Lucy has healed so well that the doctor took out stitches today. She has been released from this episode. Yea, Lucy!

MORE: And Charles (the brother) had cataract surgery on the other eye today in Jackson. Everything went fine.

And here's our girl today, ten days after surgery. Only one more dose of antibiotic to go.

Sutures come out in four days. The local vet will do that.

MORE: I still think that Ole Miss was foolish not to adopt the female Eclectus as a mascot. This little girl is some kind of formidable when riled. Scares grown men.

So what if the Eclectus isn't local. Are tigers local to Louisiana?

For the birds:

.

Charles Gore, the Grey, has decided that it's his responsibility to sleep in the corner of his cage closest to Lucy's cage. Standing guard? Bird solidarity?

I liked William Safire.

I can't think of anyone like him now.

She is vocalizing today, in her random way, which all sounds good.

Oh. Why the gloves?

Lucy is taking meds orally from a syringe. This entails wrapping her in a towel and holding her head firmly in one hand, without strangling her, and administering with another.

MORE: Today, Sunday, we have three more doses. I wonder how long it will be before she trusts me with a step-up command again?

Lucy is furious with me. I have to remove soiled towels from her cage immediately (runs around five or six or seven or eight daily) and medicate her twice a day.

I am now wearing a pair of knit gloves inside a pair of leather gloves to handle her for the efforts. She sharpens her beak nightly.

It was coming.

Kiddo, I didn't throw you against the wall or slam you to the ground. It was an accident.

Now I know how my mother felt when I came home after being hit by a car (that, slick as a snake, I ran in front of).

What a brilliant effort, Boozle! I'd bet at least one of her owners is a singer.

I have a thesis for Max.

Post-surgery care and rehabilitation of the companion parrot after amputation of one leg mid-femur.

What I can find on the Internet, and the vet student can find on the vet-med database, is to keep the perches low and in good reach of food and water. And that's about it.

There is some mention of horizontal bars on cages for a beak-oriented bird like Lucy. And that IS it.

Adrienne researched for me. She went all over. Basically, "Give 'em a place to perch and feed'em and they'll be fine," was what she found.

Parrots are a big industry, and I'd like more information. Maybe Max and I can make it our thesis.

MORE: Shhhhhhh. Lucy is perched and tucked.

Lucy is home. She murmured all the way.

She really wanted to be up where she could see, but that's hard on a girl who's been sitting flat all week.

First thing she did at home was work her way onto her cage's perch and promptly learned how to turn around. What a girl!

Adrienne tells me that Lucy is doing fine. Her appetite is good. She is not paying any attention to the incision, so no need for a collar so far.

I talked to her on the phone again. She likes that.

Tomorrow, then.

And here's our girl, one day after surgery, perched on Dr. Schnellbacher. Thank you for the picture, Adrienne.

Rats! I started to Baton Rouge with plenty of time, but had to turn around because the car was vibrating so. Bad tire.

I can't get there in time for visiting hours. But I did talk to Lucy on the telephone. We'll pick her up on Monday.

Adrian from the clinic called. Lucy is alert and adapting already.

She told me that animals don't have the hang-ups that humans do regarding disabilities. They just pick up and go on.

Terrific news.

They are amputating Lucy's leg. It wouldn't take the pins. Her egg-laying has taken a toll on her bones. Apparently, she hasn't been getting enough calcium. Yes, it's my fault.

Dr. Schnellbacher just called. He said birds can have a decent quality of life with one leg. They learn to use their beaks more.

Or they could put her down.

This house has been so empty without her.

Oh, my poor Lucy.

UPDATE: The doc called back to report that Lucy came through the surgery fine. We can visit her tomorrow afternoon.

She's bound to be one pissed-off princess, but I'm reading on the parrot fora that many birds adapt quickly and well. We'll have a lot to learn.

Nothing from the doctors at LSU so far.

The students who call in the evenings tell me that Lucy has an admirer in the clinic -- a male Eclectus named "Joe." He's been chirping and singing since he first saw her.

Altogether now, "If I had a hammer..."

Mary Travers has died.

This was the album that was introduced at my house when I was seven or so.

I always wanted to hear the "beautiful grace" that the man with the long chain on said.

Had a call from LSU. The orthopedists will be coming in on Thursday. She has a distal break. The doctor said that they might go to fusion, which might cause Lucy to be lame.

"Do the best you can," I told him. "She's a good, courageous girl."

Lucy is going to college -- LSU to be precise -- to have a broken leg pinned.

The break is near the hip, and Dr. Debbie doesn't feel confident doing the surgery. Something lower on the leg might be a different story.

Lucy was standing on her parrot tower and took fright-flight at something outside. Apparently she hit the wall or a corner of the wall at a bad angle. (Better guess is the corner of the black TV that was cocked out at an angle.)

My poor, beautiful, sweet girlybird.

UPDATE: Michael, the love of her life, Lyman's son, took her. He knows the way. I'd still be driving. The docs down there say she'll be fine eventually. They'll operate today or Thursday.

Birds. Not for the weak-hearted. Or the poor.

Interesting medical comments at TalkLeft regarding salicylate intoxication.

According to the doctor commenting there, aspirin is a source of salicylate, but a more powerful source is oil of wintergreen, used in baking and candy-making, liniments, and apparently, aromatherapy.

Watch the little ones around that stuff.

And here's a note to watch use of pain-killing rubs containing methyl salicylate (Bengay, Icy Hot, Deep Heat, for example) when using warfarin.