Many of the folks in chat have already heard this tale, but I felt it was so amusing, I would share it with any/all interested.
This happened 363 days ago . . . . .
Last year my husband was diagnosed with metastatic cancer. It crushed us in many ways including financially. We were sadly fortunate to get a bit of money from the death of Nemo's sister, but it was still in the hands of lawyers. . . . Meanwhile, we were over $20K in debt to various entities, the car was being driven (when driven at all) with zero current registration, etc. . . . .It was a real slice of hell.
Well, the money came and and the first thing we did was pay back everyone who had given or loaned us money, the biggest entity, Nemo's emoployer. Before we could get the car registration up to date we had to get some repairs done, such that it would pass a smog test and an engine repair dash light would be turned off, etc.
Also, our wonderful kitty, Isis, had dropped from 19 to 9 pounds and her hind legs were so atrophied she could no longer jump up anywhere and we knew soon she would not be able to walk or use the litter box. The internet said back leg atrophy and weight loss in cats was often diabetes. She also had terrible teeth problems and a giant skin tag on her head. Yep, we really know how to pick em,
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So, we scheduled the cat's surgury and work IMMEDIATELY after paying off the debts, and scheduled the car repairs for two days after she was to be picked up. She was left for a day of surgury - they removed almost all her teeth and surgicaly removed the skin tag from her head. She was supposed to be ready at 2 p.m., but when I called they said she needed some extra time, extra doses of anaesthetic and wasn't ready. I called at 4 and they said, hesitantly, to come. I arrived at 4:15 and by 5:30p.m. the brought Isis out to me. She was a MESS!
This cat was friken DOPED! I mean she was trying to stand up but was swaying, her eyes were openeing wide, then scrunching shut, then she would fall over. Holy crap. She also had visible stitches in her mouth and a giant shaved patch with a Frankenstein style stitchwork on her head.
So, I pay off the vet and pack the cat in the car, thinking to myself, "Hmm, they said they gave her two extra doses of anaesthetic and she is pretty screwed up many hours after she was supposed to be ready for pickup. I'll bet they loaded my kitty cat up with KETAMINE!" and chuckled to myself.
Well, I'm driving home carefully, no music, watching the rules and the speed, talking gently to Isis. I make a careful and correct left turn then suddenly notice cop lights in my rear view mirror!!!
I don't know about you, but whenever I see or hear a cop behind me with siren/lights, I just immediately pull over. Seriously, do not fight it. If he's not after you, he will go on by. Sadly, he did not go on by,
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So, this really young cop comes out, of a different ethnicity from myself. I'm going nuts the way I do whenever a cop is near me, calling people and shooting video,
trying to document everything before anything has started. . . .
Cop asks me to roll down my window, but I cannot as it does not work, so I just have to open the door. This makes him nervous, I mean he can see my hands and they are now (left) on the wheel and (right) holding the cameraphone . . . .and I'm all of 120 pounds female. Go figure. This guy looked like a member of The Oakland Raiders and HE was looking nervous.
So, he tells me he pulled me over due to expired registration. I apologize and say I know I was in the wrong. He asked me why I was doing it. I told him my husband had cancer and could not work and the dash light was preventing the smog certification which was preventing registration. I then pointed to the back of the car and said, "Normally, I wouldn't drive but I HAD to pick my poor kitty up from surgury!"
This is the game changer. The weird, confused looks fall off his face (he's already called in my paperwork, checked insurance, etc.), he glances into the back of the car. Isis is in the giant carrier with the big openings that allow you to see her. She is again standing up and swaying, looking utterly TRIPPED OUT, takes a stumbling step forward and collapses into a heap.
The cop takes a closer look. I can see him focusing on the Frankenstein stitches on her head. I intentionally did NOT tell him what type of surgury Isis had (oral) and let his imagination run wild. You could SEE it on his face, he was thinking, "Holy crap - the cat had BRAIN surgury!"
All he said was, "Hmmmmphhh?!???" I swear there was a questioning tone to it, but like he was questioning the Universe - why would a CAT need or get BRAIN surgury, they only have brains the size of walnuts . . . . . . etc.,
So, long story, still long, I got off with a verbal warning and a fix-it ticket. Make NO mistake here, in our area, that cop would have been fully within his rights to put Isis and I out on the street, call a tow truck and take the car!
But, his impression that I was transporting a kitty who had brain surgury seemed to have really blown his mind and he didn't want to wind up in the local papers or whatever, LOL.
So folks, THAT is the story of how KETAMINE saved my car,
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"But even if nothing lasts and everything is lost, there is still the intrinsic value of the moment. The present moment, ultimately, is more than enough, a gift of grace and unfathomable value, which our friend and lover death paints in stark relief."-Rick Doblin, Ph.D. MAPS President, MAPS Bulletin Vol. XX, No. 1, pg. 2Hyperspace LOVES YOU