Mini Me Update : Surgery, Cat Life & Xmas Prep

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Hey everyone, how’re you doing? I’d spent so long trying to put a post together over the last few weeks when my brain refused to co-operate, but before I could publish it, things changed. Then I had to delete said post and start again, so I apologise that it has been a while. Finally, here’s a little mini me update – briefly including major surgery foiled by a chest infection, Christmas prep and fussy felines. 

Major Surgery Incoming…. Then Cancelled

After over four years of waiting for a surgery that I probably should have had seven years ago, I finally got a date. Saturday 3rd December 2022. November became manically busy with all the prep for the surgery, numerous appointments, medical stuff for myself and my parents, all the usual daily junk and errands and shopping. You get the picture. It was too much. I even made a folder full of instructions for my parents just in case the surgery didn’t go well, covering everything from how to set the digital alarm clock and use the Sat Nav, to how to order medications online. 

A couple of weeks ago I caught the flu, something that hadn’t happened during the main 2 year’s of Covid for myself or many others by the sound of it. Then I got a bit of a cough, but it wasn’t until the Thursday before surgery that it seemed like maybe it wasn’t “just a cough”. I got a bad feeling, though I wasn’t fully sure about what. I didn’t sleep all night and went into a downward spiral. I went to the GP on the afternoon and she found my heart rate was significantly elevated. Then she listened to my lungs and said it “sounds bad in there”, with lots of crackling on the lower left lobe. Yep, I’d caught yet another chest infection. Perfect damn timing.

That chest infection resulted in the surgery being cancelled less than 24 hours before I was due to go to hospital. I’ve got a week of antibiotics to see if that helps. I’m nearly at the end of the course and may need to go back for steroids with antibiotics for next week. I had recurrent chest infections a few years ago that left with me permanent lung damage, so I’m not keen on it getting worse through more infections my body can’t kick.

I felt so damn guilty. There’s so much involved for the hospital in preparing for a surgery and it was a surgical spot on the waiting list that someone else could have had. What ridiculously bad timing and the definition of “Sod’s Law”. 

A lot was also done at home and I’d moved certain things like medical appointments around to accommodate the procedure. But my legal case and the court date were also delayed in preparation for the surgery, even though I was against that happening. D’oh!  

Now everything is up in the air and I’m completely bewildered and confused. Was it a sign that I shouldn’t have the surgery? After all these years of things getting worse, it seems the procedure is unlikely to confer any/many benefits (though may help stop some things from getting worse) and will come with greater risks. One of the surgeons advised this earlier in the year. It won’t give me a life or a future back, so maybe I just need to know when to say enough is enough and accept that, but it’s not always that clear-cut. Or was it just bad timing because shit happens? After all, I have a weakened immune system, respiratory infections are pretty popular right now, and I was extra run down. Who knows. I sure don’t. I don’t know when the next surgical list is likely to be either.

I even bought a suitcase. Packed said suitcase. Bought travel tickets and sorted a taxi for my ride home. Did so much ridiculous prep on top of the usual stuff. Now I don’t have the heart to unpack it. 

♥

A reminder to everyone, healthy folk and spoonies alike : You can be sensible when you’re out and not get too close to people. You can antibacterial clean all your groceries. You can wash your hands like there’s no tomorrow. And yet you can STILL catch a cold, flu, chest infection, pneumonia, sepsis, Covid, etc. If you’re overwhelmed, too busy and getting increasingly run down, you’ll be all the more open to infection and illness. PLEASE make sure to make time for yourself, to slow down and look after YOU. It’s easier said than done, but it’s so important. Maybe you’ll still catch something, but perhaps we can help reduce the chance of that or take the edge off such an acute illness. Keep warm, rest, eat well, take your meds and supplements, practice self-care and pace throughout the day. Your health and wellbeing are worth looking after. 

♥

KittyKat Update

Snuggles

Virgil had avoided keeping me company in my room since the before the start of the pandemic. Should I take offence? The only way I’ve got him in there was through catnapping and carrying him in ther, but he would just bold the second I let go of him. 

Funnily enough, on Friday morning, when I was in full-blown freakout spiral as per the above surgical conundrum, Virgil WILLINGLY came upstairs, sat on my bed and snuggled up right next to me! What the hell. Nearly 3 years of him not doing this and suddenly, there he is. Same thing happened through to Thursday, where I was rough, had to force myself to do anything and felt pretty empty. You’d think Virgil was too stupid preoccupied to sense anything, and yet it seems incredibly strange he decided to pick that day to cover my blankets with his fur. I loved it.

Playtime 

Virgil still considers himself above the idea of playtime. Any toys I’ve ever bought him have been instantly shunned. But give the cat a long piece of dry grass and he’s happy as Larry. Go figure! 

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Rusting Be Gone!

Instead of being blessed by his company, I’ve been buying his love through food. I noticed a while also that he was getting an increasing amount of “rusting” throughout his fur. He’s a black and white cat, so his black fur will get some light brownish or rust-coloured tinge with age, but this was getting to be too much. I remembered something another blogger had written a while ago and did a little research. It turns out, deficiencies of taurine or tyrosine can cause this rusting.

I checked his current food and found no mention of such enzymes, despite it being called “complete” cat food for all their nutritional needs. Pfft. Then I picked up a special cat food that should give him the taurine/tyrosine required. Deficiencies in taurine and tyrosine may affect the colour of their hair, but such deficiencies can also lead to a host of more serious problems if left long enough, so it’s an important one.

Once he has been sufficiently cute, I dish up his new food in place of his usual lunch and he dines in the kitchen rather than his bachelor pad in the garage. It has become a new routine he seems to love.

I kid you not, this stuff has been miraculous. It’s pricier than his regular dry food but our feline owners have expensive taste sometimes. Even in the first week I started noticing a difference. A few months on and his fur is looking gorgeous. Deep black, with only some left-over rusting on his tail (what I’d expect with age). The rest of the rusting has gone! His fur is super soft and thick and luscious, and just so black. Incredible. All it takes is a little dish at lunchtime to help him. Money well spent and an idea for other cat owners servants to consider if you’ve also noticed rusting. The food I’ve been using is IAMS For Vitality Senior Dry Cat Food Chicken 800g.

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Christmas Prep 

A record has been set – the earliest I have ever started, completed & wrapped the Christmas shopping! 🎉 This was all done before the end of November. I’ve even done the bloody Christmas cards. Had to be prepared this year due to surgery so it had been a bit of a rush-job, and I had to wrangle with the inner Grinch, but it’s done – hurrah! Little did I know it was all for nothing, but it’s nice to know that December can be spent doing things other than Xmas prep. I actually love buying and giving presents, especially for my mum, but wrapping them when living with pain and difficult joints is a bit of a shitty saga 😂

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I also shared on Instagram some drinkies that I got through Trnd to try. I used to love cocktails but I barely drink anymore and I don’t have the energy to even consider making fancy drinks at home. Tails Cocktails are basically ready made deliciousness for you to enjoy, just shake and pour. You could of course always add your own extra dash of juice or whatever to it (I added some pineapple as a tester, which was lovely), but it’s not necessary. This’ll be fab for a wee festive drink with Christmas lunch.

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I bought us a new Christmas tree this year. As per my folks, the old one had reached a grand old age of approximately 32 years. Not bad, but you could definitely tell. It finally kicked the bucket and it was time for something new. The original one I went out and bought was gorgeous – tall, thick, full, no giant gaps. It took insane effort & the help of a very lovely woman at the till to help me get it out of the store and into my car as it was impossible for me. But apparently it was too big, according to my dad who didn’t even get it out of the box and refused to move the sofa to accommodate it. That tree had to go back and I bought a crappier one. Cheaper, but way crappier.

We’ve put it up and my parents decorated it while I was unwell upstairs. It looks reasonable, if you fill in the gaps with crackers and baubles and don’t look at the back of it.

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Thank you to everyone who reads and supports InvisiblyMe, and for all the kind comments. Thank you to my online friends for being so awesome – you know who you are. Please know you all mean a lot to me.

I’m sorry I’ve not been around too much lately as things have been rather hectic. I’ll try to be on social media when I can, but I’ll be slow on blog posts, reading others’ content, emails, etc for a little while longer. Nothing new there then! 😉

In the mean time, please take good care of yourselves ❤️💜💛💙💚

How’ve you been doing? For those that celebrate the festive holidays, have you started your Christmas prep yet?

Caz  ♥

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Caz  ♥

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