Saturday Morning

It's late Saturday morning. The curtains are closed. There are two distinct hums in the air. The oxygen concentrator is a low engine rumbling hum. The oxygen flowing through Izzy's mask is a high pitched, bird like hum. We are all gathered in the living room. Izzy asleep in her down stairs bed. Phineas, Dale, both dogs, and I on the couch. The sunlight streams through skylights.

It is a comfortable morning. Someone might say poetic.

Izzy and Dale started their day as they do each Saturday, sharing old school cartoons in Izzy's bedroom. When I woke, Dale carried her down and made breakfast, while we watched "Disney's Fairytale Weddings".

Izzy was excited to watch this show--a new favorite. It gave her ideas of projection cakes and her love of love and weddings. She especially liked how real it is with the couples crying with happiness. 

Partway through the second episode, Izzy needed a nap as she does everyday around 11:00 am. Instead of just taking off her hearing aids and glasses like normal though, she was sad and clingy. It's Saturday. It's our day together--a day without work and spent together. She didn't want to miss a moment of our day by sleeping. She was anguished because her naps last 3 to 5 hours every day. She didn't want to let go of the moment.

But sleep she must. So the entire family sits in silence around her and we're still together. Dale and doggos nap (of course), Phineas video games, and I'm writing. What other choice is there? The laundry will wait even though we're all wearing winter jammies on 80+ degree days because that's all we have clean. The dirty dishes remain piled high. The grass will stay too long for now.

As the rest of the world around us opens back up, we feel cocooned more than ever. Our life is slow, but each moment flies by so fast. We constantly find ourselves silently wondering: is this it? How many last times have already slipped by without me realizing it?

Not much has truly changed from my last post. Izzy continues to sleep. We had a rough week of pain last week and increased morning morphine yesterday. The last two mornings have been better. The afternoon and evening not so much.

Izzy eats when she can, but has many times where she is only able to eat a bite, even for PF Chang's Spicy Chicken. We offered strawberry sundae yesterday and while the thought excited her, she decided her tummy could only take plain strawberry jello. 

Hug your loved ones tight and often. Tell them you love them always. Life is too short for anything less.

Mel