Poppy held to her decision and severed all ties with George. One day, when she’s had sufficient time to heal, she may mourn him properly, but at this stage, she just doesn’t have the mental or emotional capacity. Steve arrived abruptly, with George’s sudden departure. It’s all been quite a shock, really. Poppy and Steve have been getting to know one another, as cohabitants do. I wouldn’t call it a romance, by any stretch of any imagination. It’s more like an arrangement. Of necessity. Oh sure, she did jump into forever with him. And she really does want to have a long and comfortable relationship with him. Happily ever after, in fact. Right now, however, it’s either sink or swim, and sinking is hardly an option.
In one sense, Poppy’s been very stable. Oh, occasionally something will happen and she will have a momentary lapse of sanity in which she behaves erratically, but those moments are few and generally last no more than an hour. In general, she’s been feeling very good.
That being said, life with Steve has been a cautious, tip-toeing dance, for the first few weeks. Steve seems to be a sensitive sort, and has his own idiosyncrasies. For instance, he does not like to be rushed. How can I say that, in such a way as to express it properly? He. Does. NOT. Like. To. Be. Rushed. And he’s a bit of a moody, broody sort. So he likes to handle certain things on his own terms, and as long as one complies with his terms, there is harmony in the land. Okay, so be it. This is part of learning to live together. Everyone’s got their own personal boundaries that need to be respected. Steve, bless his soul, is very clear about expressing his boundaries. Poppy could stand to take a page from that book.
As the weeks progress, Poppy has also begun to notice that there may be some areas in which Steve and George are very similar. She’s choosing not to overreact to this knowledge, but to take heed and reflect on it. The last thing she wants is to encourage any of these tendencies. So she’s keeping a close watch on this Steve character. Watching him like a hawk, even.
~*~*~*~
Installment 2 of the Poppy Saga.
Characters:
Poppy the pancreas.
George who likes to gorge.
Steve the sleeve.
~*~*~*~
It’s been just about 4 weeks since surgery, and I’m doing very well. The first 2 weeks are liquids only, and the next two weeks are soft foods. It’s a bit challenging, learning to eat anew. It’s probably similar to what babies go through, as they are learning to eat. Things like the size of each bite and how much it must be chewed before swallowing are critically important. The steri-strips have finally worn off the incision sites, and the scars remaining are slight. I’ve had a bit of a struggle with waves of depression, off and on. I also notice that I tire easily, and I’ve been respecting this by allowing myself to rest when I need it.
I will say this much. I loathe (ab.so.lute.ly loaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaathe) protein powder. When I’ve finished the tub that I have, I will never buy another. Ever. EVER.
That being said, it’s such a relief, not to be hungry! It’s also a tremendous delight to look at a small portion of food and know that it can and will be filling and fulfilling (although obtaining sufficient nutritional intake is definitely a challenge). All in all, it’s a very exciting journey. I feel liberated, and I am looking forward to finding and restoring bits and pieces of myself that have been lost through the years, as I progress through this excavation.
I hope to do a better job than all the king’s horses and all the king’s men did with Humpty Dumpty.
