Oscar

The other day, I discovered a book that I really wanted to read. It has been a long time since a book has intrigued me enough to want to read it. The book is titled "Making Rounds with Oscar" by David Dosa. It is about a cat, named Oscar, that has become a resident at a facility for patients afflicted with Alzheimers. The author, is the doctor that works at this facility. He writes about Oscar and his ability to sense when a patient is about to pass away. Oscar will sit on the patient's bedside for days until it happens. His presence not only meets the needs of the patient, but the family members sitting by the patient's side. It is a heart warming book and a true story.

Recently, my sister and her family adopted a wonderful dog named Gina. Gina was abandoned by its owner along with another dog. The dogs were left to survive on their own with one bag of opened dog food for weeks in a garage. Gina was found with a severe wound on her mouth most likely due to an attack from the other dog. She was also very scared of people. Gina had a lot of wounds both mentally and physically. I met Gina for the first time on Christmas Eve at my sister's house. I was still trying to heal from the radiation and dealing with the fact that the cancer was still in my sinuses and surgery was inevitable. Like GIna, I was wounded both mentally and physically. I had an instant bond with Gina. It was like we both knew what the other was feeling. I could see the pain in her eyes and she could see the pain in mine. Gina sought much needed attention from everyone in the room and I welcomed every opportunity to give it to her. Often I think about Gina and wish that I could be with her as I am trying to heal from surgery. Like Oscar, I think she would do me some good and be great company.

One of the struggles the doctor in the book had was believing that this cat was truly sensing that the patients were passing away. He thought it was a mere coincidence. He struggled with believing in something that could not be scientifically proven...something I think a lot of doctors struggle with. I think we all, including myself, struggle with believing in whether or not things are a mere coincidence or God's doing. I often struggled with this in the past year. Many times there were surprises and miracles throughout my treatment that sometimes I tried to pass off as a coincidence. I had a hard time believing and understanding that God was making a difference. Looking back, I now believe these events were not a coincidence but all part of God's plan in my healing. In the book, the doctor includes a quote from Albert Einstein: "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." This quote really hit home for me and helped me to look at the things that I thought were coincidences throughout my treatment as God acting on my behalf the entire time. I love this quote.

Well, the antibiotics are working and the infection is going away. I am also starting to finally see the swelling in my face slowly going down. The wound on my leg is also starting to show signs of healing. It isn't as awful looking as it used to be. I have been able to get out of the house a little and visit with some friends. But for the most part, I stay cooped up at home. This week we have no family around to help so it has been a little difficult to get things accomplished. Needing the use of a walker does not give me the freedom to get around as easy as I used to. Things like vacuuming, carrying things up and down the stairs or simply moving a pot of boiling water from the stove to the sink are not easy. I have to rely on others to do these things for me. But we are doing the best we can and luckily Jason is working from home most of the week.

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines with your loved ones. Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Love,
Sue