Enough Of That …

First I’ll start with … all is well. Ede is home – safe – on the mend. I’ve disappeared for a little longer than usual because one week ago today she had a major heart attack. She has been struggling with symptoms for two years … gradually worsening over time … until the last few weeks we knew she was compromised with the least of efforts. As is the case often with women’s heart attacks – it was a hard situation to pin down. In the end she had to pull right up to the point of no return in order to be diagnosed. Once we got past the paramedic who thought she was having a panic attack she was loaded into an ambulance for the sixty minute drive to our nearest hospital. It was there that her heart’s arteries gave up the ghost and emergency surgery brought her back to us.

Ede spent five days in the Kingston ICU. We were SOME HAPPY to get her home again! How incredible is that? A person can have surgery on her heart – done through tiny incisions – guided by minuscule tubes – assisted by miniature balloons and inserted titanium stents. Wowser! The end result – R-E-L-I-E-F!

As fate would have it – also one week ago today – my sister Cindy and I moved our aunt Kathy into a Long Term Care Home in our area. She had been living five hours away in a Senior’s Residence near where she grew up. This ‘Age of Covid’ made it a long process to get her an opportunity for the level of care she needed. Now she too is safe in a warm and caring environment. That meant Cindy pulled into our laneway – complete with a negative Covid test – two hours before Ede’s heart attack began. That also meant that as the ambulance pulled away – without me – again … thanks Covid… Cindy was at my side. Very scary to send the love of your life off to a distant hospital – in heart failure – and not be able to stay with her.

On Tuesday afternoon I was allowed to go in to spend some visiting time. It was comforting to know she was wired up and sported iv’s – all to make sure she was recovering. Our hospital now allows odd floors to have visitors on odd days – and even floors on even. Not sure that would be the case if our province was still on lockdown. Tuesday was the first day of moving back into the ‘Green Level’ of precautions. Good timing … yet again.

Throughout the week Cindy helped me hold down the fort here at home. Providing snuggling when required.

Bonding with the flock – learning how to call them in at night – and how to trace down any stragglers.

She and I soaked in the sunshine at breakfast and watched the birds come in for seeds. We worked on a giant jigsaw puzzle, talked into the night, texted back and forth with Ede and just kept putting one foot ahead of the other.

All of us – the flerd – the indoor crew – and we humans … on pause … waiting for the ‘Chief’ to come home.