286? Want readers? Mention kittens!

 Honestly, it’s surprising - my readership tripled just because there was a cute kitten. That’s a sad comment on my reality but why should people want to read about misery, chemos and deaths??

So let’s start with Laurel. She is indubitably cute.

                                                 

She also loves laps but you need to be wearing double denim to avoid bloodshed. I sit with her in my lap and it can be so soothing - till the tiny claws come out as she stomps away!  She tolerates being picked up but has found her feet and scuttles off. We collected her Sunday and that was it really. She refused to come out of her carrier. I ended up tucking some food in the entrance to the carrier and she wolfed it down and bolted back to the furthest crevice she could find in the bag. She came out about 10pm and had a quick explore of the room but when I introduced her to her litter tray, she just flopped in the Catsan, looked round and had a quick nap. Not what I was (wisely) hoping for. I switched on a soft lamp, as advised, and left her to it

Then I made the fatal mistake of checking in on her. Well, she needed feeding. She’d vanished. No exaggeration - I looked everywhere, even the 2-inch gap between bookcase and part of the wall, and she had bloody gone, Eventually I got D up - he’d been sound asleep for 2 hours. He must have popped in and she sneaked out. No. So we searched high and low.She was nowhere to be found.

It was impossible to ‘lose’ her, so I returned to her home, sat on the camping chair (no way could I sit on the floor and play) and decided to Think Cat. There she was - tucked into the tiniest space between wall and shelves!! Did I feel stupid.

Next day she was very venturesome, first of the bookcase shelves, then of the other upstairs rooms, but she showed no interest in the unused litter tray. She ate her 4 tiny meals of raw rabbit, showed more interest in nooks and crannies than any cat toy, happily came into the bedroom in the evening - I expected her to use her new cat bed but nope, nooks and crannies again. Then she began clawing at the duvet cover, which has a very clawable strip of fabric in it so I carried on watching TV. The she was mewing so I picked her up for a cuddle and she was WET. A whole day of kitten-pee released on the bed - duvet soaked, sheet soaked, mattress protector soaked. Thank god for the mattress protector. My clothes dabbed with wet pee-prints, a small pool on the carpet… kitten disaster. Den shoved everything in the wash and then proudly announced that Laurel appeared to have used her litter tray. Too late mate! NOT impressed. So I’ve ordered some wood-chip litter which the fosterer used and hope she’ll get potty trained soon!

I got a cancellation appointment for my CT scan, less than 24 hours’ notice but who’d be daft to turn that down! Lisa took me to Chapel Allerton Hospital and I was in and out in 25 minutes! Good job too cos there are zero facilities, not even chairs to wait. I ended up waiting for Lisa, sitting on a damp wall in a drizzle, admiring the old grounds and regretting the loss of the old hospital (where I had my fibroadenoma removed decades go. Even the new building is old and weary now! I doubt the results will be ready by Friday but you never know.

I’m managing ok. Still dog-tired, napping etc. I hope the MRI report will shed some light on what is or isn’t going on but what we lack is a new biopsy. Ophthalmology rang last Monday to ask if I could go the next afternoon for my eye procedure. As I’d only just arranged my emergency dental appointment, I said no. But I rang the next day as something didn’t feel right. 

Could she check me records please? Yes, I was down for corrective surgery on my eyelid. 

What about the biopsies? There’s no mention of biopsies.

I have a letter here which Mr K was sent on 5 May and it says….           Ah yes, there is a letter but it’s about your breast cancer.

Yes but my tumour is in my medial canthus and affects my eye. It refers to Mr K on side 2.  Would you check if there is any email please. No email.

Would you check 5 May specifically please as I watched my oncologist write and send it. (Awkward silence) Oh yes, there appears to be an email. (For ‘appears’ infer that it’s not been opened)

And does it request 2 biopsies at the time of corrective surgery? And would they be done under local anaesthetic when I was told last time that a general anaesthetic was essential because it was close to an artery? Leave it with me. I’ll email Mr K and get back to you.  End of conversation.

That was 2 weeks ago so I had this bright idea that I’d bypass the horrid Ophthalmology Department, new building or no, and go private. One practitioner - Mr K. Sod’s Law.

So I’m not holding my breath. I’m going to ask Dr O to try again and maybe put in a soft complaint. 

Friday was strange. Normally I’d go to clinic. Instead it was just Secondary Support Group. We had  few new members and someone came all the way from Edinburgh for  45 minute chat about clinical trials. It was very interesting tho I’m not sure I learnt much that was new. I must sign up for a phone chat about what trials may be available to me. I say may. Remember I failed all the entry tests at diagnosis? Hence the need for a fresh biopsy. So, here we all are at Maggie’s, anonymity require. Look how shrunken I’ve become - I thought I was sitting up straight this time!!

And I woke today with a pool of dried blood in my hand and blood around the nails of 2 fingers. We assumed the kitten must have scratched me and the blood thinners were at work. Sadly no - it was the open skin met on my face. I was so still in my sleep it just bled into my hand. Something else for D to worry about…

OK, the new cat litter has arrived. Time to experiment!