More Changes

Everything is a work in progress here, things have to change before Steve gets home. Being able to move Zeus out of the bedroom for periods during the day and overnight will help. I've set up another crate in the utility room, and with help, the small pen now has a roof on it. I'm not saying that Zeus would try and get out now, but he has succeeded in the past and therefore he doesn't get a second chance. 

I'm blessed with lovely friends who have my back, visits to see Steve, messages, emails and phone calls matter, and some of the special people also take the time to ask how I am? I find myself saying "I'M Ok" to most people, but as people close to me know, I'm not, but hopefully with their constant support I will be. 

I've spent the morning moving furniture, inside and outside the house and tidying the yard. The benches look fab, give or take the odd tooth mark!!!! Aldi or tesco now, then on to the hospital, it would be great if Steve was home for my birthday! 

The Great Escape!

The vet said we should keep Luther in till we knew he'd had a wee, so I shut him in the kitchen with a litter tray. Within an hour he was out and I mean outside. With a belly full of chicken and in the sunshine I imagined it would be hours before I saw him again. Had I been that careless and left the kitchen door open? Anyway, before I left for the hospital he was back ... I closed him in the kitchen, but this time I also closed the utility room door and the hatch into the room that the cats use. When I got home he was in the utility room! After three "great escapes" I put him back in the kitchen and put the camera on the door to the kitchen from the utility room....that took him about 6 mins, and for the first few mins he wasn't trying. Well I'm pleased to say he's had a wee and slept the night in a crate! This morning he's had breakfast and his medication and I've let him out, though I'm pleased to say he's about and hasn't done his usual disappearing act. 

Luther Is Home

Dafydd the Vet treating Luther phoned on Sunday morning, he said Luther was comfortable, affectionate and friendly. He was refusing to eat but peeing into a catheter. Bloods tomorrow to see if creatinine has gone down.

Monday - One home one to go. Luther has shaved legs and neck, but he's bright, hungry and objecting to being confined in the kitchen. More results to come to find out what caused my poor boy to be so ill, but his bloods were normal today. Thanks to my mates for the fantastic support at what is turning out to be one of the hardest few weeks ever. I won't forget !!! 

The Girls

Meerah

Seren 

Yes I still wish I had both, but I know how unwise that would have been. 

Luther

Two weeks ago Luther ran in, peed in the dog toy box and ran out. I found it odd behaviour as he's such a clean cat. Later that day Steve fell, and I have to admit my focus has since been mainly on Steve. On saying that all the animals have been fed, watered and loved, but my dogs have had to spend what I consider to be an unacceptable time in crates. Sadly needs must and though I'm struggling I'm really trying my hardest to do the best I can for everyone.

Until Thursday, Luther has been quite normal, eating, drinking, messing about with Archie and snoozing in the sunshine. On Thursday Luther seemed grumpy, aggressive and restless. He still came for his meals, but I can't say I saw him eat. Feeling uncomfortable about it all, but unable to pinpoint anything other than the strange peeing incident, I made a vets appointment. I'm well aware that cats are prone to urinary track infections, crystals in their urine, cystitis etc, but I have to admit I'm really taken aback at how ill Luther was/is and without showing obvious symptoms. I'd put him in a dog crate overnight on Thursday and because of his demeanour on Friday morning I can't tell you how close I came to cancelling the Vets appointment, that is so scary as this condition can be fatal within 2 - 3 days, being so stoic clearly hasn't helped him. "Urine blockages in cats, especially in the urethra, can lead to kidney failure if left untreated because the buildup of urine and toxins can damage the kidneys." Luther's creatinine was off the scale, (Creatinine -a waste product from muscle metabolism, is normally filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and excreted in urine)  

Luther is not out of the woods, he's at the vets on a drip, time will tell if he'll recover but at least getting him to the vets when I did may have given him a chance. I've been told to ring again tomorrow morning after 10am. 

8 Months

Baby M is 8 months tomorrow. Looking fab yeah. At the vets today she was 29.4kg and she's 61 cms, shall we say a top size female! LOL 

Just for reference

https://talistails.blogspot.com/2024/03/8-months-weights-and-measure.html 

Luther's Not Well - Update

 

It never rains but it pours is the saying. Poor Luther is on the drip at the vets. I gathered something was wrong with him yesterday, and I shut him in a dog crate in the kitchen overnight. He had a huge bladder blockage, which I hope is now cleared. I'll try and find time to update this post later. 

**Not good news, he's got kidney failure. 50-50 if he makes it. They are keeping him in.**

Confusion

 1/4 -Mixed feeling for me today, there is talk that Steve will be home by the end of the week. As much as I want him home, the OT still hasn't been back and nothing has been done here to help Steve when he gets home. What I was concerned about today was that he seemed vacant and not concentrating at all, he also mentioned a cat on the bed, very odd! If he's still the same tomorrow I'll ask someone. 

2/4 - Last night things got worse, garbled messages on WhatsApp and Messenger, repetitive phone calls and odd conversations. He was telling me he didn't know why he was there and that he needed to get a man to Spain. He'd rung his daughter 6 times in 10 mins and had rung his sister telling her he was lost on the corridor and couldn't find his bed. He eventually told me to go away and hung up. I spoke to two nurses and explained the confusion, but they hadn't noticed anything wrong with him. I swear it's too late for April fool so something was not right ... probably the cocktail of mediation! Anyway I'm going in this morning as I need clarification, Steve is perfectly coherent today, but they really need to listen to what went on there yesterday!  

During my visit I spoke to a doctor about last nights calls and confusion, he says there is no infection, and he considered it to be opioid induced confusion, the pain therapist doesn't agree as Steve has been on morphine for so long, but she has no answers either.

I've just had a call from Steve, he has been diagnosed with low sodium levels and is on a drip for12 hrs. Could this have caused the confusion? I don't know! Anyway, his right leg is now also swollen and the doctor wants it raised to see if that will help, if not it'll be Nora Batty's stockings!

Steve Updates

29/3  - Though the surgery was a success, things haven't been going to plan. Steve has been in crippling, unbearable pain which the medical team have not been able to control as he was already on strong painkillers just to get through every day life. He has sadly also developed hospital acquired pneumonia, which has hampered his recovery further, and he's now on IV antibiotics as well as a cocktail of painkillers. I miss him so much and hope every day for better news.

1/4 - Yesterday, finally did bring better news, the pneumonia is under control and the pain had reduced just a fraction. Steve had managed, with assistance, to get to his feet and take about a dozen steps. He is eating a little better, but not drinking enough water which is not healthy for him. 

Orin and Siska are back together, which makes life so much easier. With the stops and starts at the beginning, not knowing where she was at in her season didn't help, I had to go with Orin's experience and his attitude towards me yesterday gave me an idea that I was now the most important bitch in his life again!!! 

Steve had decided that he would "fix" the benches in the yard and give them one more season, but hell they owe us nothing. I haven't told him yet but Fron Goch delivered two new ones last week and Frank assembled them for me. When Steve comes home he'll have to spend sometime in the extension, (bathroom and bedroom) but they lead straight into the yard, so maybe he will be able to spend a little time now sitting out. Here's hoping. We need a chair for the bedroom, the bed may have to be raised ... and he may need a thick cushion for other chairs in the house. I kind of though when he's able to get into the living room and into his chair that I could put a puppy pen around him, sounds daft I know but keeping him safe is paramount. 

Bottom photo - Steve with Mikey on one of the old benches, when it was new in July 2016 - not long before we lost Mikey. 

It's Not Getting Any Easier

Steve is really having a hard time, he's in excruciating pain, which is not believed to be directly connected to the hip. I've been googling, as I do, and a trapped/damaged nerve is a possibility, as is an infection because of the temperature spike yesterday. Following the spike they had taken bloods, but said the wound/scar was healing nicely. Steve is a very stoic man, he's lived with pain since his accident when he was 11, that's why the severity of this pain is obvious to all who know him.

Last night he really put me through the ringer, we always have a goodnight chat at 10pm, but last night he didn't answer. Between WhatsApp and Messenger, I must have phoned a dozen times, and by midnight I was really overthinking. After numerous calls to the ward, in the end I got through and was reassured that he was fast asleep and had been since about 9pm. When we spoke at 7am Steve was in severe pain and kept saying how hot and ill he was, I insisted he asked for help, but 9am he phoned me back and seemed himself again, by lunchtime he was in agony again. Anyway, he's gone for the MRI now and I'll get everyone fed so I can be over there about the time he gets back

I took this photo because that white flower is in full bloom, (of course I don't know what it is) it's one of his favourites and he's missing it this year!