I realize that Mike is not going to get better. He has hit a sort of level in his pain and thankfully, he is not getting worse. But, I know that he will never be able to function as he did in the past.

This realization was slow to hit me, mainly, because like him, I was in denial. I want the house to be finished, I don’t want to live in a half-remodeled home, but there you go, I am. So this morning, I set about taking the small dining room (where the entrance to the tunnels are) and redid the inside of the area for the cats. There is now an 8 foot homemade ladder with carpeted rungs leading up to high cat platforms over the window. I have cleared off the top shelves that wrap the area and put down cat beds instead of my bric-brac. I found an old cabinet at the thrift store which now has been converted into bunk beds for kitties and they love it. They have toys to play with, a couple more pet fountains I found stashed in the attic and they are in love with the room. Most of them are overhead now just peering down at me. I just hope they don’t decide to play Snoopy and launch themselves at my head!