wilted sunflower

I had my cast removed but my foot still hurts like hell when I walk and it is still extremely swollen.
I just started physical therapy. I thought by now my foot would start to look normal. I must have torn muscles and ligaments.One lady saw me struggling to walk and asked if I had gout. She probably saw the one big leg and and the other normal sized leg. I look like a freak.
As instructed through physical therapy  to just walk "normally" and without a cane..I feel like an injured bird just waiting to get picked off by a hawk. I'm really trying to hide the injury.
.My neck and head constantly hurt. I've been eating zomigs every single day and I am running out of them.
The pharmacy always seems to run out of them and then forgets to reorder them.The insurance company will only pay for 18 of them at max per month.Nothing else takes the edge off.
The pain just will not fucking go away
Twice I felt so hopelessly shitty that I was ready to glug a entire bottle of whatever.
 I've had a migraine for two months solid. And yes, I've talked to the doctor about it and it appears nothing can be done.
I just started to get up at 2:00am before the headaches start and do yoga stretches. My long time pal suggested I do this. The pain starts from the back of my leg all the way up to the top of my head.
These stretches seem to be helpful.
I'm tired of complaining and I'm tired of feeling shitty. And I know people are sick of listening to me.
My birds are the only thing  that keeps me going....
I feel like I am just "waiting".
Waiting for the pain to go away

la nube negro (the black cloud)

Wow..these last two weeks have been really really tough. I can't seem to shake this nasty migraine. I feel engulfed by a big black cloud.
 I've been eating zomigs and naproxin like candy. Just when I feel a bit more 'normal'. "Surprise!I'm baaack!' the migraine is back.
 My head is on fire. I spend a lot of time with ice on my head and neck
So I decided to go back on valtrex hoping this is just a virus since now I have blisters down my throat.
Oh fun..
Hopefully this friday I'll have this cast off my foot. I'm not sure what will happen after the cast is removed. My foot still looks freaky, it has spasms and I feel something pulling. Walking with the cast is awkward. I walk like a weeble. I normally walk on my toes (ball of the foot) so walking in a rocking motion and lopsided as presented is exhausting. I'm able to get around, but much more slowly.Since my gait is off and I am slow I stay out of people's way especially in grocery stores so I don't get plowed down.
Some people are kind and some people are complete dicks.
 Two weekends ago, my husband took me to the beach in the morning. The lot was filling up really fast. One fisherman was pulling out of a coveted space near the benches. I got out of the car with my crutches to hold the spot so my husband could back in. A truck tore around the parking lot and told me to get out of way because "he was waiting for that space". Needless to say I was taken back. I proceeded to walk over to the bench. The same guy said that "he was there first".He wanted the bench so he could put is cooler on it so it wouldn't get sandy. I limped down the sand to find another spot. I could understand if this guy was elderly or had difficulty walking but that wasn't the case. It was some young selfish 30 something prick with his dog and girlfriend! Nice, eh?
Last weekend I stopped in Shaws to grab a few grocery items. I stay clear of people not to get in their way since everyone is in a big hurry. There were hardly any people in the store that afternoon. As I was walking out through  the automatic door I felt somebody out of the blue hurry up on my back heels and mumble,"fer chris sake.. I haven't got all day!" I turned around and this snotty woman pushed right by me almost knocking me over.
Wow....really..
Last friday, I noticed one of my cockatiel's "Eddie' was not feeling well. I thought, 'oh no..not you Eddie".  I was of course in a major panic. I called my vet but she had just left for vacation. Eddie was throwing up profusely and slumped at the bottom of cage. I started calling every possible avian vet I could think of. It was friday night and most vets had the weekend off or they were fully booked.I couldn't bear losing her.I found a vet in Gloucester where one of my pigeon chat line chatters goes to. The vet took me right away. Thank God my husband drove me over.Once I gave her a drop of baytril she perked right up.
She had a prescribed dose for ten days but I ran out of meds in two days.(!) The meds were dispensed in a tiny vial and I must of lost some in trying to fill the syringe. I am waiting to hear from the doctor now so I can get more meds.
It's lousy feeling sick and out of commission but I go completely off the deep end when its one of my birds that is sick..

a monkey with feathers

"Ray" stayed with us for the first time even though I've spent time visiting him in his own home.
Ray is a black headed caique.
They originate from the amazon. They are labelled as the 'clowns' of the bird world because of their acrobats. And for a small parrot, they pack a very loud squawk.
And of course the day Ray came to our house I was really really sick with a nasty killer migraine. Ray was in a unfamilar place and proceeded to 'call".
 It was like someone firing a nail gun through my head.
OMFG....
Birds "call" for a couple of reasons: boredom, nervousness, bedtime, hunger, mating season, and for attention.
Caiques are high energy birds.They are kind of like a hyper active three year old on "Jolt" cola. I figured if I had something to entertain him then this would distract him from screaming.
I threaded chinese finger pulls (paper toys) through his cage bars so he could rip them apart. I had a 'foraging toy" of a cardboard box filled with nutriberries and millet so he could spend time exploring and ripping that apart as well ,plus tissues rolled up with berries.
Thankfully that did the trick.
I found that he loves strawberries and raspberries. When he is finished playing with them the cage looked like it was hit by a serial killer. Red stuff was EVERYWHERE!
I have to spend more time keeping him (and the cage)cleaned and entertained.
He is very smart and knows how to undo the locks on the cage. He also knows when it's time to go back to the cage and hides behind my head so I can not retrieve him.
He was more like a monkey than a bird.he loves to climb and swing from things. I definitely have to keep an eye on him because he can easily get into trouble with his curiosity and need to chew things.
Wow!

scootin' along

* I just put this photo of Button here because she is just so darn cute!
I am able to do most of my house work now. I can't stand a stinky dirty house. I still have bird customers coming in for boarding so I am very particular in making sure the house and environment is clean. I am grateful for this progression in the healing process.
Stairs remain a 'challenge' to me. I am unstable. So  walking with a "boot cast" is awkward and uneven.
Also trying to get a good night's sleep is an issue. I've been waking up with screaming migraines just about every night at about 2:00am..
So I am trying to figure out how to stop this.I found my old "neck' pillow so I am using this to hold my head straight. This so far has been helpful in keeping me still and straight so I can elevate my foot at night.
My foot still looks awful and it is sore to the touch.It still looks a freak show. Cool water soaks are pure heaven.
It bums me out that I won't be able to wear "nice civilized" shoes for a while.I'll be lucky enough to be able to wear (ugly ass)sneakers when this cast comes off.
As always the birds keep me busy.
Teddy the dove is something else. Who would've thought a "bird of peace' could be an aggressive dominant male trouble-maker? He'll go after anything to try to "dominant it" including my bird candle holders.
Charlie is a sweet-heart. He loves his one-on-one special attention and training sessions at night. Patches likes to investigate our interactions. Patches and Charlie are best buds. They have a"bro-mance" going on. They are two guys hanging out together ripping up newspaper. It's a "guy project" in which Patches initiates and obliges Charlie's help.
We've had a senegal parrot stay with us for a few days. I place a small towel on top of his cage just in case any of my birds land on top of the cage. Senegals can be pretty nippy so this offers protection. He's not real keen on me cleaning his cage and wiping his perch. Perhaps he is just scared being in a different environment. He seemed to at least enjoy all the birdy interactions.I thought it was kind of funny the sounds he makes. Some were of smoke alarm noises, doors opening and whistles, but mostly fart noises.
Next week we will have a caique parrot stay with us. They are considered the 'clowns' of the parrot world.
Stay tuned.

the wild pigeons of Salisbury beach part 95

*funny photo of gulls taking refuge under beach umbrellas to escape the heat!

It's been really really hot. Thank God for central air. My husband takes me to the beach every morning to at least to feed the pigeons.
 I am hopeful, at least at the end of the summer (whimper) I'll be able to go in the water-even if that means I have to wear sneakers in the water for support and to protect my feet.
I hate the summer passing me by.
We've been keeping tabs on the pigeon activity. Summer time means more food for the pigeons. (pizza crust, fried doe and french fries)but it also means more people, dogs, cats and seagulls. This includes more trash, cars and poisonous substances.All are a danger to the pigeons.
A few days ago I spotted a youngster trying like mad to fly back up to the nesting zone.He must have fell out of the nest or was pushed out too early. He looked to be about four weeks-maybe 5 weeks old. He was small and really dirty. The best thing would be to place him back on the ledge.
I, of course, was panicking. because I couldn't do anything.. I looked around and spotted chairs stacked to the side of a bar. I had my husband place them near the nesting site in order for him to put the little bird back. on the ledge.
Success!
I was so grateful that he did this. The poor little thing looked lost and would for sure would not have made it.
However, his survival still remains iffy. Two days later he was still up on the ledge. Hopefully one of the parents is still feeding him and not neglecting him in order to make way for the new babies. I know that. the mother has a new batch of babies because I found a freshly discarded egg shell under the ledge.
Meanwhile, my pigeon follows me around everywhere. I have to be super careful where I step and most recently, scooting around with the computer chair.
As I was backing out of the bathroom in the chair I did not see the pigeon run up to the door. (The last I saw him he was busy in the bird room doing something) .His feathers got caught under a wheel and I heard him roar.
 I felt awful!
 A bunch of feathers got pulled out. Thank God he was not injured..I held him for the rest of the afternoon.He is back to his old self again but I am extra careful now of his whereabouts.

cast off

Friday, I had a doctor's appointment to check the progress of my foot healing.
The permanent cast on my foot was finally removed. I was counting the minutes for this thing to be taken off. It was like some nasty archaeological find similar to unwrapping a mummy. It was pretty gross.
My foot was completely purple and still obscenely huge. My calf looked like a prickly stick with a saggy flaccid bag hanging from it. I was shocked at how much my calf had atrophied in such a short period of time. I still have a cast now but it is removable and I am urged to walk on it.
The first thing I did when I got home was stick my bare foot in a cool basin of water.It is amazing how such a simple thing like this was pure heaven.
 I tried walking with the help of  crutches to balance me when I got home. It was like learning to walk all over again. The next day was better I could walk using just one crutch as stability. I walked around more to build up strength.
The next day, with the help of a crutch, I walked around with my husband in a grocery store. Needless, to say, I felt like a ran a marathon. I was exhausted and my back leg muscles were sore. I have to say, I was appalled at how obnoxious and inconsiderate people were in the grocery store. I can't tell you how many times women eyes glued on their cell-phones rushing around almost crashed into me. Unfuckingbelievable.
Walking around is getting better. I cleaned the bird cages this morning without help. It takes a lot longer but I feel emotionally better doing my normal routine.I find myself really appreciating all those simple things you take for granted. I want to get back to my old life and comfortable routines. It is so nice to be able to wash my hair in the bathroom shower rather than standing one legged over the kitchen sink.
At this stage I still have stability issues going up and down stairs. I do my morning exercises to keep fit.
My husband still helps me around with the other chores and he still takes me in the morning to see the pigeons.
One day at a time,I tell myself.
At least my foot is healing, and so far, no need for surgery. I'll still have to wear this walking cast until mid-August.
I look forward to wearing 'real shoes" in a few months as well, not this ugly-ass sneaker I've been wearing on my 'good' foot.The doctor told me close to six months before my foot will be "normal".

bad luck woodchuck

Here is the culprit (above) who had been digging at the back of the house. Yes, I am going to blame this woodchuck for why I fell over the wall. Perhaps if I had not been distracted by seeing a big hole at the side of the house I might not be sitting here in a cast.
Yesterday, I caught the little booger sitting on my sun chair. I grabbed my cell-phone (camera) to take a photo of him to show my husband. There he sits underneath it for now.
My cousin came over yesterday to keep me company. We played spanish music. It reminded me of when we were teens just hanging out and  listening to "Emerson, lake and Palmer".
We also listened to some beginner spanish instructional videos. But being the brats-who-never-matured-past-adolescence I had 'fun" with the videos. Me llamo.....(fill in the blank)...... senos grandes. (big boobs)
And of course, it went down hill from there.
I was a bit over tired last night, lost my footing and fell in the bathroom. I'm a bit banged up.My foot was really swollen too. I just can't seem to just do nothing and relax.
Well today I'm going to just rest and put my foot up. ugh....