Gilbert is home

[kittykittykitty]

Thank you.

 

Cataract extraction with lens implant is a real blessing when well done. I know from personal experience.

 

Miss Gilbert is such a sweetheart! I'm sure you disagree, especially when she takes out a piece of flesh (or calls you "MA.")

[katana600]

Yes, Miss Gilbert is a real sweetheart and a blessing in our family. She has weathered some storms in the past two weeks and has really passed some major milestone moments. We have had a sitter for her two weekends in a row. It has been wild and crazy at our house starting with my husband's first lens replacement.... and three days later he slipped in the mud on the newest phase of our landscape improvements. I was watering about sixty new shrubs/trees and 2500 square feet of new sod by hand. He was helping me by putting out sprinklers, when he went to adjust them, he fell and broke his ankle. After the initial ER visit, then the orthopedic surgeon and then new orders for CT scans, he actually broke six bones and will have surgery next week. In the meantime, I did have surgery for cataract removal and new lenses a week apart. It was super easy, I didn't even need to be sedated. A few days after the first one, I drove to Nashville from Atlanta and back in the same day. The day after the second one, I drove to Pennsylvania and part way back the same weekend. That is where Miss Gilbert has shined. I actually think now that she knows our in-home sitter and that we always come back, she is better off at home than on the road for these short trips. She did barber a few feathers, but that is par for the course.

 

She is reaching a point of calling "Maaa", then " What! What! What!", then laughing. I can't help but to laugh right along with her. Lately I have come to realize she quit calling me LuLu sometime around February when we went to Houston. In the past month, after referring to Mildred, she seems to be calling me Mildred. Another time she was upset about something going on in the house and shouted "Sh!t storm". That pretty much described the mayhem going on that day so even though, I kept my poker face, I was laughing inside. Another new thing she has been saying and we can't figure out she means is "No sir!" Now that David is home recovering from his injury and working remotely from home, she will mumble at length punctuated by "No sir!"

 

After our trip to Pennsylvania, she surprised me by asking over and over about Macy. She is my sister's dog. I am convinced Miss Gilbert knows where we went that weekend.

[Timbersmom]

Wow sorry to hear about the broken bones! Prayers for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

[kittykittykitty]

I tried to post yesterday but couldn't. My best to David with his surgery. My guess is Miss Gillie Girl will want him to stay home forever after this layover.

She is so very intelligent I'm sure she knew where you were.

Howardine/kittykittykitty (Yes, the kitties are fine, thank you.)

[katana600]

Intelligent and psychic too, I believe. We were out last night gathered with neighbors to pass out Halloween candy. Everyone always asks about Miss Gilbert. I told them I was a little disappointed that she hadn't called me LuLu since February. As soon as I opened the garage door to come in she said "Hey LuLu". Then she had a virtual LuLu love fest saying it over and over. It was uncanny and considering the date... Spooktacular. Bwahahaha

 

Thanks for the well wishes for David's injury and upcoming surgery. He is halfway through the "normal" recovery and the surgery will be a setback. But, I have a few years of experience with him and think the broken bones are the least of his troubles. I could be wrong but when the doctor goes in there I believe they will find significant ligament damage and will have to secure that as well. Not wishing for trouble but he can't afford going into retirement with another accident waiting to happen.

[kittykittykitty]

Probably psychic. Kitties sure seem to be, so why not Miss Gilbert. Oh, my! Bones, tendons, ligaments! It is better to get them repaired before insurance changes with retirement however, I agree. I tore a ligament in my wrist in July while doing therapy. I have waited because of not having any more time in that benefit period.

[Greywings]

Grey psionics why not? Part of how they get their way and take over the household no doubt a useful tool.

[birdhouse]

Just catching up here. How's it going? Has David had his surgery yet?

[katana600]

Yes, thanks Val and all concerned. It was about a three hour surgery and the doctor says she hopes not, but by January should know if he needs a second one. His recovery has been remarkable in that anesthesiology used a nerve block to help with pain relief prior to surgery. It is expected to wear off in 12 to 18 hours and a week later, he is just starting to get a twinge of pain sporadically but basically still has no feeling in his ankle. We have kept up with testing for good circulation and reporting in to anesthesiology. David says he thinks someone else was getting an amputation and they mixed up the syringes. I had little idea how much I am set in my ways with my little dogs and parrots and scheduled life until there is a change. He made his "office" in my living room and tells us to hush because he is at work. His job involves a lot of phone calls and he can't go downstairs to the basement where it might be quiet for him. Java gives him the game show buzzer sound to let him know she is displeased. Miss Gilbert is hilarious... not to him so much, but after days of really loud piercing sound effects she repeats as soon as he puts on the headset for his phone she has started screaming bloody murder "No! No! Noooooo!". I have heard him many times sigh and say, believe me, I would rather be in Texas... California... Yes, its the parrot, no its not my wife. Hahahaha.

 

Okay. I really do know how much I like to be set in my ways. LOL. He is sleeping in my spot. He is sitting in my spot in the living room and we can't be quiet. I am looking at that scooter and think it would be quick work getting him down to that basement with one big push. Hahahahaha. Seriously... I think a hand rail on the right as well as the left would do the trick. I have to start my holiday baking, cleaning and decorating and having him "working" in my zone is not my happy place. He has always traveled and worked 80 hours a week or more. Now he has no boundary and can wake up and work without the added two hour commute. He does NOT want to be doted on nor interrupted. My surly side came out when he asked what's for dinner.... "hmm, I don't know, what time will you be home from work?" Did I mention he is sleeping in my spot? The next thing you know he will be using my cup. No wonder Gil girl and I are a perfect match.

[Kya]

Your posts almost always make me laugh. I don't post a lot, but always go straight to see what Miss Gilbert is up to when I get a chance to!

 

I, too, am very set in my ways and had my husband home recovering from a surgery for several months, so I can certainly relate. But in your description, I suddenly realized that we are so much like our greys! Change is not our friend, and screaming "No! Nooo! Noooooo!" is not an inappropriate reaction at all. She's saying what you are too polite to say!

[kittykittykitty]

FUNNY!!! I think we all must be creatures of habit. I can only imagine what it is like at your house! Is David walking already? Weight bearing? I still can't manage stairs. I do hope he doesn't need more surgery!

[Greywings]

An upset in routines can spin us out of balance for sure. You have my empathy and glad to see your ability to write with humor is a great sign that even you and Gil girl will heal from the disturbance.

[birdhouse]

lol You do realize this is a little preview of what it will be like to have David underfoot permanently or rather after his retirement, right?

 

This might not actually bode too well for the next couple of decades. jus sayin

[Timbersmom]

LOL! I am certainly set in my ways and can totally commiserate. In fact, I would probably have regressed to hair pulling/feather plucking/overpreening and biting by now... Hang in there!

[Inara]

Dee, you always crack me up! Am commiserating with you and Gilgirl...my Joe is back to work after his latest shoulder surgery, and finally has the huge Herman Munster looking sling off. However, he is not quite back on his usual schedule, and HRH has begun saying, "OK byebye go to work!" Psychic?....I do believe they read our minds... :rolleyes: at least in this case. bwhaha. Hope Dave has a speedy recovery, and if he touches your cup, well tell you are filing a complaint with HR.

[katana600]

This morning at five am, I was packing his little trike into the trunk of my car for him to return to work!!! Still no weight bearing for about 4 to 6 weeks. It would be wonderful to have him home with me.... just not working from home in my spot! Hahahaha. While he is away today, I am running the vacuum, shampooing carpet and making noise. A lot of noise! I can run the blender, the coffee grinder, the mixer and do all sorts of loud and wild things. I have three blissful days to rearrange furniture, deep clean and find a way to get him up and down the stairs. I am thinking a zip line from trees out front to the patio below the deck. He isn't much on amusement park rides though.

 

The cup issue appears to be settled. He used it yesterday and our little neighbor boy knocked it off the stand and it is no longer to be an issue... until I find another cup, and buy enough to hoard in the basement fall-out-shelter/pantry so I can silently replace it. My spot in bed will be settled, all I have to do is swap walls and he will be put back in his rightful place. LOL. Seriously... he has a CPAP that blows in my face if we try to swap spots. That has to be it... if I mirror image the entire room, it is bound to make me feel like I am back in my spot, right? He laughed and laughed yesterday after we went to bed, he gouged me with an elbow to get me to move over. Not happening, I reached up to the headboard in the dark, counted to the center, made an invisible line down the middle and told him he has more than his share. He was laughing. I told him go ahead and laugh, tomorrow I will get a big fat sharpie and draw a line down the middle so he know where to park his carcass. I have glow in the dark thread I can use to emphasize it after dark and if that doesn't work, I know where to buy barbed wire!

 

To show that I am not entirely unreasonable, I do understand that he will have difficulty getting that trike out of the trunk of the car. I offered to drive him to work and wait for him to complete his day and drive him home again. All he has to do is get me a lovely room at the Hyatt next to his office and I could take one for the team... have a massage and otherwise engage myself while he is next door. He said he will think about it. In all seriousness now, he does have it tough. He has limited use of his right arm, so basically his right leg is the only thing he can depend on at this time. He has such difficulty getting down just two steps into the garage. Maybe I could put my time to better use today to build a ramp there.

 

Miss Gilbert has actually gained a lot of benefit from him being home. Generally when I am here alone, she is not getting the stimulation she has enjoyed with her bantering with him. Her vocabulary is changing and she is so funny. Friday while he was trying to have conference calls she was barking. He finally became exasperated and said to her "You call that a bark? You sound like a chimpanzee." She just replied "mm hmmmm". About an hour later he told her to be quiet. She laughed at him. Then she started barking over and over and over. He mocked her and for the first time ever, she said "Stop it, no barking!" Hahahaha. It is absolutely priceless to have a view of our retirement. For now, I will get all my cleaning, Christmas decorating and noise making done in case he decides to stay home until he has full mobility.

[birdhouse]

Sounds like you two could use an old fashioned bundling board or maybe a trundle bed. lol Hope you can get that to settle down. Too long w/o a good night's sleep gets a little brutal after a while.

 

I have to give David points for going above & beyond under the circumstances, though. The man's quite the trooper. Or have you & Miss G been giving him more of an incentive to try to leave the house than you're admitting...? lol

[Timbersmom]

Sounds like he is making great progress! I'll stay on my side... no husband ever does. A ramp sounds look a good idea though.

[kittykittykitty]

You make my day each time you post. Thank you!!!

[katana600]

David is stoic and long suffering, LOL. After thirty six years married to me the man is headed for sainthood. This is a guy who hobbled up hill across about a half acre with a horribly shattered ankle and foot, then was determined to take a shower as not to go to the ER muddy and wet. Then he climbed a set a stairs on his knees. He has taken a total of two pain pills and never complains. This injury has a much greater impact considering his wings were clipped before he fledged. He was injured by forceps during a difficult birth. A neck injury with severe nerve damage left him with no use of his left arm and limited use of the right. You would never guess by looking because he is never still for a moment, like a hybrid cross between a Tasmanian devil and a honey badger. His main complaint with this "inconvenience" is that it keeps him from properly doing his job which is best done in person, not over the phone. I have offered to drive him, but have to agree a drive from Georgia to California and Oregon might be a bit much.

 

My bedroom takeover was a success! I still lay there wondering and shifting the room in my head like a tetris game long after the lights were out, "is this really my spot?" Logically, I know it is. I put a coaster on my desired spot before I used my 2X4 lever system to lift the bed to put sliders under the bed posts. When he turned on the bathroom lights in the morning with the doors wide open, the lights did not shine in my face. Goodness, why did I have to break his leg to figure this out? Bhahaha... slow learner? Just kidding, he slipped on wet grass, I promise.

 

Miss Gilbert was highly agitated with the furniture moving. It is still one of her triggers. I did what I could to minimize the impact, closing the door and only needed to move a couple of nightstands where she could see them. Lucky for me, I did not get close enough for her to have a real chance at biting me when she inevitably took a swipe. This morning all is well with her, she was singing "Good morning sweetheart, good morning sweet bird". The theory about parrots driving a sick or injured flock member away is holding true. Both Java and Gil have been pretty harsh to David. At first I thought it was the trike or peg leg knee walker that was upsetting them. But Java went to great lengths to travel across the room without flying as if she was on an enemy reconnaissance mission. She climbed up over the side of his chair only to nail him and fly back to her cage. No wonder the poor guy is in such a hurry to go back to the office.

[kittykittykitty]

David is... Fill in the blank. He surely isn't one to say "Poor me." You aren't either.

[katana600]

David is... longsuffering. We have been married for 36 years eleven months and one day, but who's counting? Hahahaha. Friday he sees the doctor and is hoping for a green light to start putting weight on that foot for the first time in about nine weeks. Thank heavens he was able to escape back to work and our little world at home is back to a predictable smooth orbit. Well kinda. Miss Gilbert is having a feather barbering storm. There has not been any big trigger other than our routine being changed up. She has been really extra lovey to me for a couple of months. She wants a head rub more than she wants a treat. She will ask for a treat, I come to her and put it in her treat cup but she will stand with her head bowed offering me her head and neck to rub instead. It is especially touching to me when I know she is hungry first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. She has not attempted to nip me in months. She is much more confident and outgoing when I don't get her out of her cage. For a long time she was offering to step up and come out every day. One day she decided that is enough. She will climb out of her cage and go to the top to play or roost but at the slightest sign of an offer for contact when she may be "taken" away, she will skitter inside and let me know she is reserving that privilege for a really good day. I have delayed my Christmas decorating and I think I will move her cage to my bedroom and move a chair in there as well where I can sit with her in the evenings and keep her from too much excitement of lights and the hubbub of company coming Christmas eve. It is only my daughter and son in law, but then Miss Gilbert will let us know when we can come to her and when she prefers to be all by herself. She has a clear view into the living room from her vantage point and the luxury of still having her quiet space. I can't get enough of her sweet head rubs. This has been the longest streak of acceptance from her in close to six years. She has passed a milestone of acceptance to eagerness for contact, so we are gaining on the trust front! I just love her even with her tattered little grey undergarments showing.

[Timbersmom]

Fingers crossed he gets the green light Friday!

[kittykittykitty]

I wish David well. As for Miss Gilbert--- she has come such a long way, thanks to you and your family. Not biting you is real progress. So are the head scratches.

[katana600]

Miss Gilbert is opening her heart in grey time, a micrometer at a time. About a month ago she decided she wanted no more step ups or rides to survey her kingdom. When she backs away, I back down until she takes a step toward me again. She is doing something new, very heartwarming and very scary all at once. She has been watching while I ask Java for a step up, then rub her neck, kiss her on the head, then put her on my shoulder for time with me in another room. About a week ago, Gil started making a very quiet clicking as she bowed her head at the bars for me to rub her head. It took me a little while to understand what she was doing. When I kiss Java on the head, she makes a little "peck peck peck" kissy sound. Gil was asking for a kiss on the head! She presses her head against the bars, I lean in and kiss the top of her head. She pulls back, looks askance at me with one eye, then leans in for another. I am not going to press my luck to try a third time, but she will stand there and let me rub her head now for twenty minutes. You can just see it in her eyes and her body language that she really wants to step up and come out, she is just not going to come out of her comfort zone. When I think back at how long it took for her to accept her first treat from me, and then how much longer it took for her to allow me to touch her at all, we have come a long long way together. I have faith that she will someday join me in every room of our house and she will enjoy sitting on a warm lap occasionally.

 

Ah yes, David got his "walking" papers on Friday, he will be weight-bearing in the air cast for another six weeks. The doctor said he is ahead of schedule since he has been doing range of motion exercises daily. We were given a list of instructions for physical therapy he can start now so when the cast comes off completely, he may not need formal PT. He steadfastly refuses to admit any pain or discomfort, but the swelling and slowing down at the end of the day are telling me different. I am going to start some hot wax therapy on him tonight. I suspect he won't admit it feels good, but as long as he can't run fast enough to escape me, he will have to grin and bear it.