Recovery Caterpillars
The tree, the knee, and a summer on crutches
For Context:
I am a fairly sentimental person, in the sense of being very aware of anniversaries of life events, experiences, etc. I am always saying to Ross, “…last year at this time, we did this!!” or “remember two years ago when we ate here!?” I guess it is my way of staying aware of the passage of time, holding on to experiences, and bringing more celebration and ceremony into our lives. This year, we went out for ice cream to remember the anniversary of a friend’s death, we went to a tiki bar on the anniversary of our Hawaii honeymoon, and today, I am planning to walk 5 miles to celebrate the 2 year anniversary of my knee surgery!
Last year, on my one year knee anniversary, I found a trail in Wichita and walked it in the middle of a June heat wave, giving gratitude for the medical technology that could repair my completely torn meniscus, to the surgeon who took amazing care of me, the nurse that brought me butterscotch pudding upon waking up from anesthesia, for my sister and mom who each stayed with me for a few days after the surgery, and for my sweet Ross, who walked with me through two surgeries before even dating me for a full year!
A LOT was going on in my life two years ago—I had just moved to Wichita, after living in a tiny house at an RV park for a month, Ross had just started a new job, and we were three months out from our very DIY/hands-on wedding that I was planning. And this surgery and 8 weeks of crutches and PT was, of course, placed inconveniently in the middle of it.
My sister, who is infinitely gracious and empathetic, offered to come to Kansas to take me to my surgery and stick around for some of my recovery, since I had to be non-weight bearing for 8 weeks.
Well, while her offer was gracious, it was conditional.
The condition: She would only come to Kansas to be my caretaker IF we could find at least one Burr Oak tree near our house.
My sister, in TRUE Courtney Mast fashion, had become the unsuspecting mother of 28 Polyphemus moth caterpillars that she had hatched from eggs. The eggs were the size of pepper specks, and the caterpillars started out so small, but my knee surgery fell right in the middle of their most ferocious eating and growing stages, right before they made their cocoons.
They were going through 3-4 branches of Burr Oak leaves per day. Munching and pooping, munching and pooping—Courtney had to clean out their cage and refresh their food almost three times a day, and so if she came to stay with me for a while, her caterpillars had to come too.
Ross and I took her conditions seriously. We had a picture of what a burr oak tree looked like and two weeks before my surgery, we went on a walk through the park near our house, checking the leaves of all of the trees!
Finally, over towards our mailbox, we found a whole row of Burr Oaks. WHEW! A surgery caretaker had been secured!
My surgery went really, really well. After I woke up from anesthesia, I kept telling my sister, “Wow, that was 10/10, the whole experience, 10/10. 10/10!!!!” (I tend to wake up very happy and satisfied from anesthesia—I am lucky!! After my wisdom teeth surgery, I woke up and told Courtney “WOW, that was so fun, I’d do it again!” Haha!)
We got my meds and my crutches and made it back home in time for a leaf-refresh for the caterpillars. Muchin and poopin. Their little black poops were so dry and hard that you could hear them drop on the floor of their plastic container. I had to sleep in the living room in the recliner, and all night, I could hear the steady kerplop of the caterpillar’s industrious poops.
Some of the caterpillars started making their cocoons before Courtney had to go back home to Oklahoma, and she left one with Ross and I! It hatched some time in March of the next year. It was chaotic because we were both at work when it hatched and so we came home to a giant moth flying around in our house and quickly let it outside. Courtney had most of hers hatch while she was with them and so she got some amazing pictures of the Polyphemus moths!!
The female moths don’t have mouths, so once they emerge from their cocoons, they emit hormones to attract a male to come and mate with them so they can lay their eggs and die. So interesting, and so wild that something so beautiful lives only lives like a week long!!
Once Courtney left, my mom came up and hung out with me for a few days, which was so fun. I found out that I could use my office chair to wheel around from room to room and became pretty self sufficient and productive, despite being non-weight bearing. I did have some low points, plenty of anxious freak outs, and disappointments on missing out on so many of my favorite summer activities. However, my friends came to visit me and bring me love and treats, my work was so generous during my healing process, and I am so grateful for the grace and kindness I was shown during such a vulnerable period.
I am so, so lucky for the generous caretakers I have in my life.
Even if they come with caterpillar conditions.
That’s all for now! Thanks for going down memory lane with me today!
Love,
Kate
I did not know there were moths that big! Sounds like you had fun keeping busy with these little fellows during your recovery! It's amazing that humans can take comfort in raising any species...not just mammals, herps, and fish, but even moths!
You are one interesting woman! Are you originally from KS? That moth is so flipping amazing. I'm very impressed by this whole story. We have snails... who do not have kerplops, but have the many, many emoji poop swirls. lol