BlogPaws with Mommie!

Mommie took me to BlogPaws in Tysons Corner, VA. We met the great Food Lady, now editor of MouseBreath. (She's the one in pink.) I also met some old friends like Skeezix, Mao, DaisyMae Maus, Charmee, and Sparky Fussypants. Who knew that being a flatcat could be so much fun?

~Emerson

Visit to the Cardiologist

Hi - Emerson here. This past week I had to have a check up with my cardiologist.
After the tech checked my vitals (including my blood pressure), we had to wait for the doctor.

There was a computer just outside the examining room door.

There was a diagram of a dog's heart on the wall, but none of a cat's heart.


After the doctor examined me, I was taken into another room for an echocardiogram. Both mommie and daddie accompanied me. The news was not very good. This is my diagnosis:

• *Juvenile-onset hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy





• *Systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve - resolved on atenolol (Yay!)





• *Moderate mitral regurgitation





• *Severe segmental left ventricular hypertrophy - left ventricular papillary muscles and the posterior free wall (Boo!)





• *Severe left atrial chamber dilation - posing a risk for congestive heart failure and blood clot events (Boo!)

*Normal left ventricular contractility (Yay!)

The doctor told mommie that juvenile-onset hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is more serious and aggressive than the kind that develops later in life. After I was given some blood tests (which mommie did not get to witness!), the doctor prescribed some more meds for me. In addition to my atenolol (which I've been taking for over a year), I now have to take Benazepril and Plavix. If I do okay on them, the doctor might add something called Diltiazem. That's a lot of meds for my pill pocket. But I'm a good boy and I want to live as long as I can so I will take them.
To lighten up this post, you might enjoy this photo of my silly sister in her yurt.

She's an angel when she is asleep. Her yurt looks a little unstable to me.

Let me give Little Nicky a kiss.

Love,

~ Emerson