It turns out that curiosity is not what killed the cat, at least not this time. Though it might not have been too surprising if it had, given this cat’s lack of common sense and his kitten-like sense of adventure.
Instead, one recent Saturday afternoon Buddy was instantly paralyzed right before our eyes. He panicked and ran down two flights of stairs dragging his motionless back half behind him. He was almost five years old and seemed to be completely healthy up to that moment.
While the kids tended to him I tried to think of the name of our vet. We hadn’t been there recently and the number I found in the Yellow Pages turned out to no longer be valid. I called two other local vets. Both happened to be closed at 3pm on Saturday, but both in their messages gave instructions go to our local emergency vet, VCA Aurora Animal Hospital.
Last time my family had used an emergency vet was several years ago and we’d had to drive to Lisle late one night. This time I found that we have an excellent facility conveniently located on the west side of Aurora. I called them right away and they said I didn’t need an appointment and should bring the cat right away. It was sadly easy getting Buddy into the cat carrier for the drive. He was terrified and I would have liked to let my daughter hold him for the drive but I didn’t feel it was safe to have him loose.
Because of Buddy’s ragged breathing he was instantly taken for treatment while I was left to fill out forms. After he was stabilized my daughter and I were brought to a room where the vet told us that Buddy had most likely suffered an embolism, a blood clot that blocked all blood flow to his back half. He told us what treatment could be attempted and about his chances for survival. We were given detailed information about the costs and choices involved.
The numbers were not good. However, Buddy was a part of our family, he was young and full of life and had arrived at the clinic a half hour after becoming paralyzed. I couldn’t give up on him that easily. The vet was soft-spoken and honest with us. We held our kitty for a few minutes before sending him for treatment. I figured I had at very least bought both time and hope. We made plans for the following morning when we’d know whether or not the treatment was working and would possibly need to make a decision about his life.
This cat was the most obnoxious, most annoying, and one of the most affectionate cats I’ve ever had. He was always somewhere he shouldn’t be, or doing something he’d been repeatedly stopped from doing, even right in front of us. He was a very friendly pet who would follow me around constantly, could be found in my lap anytime possible, and had an uncanny knack of curling up for a nap wherever I was going to sit next. He was always anxious for attention and would greet people at the door and hang out wherever he could get some company.
Pets bring so much joy into our lives and yet their loss gives us so much pain.
Buddy died a mere six hours after the first symptom occurred and while we were rushing to get there in time to see him one last time. I am still in disbelief that he is not here now in my lap interrupting my typing, not climbing on the back of my computer chair or lying on top of my scanner or getting into any other sort of trouble. Our hearts are broken. Our older cat cannot know what’s happened or whether his pal will be returning.
I’ve lost pets before, and I know the pain fades, and I know it is not nearly the same as losing a human family member. However, daily life changes when a member of your household dies, but when it’s only a pet you are expected to continue on as if all is normal. We thought we had many more years with this young pet. The only good that will come from this is that we will be able to provide a home for yet another cat waiting for a family.
For emergency care when referred by your vet or if your vet’s office is closed, check out VCA Aurora Animal Hospital, on the south side of Galena Blvd. just west of Orchard Rd. No appointment is necessary during their emergency service hours and there is no need to call ahead. See VCAAurora.com for more information.
The people there were very caring with us and our pet and they are a top notch animal medical facility. In addition to critical care for pets they are well-equipped with the necessary technology and offer a wide range of specialty services. The clinic is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association.
My family appreciates the staff’s kindness and compassion during that Saturday and the thoughtful handwritten sympathy card received from them a few days later.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
2009-10-12 WVHS Orchestra NYC Trip
(published months later than expected...)
District 204’s music program gives music student the opportunity to travel twice during their high school years. Usually one domestic and one international trip is offered during each four year period for each of band, orchestra, and chorus. Students who are able to take advantage of this wind up with an unforgettable experience with their friends and teachers. Chaperones are required for the trips to happen, and they are rewarded with a memorable experience as well.
Sixty-five teenagers, fourteen adults, two buses, hundreds of miles, five days of spring break 2009 in New York City, thousands of photos – it all added up to a wonderful trip! I think the adults could have done without the two nights of sleeping on the bus, but the hotel where we stayed in New Jersey was very nice and our time spent in the huge and bustling Big Apple was incredible.
This was my second trip chaperoning Waubonsie Valley orchestra students, and the teens again showed themselves to be fantastic ambassadors for our school. Many of us had not visited New York City before. We were enthralled Monday morning by the sight of the Statue of Liberty as we neared it while freezing on top of the ferry, and then were surprised to be given the chance to walk around the island and get even closer. Next we visited Ellis Island, then took the ferry back to Manhattan and walked to Wall Street .
At St. Paul’s Chapel we walked somberly past the September 11 memorials and historical markers such as George Washington’s pew. The next block over is Ground Zero, enclosed now so we couldn’t even get a glimpse the big hole in the ground. Dinner in Little Italy was followed by some interesting shopping in that area and in neighboring Chinatown. Rehearsal that first evening in the hotel was marred when one student set his violin on the floor and it was accidentally stepped on and broken into two pieces by another student.
Tuesday morning began with a tour of Carnegie Hall, an absolutely gorgeous building with an interesting history, followed by lunch in the Trump Tower. The students played a beautiful concert in the Madison Avenue Sculpture Garden (formerly the IBM atrium). This was an unusual setting in a large enclosed area with birds flying around and people walking through the building. The student orchestra played Tocatta by Frescobaldi, Concerto Grosso by Corelli, The Godfather, Hoedown by Copland, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, and Sentimental Sariband. They were directed by Mr. Mark Liu, Mr. Will Burck, and Mrs. Deborah Schmaltz.
Next we visited the United Nations where we had guided tours and observed the UN in session. We rode the buses over to Broadway where we were given a mere 45 minutes to explore Broadway from 42nd to 48th. Times Square was an amazing sight! We walked up and down the whole way but barely had time to take in the huge Toys R Us, the chocolate stores, the statue of George M. Cohan, the unusual looking police station, the bright lights, the signs everywhere, the theaters, wow! After dinner at Planet Hollywood we walked to The Palace Theatre in the next block to see West Side Story. Some of the students on this trip performed in the pit orchestra for Waubonsie Valley’s performance of West Side Story May 7-10.
Wednesday we went on a multi-ethnic eating tour in which we walked all morning and tried a variety of foods while learning about the areas we visited and related history. After lunch in Little Italy and Chinatown the students had a clinic with a musician while we chaperones had two free hours to roam the area. During this time a few of us saw the Flatiron Building and we ran into Chris March from Project Runway. We managed to see many remarkable sights during our free time. Dinner was at a restaurant in the basement of the Empire State Building. We knew that Yo-Yo Ma had played in Carnegie Hall the prior evening so Mr. Liu was very excited when some of the students came running with the news that Yo-Yo Ma was signing autographs upstairs. How disappointed he was to find out it was only an April Fool’s joke.
Later I read that on a clear day one can see great distances and many states from atop the Empire State Building. This was not our experience. We were there on a very cloudy, windy, and rainy evening. It was so cloudy that we could only see about a block away. It was so windy that people’s umbrellas turned inside out and their hair blew straight out. We did not have to wait in any line to go up top because no one in their right mind would pay to go up in that kind of weather!
Thursday morning we packed up and headed into the city for the last time. We had a short time to tour the American Museum of Natural History and then saw an IMAX movie that had too much repetition in it and put many of the audience to sleep.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day, sunny and warm. We took a walk into Central Park where we saw Strawberry Fields after walking past the building where John Lennon had lived. We toured the Lincoln Center buildings which house the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic. After dinner we returned to spend an evening enjoying a performance of the New York Philharmonic.
We arrived home Friday afternoon exhausted and full of incredible memories.
District 204’s music program gives music student the opportunity to travel twice during their high school years. Usually one domestic and one international trip is offered during each four year period for each of band, orchestra, and chorus. Students who are able to take advantage of this wind up with an unforgettable experience with their friends and teachers. Chaperones are required for the trips to happen, and they are rewarded with a memorable experience as well.
Sixty-five teenagers, fourteen adults, two buses, hundreds of miles, five days of spring break 2009 in New York City, thousands of photos – it all added up to a wonderful trip! I think the adults could have done without the two nights of sleeping on the bus, but the hotel where we stayed in New Jersey was very nice and our time spent in the huge and bustling Big Apple was incredible.
This was my second trip chaperoning Waubonsie Valley orchestra students, and the teens again showed themselves to be fantastic ambassadors for our school. Many of us had not visited New York City before. We were enthralled Monday morning by the sight of the Statue of Liberty as we neared it while freezing on top of the ferry, and then were surprised to be given the chance to walk around the island and get even closer. Next we visited Ellis Island, then took the ferry back to Manhattan and walked to Wall Street .
At St. Paul’s Chapel we walked somberly past the September 11 memorials and historical markers such as George Washington’s pew. The next block over is Ground Zero, enclosed now so we couldn’t even get a glimpse the big hole in the ground. Dinner in Little Italy was followed by some interesting shopping in that area and in neighboring Chinatown. Rehearsal that first evening in the hotel was marred when one student set his violin on the floor and it was accidentally stepped on and broken into two pieces by another student.
Tuesday morning began with a tour of Carnegie Hall, an absolutely gorgeous building with an interesting history, followed by lunch in the Trump Tower. The students played a beautiful concert in the Madison Avenue Sculpture Garden (formerly the IBM atrium). This was an unusual setting in a large enclosed area with birds flying around and people walking through the building. The student orchestra played Tocatta by Frescobaldi, Concerto Grosso by Corelli, The Godfather, Hoedown by Copland, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, and Sentimental Sariband. They were directed by Mr. Mark Liu, Mr. Will Burck, and Mrs. Deborah Schmaltz.
Next we visited the United Nations where we had guided tours and observed the UN in session. We rode the buses over to Broadway where we were given a mere 45 minutes to explore Broadway from 42nd to 48th. Times Square was an amazing sight! We walked up and down the whole way but barely had time to take in the huge Toys R Us, the chocolate stores, the statue of George M. Cohan, the unusual looking police station, the bright lights, the signs everywhere, the theaters, wow! After dinner at Planet Hollywood we walked to The Palace Theatre in the next block to see West Side Story. Some of the students on this trip performed in the pit orchestra for Waubonsie Valley’s performance of West Side Story May 7-10.
Wednesday we went on a multi-ethnic eating tour in which we walked all morning and tried a variety of foods while learning about the areas we visited and related history. After lunch in Little Italy and Chinatown the students had a clinic with a musician while we chaperones had two free hours to roam the area. During this time a few of us saw the Flatiron Building and we ran into Chris March from Project Runway. We managed to see many remarkable sights during our free time. Dinner was at a restaurant in the basement of the Empire State Building. We knew that Yo-Yo Ma had played in Carnegie Hall the prior evening so Mr. Liu was very excited when some of the students came running with the news that Yo-Yo Ma was signing autographs upstairs. How disappointed he was to find out it was only an April Fool’s joke.
Later I read that on a clear day one can see great distances and many states from atop the Empire State Building. This was not our experience. We were there on a very cloudy, windy, and rainy evening. It was so cloudy that we could only see about a block away. It was so windy that people’s umbrellas turned inside out and their hair blew straight out. We did not have to wait in any line to go up top because no one in their right mind would pay to go up in that kind of weather!
Thursday morning we packed up and headed into the city for the last time. We had a short time to tour the American Museum of Natural History and then saw an IMAX movie that had too much repetition in it and put many of the audience to sleep.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day, sunny and warm. We took a walk into Central Park where we saw Strawberry Fields after walking past the building where John Lennon had lived. We toured the Lincoln Center buildings which house the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic. After dinner we returned to spend an evening enjoying a performance of the New York Philharmonic.
We arrived home Friday afternoon exhausted and full of incredible memories.
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