My Dog Nurses

The CI surgery was early yesterday morning, and I was discharged from the hospital late in the afternoon. I was still woozy from the anesthesia, on potent painkillers, and downright exhausted., but it was good to be home. The dogs greeted me with enthusiasm, so much from Lily, that I had to toss her a huge cookie to keep her from leaping on me. (The dog treats being in a jar on a convenient shelf in the kitchen.) Steve held my arm as I shuffled down the hall to the living room, where I collapsed (upright) onto the couch.

After eating her biscuit (which took all of 40 seconds,) Lily noticed that all was not right with me. I smelled funny, walked slowly and had bandages on my head. Lily decided to make me better.  Petting her would help – so she stood by the couch to get scratched. When I couldn’t reach over to get her favorite spot she realized that the situation was worse than she’d thought. She found her biggest toy, one she rarely plays with, but I guess she thought that only a big toy would be the incentive that I needed to get up and back to normal. Lily tossed the toy, shredded a corner, and shoved it at me. None of which made me any better. Sigh. She climbed into her chair, the one that faces the couch. She’d nurse me back to health by vigilantly keeping an eye on me. Which was boring.

Scooter also greeted me at the door when I came home. He did not notice anything amiss. But, he was pleased that I was on the couch. He joined me, and he’s been plastered next to my side ever since.

I’m sure to heal with two such nurses on the job.

All of your well-wishes have also helped! I won’t be able to respond to your messages individually any time soon. I’m on Vicodin, and just writing this post has taken ages – it’s interesting what the drugs have done to my ability to spell and construct a complete sentence. Time for a nap. With Scooter.

Comments:

  1. vicodin is my happy pill of choice…which is pretty much why i avoid them ;) glad you’re home recuperating with your walking blankets.

  2. Time heals all things……I think Lily has figured this out and is patiently waiting for time to pass. Your best days (and loudest) are ahead of you !

  3. Much luck with your recovery….nothing like canine company to keep a smile in your heart.

  4. Hope you feel better soon! I know my 3 cats and 2 small dogs all piled up on me make me feel better when Im not well!

  5. There is nothing like a warm, furry body snugged up close to make you feel better. My cats usually catch on really quickly when I’m in need of comforting. Not so sure about the current house-mate. She’s pretty independent. Living up to the typical cat image I suspect! :)

  6. I just read about your surgery. So sorry you had to go through all you did….but hearing is precious. I wear hearing aids and without them…I don’t hear much and what I do hear is garbled. Best of luck to you…..I’ll add you to my prayers nightly for a speedy recovery & that all goes well.
    Love your blog!

    Celia

  7. Glad you are home. Pups are the best medicine. They just know. Take it easy and let anyone and everyone wait on you.
    Deborah

  8. Glad you’re well and back home. I was touched by the story of nurses. Also stay in bed for three months and my cat kept me company all the time. Recover soon.

  9. It doesn’t take long for animals to figure it out when their owners are not right. Scooter knows. He just handles it differently than Lily. He’s making you better by keeping your legs warm! So glad to hear things went well and that you are home. My best, again, for a speedy recovery.

  10. Been thinking of you! Thanks for taking the time and effort to keep us updated. Glad your sweet guys are there to help you heal!

  11. Our companion animals really know when we are not up to snuff. They will take great care of you. Thanks for your update. Take care and get well.

  12. Hi! I am so glad that you are home and all went well. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy your Hen/Goat Cam as much as we do. It looks like you are in good hands ( paws ). Hoping for your speedy recovery.

  13. Glad to learn you are home and have such vigilant carers! Here is to a speedy recovery. My hens and 14 1/2 yr old rough collie are all fedup with unusual cold and snow we are having here in North Devon – it sticks to their fur and feathers and freezes their water. Fyvie’s back legs are not so good these days so she has to be rescued from the icy patches as her feet slide from under her. Keep warm and keep smiling. Best wishes from North Devon

  14. So glad to hear you are at home after your initial procedure. We appreciate the ‘view from the couch’. The doggies have you right where they want you! They know best .. .. Rest well; you are in my prayers.

  15. Speedy recovery. Look at all the electricity your saving with Scooter, no need for a heating pad if your cold. ;-)
    Vicodon!!!!! I had surgery about 10 years ago and they gave me that stuff. I was divorced at the time so my mother came over to nurse me back to health, the first day on that stuff I wondered out the front door when she had her back turned. The worse part of that was I WAS NAKED. My poor mother!!! I don’t remember anything from that day, that’s probably a good thing. :-0

  16. Thanks everyone for all of the healing thoughts being sent my way. The vicodon is potent! (no danger, Ken, of me leaving the house, naked or otherwise. I can barely stand after taking it) but it is keeping the pain at bay. I just watched Wall-E. Just right for the state I’m in! Love the details and Wall-E’s sweet sense of wonder.

  17. Hello from Edmonton, Canada. This is my first time writing to you. One of the first things I do in the morning when I get to work (all alone in the office) is check the hencam. I really get a kick out of seeing the hens, Candy and the goats. Goats and dolphins always seem to be smiling. They always bring a smile to MY face. I have been reading the henblog now for about 3 months and always get pleasure from the stories and anecdotes about the animals. I really enjoy your writing. (I had watched the hencam before this for about a year but never thought to read the blog.) Animals always seem to know when we need their special medicine. I am VERY glad that you are back home and in recovery mode. I will keep you in my prayers.

  18. Glad to hear all went well and that you are being well looked after! Miranda x

  19. So happy the procedure went well, and you’re back home with your two- and four-legged nurses – all sound quite competent! Don’t tax yourself too much with posting; we’ll wait. Rest and heal!

  20. Hello and Seasons Greetings from a rather snowy Milton Keynes, England!
    I just happened upon your website looking for a webcam near to where my parents live in California to see what the rains have been doing there. Having read your blog, noticing that you’ve had a CI recently, I thought I’d reply. My daughter had a Cochlear Freedom CI implanted nearly 5 years ago at the age of 16. She’s very happy with it as it has worked extremely well for her. I hope your ‘switch on’ goes well. If you have as good an implant as my daughter, you’ll be amazed at what you’ll hear that your hearing aids did not give you (she can now hear bird song and footsteps to name a few). Be patient with it as you’ll probably have lots of ‘tuning’ sessions with your audiologist! If you want to get in touch, feel free to contact me.
    Best of luck and have a happy new ‘hear’!