mama mia

My cat suffered a skull fracture last month, causing neurological damage manifested in part by his forepaws turning under (it's like he has to remember to turn his paws up when walking) and a bit of leg weakness, which is improving. Yes, he is now an indoor cat, much to his dismay.

We thought that explained his left hind leg problems: leg slides forward when crouching to eat, missing the mark when jumping up onto the bed, etc. But today I discovered that his ankle simply won't flex. I flexed both hind ankles (gently) and only the right one flexes forward. No pain response, though. Yes I'm taking him back to the vet :) but does this condition sound familiar to anyone? TIA!

P.S. X-rays showed no broken bones in the legs. Of course they could have missed a fracture in the tiny ankle bones. But I wonder if it could be torn ligaments or some soft tissue problem.

I know I'm asking the impossible, but I would appreciate any input. Thanks.

This is for fabric-dying purposes. I can purchase soda ash online, but it's easier to buy washing soda in the grocery store laundry section or potash at the pool supply store locally. Aren't they all the same?

Cloth baby diapers made with polyester fabric and polyester microfiber Terry cloth can wind up with a very strong ammonia build-up after many washings; strong enough to burn baby's bum. I am curious to know a safe, economical, effective ammonia removal method. I prefer to know and understand the chemistry behind it, rather than just a brand of detergent (For example, I know that "Rockin' Green" sells a good detergent for ammonia removal, but I'd like to understand why.) Also, would the addition of 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the final rinse cycle (where the water is hard) prevent the build-up in the first place? Thanks!

I'd like to learn to use a hand-crank style sewing machine.

I found one of the above-mentioned 3/4 size machines for sale and am wondering if that model is a good reliable workhorse. Can parts still be found for it? I know Singer still sells parts for some of the old

machines, but for a 3/4 sz hand crank I don't know. I would appreciate any info on a good hand-crank machine, along with any general info on them, such as drawbacks of a 3/4 sz machine.

Thanks!

A fill-in-the-blanks type or one that needs no special programming knowledge would be preferable. Thanks!

I'm looking for name brand quilt shop quality, possibly discontinued (whatever is least expensive) quality woven cottons and also baby/children's prints in cotton interlock. Is there an excellent, user-friendly online source for these, plus possibly trims? I was back East last summer and I found a great source, but it's not online. *sigh* Las Vegas has nothing that fits this category as far as I can tell. Thanks in advance! I sew baby quilts and fancy cloth baby diapers, but do *not* want to buy in bulk, as this is a one-person operation. ;) Also, I'd be happy for any other sewing ideas that are quick and easy but would bring top dollar on eBay/Etsy. And... what's a really easy way to set up one's own online store without breaking the bank? I appreciate your time and knowledge, and willingness to share them. One more thing... where/how can I find private individuals locally who can do some of the sewing/ cutting for me? I can't keep up with orders on my own. Thank you all! (Don't feel like your have to answer all questions... I am grateful for any help! :)

Symptoms similar to POTS syndrome; dizziness and increased heart rate upon standing. She must keep her feet up. Her doc won't refer her for a tilt table test to rule out POTS. Standing still (to do dishes or make dinner) cause dizziness/fainting. Showering is impossible as standing still causes fainting; baths exhaust her & make her shiver for hours. Vacuuming?-- No way!

Short PR rhythm sent her to cardiologist who gave her a 24-hr Holter test and heart ultrasound. Both negative. Dr refused treadmill test as my daughter's heart rate soared from 80 to 120 and she nearly fainted upon standing to walk to the treadmill. His final conclusion was that she was faking it/ trying to get attention (I read his notes).

Endocrinologist tested for several things-- all negative.

Pulmonologist refuses to see her as her PFT test and chest x-ray are normal. (so were mine but D-Dimer (sp?) test was positive and my CT scan showed emphysema-- no wonder I'm so easily winded!!)

Family hist. of exercise-induced asthma & tacycardia; my brother, sister & I had it; my daughter had identical symptoms in PE classes. She has become increasingly tired over the years. Regular exercise expends what little energy she can summon.

Machine is 2 yrs old. I use it about an hour a week. I do sew thick hemp fleece with it quite often, so perhaps that's the reason, but it seems to have happened all of a sudden. It cuts just fine until I round a corner, then it cuts intermittently, making the fabric look shredded and the shredded edges stick out like a sore thumb. Since I sell what I make, that is not a good thing. :(. I am sewing 3 layers of bamboo fleece and hemp fleece, which I know is hard on the machine, but I can't figure out why it happenned so suddenly. Is there an adjustment that needs to be made, or do I need to oil the cutter (the online site says let a professional do this, but I read a post by a gal who said she oils her own cutting blade area.) Or do I just need to replace the blade?

There is a special detergent that removes unabsorbed dye from fabric after the dye process is finished to keep the newly dyed fabric from "bleeding" onto other clothing/textiles. It is quite expensive in my opinion, and I would like to make up my own batch. There are only 4 ingredients listed on the detergent container. They are:

Isopropal Alcohol

Polyoxyethylene Alkyl Ether

Sulfated Alkyl Aryl Sulfenate

Sodium Salt

On the detergent container is a warning that the odors are harmful.

Of course I don't know how much of these ingredients to mix together, nor do I know if it would be dangerous to try. Are there any chemists out there who can offer advice? Thank you.

My 28 year old daughter has become increasingly tired over the past 15 years. She does not feel refreshed upon waking in the morning. She cannot be up and around for more than 5-15 minutes at a time. She takes 2 long naps (1-3 hours each) per day. She huffs and puffs when doing simple chores like laundry or dishes. She cannot vacuum. She has cold hands and feet, and cannot swim, even in a heated pool, because she gets too cold. She has to get up slowly to avoid fainting. If she stands in one place for more than about 5 minutes, she starts to black out and has to quickly sit down, which looks a little odd in the grocery store. She is 5'6" and 120 lbs. She gets really tired after eating. She does not eat junk food and takes vitamins. Her cardiologist could not do an ekg treadmill test because her heart rate jumped from 80 to 120 upon standing and she went completely white(after the leads were applied).

Exercise does not help. She spent one year doing aerobic exercise daily, and although her muscle mass increased, her energy didn't.

Her ekg shows a mild "short PR syndrome," but her doc does not think that is the cause of her symptoms. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks so much!

My 28 year old daughter can only walk/stand for short periods of time. She is almost constantly out of breath. If she stands still, she gets faint after about 3 minutes. She is 5'6" and 115 lbs. This has been getting worse over the past 10 years. Exercise does not help. Just tires her more. She has to nap for several hours each day.

Any ideas? Yes, she is seeing a cardiologist and will have more tests next week... But if anyone has any info it would be great. Thanks.

I have awful mid and low back pain, and knee pain that makes me have to crawl up my stairs, and the doc can't find anything wrong. Once, a few years ago, he gave me a shot in my hip that made the pain go away for several months, but it was steriods, which I don't want to do too often, or at all, really. I've tried Celebrex and a couple other prescrip. anti-inflamatories, with no luck. Advil helps to some degree (yes, I know it's an anti-inflamatory) if I take at least 800 mg at a time, but only helps so much. I have had to stop taking it recently because it was causing stomach pain. Now my doc wants me to use Ultram, or Tramadol, but it takes about 2 hours to work, and then knocks me out for 24 hours when I take enough to help the pain. 100 Mg. It also makes me itch and makes my shoulders very tense. I know that half of a 7.5 Lortab is perfect, and I have never used it more often than twice a month, but my doc won't give it to me.

What do I do? It's making me crazy!

Dang -- I ate some leftover chicken teriyaki Thursday evening and am so sick. Yesterday I couldn't keep anything down, not even Pepto Bismal or Immodium AD. Rats! I'm so hungry, but when I eat, I get sick to my stomach and I get the chills and can't stop shaking. I must have spent half of yesterday in the bathroom hovering near the toilet and half of today in a hot bath. I'm now keeping very simple foods down, like bananas and chicken soup, but my tummy hurts like someone punched it. I'm such a baby, ha ha, but I'd sure rather be the one taking care of my kids when they're sick than being sick myself.

Okay, I guess I must really be feeling a lot better today than yesterday, because I couldn't even sit at the computer yesterday.

****But is there anything I can do to make my tummy stop hurting? Please don't say Pepto, as just the memory of it coming back up yesterday is enough to make me feel worse. Thanks. :) ******

I would like to know of any phone survey jobs that are avail in Las Vegas, NV. Somewhere on the West side, not too far South as I live in the NW. Thanks

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. I haven't got a clue, although I've heard things like, "microchips implanted in people," etc. Any new ideas? Oh, and I can definitely see a need for everyone to have a microchip, since things are getting to be so crazy with identity theft, etc. But why "in their hands *and* in their foreheads"?

My daughter's baby cannot seem to latch on... nipples seem to invert when they are squeezed. What do we do? Is there some sort of device or stretching that can help? The baby can nurse from a friend just fine. Thanks. :(

Please do not tell me about another diabetic cookbook, as I already have some. *****SMILE****

I am looking for a tried and true yummy recipe to fix for my husband's dinner. He was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. If you have a favorite diabetic-friendly recipe that you would like to share, I'd be in heaven. I so dislike flipping through a cookbook, trying to guess how something might taste.

I keep fixing the same few things for him, and I'd like to surprise him with something new. It doesn't have to be super easy. I do have a couple of diabetic cookbooks, so please don't refer me to another one. Thank you so much.

My husband was just diagnosed with type II diabetes. I read a couple of books that recommend eating very little rice and wheat products; they say that even whole wheat and brown rice are broken down very quickly into glucose. I read that pasta, because it is made with semolina flour (durham wheat) is alright as long as it is eaten in moderation.

I bought two diabetic cookbooks, but both are filled with recipes using plenty of flour, both white and whole wheat, and rice, both white and brown. AAARRRGGGHH!!!

I'm at my wit's end. Is there a recipe someone can share for a tasty main dish that uses no rice or flour? Thanks. :)