11/29/2012

Therapeuticat

MargaretMargaret
Filed under: @ 11:47 am

About 25 years ago Andrew, if you will pardon the technical jargon, mashed the bejeezus out of his right elbow falling out of the back of a truck.

In addition to restricting the range of motion of that arm, the joint fusion at the elbow has made him particularly susceptible to a repetitive stress injury called cubital tunnel syndrome. Cubital tunnel syndrome is basically carpal tunnel syndrome for your elbow. Instead of the nerves along the flexor surface of the wrist becoming trapped, the ulnar nerve along the point of the elbow becomes trapped. Same syndrome, same symptoms (tingling, numbness, lack of manual dexterity in the fingers), different nerve.

So after several months of progressive discomfort in his right hand Andrew finally got sick enough of it that he wanted it repaired.

*Minor digression* With regards to having the proper mindset about surgery — which no one in their right mind actually should actually anticipate with pleasure — the right time to have any sort of surgery is when you are more put out by the idea of continuing in your current state than you are by the idea of having to have surgery. Modern medicine is a miracle and I am glad of it, but it shouldn’t be taken lightly (do you hear me you weird-ass human barbie doll?!) *Digression finished*

Which is why we were at Seattle Hand Surgery yesterday morning at a truly rude hour.
I have to admire surgical artistry. Dr. Miyano is a gifted surgeon and a really nice guy (for those who haven’t ever met a surgeon, this is a rare combination) and he’s got some sort of superfast whizz-o gene because Andrew’s elbow was surgicated and he was walking out the door 85 minutes after we walked in.

Now to cat psychology.

Flitter isn’t usually a sit on your lap and cuddle sort of cat. Flitter adores Andrew, but unlike her shameless brother she doesn’t usually want a lot of full body contact time.
Except yesterday.

I drove Andrew home and poured him into his recliner with his right arm propped on a pillow. While I puttered around the house cooking things Flitter spent the vast majority of the day not only sitting on Andrew, but curled in the crook of his sore elbow.

Now granted there could be any number of reasons why Flitter chose that spot and chose to spend so much time in that spot. It’s chilly and Flitter is a heat suck, Andrew’s arm smelled funny and she was triggering on that, Andrew’s arm was propped up on a pillow that smells like him and Flitter likes to sleep on the bed, etc. etc. etc.
But I like to think that Flitter knew something was wrong with her person and she wanted to be there to comfort him.

11/6/2012

Election Eve wisdom from “Da Youf”

Uncle AndrewUncle Andrew
Filed under: @ 10:31 am

Got this from my father via email. Apparently he and my Mom were chatting with my thirteen-year-old niece Lucy last night when the subject turned to the upcoming election.

Lucy is quite erudite, in her own very special way: she has an amazing grasp of language, with an insanely outsized grasp of wordplay and deadpan comic timing. When my parents asked her what she thought of the presidential candidates, she replied, “Romney is boring. He sounds like a teacher lecturing on the history of dust.”

What about Obama, they asked?

“I like him,” she said; “he has big ears, which is funny, and makes children laugh.”

From the mouths of babes, indeed. Here’s to you, Babe. 😀

And to All, a Good Election Night.


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