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| Female duikers have one tiny horn near their ears. |
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
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| Little hogs all the pellets when other wildlife is around. After all, he is a pig. |
There’s no doubt about it. We’ve had a dreadful shortage of photos since I began posting on February 25th, 13 days after cardiac bypass surgery. It’s truly been a labor of love. I couldn’t wait to get back to it.
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| Male duikers have two tiny horns on their heads (difficult to see in these photos). |
But then, I may be hard on myself when I realize how much more I can do now than 10 days ago. Yesterday, I baked the delicious low-carb cheese pie that I savored as we watched a show last night, to be repeated each night until the final piece is gone.
This morning, I prepared and started a load of laundry, made my lemon water drink, and put away a tray of flatware and knives after Tom had emptied the dishwasher. It doesn’t seem like much, but in my world, it’s progress.
By 10:30 am, I was up, dressed, took the plethora of pills prescribed for me, did the breathing exercises, and walked steadily around the house for 15 minutes twice a day). Now up to the required daily 30-minutes, I can begin to imagine walking for an hour by the end of the initial six-week recovery period.
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| Little stopped by this morning to check out the pellet situation. As always, it was good. |
It’s slow, but it is progress, nonetheless, and each day provides me with an opportunity to move forward by some seemingly mundane task that ultimately becomes a milestone in this life of healing.
I gave up the fight against taking the pain meds. They aren’t codeine or morphine-based and supposedly non-addictive, and I now accept taking one (not the recommended two, every five hours or so). Doing so keeps my mind off the pain enabling me to do more things for myself.
Now that I can rise from a chair or the bed on my own, I don’t have to ask Tom for as much help as I did a week or more ago, which has greatly added to my confidence in taking care of myself. Oh, he didn’t mind at all but the more dependent I was upon him, the less quickly I’d recover.
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| It’s incredible how nature provided warthogs with pads on their knees to all them to bend to eat freely. Their long snouts make it necessary for them to eat this way. Although the original Wart Face has such a huge body and long snout, he didn’t need to bend onto his knees. |
Each morning he puts the compression socks on my legs. They are so challenging to get on, especially when he must be cautious in getting near my legs’ still healing incisions, particularly on the right thigh, which continues to bleed off and on. I can’t imagine when I will be able to do this on my own.
Yesterday, dear friend Kathy (of Kathy and Don) visited at 8:00 am to help me while Tom went to Komatipoort to see the dentist for his abscessed tooth, which he’d treated with antibiotics Nelspruit while I was in the hospital. What a great friend among many here in Marloth Park! As always, Kathy came bearing gifts, hugs, and loving support.
Our regular dentist here, the amazing Luzanne Du Preez at Komati Dental, gave Tom a prescription mouthwash to see if it will ultimately heal enough to avoid pulling the wisdom tooth. If not, before we leave in May, he’ll have it taken care of. I have two more amalgam fillings to be replaced, but dental work is not recommended immediately after heart surgery due to the risks of endocarditis, an infection of the heart.
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| Mom and baby have both grown over this past year. We’ve probably fed them more than any other wildlife, and they look healthy and fit. |
So, dear reader/friends, we carry on with hope in our hearts that the healing process will continue to move forward, enabling us to resume our many plans for the future. Thanks to all of our readers for sticking with us, with or without many exciting photos, during this trying time and always.
Have a spectacular day!
Photo from one year ago today, March 5, 2018:
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| During most of their visit, they stayed close to one another and not too far from us. We’ve since had those tire chairs moved to the far side of the house. They were a breeding ground for insects and snakes. For more photos, please click here. |