KSena's Journal

Yes, indeed.

I've now posted about our great vacation and all that... And now we'll go to the horrible things that have, pretty much, happened at the same time. To my mother.

It started the day I drove snowstormskies to the airport, I think. Or the day before that. Mom called and told me she'd taken a fall on the cobblestones in the city where she usually goes to shop. She'd had her dancing shoes on, with a little heel. The heel had gotten stuck, and she'd fallen over. Hit her elbow, her chin and her knee. She thought she'd just twisted her elbow or stunned it, and figured it would pass by itself. Even went to visit my brother that day. He said her knee and her elbow had been really swollen, and he'd told her she was nuts not going to the ER. But hey, she was in a good mood and not in much pain.

However, that night her elbow had gotten worse, so she'd gotten her gentleman caller to drive her to the ER. And... she'd broken her elbow. Badly. They did x-rays and after seeing the doctor there, they told her they couldn't help her there since the elbow was just such a broken mess it needed to be replaced. And that specialist was in Gothenburg, two hours from there and he'd call as soon as he had the possibility to do the surgery. Most likely Friday.

The Friday we were going to Astrid Lindgren's world, mind...

Both me and my brother sighed, but were prepared to cancel our trip so my brother could drive her to the hospital, which he has done to everything nearly so far. She, however told us in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that we should go, have fun with our kids and as soon as she'd wake up she'd call us so we'd know she was fine.

Me and my brother was a bit nervous about it, but OK. Our kids were all excited about going so off we went (and had a great time, as you've seen). On Friday mom called and even though she was groggy from the medications and all that, we could hear that she was doing fine. The surgery to replace the crushed parts of her elbow had been a success! No complications, she'd done great before, during and after the surgery. SUCH A RELIEF!!!

Considering our dad died when doing a replacement surgery in his hip, our mom hurting herself and ending up doing surgery DOES make me and my brother somewhat nervous. BUT THINGS HAD GONE FINE! She just had to stay at the hospital for a couple of days for observation and to start learning how to train her elbow to make sure it didn't lose muscle and all that...

So that went well!

And, yesterday, she was allowed to come home. So, my brother and his kids picked her up all hugs and all that. And went home to my moms house, so they could spend time with her in the evening and make sure she was settled after being away from home for... four-five days.

They walked in the door and first thing she saw her cat Ozzy, her HUGE Maine Coon cat, unmoving on the carpet where he usually sleeps. Now he barely moved... nor breathed. Cue panic.

To mom her cats are her sweethearts. They're her babies. And she loves them SO MUCH. Nearly as much as she loves me and my brother and her grandkids, I'd say.

My brother just helped mom get the cat in his carrier, then he took her and his kids and the cat to the animal hospital, which is quite the drive away, but he just did it. He, as I, know how much those cats mean to my mother.

When they got there Ozzy was so weak, they didn't dare to put him through x-ray, he was placed in intensive care with extra oxygen to help him breath. Mom was a mess, totally heartbroken.

They stayed there all evening. There were a few exams of Ozzy, although they didn't dare to disturb him to much. Apparently his intestines were clogged up for some reason. And they suspected he'd eaten something that wasn't good for him. Telling mom and brother there were nothing they could right now, Ozzy would be under constant watch in intensive care and they'd call them as soon as they knew anything or there were any changes.

So they left. And shortly after they came home to moms, deciding my brother and both his kids spending the night at moms... (Brothers kids didn't want to leave their grandma alone... gawd, I love those kids!) Anyway, shortly after they came home around 11pm late late at night, the animal hospital called. And Ozzy had died when they'd tried to take a sample of his blood to find out what was wrong with him.

Beautiful, majestic black gentle giant Ozzy had died right then and there.

*sob*

Mom is ABSOLUTELY heartbroken. That huge cat was her baby boy. He and his best mate Eddie, a small lean farmcat. Eddie and the other two cats she has, Måns and Svea, are all alive and well. But yeah. Mom is so upset, heartbroken and sad over losing Ozzy, I just can't even.

They buried Ozzy in her yard today. Next to the two cats I grew up with 20 years ago, Pyret and Ida, and her other Maine Coon, Sigge, that also died after being attacked by a wild animal. My brothers kids and mom had picked flowers, and my brother dug the grave.

If you have any good thoughts to send to my mom, please do. We're all heartbroken over losing Ozzy. He was a HUGE gentle giant and a true personality. He'll be greatly missed.

RIP Ozzy.

This entry is crossposted between LJ and DW. Comment where you are comfortable.

I totally blame sireesanwar for this... But since I've had a blah-I-have-no-energy-and-feel-worthless kinda day today, I figured why not.

1. When you are sad or depressed, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
Movies/tv-shows, cats and/or computer. That's my go to when I'm tired or feel sad. Also hugs from my family is a perfect remedy. We talk alot me and my hubby Peting, about everything, so when I feel down I talk about it and when he feels down he talks about it. And that helps a ton to. I talk a lot with my best friend when I feel down as well, which also helps. So I guess those are what I go to.

2. When you are studying or just hanging out, do you prefer noise (music, people, whatever) or quiet?
I'm a horrible student. I just want to put that out there. How the hell I managed to get a national masters degree is bloody miracle. (Thank you Chigrima! Couldn't have done it without you!) I need a bit of background noise, since if it's to quite my tinnitus will drive me nuts. I don't notice it if I have a little bit of background noise. If that's music or the TV or whatever, it doesn't matter. But not to much or it'll end up a distraction instead.

3. Are you superstitious? If so, how much...very, or just like the "well I don't walk under a ladder" type?
I am a bit. My paternal grandmother was a quite old fashioned farmers wife. With all the superstition that comes with it... And she taught that to me and my brother. It didnt' stick with my brother, he is more hands on and have ended up a farmhand and hobby-mechanic as an adult (and is very good at it!). On me however, it stuck. Some of it did. I still make a curtsy towards the full moon for good luck. And when I grew up she and I had a special wish-tree that we hugged every time I visited and whispered our wishes to it. Black cats, throwing salts, broken mirrors, not walking under ladders, ghosts, spirits... All of it. She believed it all. Funny enough, I grew up with black cats and now live with black cats. But I guess my curtsy to the moon outweighs it... Who knows? :-) And I firmly believe that in the vast woods and wastelands and after death.... there's probably things we can't explain with science... Science can explain sooo much! But not all... That I believe. :-)

4. You're going on a road trip across whatever country you live in. Which three fictional characters would you bring along if you could?
That was a tough one. Hmm...
For survivability in the wilderness I'd bring a couple of elfs from Elfquest. Probably my favorite Strongbow and his wife Moonshade. I'd have food and clothes with them, since she is the tanner and seamstress and he is the best archer and hunter there is. Plus I'd get warmth from their wolfs.
If I'm not traveling through wilderness, I'd go on the back of Chibs Telfords bike or on Bobby Munson's bike from Son's of Anarchy. Those are my favorites from that show, and those who does have a heart and not throw violence around just because they can. They are very very capable of it, and are dangerous men, but still... I'd feel the safest with those, I think. And I doubt anyone would mess with me when traveling with them. :-)

5. Are you vegan, vegetarian, selective ("just chicken" or fish or whatever), or ALL THE MEAT YAS?
Ugh. I hate this question. Well. I eat meat, and do try to buy meat from animals that have grown up as locally as possible. It's very VERY rare that I buy meat that is not swedish.

6. Do you prefer spicy, sweet, salty, or bland food?
Depends on the food. I have a sweet tooth from doom, so I love anything sweet. But not FOOD! I like it spicy but not to much when I eat food. There should be some taste to it, but I got sensitive taste buds, so if you go all gungho with your species I'll run off. :-P
I love FIKA though, and do that often. And I am a huge lover of anything chocolate. Not the mention I drink a lot of tea, and always have honey in it...

7. Coffee, tea, or?
Tea. Always tea. I have two Contigo West Loop thermal mugs, and I have one with me at all times with tea sweetened with honey in it, whether I am at work or at home.

8. Chocolate: milk, dark, or white? Or *gasp* none?
All the chocolates all the time! :-D When baking, I do use dark nearly eclusivly, but when eating it's milk or white or both... It all depends on what KIND of chocolate we're talking. :-)

9. Are you in a Hogwarts House? If so, which one?
I even joined Pottermore for this. :-P And I got Hufflepuff. Can totally live with that. :-)

10. What are your plans this weekend?
It's Friday today, haven't done much of use today at all. Tomorrow me and family are going on a shopping-trip to buy new phones for me and hubby. Since ours are kinda giving up on us. We got them before kiddo was born, and she is turning 5 this summer so... Plan is first, groceryshopping. Then, memorycard for phone. And then, lunch at kiddo's favorite FIKA-place. And then we go for our phones! :-)

This entry is crossposted between LJ and DW. Comment where you are comfortable.