Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Dirty Gertie News

Gertie went with Pam to the vet's office yesterday.   She's a very small cat, and has been losing weight at an alarming rate.  She also can't breathe properly, struggling for every breath.  Last week, the vet ran all kinds of tests and did x-rays and everything looked normal, except for a mass in her stomach.  It was time to cut her open to see what was wrong.

Pam is a vet tech at this hospital and stopped by the surgery room while Gertie was being worked on.  The doc had her organs laid out on the table, inspecting each one.  As Pam explained this to me, I asked if it freaked her out, seeing her kitty all apart like that.  No, it did not.  Pam frightens me sometimes.

Everything looked fine, until he inspected her pancreas.  It was white and has a lesion on it.  This is good news, said the doc.  This is treatable.  Just how, exactly, we're not sure, but he put all of Gertie's organs back and stitched her up.   Pam brought her home along with some antibiotics, and she actually looks like she's doing better.


Yes, that's an improvement.

In boat news, our A/C has tanked again.  This time, it's the water pump that cools the compressors.  It is no longer pumping.  I pulled the screen out of the sea strainer and it was clean, which it should have been since I had cleaned it just a couple of days before.  Looking inside, though, I could see crud.  It was full of mud which passed right through the screen.  It packed everything.  It must have been due to tropical storm Beryl.   The wind and waves must have stirred up mud which then plugged the pump.

So right after I get done posting this blog, it's down to the engine room to take things apart to see if I can unplug it.   I've got a call into Jamie the marina HVAC guy as well, since I think this is probably beyond my basic mechanic skills. 

Yes, Jamie and I are on a first name basis now.

2 comments:

  1. Hang in there Gertie!

    We're all Purring for you!

    Shadow, Squirt, Boots, Momma & Baby!

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  2. Dave , you might be able to take the pump out of the boat and take a water hose and wash the mud out that way.
    Also try running the water in the out side. ( backwards )

    Bill Kelleher

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