It’s quite obvious that there’s been a gap in posting. I’m on smoother paths now but not cured. In March of that year we’d like to forget, I developed an abscess in my lower right leg. Very quickly, it popped and I was raced off to to hospital. Once it was examined by my medical team, the decision was taken immediately to do the dreaded revision. What followed was 7 weeks on one leg with stronger antibiotics. Then a brief wait without antibiotics to see if the infection rushed back in.  It didn’t. Then a new knee with some not very rigorous physical therapy and then home. The infection is under control but I am on long term antibiotics.

Moving around is extremely difficult. I’ve been home about a year by now and I’m still having trouble moving because of the lack of balance  I can stand and pivot to get into my commode chair or into the motorised wheelchair but it’s not graceful.  Shoes are difficult (lympheodema) and I have heaps of shoes that fall into various categories of what I can get my fat feet into, and what I can walk (even 3 steps) in.

I also developed a right shoulder pain that developed from using the stand-up support frame while I had no knee. It’s left me with pain from neck to fingers. With careful daily nursing, it’s decreased but a single mistaken reach and it’s back. I still get headaches but if I manage my reading time, it’s bearable. I acquired a viral infection in my left eye that threatened my graft. I’m on long term anti-viral medication. My ophthalmologist won’t operate on my right cataract because of fear of damaging the graft there. My vision is crap.

Jim is here mostly permanently now. We applied for a residence visa last April, and, after filing masses of documentation (all digitally), we were approved. Jim is being a live-in nurse and he does everything for me.  I cannot express my gratitude for his help. He shops, does laundry, feeds the cats, goes to the chemist, drives me to doctors, you name it. We watch baseball and talk to each other a lot, which is what I really missed. We have our differences but nothing too serious. At least we can talk them out face to face now.

Believe it or not, I still do fibre stuff. I have almost completed a blanket made of squares of pin loom weaving of my own handspun. The debate currently is how much it will shrink when it get fulled. It is very light but also very warm. I hope the cats don’t rip holes in it. It’s grey with a blue halo of wool and mohair.

My concern, aside from COVID-19 and the fate of the planet (what’s to worry about?), is my beloved Imp. She’s 17 now and it shows. Her coat is no longer glossy and her rear legs are stiff. She has kidney disease and has lost weight dramatically. But she’s on my lap as long as we can manage with lots of petting and baby talk. Max is no longer a kitten but he still wants to play at 4AM whether I’m awake or not. He’s so lovable and still squeaky. We wonder how he’ll handle the loss of his sister.

I’m tired and typing is a chore. I’m still reading scifi and mysteries not to mention books about baseball and history. Good night for now

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