Update

Our new cat

Missile alert continued yesterday morning at 5am. A few minutes later I could hear explosions in the sky as defensive missiles neutralised the invasion. Then it was over.

I'm still recovering from the operation, especially the anaemia ...  no surprise. My cardiologist whom I met 2 days back said to expect another month or so before any significant return to normality. My haemoglobin has gone up to 11 from 8.8. Improvement but still below the norm. So I'm still weak and listless. Most of my time is resting and sleeping ... which is very difficult because of the constant pain. I actually sleep no more than 3 hours a night. I can't walk far. My left foot is swollen again. And my left hand is partially paralysed. This makes showering, drying and changing clothes very difficult. It's a daily struggle. I can understand now how people with strokes have to live with half a body not functioning.

And I've been thinking of my time in hospital. All those people who have no families to accompany them while they underwent operations. How they struggle to even make a cup of coffee, to eat and do some simple acts like wearing shoes. I remember every Friday before the Sabbath began, pious jews would go room to room giving out small packs of cookies or popcorn, paid from their own pockets to spread joy to the hospital patients. And they gave even to non-Jews like me. They were little moments of compassion and kindness that go beyond religious or racial boundaries. I'm wondering if I can do the same when I get better.