Slow Motion

I am sleeping on the love seat again while JJ recovers from his surgery. Often he needs help getting up because trying to get himself up strains his abdomen. He is getting stronger and sometimes can get up without help, but at other times his belly hurts and he asks for help. I also think that he appreciates the comfort of not being alone. It’s kind of scary to have a belly full of staples. I have been tempted to share a picture of his staples because it’s kind of interesting, but I fear that would gross people out.

Whenever I sleep on the love seat, the cats settle on and around me, making a very comforting blanket of cats. They are also rather funny. For example, the end of the couch where I put my head has an end table next it. Kee-Kee often leaps on the end table when he wants to come lay on me, but he doesn’t like sinking into the soft pillow so he always walks on my head as if it’s a bridge. Then he settles on my shoulder or neck, gives my face a lick or two, and falls asleep. Little Bear sleeps on my chest (if Kee-Kee isn’t on me) or on my legs. The other night he reached his little paw into my hand as if he was holding my hand. Last night I was awakened by Luke puking close to my head, I quickly lifted my head, saw he was going to puke on EJ’s laptop, shoved him (gently) off the end table, and the floor lamp fell over. Luckily it didn’t break. I was settling down to sleep again when Danny wanted out. Sigh. I let him out, waited a few minutes, and then let him back in. THEN I went back to sleep. Despite night-time interruptions (which I think are kind of funny), I like the cats sleeping on me.

JJ didn’t feel like getting lab tests done today–all of us are extremely deep-down tired this week–so we have decided to do it Monday. This will make next week very busy with lab tests on Monday, JJ’s staples removed on Tuesday, and a follow-up appointment with the oncologist on Wednesday.

Monday night is Passover, and I am not sure how we will fit it in because the days will be busy and EJ has to work. All his vacation days have been spent helping JJ fight cancer. We absolutely love Passover but we will celebrate it very simply this year.

As soon as I woke this morning, while I was still sleepy-eyed, I went grocery shopping. EJ was very tired so he stayed home with JJ. If I hadn’t needed supplies for Passover, I probably wouldn’t have gone. I also did other grocery shopping as well.

After I got home and put the groceries away, I told JJ to open the package that I had picked up at the post office on my way home. The package was from a dear friend and her two boys. They sent us a “movie night in a box” with the second Hobbit movie, which just came out on DVD a couple of days ago, and a variety of snacks that a person would enjoy at the theatre.  The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit are my favorite stories/movies. We haven’t yet seen this latest Hobbit movie so we can’t wait to have our wonderful movie night. I have the most awesome friends. Even though our large TV is broke 😦 we can watch the movie on our computers or on a small TV that I brought up from the basement. I told JJ that we have to re-watch the first Hobbit movie and then we can watch the second one, but I suspect he might not go along with this idea.

After we admired the package from our friends, I went outside with EJ while he dug a hole, put up a post, and hung one of my bird houses. It looks wonderful and I cannot wait until birds move in. EJ didn’t have time to put up the other house. Maybe Sunday he can do it. We have a lot to do in our yard but we are only doing small jobs right now as we recover from the long months of fighting cancer. Big jobs are too much right now.

After EJ left for work, I took Danny for a walk. The day was beautiful–sunny, blue sky, and warmish. When we got home, I took JJ for a walk. He said he wanted to try to walk to the small store for a treat, and I said that if he made it, I’d absolutely buy him the treat. He made it, although on the way home he said he was feeling weak and faint. I told him he could absolutely NOT pass out because I wouldn’t be able to hold him up. He had to make it home. He did.

I wanted to make potato salad because I have been craving it, but I was so tired that I craved sleep more. I took a nap. THEN I made potato salad. After that I moved one of the birdfeeder poles so that rain doesn’t drip onto the feeders from the roof when it rains. I also did dishes, fed JJ, did light housekeeping, and fed JJ again. The doctors said it might take JJ a few weeks to get his appetite back, but I think it’s already happening. The assistant librarian called to tell me that a book I wanted was in. She went to great effort to get it for me from another library so I walked down to get it and to thank her.

It sounds like I did more today than I did. Mostly I am moving in slow motion.