Contrary to what you might think, though having all of the time in the world under our current conditions, I have not been terribly inspired to write my blog. Having a husband home all day has something to do with it. I feel a need to keep busy DOING SOMETHING, rather than sitting around writing, which is totally ridiculous since he’s my #1 blog fan. Somehow this whole quarantine thing has spun me into a weird head space. And I know I’m not alone in that universe. Is anyone really OK right now?
Okay: Adjective – informal OK
SATISFACTORY BUT NOT EXCEPTIONALLY OR ESPECIALLY GOOD
When I last wrote, the cat and I were both healing from our respective traumas. For me it was cracking my forehead open by a fall in the Little Woods. For her it was the amputation of her front left leg due to bone cancer. I guess I could say that I have fared better. My stitches were removed after almost two weeks by a plastic surgeon. In his opinion the ER doc had done a nice job and I should heal just fine. That’s not to say I won’t have a scar. When I quirk my eyebrow I kinda look like a leering jack-o-lantern, and that eyebrow still looks a little mangy, but he thinks it will eventually fill in. His advise, to massage the injury in order to break up scar tissue, is an ouchy process. And I have an odd little goose egg above my eye that wants to hang around. All in all, scar not withstanding, I will recover from an injury that scared the bejesus out of me and has made me extra cautious when working outside.
The cat, on the other hand, has had a rougher go. My sweet Tizzy girl had a little setback about two weeks after her surgery. The Vet still doesn’t know exactly what it was but a round of antibiotics got her over that hump. Finally, after three weeks in the dreaded ECollar she was allowed to leave the confinement of the laundry room and start learning to navigate on three legs. For approximately 24 hours she was her old self, exploring all her old napping spots and showing up precisely at meal time. And then we saw her limping. Again. This time on her back right leg. Turns out she has an aggressive form of cancer that has most likely moved into another joint. We don’t know absolutely for sure because we aren’t willing to put her through any further tests or procedures. Right now we have a regimen of pain meds that has given her some relief and restored her personality. How long that will last is anyone’s guess, but we are cherishing the borrowed time we have left with her.
So while the country has been on lockdown and scrambling for toilet paper, we have used our time to love out dear kitty, and Billy has watched me like a hawk with regards to anything that might cause further injury. I’ll admit, I’m a little jumpy about it. I think once you’ve had a fall of that magnitude it makes you hyper-aware of all the dangers of just living daily life. Everything you do other than sofa-sitting is basically some kind of accident waiting to happen. Not sure I would have felt this way in my 30s or 40s, or even my 50s. But here I am in my 60s fretting another fall. That being said, I’m eager for life to return to normal, even if we don’t know what that is anymore.
I’m actually very thankful for the fact that my inner circle of family and friends has been spared during this craziness. We all continue to hunker down in our own homes. My 80+ year old parents are still on lockdown in their retirement community, with zero cases there so far! I’m lucky, and well-aware that many are not so fortunate. I know four people who have lost their elderly mothers during this time, and not to the virus, but to age and ailments. NONE of them were able to be at their mother’s side due to hospital restrictions, which makes my heart hurt beyond saying. So, I am not complaining about my own situation. Though I miss my family, my grandboys, my church, and my friends, I have a beautiful home with a peaceful view out my window. My husband is the easiest person in the world to be quarantined with. We are well-fed and have plenty of toilet paper. I can give my dear cat all the attention she needs. WE ARE ABSOLUTELY OK! And I’m grateful I can write those words.
The Little Woods 