It has been a month since I last posted, and I really want to post today, but I have no idea what to write about. Some folks always post fiction, others always post about their daily lives, some do a bit of each. I fall into the latter category. I'll post about life this time.
I've been dealing with fatigue for a year. I've been to traditional and alternative doctors, but nobody has solved the mystery yet. I'm learning to live at a slower pace and take more breaks. When I have the occasional "good day," I fly around and get as much done as I can while the unexpected burst of energy lasts. A well-meaning friend has observed that this results in a crash afterwards, but what she doesn't understand is that most of my days resemble a "crash." When I have energy, I need to make good use of it.
Being a senior citizen does have its advantages. I am as retired as a homemaker ever gets, so when I don't feel well, I don't feel the need to push myself to accomplish tasks. I still make lists, but if I only get 2 or 3 items checked off, that's okay; I just move the remaining tasks to another day. We no longer have chickens to care for, so no chores await me. My only real obligation outside of the home is caring for my granddaughter now and then when day care is closed, and I'm not scheduled for that again until late January.
Earlier this month I overcame my reluctance and had a breast MRI done. I had been experiencing a very odd pain for several months. The MRI did not reveal anything except benign cysts. I was not told exactly where those cysts are, so I don't know if that was the cause of my pain. But I watched a video about breast care and have been applying a combination of 4 essential oils to the area, and have seen improvement.
Last week we had to put down one of our cats, Annie. She was only 12 years old, but had been deteriorating for at least six months. The vet ran blood tests but couldn't determine what the problem was. Annie had been throwing up after eating, and having trouble with bowel movements. She quit using the litter box and left odd deposits and spots of blood behind the sofa and in the hallway. She lost weight, going from a 12-14 pound cat to 6# 2oz. She quit grooming herself, and her fur looked awful. She would curl up to sleep in unusual places, and often looked uncomfortable.
She kept trying to be a normal cat, though. She would still sharpen her claws on her favorite scratching post, and curl up on my lap when I sat in bed to read. She would purr loudly, and demand attention. Her appetite would sometimes return, but after eating and drinking like a normal cat it would all come out one end or the other.
Technically, she belonged to my youngest daughter, who has not lived at our house for a few years. But she wanted to be there when Annie had to go to kitty heaven, so I made an appointment on her day off. Annie passed quietly and peacefully, and we shed a few tears, and sent poor Annie on her way. Then we drowned our sorrows in ice cream.
It's sad to lose a pet, even if she was a pest most of the time. But I am acquainted with a family whose adult daughter is now on hospice care, due to a long list of ailments that have plagued her for 15 years. That puts the loss of a cat in perspective.
Speaking of perspective: I have not been feeling well for at least 4 days. I'm extra tired, coughing a little more than usual, runnier nose than usual, and extremely disinterested in life. I assume I am doing my own version of one of the many viruses going around. But friends of mine have been so much sicker than this, some of them even ending up in the hospital because they needed fluids. If this is as bad as it gets for me, I can't complain.
This seems like enough rambling for one post, so I will stop now.
Photo taken on my Android phone.
