Saturday, June 09, 2012

Small pleasures

I don't mean to be totally warm and fuzzy, but as I recover I have been appreciating things I used to take for granted or not focus on perhaps as much as I should. I have focused on small pleasures.

Reading - I had been feeling sick for so long that I wasn't at my normal average of a book a week. When I was in the hospital, I overheard one of the caring and astute nurses observe that she thought a man on my floor probably hadn't ordered breakfast because he couldn't read the menu. She sent someone in to help him. I used to be an ESL volunteer for adults and I did occasionally encounter people who could not read or write in their native language, either. I always admired their guts, making time at the end of a full day's hard work to go and learn. I'm grateful that I am literate and can enjoy books.

BBC series - As you know, I am an Anglophile and I love to laugh. In between books, I have been watching some of the BBC series we own. Coupling, Fawlty Towers, The Vicar of Dibley, etc. Check them out if you haven't, they are hilarious!

Family and friends - I should say I have never taken family and friends for granted, but I have been blown away by how many caring phone calls, e-mails and cards I have received during my recovery. Even the volunteers at work have called to check in on me and wish me well. It is so nice to be cared about. My grandmother, who has historically had a hard time dealing head-on with serious illness and troubles in our family, has learned how to text at age 76! I had asked my aunt not to let her know how seriously ill I was, but my aunt did tell her and I was amazed when my grandmother texted me that "please always tell me how serious something is. I love you and I want to know everything."

For my picture illustrating family, this is an lolperson - hey, I just made that up - of my brother N, who had been bugging the fuck out of my other brother, B, by using his iphone storage, which had been used for podcasts, to take pictures for eBay. It finally ended after I made this picture and sent it to my parents.


Mr. RK - Again, I never take him for granted, but even I have been blown away by how he has been both cuddly and made of steel. We have gotten to "in sickness and in health" decades before I thought we would. It has been so difficult for me to accept so much care (luckily I can do many more things for myself now), but he has done literally everything for me without complaining, telling me I'm pretty even when I have felt as repulsive as the Bride of Frankenstein. One of the nurses I've seen at outpatient appointments told me to thank him for her. "Many people see their loved ones go through medical issues and they literally just freeze up," she said.  (Below is a picture of my other brother, who visits about once a quarter, and Mr. RK when we went out for Mexican food a few months ago.)
Humor! - I am laughing more than ever, and appreciating humor more than ever. Incidentally, one of my doctors (who is a really nice guy) has the initials SOB. Poor bastard.

See, you knew I couldn't be all Julie Andrews and falalalala for this entire post. And "fuck!" There, I said it.

29 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I'm glad you're married to that sweetie Mr. RK and not to that hysteric control freak Basil Fawlty. Bet you're glad too, LOL!

G. B. Miller said...

Julie Andrews as "The Sound of Muzak"? No.

Rosenne Barr doing the Star Spangled Banner? Yes.

Lynn said...

It's lovely to remember everything you have and that people love you. I'm so glad you are better. And love your last line - now I know you're better. :)

Granny Annie said...

Our pastor in our little Kansas church was a "Vicar of Dibley" type, I kid you not. And the church council greatly resembled the batch on the show.

Guess you didn't realize that you had already said "fuck" once.

You are blessed with loving family and friends because you are a blessing to all of us:)

LL Cool Joe said...

Hey I've just arrived back in the UK tonight so I'm just catching up. Shit you sound like you were really ill mate. I'm so pleased that you are back home and improving. I'm sorry I haven't been in contact yet but as I said I was in Spain and away from the internet.

Elephant's Child said...

It is the little things which make my world. Rude, vicious, insensitive (and accurate) people have said 'small things for small minds'.
I do care about things on the world stage but stepping out of bed and putting my bare feet on freshly deposited cat puke has a more immediate impact.
Keep on getting well - we need your style of humour to keep us grounded in the real world.

Darth Weasel said...

gd thoughts and well stated

Riot Kitty said...

D: Oh yes I am! ;)
G: Very funny. I think Roseanne is the most crass individual - perhaps aside from Glenn Beck - to walk this earth. I prefer Julie Andrews, come to think of it!
L: Yeah, I think Sean was worried because I only said about 3 swear words the entire time in the hospital (religious hospital, I didn't want to offend anyone.) He's reassured now.
GA: That is hilarious! And yes, I forgot I had said it...and thank you for your kind words.
Joey: No worries! I wasn't in contact with just about anyone for a couple of weeks. How was Spain? I have always wanted to go there.
TEC: If I keep laughing it will hurt! OMG, what an image.
Darth: Thanks! Looking forward to catching up soon.

Anil P said...

I'm not sure if this helps, but I'm continually amazed by the ability of the body (and hence the soul) to heal much of what is thrown at it.

And if nothing else, just this fact is a huge plus for believing that the mend is well and truly just beyond the bend in the road we are pushed to travel on, at times.

So good to hear you're recovering well, and wishing you an even speedier recovery.

Anil P said...

I'm not sure if this helps, but I'm continually amazed by the ability of the body (and hence the soul) to heal much of what is thrown at it.

And if nothing else, just this fact is a huge plus for believing that the mend is well and truly just beyond the bend in the road we are pushed to travel on, at times.

So good to hear you're recovering well, and wishing you an even speedier recovery.

Riot Kitty said...

Anil: What a sweet, wonderful thing to say. Thank you!

Claire said...

I'm so glad you're getting better at a good pace and am so glad to read updates. Love that the swears are back too :-)

Jenny Woolf said...

Oh, many things to be thankful for, and I am glad you are getting better.
Wouldn't enjoy Basil Fawlty at my bedside though :D

Riot Kitty said...

C: LOL thanks!
Jenny: You remember the episode where Sybil is in the hospital? The horror! Thanks for stopping by ;)

Logical Libby said...

I was starting to think they had replaced your brain. Thank goodness for the "fuck" at the end. And thank goodness for the small things.

Riot Kitty said...

L: Hahaha! I think Mr. RK did, too.

Magaly Guerrero said...

I was ready to write about my terrible disappointment. "I just got here and I'm already being lied to; not fair," I said to my imaginary friend, who by the way is naked because is too damn hot in NYC right now.

Anyway, I was about to cry, and then I got to the bit about the SOB with a degree and the "fuck!" I breathed. Life is not totally terrible ;-)

Ileana said...

I love the way you ended this post...SOB initials and "fuck!" You're baaaack!! :)

Laughter and good family and friends will get us through anything, chica. So glad you made it through the worst of it and are on your way to a full recovery with your books and movies and TV shows. Funny, I never though you watched TV...but then you'd never been home recovering this long before...or have you?

So happy to have you back!! xo

Riot Kitty said...

MG: Oh good!
S: Thanks chica! And you are so right...I don't watch TV, just BBC series. But yeah, I've never been home this long, either.

A Beer for the Shower said...

I'm glad not only that you're feeling a bit better, but also that you're able to attack things with a good attitude and good humor. If my doctor's initials were SOB, I don't think I'd ever stop laughing. Fun fact: my dad once had a doctor named Dr. Fuch, pronounced exactly like the bad word.

Riot Kitty said...

ABFTS: Oh yes, you posted a comment about Dr. Fuch! "Call me Dr. Fuck!" As for the laughter...what else gets us through the day? I was laughing in the hospital even when things were scary. If we lose our ability to laugh, we lost everything.

Michael said...

Good to see you're getting a lot of support :) I have seen coupling, really funny ... I'll have to check out the others.

Anonymous said...

I am glad that you have so many people who care and look after you. I am learning to let people in, so maybe one day, if I get sick, I'd let them help.

Why does your brother look so familiar? I've seen B. before.

TILTE said...

Well, I don't know exactly what you're going through, but I've been going through some medical shit of my own lately. I know feeling crummy really wears you down, physically, emotionally, and everything elsey. :(

Hope you have a speedy recover and feel better than Oprah fucking Winfrey.

Also- you need to start watching Little Britain if you're not already.

Riot Kitty said...

Matt: You totally should, if you like laughing :)
NV: I had no choice! I think I also posted this picture of N. before.
YLIDHAG: Thanks! And I will check it out. Hope you feel good soon, too.

Terminally Ill Offical Dank said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Hey, I was away from blogging and missed all your medical drama but I hope the worse is over and you are getting better and getting pampered by everyone. Get well soon.

Mike_D said...

Sounds like a KISS song "They call me....Dr Fuck!"

Yeah, you're feeling better!! :)

Riot Kitty said...

Squirrel: Thanks!
Mike: That's hilarious, and thanks ;)