Well, it’s been a really rough three weeks. The first thing that happened was on January 1, no kidding, when I came down with a case of the flu (much worse than the before-Xmas flu). It’s going around. A lot of people are sick with this thing. Anyway, it hit me with a very high fever and huge gastrointestinal issues. Terrible. Plus, one night, delirious with fever, I fell against the bathroom wall and injured my wrist. Ouch.
Because my wrist was all swollen and hurt like the dickens, and I feared it might be fractured, Stefano took me to the emergency room at Florence’s university hospital, Careggi. We spent 13 hours there. They checked me out thoroughly, not just my wrist, but everything, from head to toe.
Result: I had pneumonia, but luckily my wrist wasn’t broken. No fractures, nothing. Just a bad trauma. So they put a sort of splint (which was partly a cast, too) on my arm for a week, and now that the cast is off, I have to wear a brace for another 10 days or so. My wrist will be fine. Oh, and my pneumonia is gone, but I still have to be careful…so I’m convalescent, well, I’ve actually been convalescent for more than a week now.
So things are getting better for me, physically, I mean, and in fact I can finally use my left hand to type a little bit. 
But something simply awful happened on Friday morning. I found Priscilla, our 14.5 year old cat, lying on the bathroom floor, panting, not moving at all. She didn’t respond to my voice, as she usually does. Scared the heck out of me. Here I was, with a brace on my arm, unable to do anything for her…pick her up, etc.
I called my cat sitter who came over and drove us to the vet clinic.
In a nutshell, after a whole bunch of tests were done on Priscilla, we found out that she had advanced heart failure and that her chest was full of pleural fluid, which the vets aspirated, well, most of it. The prognosis wasn’t good, of course. But the vets said that if she responded to treatment, she could come home with us…as early as today, Monday, yes. So we left her at the clinic. We really didn’t have a choice, since we believed that she would get strong enough to come home…
Knowing what I know now, I wish now that we’d just brought her home on Saturday.
Yesterday, early Sunday evening, that is, Stefano and I were preparing to go see her at the clinic, at the regular visiting times, when we got an urgent call from the clinic. Priscilla had gotten much worse, and we were told that she was on her way out.
We rushed over to the clinic, but we arrived too late. She had passed away just a few minutes before we got there.
We didn’t have a chance to hold our sweet kitty and say goodbye, and let her know that we were there and loved her. And that’s what’s killing me right now…and Stefano, too, of course.
It just went so fast. Too fast. We weren’t prepared at all for this. She was here with us on Friday…and gone yesterday.
We’re devastated. Absolutely shattered. We now need time to mourn…we need time…Oh, this is so hard. I just wanted to let you know that I probably won’t be here on the blog or FB anytime soon. Sorry about that. I’ll be okay, but, as I said, I need some time…
Now I need to stop typing because my wrist is bugging me.
Take care, everyone. I’ll be back as soon as I feel better. Ciao!!!
I am so sorry about your loss. Yes time is the only thing to help. Send you much love.
So very sorry for your loss Margaret. Take care. xx
Oh Margaret … I am so sorry. I know how these cats purr their way into our hearts. Please accept my most sincere sympathies for your loss.
Much love,
John and Spanky
Oh Margaret,
that is terrible. Both your not feeling well, and the sudden loss your kitty. It’s shard to lose our furry family. I still grieve for many of our past kitties and miss them.
Take care…
Margaret, I am so sorry. My heart goes out to you.
So sorry for your loss of beautiful Pricilla. Hugs.
Dear Margaret,
We feel so hopeless when one of our “family” members get ill. Not able to hold her one last time….you and Stefano must feel so much emotional pain & anguish. I am so truly sorry. Sally
They know… they know they are loved, and some of them prefer to ‘go it alone,’ as they cross over. I know it so very hard, but she had wonderful paw-rents for over a decade and if you cast back on all your memories you will be reassured that she got enough love. And may one memory bring you so much joy and peace that all the sadness is crowded out. Annie S.
I am so sorry Margaret I’ve lost 3 of 4 of mine in the last few years. There’s always the guilt of maybe doing something differently. But I know that your fur babies are your heart and soul. You and I did all we could do.
Dear Margaret: So very sorry for your loss. I do know the heartbreak one goes through. Please take good care of yourself now. Lots of good well wishes, Beatrice
So sorry Dear Margaret: Please take good care of yourself.
Margaret, I’m so sorry, it is hard to lose a loved one. But don’t beat yourself up over not being there. With people, there is a progression in dying that brings the consciousness inward and Priscilla took you with her as that happened, you were the last things she really registered as she drew in. Had you been there, she wouldn’t have been registering you any longer. At least that is my experience. Dying is demanding work, it takes our attention inward as we go. Her book is written, it is on the shelf – and only you two can take it down, open it up and remember.
I understand very well, oh how much !, the love for our animal, and the additional pain of not being there when he leaves.
But look at the good life you gave her! Priscilla was loved, cared for, and felt and returned this love I am sure.
Think of her not dead but still alive in your heart.
I’m so sorry Margaret. Praying for your heart and hoping you’ll be able to smile through your tears at the happy memories.
So sorry for the loss of your “fur baby” we all know the pain you are feeling. Margaret will you be returning to Myeloma updates, news, etc? I appreciate your insight and knowledge of this complex disease.
So very sorry Margaret and Stefano. I do t check the blog VERY often, just read this today.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Big hugs. Wishing you all the best.
Hello, Margaret,
Thank you for your research and the important information you provide.
I am 76 years old and underwent a radical prostatectomy in March 2017. The cancer had not passed through the prostate capsule and the urologist was confident of the result. Unfortunately 2 months after that my PSA level was 1.10 instead of 0.0… So I had about 30 sessions of radiotherapy but the PSA level rose again a few months after that and is now 3.3. Currently I take 8 capsules of 1000g of Curcumin C3 Doctors Best plus Corossol and Artemisia, 6 capsules of each per day.
My question is this: what do you think of the Curcumin C3 Complex 12,000mg capsules of Simply Supplements at £13.49 for 90 capsules,which are much cheaper than Dr Best?
https://www.simplysupplements.co.uk/curcumin-12000mg-c3-complex
Thank you again in advance for your advice.
Best regards,
Henri
I apologize Margaret, but I now understand that the dosage of C3 Complex in these Simply Supplements capsules is only 200mg per capsule, so the cost is much higher than Dr’s Best.
I swallow all of these capsules on an empty stomach and in 2 intakes about 12 hours apart. I have had no adverse effects so far.
Nevertheless, I would very much appreciate your advice.
Best regards,
Henri
Margaret, I’ve just learned aboit your loss. So so sorry. We miss our tabby cat Missy too
.zso.mich. We lost her last May. It’s so paintful. We got.another cat, 2 months since we got her, she’s nice and pretty, but is not our Missy….So.sorry Margaret
DEAR MARGARET! So sad to read of your dear kitty.
Today we heard of lock-down of towns in northern Italy, and we are much concerned about YOU. We send our love and many prayers. Don, Ardis, Sarah
So sorry .. have only just read this. How very sad for you but how lucky was Priscilla to have you both! What a wonderful life this gorgeous Kitty had. Take comfort in that. Xx