Tonight's picture was taken on November 19, 2008. Mattie was in the hospital recovering from his second limb salvaging surgery. That surgery lasted over ten hours, as it involved removing bone tumors from the right leg, the left arm and the left wrist. Given that Mattie was under anesthesia for so long, his care team wanted him to use his lungs to remove any fluid that may have collected there. In any case, friends gave us this creative straw! The care team loved it because it required a lot of deep breaths and sucking. Of course this was typical! Mattie never tried something, without seeing me do it first! Which was why this photo shows me trying to drink juice, to inspire Mattie.
Quote of the day: Feelings, and feelings, and feelings. Let me try thinking instead. ~ CS Lewis
Today was a whirlwind. It started with the lawn care folks coming at 8:30am, to shut off our sprinklers for the winter. I was juggling that while doing my morning chores and getting my dad showered, dressed, and downstairs for breakfast. After I dropped him off at his memory care center, I had to come home and try to capture Indie the cat to take her for her annual wellness check. I realized a few days ago that I did not know when the animals had their last check! Between balancing my parents and Sunny's cancer, I haven't been focused on wellness exams. In any case, both were overdue, and I began to correct this today.
Fortunately Indie complied. I was able to pick her up and put her in the cat box. She is NOTHING like our former cat, Patches. Patches would OUTSMART us and truly put up a fight getting into a box. Indie is far more docile and compliant. She behaved and I truly appreciated her kind nature.
When Indie and I pulled into the parking lot of the vet, I sat in the car for a little bit because I did not want her waiting potentially in a room with a lot of dogs. While we were in the parking lot, I noticed a man pull up in a SUV. He waited outside of the SUV for a while and then a team of people came out with a stretcher. I figured they were there to pick up an injured dog! Unfortunately that wasn't the case!
Truly I may never forget this sight. The man and the healthcare team picked up a dead dog, wrapped in a big blanket. Everything was covered except for the doggie's head. Truthfully this image and loss stayed with me all day. Guess what it reminded me of?! Certainly a part of me reflected on the fact that some day I will lose Sunny. NOT something I am ready to face, but ultimately seeing that body wrapped up reminded me of seeing Mattie's body in the hospital, placed into a body bag. It is a sight NO PARENT should ever have to see. So seeing his doggie and his owner today, drew me right back to September 8, 2009, the day Mattie died. It is like a record being played in my mind, and the whole song was felt again today. Including, the beauty and kindness of Mattie's health care team, who were with us every step of the way, the gentle way they washed his body after he died, and the compassion and love they showed us. In the midst of great pain and sadness, I will never forget these superhuman nurses who cared for all of us for 14 months.
The good news is Miss Indie is in great shape! She is 8 years old and believe it or not is considered a senior. Funny since cats can live up to 20 years. I met a new vet today and she greeted me and chatted about Indie being 12! I literally stopped in my tracks and said 'NO, Indie is not 12!' Somehow her birthday was recorded incorrectly and the medical care for an 8 year old is different than for a 12 year old. Any case, I corrected the oversight. The doctor and the tech LOVED Indie. They were clearly cat people and Indie curled up in the tech's arms! It was a sweet sight.
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