The (maybe not so) Long Goodbye

I found Sophie 11 or 12 years ago when she was part of a community cat colony near my old condo in Baltimore. We were still living in California. Long story short, she was definitely not feral and likely had not been outside long. My friend Bart took her. A couple of years after we moved to Baltimore Bart's circumstances changed and Sophie came to live with us.

Despite being well into her teens, up until a couple days ago Sophie romped like a cat less than half her age. It really hit home yesterday. As she lay next to me I could see her breathing was shallow and she was sleeping even more than usual.

I called my vet this morning and they got her in. They took x-rays and one of her lungs is pretty much collapsed. It could be a tumor, but we are opting not to do anything invasive; she wouldn't survive it. We had a discussion with the vet. She is still eating and enjoying life, so we are going to take it day to day.

It was important to me to get her in today, because tomorrow I go in to have my left knee replacement replaced. After 19 years it wore out. It served me quite well.

I will be in the hospital one night, and the next month will be trying. I will have to rely on Jerry even more than I have lately. I likely won't be able to drive for a month, and he will have to ferry me back and forth to physical therapy appointments. And who knows what else.

I really am limping into the great unknown. Until he gets in there, my surgeon is unsure how much he will need to do. Maybe just replace a couple of parts, or maybe the whole thing. In addition, I am his first amputee patient, which will make for interesting in-hospital physical therapy, which starts as soon as I am wide awake enough after surgery.

But knowing Sophie will be home waiting for me makes it all a little easier. She just jumped up on the couch, and Flash is grooming her. She is my feisty little girl, and I will cherish every day with her. But as it is with all of my kitties, no matter how long they are with me, it is never long enough.

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