Cate's Diary

oh dear to more vomit, and more laundry...I hope you can figure out what's causing his upsets.
Nice you can get some gardening done. Do you normally start this early or is it just trying to get ahead of things with the operation coming up? I know I usually get an early start just because it's way too exciting in the spring to get in there!
 
Thanks, Llama, Liza & Em. Archie says thank you for your concern 🐶 💙
I think it may be a combination of things, but the quality of his dry dog food may be the main issue. He usually has dried food plus a little dog loaf on top, but lately, he has left the kibble & been nagging for more loaf & then scoffing it down. In the afternoon he was growling at me in the way he does when he wants food so I gave him the good kibble I found in the car & he ate that happily & was not sick last night & seems to be 100% this morning. For breakfast, I gave him some of R's dog's kibble & just a little loaf & he seems ok with that. I rang the vet yesterday & they have one bag of the special stuff & have put it aside. I'll go in today & get it & do a few things including buying lots of fruit as we have none! I can't remember when I last ran out of fresh fruit. I'll take him with me as I can do the shopping in instalments & leave him in the car in front of most places as it's a cool day. I like to take him into the vet when he isn't having anything done to him.
Liza, I am tidying up the decking & doing the gardening because it will be hard for me to get around out there after my op safely. Our veggie garden is off the decking & a few steps down & the decking is slippery. I might pot up some seeds today or maybe just get some pots ready. We have loved having lots of herbs on the decking this last year.
 
Fresh herbs and fresh fruits improve quality of life by at least 37.4%. At least. (Source: me.)
Fingers crossed the kibble situation was what caused Archie's issues and it's now solved.
Good thinking getting ahead of the game by fixing up your outside space before surgery.
 
Llama said:
Fresh herbs and fresh fruits improve quality of life by at least 37.4%. At least. (Source: me.)
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I love it, Llama. I thought it was 37.5%, but I might be wrong :ROFLMAO:
Llama said:
Fingers crossed the kibble situation was what caused Archie's issues and it's now solved.
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I think it was & I think it is. The 3.85 bag I bought from the vet today was $20 more than I can get it from the pet store in town, so I'll make sure we get some there well before we run out.
Llama said:
Good thinking getting ahead of the game by fixing up your outside space before surgery.
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I'm trying to think of things that will make our home safer for both of us. Today I did lots of dusting with a wet cloth & a little rearranging.
I went into town & dropped some plants off to a golfing friend, picked up the kibble, got more library books & did a big shop at the supermarket. I now have LOTS of fruit & veg. I won't be going into a supermarket for quite some time. The supermarket is about to drastically change & will be having mostly self-checkout aisles so I probably will go back to online shopping & either click and collect or deliveries. We only have one supermarket in our local town & delivery from the only other big supermarket much further away is cheaper. I'll also go back to shopping at the local fruit & veg store, run by Mennonites. They don't have such a huge range but it is what is in season & a lot of their own produce.
 
I'm glad Archie is feeling better. I transplanted a few strawberries into the screen house yesterday, too. So glad you are getting so prepared for after the operation. When I had to use crutches I found that the worst thing was how sore under my arms got from the crutches rubbing. It seems really good to prepare for not being as mobile for a while. That's sad your grocery store is getting automated and that ordering groceries costs less. The Mennonite fruit stand sounds really good. Our fruit stand is expensive, but the grocery store fruits and veggies don't even taste like veggies in comparison. I hope it warms up for you!!
 
Local, seasonal fruit and veg is so much better than the stuff from far away that has to be harvested half-ripe so it can be transported better. I quite like self-checkout lanes, especially here in Austria where they're pretty new and most people don't want to use them yet so it goes nice and quick. Of course it helps that I generally just have a basket of stuff, not a whole cart.
 
That is too bad with the change with your grocery store. We still have one really excellent locally run grocery store that does such a great job staffing it with lots of people with first time jobs and provides excellent working conditions and just such a great atmosphere all round. These are such a rare find nowadays. There is another big chain store in town that may have some cheaper things but with all the other things that come with that. I only shop at the nice little local one. I would be heart-broken if it had to close down, or resort to getting rid of staff in favor of automation.
 
Thanks, Marsia, Llama, Liza & Em.
Archie is 100%, which is a huge relief. I did find a single-bed polar fleece blanket that covers our bed that I can pull up overnight & looks OK at the bottom of the bed during the day.
Unfortunately, the Mennonite store rarely has parks near it. They are nice people & have good produce. I'll do online shopping from the supermarket occasionally & click & collect.
@Marsia I think I'll be using the forearm crutches but I'm not sure. I have a pair that my neighbour lent me & they're not so hard to use. I told G last night that I'm just not thinking about the op. I haven't packed my bag yet, but have things sitting near it.
I'm about to head to play golf. My feet have been hurting a bit lately but I'll see how I go. I'm bringing my bag & clubs & other stuff out of my buggy home today. D, A & M's son, who I bought the buggy off uses it when he plays & I'm not. He has his Dad's now but I told him not to tow it out & to use mine.
 
I'm glad you have an easy to use set of crutches. The kind I had were impossible in the snow, and I didn't make it to a bunch of classes because they were slippery on ice and I had to turn around and go back home after falling on the ice a bunch. That was my only experience of crutches, and it was pretty iconic! That's so nice you can share your buggy. I hope your feet were ok for your game today, and so glad to hear Archie is back to normal!
 
All crutches suck on ice, although attachments for that do exist. I prefer forearm crutches because they don't carry the risk of nerve damage and it's easier to drop your shoulders with them but I guess that's also because they're the standard here. Tall crutches will take less strength to take the same amount of weight off your feet but only if you're willing to sag into them and risk bruising the big nerves in your armpits.
 
So glad to hear Archie is well again. I hope the golfing went well. When is the date of the operation again Cate?
 
Marsia said:
I'm glad you have an easy to use set of crutches. The kind I had were impossible in the snow, and I didn't make it to a bunch of classes because they were slippery on ice and I had to turn around and go back home after falling on the ice a bunch. That was my only experience of crutches, and it was pretty iconic! That's so nice you can share your buggy. I hope your feet were ok for your game today, and so glad to hear Archie is back to normal!
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Crutches on ice? 🫣 I can't imagine even trying that! I felt that I talked DC & his Dad into selling me one of their buggies & when I look at what others have paid for buggies that aren't as good I think I got a good deal. I like DC. He's a good friend. My feet were OK, M, but I realise they are why I often lose my balance. I need this op done.
Llama said:
All crutches suck on ice, although attachments for that do exist. I prefer forearm crutches because they don't carry the risk of nerve damage and it's easier to drop your shoulders with them but I guess that's also because they're the standard here. Tall crutches will take less strength to take the same amount of weight off your feet but only if you're willing to sag into them and risk bruising the big nerves in your armpits.
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I think I'll be ok with them, Llama. I think they are more commonly used here too.
liza3 said:
So glad to hear Archie is well again. I hope the golfing went well. When is the date of the operation again Cate?
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Thanks, Liza. I played golf with T & J2, who I am getting along with really well these days. I learn a lot when I play with her as she knows the rules. I can out-drive her now too, which is fun. I'm driving longer than I ever have. I'm now in the 1st division with her & J1. Yesterday I won the comp by 5 Stableford points. The op is next Monday, the 5th. I won't be able to post until I'm home as I can't log in on my phone any more.
Emilyrose said:
I don't know why but this sentence amused me. Like you're pretending not to plan. ;) You're a planner, own it!
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Yep. I own it. I am such a planner & such a worrier & I'm kidding myself, but it's working.
I was given a copy of the letter putting G up for life membership of the golf club yesterday but I haven't read it yet as I don't want G knowing about it. I'll read it today when he is at a monthly meeting. I feel that the woman putting him up for it may be trying to make amends in her way. She is a stickler though & wouldn't do it if she didn't think he deserved it.
I have an appointment today with a podiatrist to have my toenails cut & polished. It will be good to know that they are in good shape before the op & won't need doing for a while. I am feeling positive about the op now.
 
Cate said:
Thanks, Liza. I played golf with T & J2, who I am getting along with really well these days. I learn a lot when I play with her as she knows the rules. I can out-drive her now too, which is fun. I'm driving longer than I ever have. I'm now in the 1st division with her & J1.
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I'm so glad the golf club is no longer a source of stress in your life and it's great that you get along with J2 now but it must be fun to outdrive sometimes :D And that may improve even further once you're all healed up and your footing is better!
All the best for surgery, of course: I hope you'll be released asap so you can come reassure us everything's ok.
 
That's so fun that you can drive so far now and even beat the J's! It's going to be so good to have your balance back, too, like Llama said. I'm glad there is a new kind of crutch that doesn't make your underarms sore. Maybe it's not so new. The last time I was on crutches, I was 18. I often forget how many decades ago that really is! I'm glad Emily asked when the surgery is. I had been wondering, and wanting to have you in my thoughts that day. I'm so glad you are feeling positive about it. It sounds like you are in excellent hands!
 
Underarm crutches were first patented in 1916, during WWI, and I think they've been the norm here since not long after. I don't know why they didn't catch on in the US but the only patient I've ever seen with the long armpit crutches irl was an Australian with very little hand function, over 20 years ago.
 
Nice to hear about the positive golf day! It must be really nice to see the progress with your driving. Amazing that you are actually driving better now than you ever have!
Cate said:
I have an appointment today with a podiatrist to have my toenails cut & polished. It will be good to know that they are in good shape before the op & won't need doing for a while.
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Good idea to get that done before the operation! You sound very ready for that operation for sure.
 
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