Friday March 12th 2010 Today we went to visit G-ma….(Grandma) G-ma has yummy treats in her pantry and the best couch to take a nap on. We also took a walk in the gully with my brother-in-law Steve and Jesse (Josie’s Cousin). Jesse is a black lab and was Josie’s first canine friend ever. Josie used to look up to Jesse. She would crawl underneath her and was that annoying puppy, biting at her ears, taking away her toys and always wanting to play….now, Josie towers over Jesse….but Josie continues to look up to Jesse as a young sibling would an elder. It was a hard walk…only because she was at her favorite place with one of her very best friends and I was being an over protective parent. I wouldn’t allow Josie off-leash. We arrive home and I make two bowls of gravy food to warm their bellies and we settle in for a night of movies on our mattress.
Saturday March 13th 2010 Today we took a short walk with our friend CC. She just loves the girls and is tickled to spend time with Josie before her surgery. We walk along Lake Michigan and enjoy the beautiful day. After a few errands, I decide to take the girls to Fisher Creek. The days are ticking away and I am worried how Josie will do with three legs…I figure that extra walks cant hurt anything as long as we take them slow. After the walk the girls get their last bath before Josie’s surgery. Josie is not a fan of the hose….no matter how gentle I am, or even if I warn her, her skin jumps as soon as the water touches her. After a good toweling off, we arrive home to do more snuggling on the mattress.
Sunday March 14th 2010 Today is picture day! Josie has her picture snapped at
least 300 times today. We walk in the gully and later at the beach. Today I cant resist letting her off-leash. She runs and plays with such gusto. I cringe with each step and I warn her to take it easy…like she knows what that means. But she is in her glory!!!! All the fears of her losing her leg take over me…what if she cant run with three legs??? I dont think I have ever cried so much in all my life! But it is so wonderful to see her running…She has such a beautiful gallop…splashing along in Lake Michigan.
Today I realize that it is the “not-knowing” that is so hard. I need to snap out of this….I need to be happy for her. Happy that she will live.
Monday March 15th 2010 I actually slept!!! I wake up and cant believe it….I slept longer than my recent 4 – 6 hours!!! I feel so great! The sun is shining and we are going to have a GREAT day! Man, what a difference a day makes….
Today we go to Cato Falls. The girls load up in the Jeep and off we go. We arrive back in town and I make a last minute turn and take them to the gully, again. Gully (that may be confusing…Gully was named after Josie’s favorite place, the gully) meets one of her favorite boys, a yellow lab named Otto. Those two play exactly the same….hard!!! They love to run through the puddles and roll in dead fish! She will be pooped out tonight. Josie, on the other hand, is only allowed off-leash for a short bit but she doesnt seem to mind to much. Watching how slow she has gotten over the past few days has really solidified my decision. She lays down more often and doesnt seem to want to play as much as she used to. Today….I didnt cry once! I really feel that I have made the best decision for Josie. Tomorrow….is a big day! I want to stay positive….I dont want Josie to see me cry.
I took over 100 pictures today. After looking at them all, I ask myself why am I so obsessed with all the pictures before her surgery? She is still going to be my Josie-Girl…after all……I don’t love her leg, I love her!
Yo, Josie’s Mom,
Lucky us dawgs live in the present! We don’t think about yesterday or tomorrow. As long as our pawrents are happy and pawsitive then so are we! Be strong for your beautiful Josie and she will be strong for you.
We will be thinking of you and sending you lots of tripawd love tomorrow!
xoxox,
Travis Ray and the Oaktown Pack
Best wishes, Josie and Josie’s mom. She’s gorgeous, by the way.
It’s human nature to worry about an unanticipated and unmapped future. It’s a curious frailty of ours to so strongly desire guarantees of positive outcomes, yet our canine family members so blithely accept and reslish each day without expectation. I’m better at remembering and practicing this lesson on some days more than others.
Josie will amaze you with her resiliency and spirit. And I’m pretty sure you’ll be amazed by your own strength.
We too will be thinking of you and send you an abundance of warm fuzzies for a smooth surgery and a speedy recovery for your Josie-Girl.
To Josie’s Mom,
My wonderful border collie Natasha got bone cancer in Oct. She was limping one day and luckily I had her yearly checkup sceduled the next day. To make a long story short my Vet did XRays, thought it looked like Ostesarcoma. Sent a biopsy in, confirmed it. Saw the Orthopedic surgeon, he Xrayed her lungs and back legs and even thought she is 14 (going on 3) said she was a good candidate for surgery. Everything else is just fine and she has energy to burn. In 2 days he amputated her left front leg. They had her up and walking the same day to go pee. I took her home the next day and they told me to let her figure out how to get along on 3 legs. She did just great. I was always at her side with the leash on at first, but she did so well on her own, I just let her go.
Started Chemo 2 wks later and did 5 rounds every 3 wks. She handled that just fine. Threw up maybe once after each treatment, after about a week, but no other problems. Had diarrhea only once.
Her hair grew back just fine and she is a happy girl.
Don’t worry about her. My surgeon told me they aren’t like people who would be emarrassed about the missing leg. They just deal with it.
Good luck. You will take good care of her I’m sure.
Kathie
Sendin lots of luvs your way! Hope it’s a quick recovery (for both of you) and you guys are back bounding around the gully (with Gully) in no time.
Luvs, Rosie
What an awesome few days you have had!
Best wishes to Josie and you today. We hope all went well with her surgery. She will amaze you with how much she can do after she recovers. And that leg won’t hurt her anymore, which will be awesome for her!
We’re keeping you in our hearts today, Josie!
Hugs,
Holly and Holly’s mom
PS – are you near Chicago? We’re in the Chicago ‘burbs! There will hopefully be a Chicago tripawds party in May!