My husband is much better, and will
probably be released into the world today or tomorrow. Alexander and
Ketki both turned up yesterday. We saw a (12-year-old) dr who said there was no
more medical reason for holding on to him – lungs are as clear as
they're going to be, oxygen saturation good. We saw a physiotherapist
who was also pleased with him.
I remain confused as to what sort of
assessment of our living arrangements will be carried out, if any.
One thing we certainly achieved yesterday was to tell the nursing
staff to start letting him inject his own insulin. That worries me
quite a bit, wondering whether he can still manage it, and is not an issue which can be postponed for even a
day.
So we shall see. They can't turn him
out until I get there with his trousers.
Moorecat, bless you for yesterday's
comment. Yes, I used to knit in the morning, at least during that
half-hour after taking the osteoporosis pill (now stopped). One had
to take it first thing, eat nothing, remain upright. Lots of people
do useful things like ironing or having a shower. I used to knit. And
yesterday I did again, and very welcome it was. I'm halfway through
the next big stripe on the Tokyo Shawl.
It's supposed to be mindless knitting,
but I continue not to find it so. The pattern is very simple: k20,
k2tog, k48, yo. Repeat. But alternate stripes are reversed, and I
continue to find the switching difficult. There are divagations in
what should be the elegant curved lines of eyelets, and a blip or two
among the easier decreases. Nothing to worry about, but I am
irritated at myself.
Cats
Many thanks for comments. We have
always had a female cat, and tend to believe that allowing her a
couple of litters before being spayed leaves her sharper-witted in middle life. Also
it's fun to have a drawer-ful of kittens. But that may be
over-ambitious in old age, and the question of who is to father the
kittens when we don't plan to let her out is indeed a serious one.
Getting two cats is not a bad idea.
Roman Catholicism and a love of cats
were the two points of compatibility my husband and I had established before
marriage in 1957 and pretty well remain the only two, 58 years later.
The shelters down here always seem to want foster homes for unwed teenaged rescue cats and their litters. It would certainly solve the problem of finding a father...I believe they help with rehominng the kittens once old enough, too.
ReplyDeleteWe currently have three female cats ( and two males). All three of the female cats were spayed as kittens. The older one, now almost 14, has always been a social intelligent talkative cat. The two younger ones were litter mates and are totally different. One is clingy and although intelligent doesn't show it very often. The other is a very sharp cat; opening doors on her own, checking the house for mice and hunting outside when the weather permits ( we live in a suburban area and it's dangerous for her but not as much as the city.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that it's not the litters of kittens but the personality of the animal and how well they were socialized that determines the adult behavior. I think two kittens are a great idea as they can expend some of that wild energy on each other rather than their humans.
glad to hear of your husbands progress. good luck with the home coming... and resettling him back in the household.
ReplyDeleteas for cats - i understand the appeal of kittens but put my vote for a pair of spayed kittens as companions. yes the idea of a mother with her litter is sweet but they will be a bit of work... a pair of kittens (if you can get them from the same litter even better) will adapt and be pleasant companions for yourself and each other.
Jean - you have a wry sense of humour - your closing paragraph sent me into peals of laughter, Between the trousers and the cats I'll be smiling all day. Best wishes (and prayers) for your husband and your good self.
ReplyDeleteAdd my welcome to the good news of your husband's progress, and do hope you can get some information about assessment of home situation. Cats: add to yesterdays comments. The world has too many unwanted kittens - I vote for spaying. Also for adopting two - I adopted two litter-mates, after they had had 8-9 weeks with their mother - that early maternal time seems, as for humans, very important. They kept each other very good company and lived to a good old indoor age - our house was on a very high-traffic downtown Toronto corner, and on the few occasions when they accidentally got out, they very sensibly hid either in the neighbour's back garden, or under our porch, until found and readmitted.
ReplyDelete- Beth in Ontario
I say this with the greatest respect and I hope no offence is taken as I intend none.
ReplyDeleteI am worried that I won't outlive my pets, three dogs, four cats an old bird and two goats. All very beloved to me and my biggest fear is leaving them alone in the world. Something else to think about when having kittens. All my animals are rescues and all older so hopefully, if I live till a relatively good age, they will be gone before me.
I would strongly urge you to talk to your children about who will cats whould you no longer be able to do so before you decide to adopt. Adding older cats to a home which already has cats is no easy trick, and your children...while loving cats...may not want to take this on. Both my sister and I have been in the inescapable position of having to suddenly rescue cats when a family member could no longer do so, and it has not been easy to add more cats to a household where another cat ot two has reigned supreme.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it would be best to get your husband settled in with a routine in place before adding the chaos of kittens to the household? And keep in mind that slightly older kittens can be just as funny and playful, but just a little easier to care for.