Posting days: Sunday and Wednesday and, sometimes, maybe, extra ‘news flashes’

Sunday October 8th 2017

Isis has been playing happily and very muddily in the garden this afternoon. Around four o’clock, R. texts to ask if said hairy might fancy a walk to Kings Heath Park.

Lucky Isis. She’s a bit surprised, but after popping back and forth from the drive to the pavement for a while, just to tease R., off she goes. I can see her fluffy white whitish tail bobbing along the top of the garden walls.

Final Episode of the sorry tale: the rescue

You left me stuck in Wales with a very badly sprained left foot and two extremely compromised upper limbs.

Enough of this misery. I’ll précis the rest.

Generous K., Polymath’s niece and my very good friend, says she’ll drive up, stay a few days, visit her hospitalised auntie and then drive me back to Birmingham.

I am profoundly grateful.

By now the foot is so badly swollen that I can hardly bear to rest it on the ground. When we visit the hospital, the ever resourceful K. hijacks a wheelchair and whizzes me down to the ward.

“And I’m only a visitor”, I snigger foolishly each time we pass a nurse.

Back home, the foot is X-rayed. As I thought, no broken bones. But since I can neither walk or use my arms, I am referred to the NHS Rapid Response Team who come into the house twice a day for almost two weeks to supervise showers and bring upstairs food and drink.

I am grateful beyond words that this service is offered to the elderly decrepit who are foolish enough to move very heavy objects around when the whim takes them.

Isis has been back for two weeks now and has adapted well to the new regime, that is Human no longer takes her for walks but lies on her bed or the futon twenty-four seven, groaning loudly when she is forced to move.

I visit the shoulder surgeon who needs more information before he operates, so I have to wait until early November for another scan – MRI this time.

Our dog walking friends have been amazing. R. and S. have been taking Hairy One out to the park every morning – except when the sun is bright and she refuses to go. Embarrassing animal. Bev. does emergency shopping and sets up an online shopping account for me. Je., and R. have told me to let them know if I need anything – and they mean it. M. rings me when she is about to go to Aldi to see if I need anything, Ju., who has damaged her back and been immobilised herself for several weeks has now acquired a scooter and assures me that she will visit as soon as she’s put in enough practice. And Gr. keeps me informed of all the park business.

Isis and I are very, very lucky.

So henceforth I shall refrain from bewailing my fate and concentrate again on Isis.

Isis came from the Aeza cat and dog rescue and adoption centre in Aljezur, Portugal. For information about adopting an animal from the centre, contact kerry@aeza.org or  www.dogwatchuk.co.uk