My cat Sammie has cancer...Lymphoma to be exact. The last 4 weeks I think I have been to Hell and back. But I have read the email chain that has been floating around, confirming that our American whining doesn't hold a candle to the rough and crude 'living arrangements' of our Armed Forces in Iraq. In other words we have no reason to really whine about anything. My hat goes off to those guys....because I have seen those pictures of them in the desert.

But then again if my trials and tribulations are smalll compared to that, then I guess I wouldn't be writing this journal at all. For the moment I will forget about it and whine anyway.

The Veterinarian costs are unbelievable. If I am not poor now, I will be very shortly. If you ever have had a sick dog or cat , that required treatments or an operation or a hospital stay, then you know what I mean.

Sammie has been on and off as far as his health is concerned and no one, including the Vet knows for sure what the outcome will be. I have had added stress from other things as well. So even though I have not been sleeping in mud in the desert, surrounded by mortar fire, I am still in a pretty defunct state. As you know, I just lost another cat in November. So discovering that I have a very sick cat after just losing the other one has been very difficult for me to bear.

I still am trying to be optimistic and hope that I can have Sammie for a lot while longer. In the meantime I'll also pray for our guys and gals in Iraq and hope they can leave the desert War and come home to their own 'American Whining.'