Syn's OTHER doombooky

d_kitty @ 2009-11-05T22:20:00

2009-11-06T04:22:59Z

Most awesome WTF expression ever.

d_kitty @ 2009-10-31T19:44:00

2009-11-01T00:47:31Z

Do not eat the foliage

d_kitty @ 2009-09-30T20:36:00

2009-10-01T01:45:43Z

The stress is taking a toll on my body something fierce.

I can't think of any other reason for hematochezia.

Made jello shots using half of a 750 of vodka tonight. I'm ~~looking forward~~ to this.

Z?

2009-09-21T05:51:51Z

I have my 4th midterm tomorrow. Fourth. Midterm. How can one cram half a semester of biochem into their brains in 9 lectures I will never know.

Anyway, this is nothing more than an excuse for pointless doggy pictures

I've been tying an long sleeve shirt around his neck so he can wear it like a cape. Practice for Halloween or something.

I want time to art. Go to a rave. Sleep.

But that will never happen.

d_kitty @ 2009-09-14T21:39:00

2009-09-15T03:07:14Z

I hoped to update sooner with tales of my epic adventures in veterinary school.

Sadly it is neither epic or adventurous. It's a lot of work.

There are some interesting things.

Tomorrow I get to help dissect a manatee. Yay for mindlessly dismantling endangered creatures in the name of SCIENCE.

Next month I feed the resident raptors. On the 5th I start with a Vulture named Sydney, who is very nice and likes to cuddle. How weirrrd is that?! Then, it is a Great Horned Owl with brain damage. Another real winner!! It made him very friendly for some reason. It's still freaky to be thrown to the carnivorous birds in a very literal way without knowing what the hell to do with them. No further training.. just me and some huge talons to rip off my face =D Yayyyy.

All I know is that it involves cutting up frozen rats and mice with scissors. Yes. We are aptly funded here =D

On another note, I saw the movie Nine, and I was highly disappointed in the lack of plot. The creatures and the steam-punkishness did not even make up for it. Oh well. Not everything Tim Burton has a part in is destined for greatness. With any luck the remake of Frankenweenie will be better as I have little hope for Alice in Wonderland.

A movie I WAS impressed with was the Thief and the Cobbler (and multiple other names). It is one of the top 100 animated classics of all time... basically Aladdin + Fantasia, only better. Production began in the late 60's and lasted for 30ish years since the director was a perfectionist. Sadly, it was never finished and instead re-dubbed and released by Mirimax in a horrid, Disney-esque version with crudely cut-and-pasted songs. Seriously.. they dubbed OVER Vincent Price's voice! WTF?! I was lucky enough to find the version most similar to the original intent, though about 1/10 of the file is pencil tests and storyboards. The main character, Tack, is the most adorable thing on the face of the planet. Yesh.

Old Version:

My dog is wearing a shirt around his neck like a cape. I tied it there on a whim, but I guess he likes it. Crazy dog.

Bah shower.. study.. sleep. It's a vicious cycle.

helphelllp arrrggg don't let a poor doggy have a bad name!

2009-09-07T03:58:45Z

It's inhumane.. or something. I need to change it soon or he will end up called something retarded like "Puppers." My roomie and I call him that most of the time already :/

I was thinking:

1. Darwin (after Charles Darwin:) because he's smart but looks like a re-re. Ahh ironyy!!
2. Archimedes or Socrates: same reason, but not many nicknames it seems.
3. Noah: I have no idea why

Arrgg.. It's not usually this difficult. I thought of SCSI Bucket by myself.

Uhh... any ideas? Something out of a movie or book? There are pics of him on my old journal here If that helps.

d_kitty @ 2009-08-25T23:22:00

2009-08-26T04:26:55Z

I needs a name for meh new pup!

He's a Rott-Husky who's mom had the litter in the cold last January. All of the babies froze except him. The rescue called him Champ, but meh. I needs him a better name. His head is too big for his body and he's a doof.

New pics later. Vet school is eating my brain.

d_kitty @ 2009-08-22T10:30:00

2009-08-22T15:31:18Z

I'm driving to Tennessee to get meh DOGGIE todayyy!!!!!!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IGOTMEMYROTTIEOMFG!!!!!

d_kitty @ 2009-08-10T17:23:00

2009-08-10T22:23:58Z

I face-planted on my bike and Salem jumped into the toilet again.

It has been a good day.

d_kitty @ 2009-07-24T17:47:00

2009-07-24T21:50:33Z

Salem's procedure went flawlessly. She is back home and zonked out on my bed. Apparently she did well and didn't bite anyone. Now it's a waiting game to see what sort of buggies are growing in her lungs =(

Mmm.. Did I ever mention how much I despise packing? Still have always to go, but it looks like the trailer won't be available until later tomorrow. Oh well. It's not like I would be ready to go anytime soon anyway.

Thank god of Itunes and music.

Oh yeah.. and now to start 9 months of INH treatment. ~~Fuck~~

d_kitty @ 2009-07-23T19:28:00

2009-07-23T23:38:36Z

I'm finishing up my packing tonight and tomorrow for a Saturday departure. My anxiety is on the fritz again. I suppose that is none too expected with a big move and all.

Methinks I will stay over in Maryland the first night, since my otaku buddy lives there. He loves ferrets, so they can run and play at his place. It is better than a hotel! Not looking forward to a 24 hour drive, but at least I'll have the Scuzz to plop on my lap for most of the trip.

Salem goes for her tracheal wash tomorrow. It's not an invasive procedure, but I'm still worried. It involves placing an IV catheter and anesthetizing her while a sterile tube is placed down into the lungs. A small amount of saline is put in, than quickly drawn back up. It is sent out of a culture and sensitivity test. This will tell us what antibiotics might work better. I wanted it done before I left so *hopefully* the results will be in about the time I arrive. Then I will make an appointment at the clinic and proceed from there.

The weasel skin is in the freezer. My dad used to skin muskrats for cash in the 60's so he remembers how. Apparently I must wait until winter to stretch and dry it, since there are too many buggies around. That and I need to leave in 48 hours XD I buried the body out back with a little cross. It was sad, but I suppose it is better than letting it rot in the road. At least the body was properly buried and the skin will be put to a good use.

whyohwhy>?

2009-07-22T23:15:36Z

Today I skinned a weasel. ~~don't ask~~

d_kitty @ 2009-07-22T08:58:00

2009-07-22T13:03:21Z

Salem is still sick.

The antibiotic treatment concluded yesterday, and I brought her in for recheck x-rays. The infection in the left lung cleared, but now it is starting in the right. I made an appointment Friday with the Dr. to do an endotracheal wash and send out a sample for a culture. It's just not clearing up with the two antibiotics I've been using =(

The wash should tell us what sort of nasty bugs are growing, although it will take a few days for the results. I will be well on my way to Baton Rouge by then, but I can follow up with the clinic on campus for whatever antibiotic the culture shows will work best.

Blah. At least she is young and can *hopefully* pull though this.

d_kitty @ 2009-07-20T22:44:00

2009-07-21T02:49:30Z

Back from my Maryland/Otakon adventure. I spent little time at the con. ~~And more in the ticket line~~ Too many people for my liking.

Now to pack my hoard of useless items into boxes and move to a swamp. ~~literally~~

Errrrg.

2009-07-02T09:09:40Z

Salem is still coughing and it is now two weeks. She's eating but a bit blahh... not too bad though. Keech has been out with a hernia, and none of the other doctors know much about ferrets. It's been going on for too long, so I brought her to my other ferret vet today.

He recommended blood-work but said we should wait on the x-rays. Why I am not sure (dumbass). Cough usually = lungs in a young ferret. Anyway, the blood work was normal and he told me to monitor her and see how she does (idiot).

Directly after the vet visit, I scooted over to the ER hospital for a meeting. Of course Salem came with me, and I had the funny feeling I should take some x-rays regardless of what the other vet said. Surprisingly Keech managed to crawl his butt to the meeting too.

This is the result

Fuckin' pneumonia. Yeah.

Radiography report

There is a severe aveolar pattern in the left cranial lung lobe. The remaining lung lobes appear normal. A prominent pleural fissure line is present between the right middle and right caudal lung lobes. The heart and pulmonary vessels are normal. Serosal margin detail in the abdomen is good. The liver, GI tract, kidneys, and bladder are normal. No musculoskeletal abnormalities are detected.

The focal alveolar pattern in the left cranial lung lobe likely represents bronchopneumonia. Other differentials such as neoplasia could also be considered. The plural fissure line may represent plural thicking or a scant amount of plural effusion.

-Chris Ober, DVM, phD, Diplomate ACVR

The X-rays

Keech prescribed enrofloxin (baytril) and TMS (Trimethylprim Sulfa) orally twice a day. The first for 12 days and the later for 21. She is NOT happy about those.

I found a nebulizer among my grandma's old medical stuff. So I stuffed poor Salem into a large picnic cooler twice today for 15 minutes at a time. The misty vapors moisten the lungs and help bring up the infection. I plan to do this 3-4 times a day.

Now she is coughing more... which is a good sign the congestion is breaking up. I coupage her sides after each nebulization, which seems to help. She hates those meds though. I don't blame her. They smell vile O. o

d_kitty @ 2009-07-01T02:51:00

2009-07-01T07:01:24Z

Michael Jackson overdosed on propofol?!? seriously?

That stuff is freakin' short acting! Only 2-3 minutes before the effect fades unless it is constantly infused (which you would be unable to do yourself without an infusion pump). It does nothing for pain and I don't see how it could help anyone sleep/relax since it wares off within minutes. It is not even a controlled substance. The most pointless drug to abuse ever.

There are better ones out there. Why not some diazapam?

What you say?

2009-06-30T17:34:51Z

Laptop shopping!! I have to go with a PC since the campus is geared toward them. What say you about the Sager NP9280? Any other ideas?

Full Sager NP9280 Specs

* - Display 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
* - Processor Intel Core i7-920 Quad 2.66GHz w/8MB Cache 130W
* - Memory (RAM) 6,144MB DDR3 1066MHz Triple Channel Memory (3 SODIMMS)
* - Video Card 1,024MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce GTX 280M DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
* - Disk Drive Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Software
* - Hard Drive 500GB 5400RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 8MB Cache)
* - Second Hard Drive 500GB 5400RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 8MB Cache)
* - Third Hard Drive 500GB 5400RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 8MB Cache)
* - RAID Settings No HDD RAID
* - Wireless Network Built-in Intel Wi-Fi Link 5300AGN - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN
* - Bluetooth Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
* - Camera Built in 3.0 Megapixel Camera
* - Memory Card Reader Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
* - Sound Card Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
* - Carrying Case Basic Black Business Case - Included
* - A/C Adapter Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter - Included
* - Battery Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)
* - Operating System No Operating System (Drivers and Utility Software Only)
* - Microsoft Office No Thanks
* - Documentation Binder Order Details, Elite DVD, Warranty Info, and Support Contact Line
* - Warranty Complete Care: 3 Year Labor + 1 Year Parts Warranty + Lifetime U.S. Based Toll Free Tech Support

Price: $2626 + shipping, which is $300 cheaper than Alienware and totally KICKS DELL BOOTY!!

Sager Pros (When compared to Alienware's M17x that sells for $2900):

Cheaper by $300
1 TB more HD space (Three hard drives!!! M17x only has a 500 gig)
Better screen resolution (1920x1200)
Processor Intel Core i7-920 Quad 2.66GHz Vs Alienware's 2.0 GHz Quad
1,024MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce GTX 280M DDR3 DX10 (Alienware M17x = 260 M)
3.0 MP webcam
Memory Card Reader Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader
Up to 12 gig of ram capable (I'm getting 6 gigs)

Sager Cons:

Not as pretty/no glowy keyboard
No OS (Windows Vista with additional charge.. but who likes vista? iccck. XP = FTW!!)

rly?

2009-06-30T06:34:49Z

Ughh. I'm 26 and already I have hip problems? Sersly?

Occasionally it would hurt but lately every time I get up from sitting too long or sleeping... the first step is a painful hell. I can feel the joint pop back into place. Then, it's fine for awhile; until I get nice and relaxed again. -sigh- I have an appointment for hip x-rays Wed. I doubt much can be done about it short of some sort of surgery for old people =( I'm hoping my old snowboarding knee problem doesn't act up or I'll be out of usable legs.

I also had a questionable positive on my TB test. Really? TB.. like that bacteria that kills half of the people who got it 100 years ago? I've done my research and it can stay latent for the rest of my life and never be infectious or bother me again. There is a 5-10% chance it could become active if I'm immunodeficient. O. o I had chest x-rays and a second skin test just in case. The x-rays say I don't have an active infection, and I have the second test read in 72 hrs. I'm not coughing, but the Dr. wanted to ensure I do not infect the public with some horrible disease. If the next test proves positive, I will be on strong antibiotics for the next 8-9 months and have liver tests every 30-40 days. At least I can't spread around the bacteria even if I DO test positive again.

Now I begin my hunt for a doggy =D My apartment allows any type of dog assuming they have the canine good citizen test. I have a Rottie-husky mix in mind that is taking the class =D
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13731568

Salem is feeling better. She coughs occasionally now, but she is no longer lethargic and blah. I'm guessing it was kennel cough, since Scuzz seems to have it too. I put them both on oral antibiotics, and they seemed to do wonders. Salem hates taking them, though my boy rather enjoys it.

Yeee!

d_kitty @ 2009-06-26T21:50:00

2009-06-27T01:58:44Z

I'm back from my home-hunting journey in yonder southern country. The food was hot, the weather brutal but lovely, and I found a place that is pretty damn awesome

Tada! Southgate Towers is my new abode as of the 25th of July.

It's a mile from campus on a lighted bike trail, has a parking garage to store my bike and/or car if I wish and... it allows any breed of dog as long as it passes an obedience test. Cable/T1 internet/water/etc is included. The only monthly bill besides rent is electricity. It also has one hell of a pool and a nice computer lab/study lounge.

My roomy is nice. A bit spoiled from being the only child (aka.. needed he own bathroom) but... I can deal. It will be nice having communication with a fellow clueless human in a new environment. I know we will not be super-best friends, but I think we can be functional roommates for now =D

Most of my journey was boring/uneventful. We hit about a million and one apartments, each about the same and in fact.. quite monotonous. BUT!! We did get to go to New Orleans again =D

This is the courtyard of the Andrew Jackson Inn. This sort of foliage was everywhere, creating sort of a jungle-ish feel to the whole city. Very cool. Also, this hotel is apparently haunted. Along time ago, 5 children perished in a fire on this site (it was a boarding school), and apparently they still play pranks on the guests. I did not see any ghosts, but it was fun staying there anyway.

The St. Louis Cemetery. Apparently burying above ground is a Spanish tradition, and it has nothing to do with the fact that the city is technically below sea level. There were these oven-like things that each body was put into for a year + a day where it incinerated itself in the heat. Then, they would remove it, throw the remains toward the back, and pop in another. Very strange customs.

Her eyes
lit up with Fire
For the dreams
she entertained.
Seems something in her
knew already
just how well
They'd burn.

-inscription on a tomb

The tomb of Voo-doo queen Marie Laveau. She cared for the sick of New Orleans her entire life, and if it wasn't for her dabbling in voo-doo, she would have been called a saint. Traditionally, if you leave three of any object at the tomb you can make three wishes. I only made one =D

Some neat info about her:
http://www.csicop.org/sb/2001-12/i-files.html

It rained. A lot.

Speaking of which.. we had a hail storm here in CT. I thought the windows would break. It was some SERIOUS kick-butt hail. The storm meant business.

In other news, Salem is sick =( She's been coughing and pretty much sleeping the entire day. I started her on some Clavamox, but if it has not improved by tomorrow I will bring her in for x-rays. I don't care if she is an evil biting beast most of the time. She's my buddy.

Ackk.. time for work. Urrrgg. Another long night at the hospital.

d_kitty @ 2009-06-21T20:44:00

2009-06-22T01:48:05Z

Greetings from Baton Rouge!

Today it was 95 with a heat index of 102. People think I'm nuts, but I LOVE this kind of weather. Tomorrow the heat index is going to be 110. Excellent =D

Tomorrow will be full of apartment/condo/house hunting. We shall see what sort of abhorrent places are offerered for rent.

Syn over an' oot!

Shoddy panel-work for your eyemeats

2009-06-17T03:19:23Z

DOB WIP panel.

Flat colored and tentative background, just needs shading, tweaking and speech bubbles =D
There is more to the page, but I want it to be a surprise -nods-

To prove I am not always a lazy bastage =D

What a Wonderful Workld

2009-06-14T14:43:52Z

I have another story.

Meet Swizzle Stick.

I was all for the name Apricot. Not only is she an orangy-tan in color, but she was shriveled and dehydrated. It would've been AWESOME, but I was outvoted =(

She arrived in our clinic a week ago as a stray brought in by a family who's dog recently past away. These people are real winners when it comes to their animals... not only did they run over their own dog by accident, but a week later a prune of a cat comes waltzing down their driveway and collapses on their front lawn. Wonderful!

Swizzle was brought in barely alive and weighing in at 4.5 lbs. Almost no muscle tone, her eyes sunken in and a temperature of 93 degrees. A very pitiful sight. The family were very kind and put forth nearly $2K in tests and hospitalization. We found nothing. NOTHING was wrong with this cat. At first we suspected all sorts of things... diabetes, GI lymphoma, even rabies. We gave her an ultrasound and x-rays, full blood work.. everything. Eventually all possibilities were ruled out one by one. It is now assumed she was locked or trapped somewhere and nearly starved to death.

Dr. Keech decided to take this on as his personal "project", as it would cost the family at least $10k for all of the work and time we have put into her. I say this in quotations, because whenever Keech is involved... we all get drawn into it whether we like it or not. At first he took the cat home to watch. That did not work out so well. Doctors are good at diagnosing, but never let them do ANY nursing. Poor swizzle came back the next morning with a temperature that was so low it would not register. wonderful

That was the end of Keech taking care of the cat. Since someone is in the clinic 24-7, we took turns flipping her from one side to the other, syringe feeding warm canned food every 4 hours, bathing/changing her urine soaked blankets and physical therapy on her wasted limbs. This cat was an inanimate object. She could not move, eat by herself or pee without us physically squeezing her bladder.

Around the 4th or 5th day, she began to purr. At first, I could hardly tell what it was. It was so weak and pitiful. The next day she was able to eat on her own. It wasn't a graceful process... more or less a plowing of her face into the bowl. But it was a start. Eventually she began to maintain her temperature without heating disks. She started drinking on her own and the IV catheter was pulled two days ago. She has gained two pounds.

Today I saw her walk.

It was only for a few minutes. I was on the computer and the hospital was quiet. I left her cage open. A few minutes later, I saw a nose poke out from around the counter followed by a very unsteady body. She explored for about 5 minutes before she got tired, curled up back in her cage, and fell asleep on her pee-pee pad all by herself.

So far, it looks like things might yet turn out for Swizzle. We all have put so much effort into this one cat. She is getting stronger every day. She has the appetite of a thousand starving hounds... in fact, she always did. Even when she could hardly move, she never turned her nose up at syringe-full of lovely mushy cat chow. She's a real trooper.

It's nice to see a success story amidst the sad, critical, and fatal cases we see on a daily basis. Swizzle is the third in my four years as a veterinary technician. It is rare, but heartening to see a case thought impossible turn out for the best. Not all of the work is due to us. Swizzle fought valiantly. If it wasn't for her persistence, she would not be with us and looking better every day =D

I. Don't. Know.

2009-06-08T07:16:16Z

I do not feel all that great. I haven't been for the past few weeks. Bad dreams, and loads of anxiety.

I don't know how well I can tolerate moving far, far away from my friends and family. It hasn't been good, and I'm not even there yet. It gnaws on my mind day and night. I don't do well when I am alone... I am only strong when someone else needs me to be. I can't do it for myself. I never could.

-sigh-

Needs suggestions to keep my brain busy

2009-06-06T23:03:01Z

Does anybody have some good fantasy-type book recommendations for me? I'm out of ideas and reading material! Some of my favorites are listed below:

1. "The Sight", "Fell" and "Fire-Bringer" by David Clement-Davies
2. "The Abhorsen" series and "Tail-Chaser's Song" by Garth Nix
3. The "Ratha's Creature" series by Clare Bell
4. "His Dark Materials" By Philip Pullman
5. "Dragoncharm" and following books by Graham Edwards
6. "Eragon" series by Christopher Paolini
7. "Dragonsbane" by Barbara Hambly
8. "The Looking-Glass Wars" by Frank Beddor
9. "Watership Down" and "The Plague Dogs" by Richard Adams

Books I could not get into:

1. "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
2. Anything by Pier's Anothony or Anne McCaffrey

Books that might be good:

1. "Promise of the Wolves" by Dorothy Hearst
2. "The Princess and the Hound" by Mette Ivie Harrison

piccyspiccyspiccc!

2009-06-04T02:03:53Z

I became best friends with my zoom lens today.

The adventure started with a quite eye catching peacock display. The blues and greens were phenomenal.

The tortoise pen was nearby, and this guy was simply chilling.. as most tortoises do.

This was the most difficult picture to get.
It was though a cage with very little depth between the wire mesh and the fox. It makes things extremely challenging.

I couldn't snap a decent pic of this guy until he finally laid down XD

This leopard was scary... It gave the following predatory look whenever small children walked by. I think I'm going to have nightmares XD

This wolf was quite pleasantly photogenic. The other one was not so cooperative.

=D