"It's What's on the Inside that Counts"

That's what you said, Rob, on the way home from Pediatric Associates today.  And I agree !!  We really like their new Pittston Twp office, on the way to Walmart.  Unfortunately, we've been there too much recently to see Dr. Cross, and to see Dr. Garg (neurology) in Kingston, and to see Dr. Blaze (optometry) in West Pittston.  And you've independently seen Dr. Palmero  (chiropractic) in Pittston Twp.  Plus we have still to visit Dr. Whiting (neuro-opthalmology) in Danville in 3 weeks or so.  You are in the process of being assessed by Dr. Timchak in Kingston.  An important additional team member is your therapist Rob Tryzenski, a close friend of several years.  You've had blood work in Wilkes-Barre, an MRI back in Kingston, and numerous medications from CVS in Exeter.  Perhaps there will be a visit to the Thomas Jefferson Headache Center in Philly, assuming the office returns my call.

On the school front, we've had consultation and meetings with Jennifer Ciampi, your guidance counselor, and Dr. Pollard, your principal.  We've called SUNY and it's possible we'll be starting calls with an LCCC contact soon.  So many professionals are involved and providing reassurance.

Maybe some day it we'll remember it with a little bit of humor.  But mostly, since January this year it has been painful (physically), tiring, stressful and sprinkled with various disappointments.  We still don't really know what's going on.  Wyoming Area went to remote, virtual school in April, 2020 due to COVID 19 and stayed that way until April, 2021.  Your routine was turned upside down, school activities stopped, you've been isolated from seeing friends, classmates & teachers and had significant screen time.  You were taking 5 AP classes during senior year.  You began getting periodic headaches in December, and then it developed into one massive, chronic daily headache with light sensitivity, general fatigue and poor sleep quality in January.  Truly, you looked and I know you felt awful for a few weeks in January.  To make things harder, Dad passed away early in the month.  Although you have improved with a particular anti-depressant/nerve pain medication, not much else helps in spite of trying additional medications.  Very little schoolwork has been done since then.  We've had so many conversations together about what we can do & changes to make things better.  It was been draining for you above all, and certainly difficult for me (and Steve) as we try to navigate these medical issues, home routines, academic expectations and college decisions.  Aunt Pam and Alex are worried about you.  Honestly, we desperately want you to feel healthy and normal again, but it's not clear if & when there will be a diagnosis that makes sense, an understanding of how to address the symptoms and ability to focus without discomfort from head pain, lights and feeling tired.  

All we can do is continue to see specialists, appreciate that it has gotten better (though more slowly that we would like) and be relieved that tests to date show no underlying, significant health issues.  You have listened to many audio books and we know you're thinking your usual interesting thoughts because you are coming up with quirky stuff (like tonight you mentioned donkey brains, I still don't know why but Steve says it has something to do with the series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia).  You are threatening to name a kitten (should we get one) Doyle or Royal McPoyle.  You are going to in-person Key Club meetings again.  Also, graduation is coming up.  You are certainly still interested in engineering, which I expect you will study successfully.  

So I fully believe we will figure this out, and move forward in whatever amount of time this will take.  That doesn't make it much easier right now, but that's the way it is.  We are truly grateful for all the people who are helping along the way.  I've been playing this song by your favorite Beatle recently on YouTube a lot (you have heard) - it's the perfect thing to keep us optimistic.

Our Jean-Luc, Friend to All

After Easter Jean-Luc seemed to be not feeling well for a couple days and was spending a lot of time on the game room couch, then perked up a bit last weekend.  We all paid him some extra attention and he purred for us, but then suddenly on Tuesday night his back legs weren't supporting him and he was out of breath.  It was lucky we were all home and took him to the Plains Animal Hospital where they checked him quickly after we arrived.  The news, though, was terrible since it turns out he had a blood clot.  The staff were wonderful and helped us to have time for a last visit with our boy.  Jean-Luc was 10 years old.  Such an important member of our family, who brought joy & companionship especially for Steve shortly after he moved to Cherry St, Scranton in 2010.  Jean-Luc was "chill", a portly, comfortable and calm kitty (except when being taken to Grooming Cottage for baths).  He was quite a ball of energy as a kitten, thrilled to watch birds out the window since was not allowed out into the great big world.  Steve told him many times that it's not safe out there for little kitties, and of course he listened like cats always do.  

A re-telling of the salad story is quite necessary.  JLA (Jean-Luc Albert) was half grown in the winter of 2011, when Steve had me over for dinner.  Dinner was eaten at a small round table in the "dining" room (which was a semi-storage room, including the bicycle along the outside wall).  When dinner was almost ready, Steve put a table cloth and place settings on the table.  The table cloth was draped over the edge of the table, as is traditional.  After the salad was tossed, it went on the table too.  But not for long!  Jean-Luc thought the dangly table cloth must be there for him to play with, so he reached up, snagged it and pulled everything onto the floor.  Well, as you know Steve rarely gets mad - but he was definitely mad.  Little Jean-Luc was marched upstairs where he was banished in the bathroom.  The remnants of the salad were collected & tossed out in the front yard.  For the rest of the year, when we stopped over Robby would ask where the salad was - and kept looking in the front yard for bits of lettuce.

During the move between Cherry Street and Montgomery Ave, JLA temporarily stayed at a pet hotel near Moscow.  Upon arrival here, I remember him hiding on the shelf under the kitchen sink.  Some of his favorite spots here were lying on a comfortable couch preferably next to Robby (or spending a few hours next to Rob in his bed), on other beds upstairs, on the dining room rug with his legs up in the air, on the back porch in a sun spot and most recently in a kitty bed in the office next to Steve.  For many years, Jean-Luc had lovely naps in Steve's lap, however only when Steve was in the office sitting at his computer.  He would also enjoy close by when Steve laid down on our bed for a rest.  As to annoying habits, the one I can think of is Jean-Luc licking plastic bags - which could be loud enough to wake you up.  

Jean-Luc was a water cat - he truly enjoyed playing in the water bowl.  His habit of meowing for slow drips from the bathtub faucet turned into a problem when he started scratching on our bedroom door every morning at 5 am.  So that had to stop, after which he thoroughly enjoyed lying next to the bubbler in the boys' bathroom, sticking his head under the fountain.

Jean-Luc was accepting of Tiger, and then of Rambo - he liked his kitty pals.  For a few years, we had 3 cats!  There were a number of wrestling interludes (known as a "tussle") and grooming sessions that started civilized and usually ended with a squabble.  There was no particular ownership of assigned kibble bowls.  The wonderful announcement of "Treats!!" was usually enough to produce a thunk when Jean-Luc jumped down from a bed then bunny-hopped down the stairs - in case he was not already waiting nearby for after-dinner munching.  He and his colleagues have done their duty with pest control, cornering and dispatching the occasional mouse who visited from the basement.  In the past couple years, it seems likely that Rambo did most of this dirty work.

Here are some wonderful pictures of our Jean-Luc.  

Tiger's education on the art of drippies:

Licking a bag while Christmas presents were being wrapped:

Helping Rob with his school work:

Stretched out, probably at dinner time:

One morning bright & early, resting (anywhere is fine!) after a busy night:

A peaceful grooming session:

]

Waking up from a snooze with Rambo:

In this favorite spot, next to Steve in the office (we recently noticed that Jean-Luc was more comfortable when his fur was shaved down):

He was truly a friend to all, sweet and charming.  We will miss Jean-Luc, our longest-tenured kitty at Montgomery Ave, Steve's best buddy and loving companion, as well as Becca's "favorite fat cat".