IMPROVING

Beignet is improving all of the time. The biopsy came back as severe staph infection. We have been treating her with antibiotics twice a day and pain medications twice a day. Yesterday we were able to stop the pain medications as she seemed to not have much pain. SHE HATES THE MEDICINE. Did I mention she HATES the medicine. I am at risk of digital loss when giving them to her, even with her wrapped up in a towel. She has nipped me a number of times and I have quite a few marks to show. I would be mad too. All of this came from a fall on December 10. We were unaware she had injured her tail and it wasn't until I came into the house from the garage and saw literally six feet of blood all around her cage and lots of it in her cage that I knew something was wrong (ya think...?) It scared me to death

Today for the first time since December 10 she sang. She hasn't been able to talk because of the collar around her neck and also because she has been so sick. For a while it was touch and go. The go part was twice a week visits to the vet (don't ask how much I've paid the vet). I was so afraid she would die and the relationship one has with a parrot is nothing at all like any other animal. There is conversation between you and your parrot both in words and in body language and it is intense. It is much more like having a child, even though I know she is not human does not mean that I don't know how intelligent and emotional she is.

So, we get the stitches from the surgery taken out at the end of the week (Beignet is counting down the days). She will still have to wear a collar for quite a while until the scab has completely come off. When we are in Hawaii the vet is going to be Mom for her and I think perhaps the ends of the scabs will be coming off by then and she will be able to keep good track of it.

Never in my dreams did I think I would have a relationship with an animal being like I have with Beignet. She is truly my companion. She knows how I feel and talks to me all of the time. She plays verbal games and catch the ball. She counts and shows me the colors of things. Parrots see the entire ultraviolet spectrum. I think the fact that she has an incredible sense of humor makes her even more "human". When playing ball she tries to make me miss it and is pretty crafty in being subtle about it. She sees the funny parts of life and comments about it. Parroting is not at all part of what she does. She talks - communicates back and forth with understanding. She understands hand signals when words don't quite do it for her. Most of all this last six weeks she understands sympathy and sadness. My heart aches with this because I couldn't protect her from it.

The good thing is that she feels better and is probably going to live now. She is feeling happy again with singing and I'm so happy for her.