Yesterday, Mike was supposed to be released from the nursing home. He was excited (understandably) about finally getting to come home. He wanted me to come and pick him up at 4:00 a.m. but I convinced him that 8:30 was a more civilized hour.

We had to take Dennis to the airport as his departure coincided with Mike’s appointment at the clinic. Denny had to sit at the airport several hours early, but he said that was fine with him. He had his laptop and blackberry so he wouldn’t be bored.

So we said our goodbyes and thanked Dennis for all his hard work. While Denny was here he built the wheelchair ramp, fixed the sprinklers in the garden, repaired the broken pipes in the pasture and fixed my dishwasher. He is just like his dad, an amazing young man. I will be forever grateful to you Dennis for all you did- and you navigated the maze of cats here at the house without the aid of your TomTom!

So I take Mike to his appointment where he is going to his regular clinic, although his doctor is leaving in just a few weeks. Seems we couldn’t get in to see his normal doctor, so they put us in with this other one. Someone not familiar with Mike’s history and who doesn’t know either one of us.

The doctor breezes in and sits down. I had unwrapped Mike’s foot and almost passed out because of how it looked. I didn’t visit him since I admitted him to the home for several reasons. I needed a break, gas is costly and Dennis visited him quite a lot. So I hadn’t seen his foot recently. It is not better, not by a long shot. It is re-infected but not at the original site wound, but in other places.

So here we are waiting for the doctor and joking about whether or not he is an RD (a real doctor) sort of a private joke between us with a sad story attached to the meaning. This doctor waltzes in, and I start asking him questions about how come Mike’s foot isn’t better- what can they do about the pain he is in….The doctor rears up out of his chair, raises both his arms up and says “Whoa! Slow down! I am leaving on vacation in one hour!”

I was so stunned that he said that. Here he was facing a serious wound issue and he was tapping his watch and looking meaningfully at the door. So I said- “What you are saying is you don’t care about Mike because you are leaving in a few minutes for vacation?” Which is what technically he did said without actually saying the words.

He verbally attacked me- WRONG thing to do, because I was tired, stressed, worried, near tears and I knew what he was all about. I insisted that we see Mike’s regular doctor who was still in the building. He said he would see what he could do and slammed out of the room. We then sat there for over 45 minutes until I had just enough and was getting ready to open the door and scream for a nurse to come and wrap Mike’s foot because I was taking him back to Corvallis hospital. Well, I opened the door and here is the doctor standing at the doorway leaning in (I think he was listening to us rant inside the room) Both Mike and I were sooo angry- he said they were bringing a wheelchair so Mike could go and see his regular doctor.

Dr. L was appalled when we told him about his colleague’s behavior. But he was equally as distressed when he saw Mike’s foot and the shape it was in. He asked Mike (he didn’t tell him) to please return to the nursing home until he could make an appointment for him with a surgeon. He said based on the look of the foot and how hot it was, he didn’t feel that anyone but a surgeon would be qualified to tell Mike what needs to be done next. He was kind, caring and an RD- and unfortunately, he is leaving the state in the next few weeks.

So Mike is back at the nursing home waiting to see what is next. I am puzzled as to why his foot is not healing considering the different amounts of antibiotics that have been pumped into his system. But, I am so relieved he is back there, because yes, I can “watch” the foot, except when I have to work- I am not qualified to do anything should the foot get worse at home. The only thing I could do is call 911. As Dr L put it- “Mike, the nurses at the home have a direct line right to me.”

There is hope that the surgeon appointment will be today- but doubtful, just because the staff at that clinic leaves a lot to be desired. Hoping to find a new primary care doctor not in this town, but close by in another. What a mess and poor Mike is just caught up in the whole thing waiting…..

The cats were thrilled to see him home if even for a short while. Where he is now, they have a resident cat who has decided that Mike is okay and has been spending the majority of his time in Mike’s room. The lady who the cat had been staying with before Mike arrived finally gave in the other day and carried the food and water into his room and set it on the extra bed. The cat is a male, white kitty with a short stubby tail (manx cross).

Baron leaves today. Chris will be here at 11:00 to pick him up. My heart is breaking to give up this beautiful German Shepherd that we rescued less than 7 months ago, but I know that Chris will love him and give him the attention he needs to get over what was done to him before he arrived here. She’s done everything right so far in regards to him and her references checked out. She will (as she put it) love “the stuffin right out of him!” She also has a female GSD and recently lost her 14 year old male to nasal cancer. I know it is right to give him up- but it hurts so bad because we have bonded.

I am stopping my rescue of cats now as well. I know I have said this before- but this time it is set in the concrete of my heart. I will be happy to help via the Internet and other means, but actually opening up my home to more cats is over. I want to get down to my main core of 9 cats and I do hope to find homes for all the rest. I found a home for Sinclair the other day and the gal is coming to get him on Sunday. He is my last surviving kitten of this year’s rescues.

Well, it’s 5:00 a.m. and I hear the horses banging on the gate. The cats have converged into the room and I can hear Madison on the stairs crying for her breakfast. It’s time to start another day, I hope I am up for the challenge.