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I was supposed to head over to LSU today at 11 for an appointment with the Dermatologist who sees Joey.  Well, they called at about 9:45 to ask if I could come "now."

?????

So I jumped in the truck and headed on over there to find out what the heck was up.  Well, it seems they went and picked up Joey from therapy earlier since they had an empty appointment time and while they were checking him out, they saw a spot on his abdomen redden and swell up, then - within about 10 minutes - go back down and disappear again except for a very slight reddening of that area.  Hmm.  Their thought is that it has to do with mast cells, and that it's possible he may be developing a mast cell carcinoma -- they tell me that's prevalent in Staffordshires.  So they wanted me to come over and give them permission to do an aspiration from that area of his abdomen.  My first thought (given the probable price of Ladybug's surgery this week) was "how much are we talking about here?"  As it turns out, it's only supposed to be something like $30, so I DID give them permission.   But if that aspiration doesn't turn out positive, they want to do allergy skin tests like people have -- you know, where they shave his skin and do pricks injecting tiny amount of . . . whatever.    I suggested that instead, they just do one of those blood allergy tests that they send off to California for $200.  Believe me, that is WAY less than what they want to do there.  I have a feeling that the dermatologist wants to do skin tests there in order to give the vet students experience.  No thanks.  Not unless NOTHING else works.  Because once they do that, everything that causes reddening of those prick sites would need to be included in allergy vaccines and he would need injections of the stuff indefinitely.  I do NOT want to spend that kind of money.  If he turns out to be allergic to - whatever, I'll just have to see that he doesn't come in contact with whatever it is. 

N O     V A C C I N E      I N J E C T I O N S !!!! 

He's a sweet boy, but he is NOT a child.  I CAN control where he goes, what he eats, and what he comes in contact with!

Between the barn construction project and the horse vet bills and Joey's skin conditions, it's looking to me like we may NEVER get to retire.  Hmm.  Let me rephrase that.  I may never get to retire.  Discouraging.  Very discouraging.