comes down together.
About the decision making. Well, I am not a dog owner, but having experience with horses (I know.. it’s a huge difference) I usually like to point out to people who are or were in your position to let nature take it’s course. It’s usually not in any way satisfying to do “nothing” and just wait, but there is a limit to which “things” can be fixed and especially in the case of animals the age is a very important factor. This is my personal opinion based on some experience and I know of course I can not really judge your situation based on the lack of knowledge, so I just hope you will find a solution to your and your dogs situation that will be satisfying. I wish you the best of luck, you’ll get through this, I’m sure.
And I would like to add, that I’m extremely thankful of you for sharing your time with us strangers, fan or not.
I have been a fan of Stargate since I was 12 and was even able to visit the set at the age of 15, gosh, what a day! I had the huge luck to meet Brad Turner and his wife and they brought me along. It was awesome and at this point I just want to humbly thank you for so many years of hard work. Maybe this is not the right place to write something like this and I certainly would like to say this face to face. But I think you need some cheering here so maybe, if only a little, this will put a friendly face on your next day 🙂
I have also watched Stargate Atlantis to some point and while it did not convince me as much as SG1, it was still a great show. The difference for me was just simply the lack of reality that SG1 put on. If I had to be specific I’d say it was the looks of the Wraithdesign to some degree but also something like Mc Kay hacking a Wraith ship and making it immobile by some kind of virus.
Maybe the show wasn’t as much appealing as SG1 for my personal matters, it still kept me going until the end and I still enjoyed the show a lot! I was also very saddened to hear that it ended so soon.
Watch out! I’m still not finished 😉
I started with Universe a while after it first aired. Simply because I live in Germany and because I started my studies at university while the choice of the course, by the way, was greatly influenced by your first show, ha, ha. *blush*
Anyway I must say I was greatly disappointed after the first 2 or so episodes. I didn’t know what to make of all of this. A show with lots of characters a very cool opening and cool initiatives, but it seemed as if there was nothing but a huge soap going on. I don’t know why, but you did your job well, because somehow the show kept me going and I watched every episode up until now. At the end of the first season I was pretty much torn.
The first impression had lacked everything that I had expected, but the story kept going “upwards”. So what do you do? Well you keep watching in the hopes of getting behind the writers heads, see where they want to take you, because you think: “they haven’t disappointed you in so many years… there must be something!”
And I kept going and I just loved how you left Rush behind on the planet, the threat and the character that Kiva brought to the show. How the chair works, the infection of Chloe and even the character development that every fan of SG1 and SGA has to admit has always been on short. And there are so many more moments to name which where just so cool.
I am seriously a huuuuuuge fan of Colonel Jung, the character and the actors choice of play. It just fits and that is the best compliment I can make. Because it means the actor is awesome and the writer have thought of a character that is just plain cool!
Maybe I can sum this up like this:
“The day you brought “Sci-fi” to show, was the day the show turned into something I WANT to watch and not miss”.
For me this story has even more potential than SGA, maybe because of my taste of more realistic stories, with appealing characters and lots of scientific blabber. xD
Of course I can only speak for myself, but I think there are a lot of “old” fans that feel the same way and I hope this way to long comment gets your mood up a bit, because in the past years you have not only made long running shows with a huge fan community, but because you made three shows of which 1 was a huge success and the second was very good too in many ways and NOW your currently making a new show, completely different in it’s own way, that has already stunned people all over the world.
And you should take huge pride in that!
Which is also why i find it plain awesome that you continue this blog despite the nagging kids who don’t like the show and tell us all these stories of your everyday life. Us, who you don’t even know.
So THANK YOU!
While these are just two words, I hope they give you a glimpse of what we owe you…
And I sincerely hope that all your problems will solve with terrific outcome, for you and your family, human or not 😉
So best wishes from Germany!
Birdy
PS: umm sorry for my English, I know it turned kinda rusty over the past few years..
>_<
I am sorry about your terrible day. As for Jelly, they always give the worse possible outcomes… but for what it’s worth, I would risk the surgery for a chance of pain relief and better quality life and accept the risk of her dying peacefully in order to get that chance. Ten yrs ago anesthesia was far riskier, but deaths from it even with highly sensitive dogs is so much less now. They just tell you that because it CAN happen.
*huggles Joe for the tough day*
*huggles Joe again for the difficult choice to make*
*huggles Jelly for being just the darnest, cutest pug on the planet… and for soldiering on so well despite health issues*
*sends positive healing vibes to you both*
Joey, I just re-read my post…and I’m thinking that I may have already asked you about Planetary. If so, forgive the repeat – sometimes I forget what I have said and where I said it. 😛
Also, am I to understand you wrote Resurgence? I can’t remember, and I’m too
lazybusy to go check GW. If you did, then maybe that’s why I actually noticed the humorous bits. You do have a way with the funny. 🙂 Also, Telford riding in like the freakin’ cavalry? That was awesome! 😀das
Hello Joe.
Sorry to hear about Jelly. It is difficult: you want to do what is best for her, but it is impossible to not think about yourself and what you would be going through if the worst happened during procedure. However it sounds like a catch 22 because while she could get better on her own, there is also a chance for paralysis. Wow. Tough call. That would drive me crazy too. You and Jelly are in my prayers. I hope she pulls through this okay.
Best wishes,
Bryan
Hello Joseph, we are with you ! the all fan of Stargate ! (k)
I have any question :
if sgu is canceled (I cross my finger for a season 3), shall we have a end ? TVmovie ? little season 3 ? something ?
Thanks you Joe ” et courage ! “.
((((( Jelly and Joe )))))
Getting old is the pits. And it’s even worse to watch a pet entering it’s senior years and all the ailments that go along with it. When my dog was still here I gave her many antioxidants and anti-inflamatories and had her lose weight. This greatly improved her hip movement and flexibility. IMO, surgery should be the last resort for older dogs. But I wish you the best with this tough decision and my thoughts and prayers go out for Jelly.
How about a doggy massage, or warm baths for her back side, and maybe while you are at it get yourself a massage too, couldn’t hurt. well unless you get the deep tissue one, which you might not want to try…
Has any of it had to do with the crap, sn** weather?
Hope you have a wonderful doggy sitter and change your pants man. Big hugs for Jelly baby. 🙂
Sorry about Jelly & yourself. Hope for better & best decision.
DD
Hello, a long forgotten question just popped into mind after re-watching Children of the Gods final cut: Does it matter in what order you dial the 1st 6 symbols on a gate? Late I know, but it’s something that’s always puzzled me. Makes the address a *lot* easier to remember if it doesn’t.
Sorry to hear about your crappy day Joe,
I hope you have better days ahead.
Here’s a bit of insight into a somewhat similar dog situation. Our eldest dog Asja (a 13 year old Yorkshire Terrier) also has a life threatening disease, Not sure how to translate it into english but an operation could very well prove fatal. So we decided while it’s not yet visible that she’s actually in pain we leave her be, But if it gets worse (Like if she stops eating and starts lying down every few steps or so) we’d rather she’d be put to sleep than to have her walk around the house in constant pain.
Luckily she doesn’t show much to any symptoms of pain yet, Although jumping on the couch has become a difficult task for her these days.
I guess what I’m saying is, If Jelly still looks pretty healthy I’d say leave her be, But if she starts noticably deteriorating I’d advise you to put a stop to her pain even though I know it’s 1 of the hardest things to do (Believe me I’ve had to make that final trip to the vet with a few of my earlier dogs before)
Just don’t let her suffer, If it’s her time then it’d be more humane to prevent her from suffering. I mean, Would you want your loved ones to keep you alive on a machine when there’d be no more chance for you to get better?
Sometimes the right decision isn’t always the most pleasant one.
Kind regards,
Angelus
P.S I hope this message makes sense due to my somewhat limited english vocabulary.
Dear Joe here’s hoping that you dont have another bad for a while yet *raises tea mug – it’s breakfast as I read this*.
I hope Jelly will be okay. It’s never easy making decisions about a beloved pet. (((hugs)))
Marian
Hey Joe,
So sorry to hear about Jelly. The both of you are in my thoughts and prayers. All the best, Hugs.
Oh geez, not what any of us wanted to hear re Jelly. I’d say that I have to agree with @Gary and @Debra. If you went ahead with the surgery, you’d have to prepare for the worst, but if she came out of it ok, it would definitely be worth it. Hell, I don’t know. When Elway had his surgery back in April, his chances were slim, at best. We had an aspirate of his spleen done, but for all intents and purposes, the vets didn’t give me any hope (prior to getting the results back). One of my vets works at UF and knows me and Elway very well, and suggested we put him down the next day because either he wouldn’t make it through the surgery because of his epilepsy and his age or his spleen would rupture without the surgery. Everybody was sure he had cancer. I took him out for a huge steak and ice cream that night and was just trying to keep it together for him. You know how it turned out, so we were lucky. That said, when he went into surgery, I couldn’t concentrate on anything until it was over, and I had prepared myself (whatever that means) for the worst. In my humble opinion, having gone through all this, I’d say to give Jelly a chance with the surgery. Miracles DO happen. If, G-d forbid, you lose her, at least you will always know you did everything you could for her. If you decide not to have the surgery, I know she will be loved and cared for, and in the end, that’s all you can do. Lots of love to both of you 🙂
So sad to hear about Jelly. I know from experience how hard those decisions can be. I hope you come to the right decision in the end for both of you.
Sorry to hear about your awful day, Joe. Hopefully the upside is all that suckage was compressed into one day so it might be over for a while. Sad to hear about Jelly’s condition. Only you (and her) will really know what is the right thing to do. Go with your feelings and good luck to both of you.
Dammit, Joe. You did it again. Joe Abercrombie’s new book won’t be released until February – and you got a pre-release copy while the rest of us plebians have to wait. No fair. Anyway the review sounds interesting and I’ll look forward to hearing what you thought of it. I like the characters from the First Law books.
In regards to Christopher Moore’s “Fluke”, it was actually my least favorite of his novels. So much so that I have never bothered to finish it. In its place I suggest “The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror” also by Moore.
Something all men love, just to cheer you up, Joey – BOOBIES!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/boobies.jpg
😀
das
I didn’t really like A Spot of Bother – it made me feel weird. Maybe you should just watch some anime instead.. 🙂
Poor poochie. 🙁
There are times when the Universe saves up all the crappy-arse stuff, walks up to you like an old friend, taps you on the shoulder and as you turn around, surprises you with a big kick in the jats crackers. Then when you’re down and clutching your manhood, sticks a boot in your kidneys. May even kick some dust over you as a parting gesture.
The decision now is what to do when you get back up…
It sucks having stressful thoughts to process while away on a holiday, but maybe you’ll find a nice place away from the frantic pace of Tokyo and get a chance to have some alone thought time. Filter out some of the peripheral annoyances that have been rolling around in your head and focus on a big decision that, without a doubt, would be consuming your thoughts.
As your eldest, how did Jelly come to be the first addition of the Mallozzi clan?
Take care Joe.
See, you don’t have to be an SGU-hater to come up with a crappy analogy 😉
Oh Joe, sorry about Jelly’s condition. I know whatever you decide to do will be the right decision. One very good thing you mentioned was Jelly’s appetite. Seems to me as long as she feels good enough to want to eat, she has not given up. This is the part about having a dog that made me wait threes years before getting another one. Don’t you wish they could talk! I’ll keep Jelly Belly in my thoughts and you in my prayers. You’re a great dog dad.
Good one, das.
I am very sorry to hear about Jelly. 🙁 I know I shouldn’t have favorites, but she is mine. Hugs to you both.
Hey Joe
Hope your Thursday went better than your Wednesday.
Elminster
Sorry to be an heartless bastard , but it might be time to put jelly out of her misery. For your own good and hers.
remember when Sheppard shoots Col. Sumner in the heart. same type of deal here except jelly look worst and she lasted 13 seasons 😉
13 X 7 = 91 in dog years , the poor gal is trying to put on her best show , but it show she suffer more pain then enjoy pleasure at this point.
again sorry
Poor Joe. Looks like you need a hug. 🙂 Well…when you’re on the bottom, all can do is look up. 😉
Awwww….Jelly! Such a pretty baby girl! 😀 Poor girl. Looks like she’s had “rufff” day too as well. She’ll be in prayers. 🙂
I hope Jelly gets better soon. I my Christmas list is short. Season 3,4,5,6….. of SGU. Thanks Santa.
@Moulinneuf: No kidding you’re a heartless bastard. Jelly’s nowhere near that yet. Obviously, you’ve never loved an animal the way Joe does. As to your analogy, it’s been a long time since I read something so inane.
Hello Joe.
Another late entry?!?!? Hope today was a better day. The best way that I find to cope w/ difficult days is to curl up w/ pint of ice cream. (I know not the most productive way to deal w/ stress)
Failing that, I find that a nice drive with Bon Jovi on the CD player always clears my mind. Or, I remind myself that no matter how good I think I am, I will NEVER shoot under 50 on the front nine at my local golf course. Compared to that challenge, anything else life throws at me is a breeze.
That said, I hope today was a better day, and that Jelly saw some improvements. Please do me a favor and give her a big hug for us all.
By the way, changing the subject to happier news (hopefully…): I saw on Yahoo.com today and MGM worked out it’s bankruptcy arrangements and will now be able to begin production on several dormant projects including Bond and The Hobbit. Any word on how this effects Season 3/movies?
Best Wishes,
Bryan
Hi Joseph,
As viewer of your SG shows, it was the first time that I read your blog (discovered thru GEOS and GateWorld) I am reading past posts to learn more about the process of the show and future chapters.
Therefore I’m writing this little letter to desire my best wishes for Jelly. I also have a pug called Sora (4y) and I put myself in your situation to know what I would do. In those 4 years our life has changed so much with her endless love and night’s snores, so I am sure that it’s a real hard family problem.
I hope that her med situation improve soon (with pain killers drugs or other quirurgical process if needed) and recover to get lots of hugs and kisses as they do with us. I am really showed after see how is walking and how much pain she’s suffering.
Other time, my best wishes, one Spanish fan.
Alvaro
Joseph,
Just so you know, I am following your blog. Looks like all is going well so far…ie. you haven’t had to ditch Ivon yet. Look forward to reading about more gastronomical adventures…and don’t forget you promised to review a veggie restaurant.
Phantom (aka Lisa)